Wake up more naturally with the best sunrise alarm clock for 2024, tested and reviewed

Number of brightness levels: 20 | Additional features: Sunset feature, blue light control, Bluetooth connectivity

Hitting our list as the best sunrise alarm clock overall is the Lumie Bodyclock Luxe 700FM. Incidentally, if we were giving accolades for the best design, this clock would also win in that category. It has a premium build quality compared to other iterations of Lumie Bodyclocks. The weighted base (which looks like linen) and frosted glass would look lovely on any nightstand. That said, this sunrise alarm clock has a large footprint and uses an antenna to get reception, meaning it eats up a lot of space on your bedside table.

The setup for this clock was relatively easy, as it's reasonably intuitive. Once it's plugged in, you can easily cycle through setting up your language preference, time and alarm settings.

Like most sunrise alarm clocks, the color starts as an orange-reddish hue and gradually fades to a brighter white as your alarm time approaches. You can choose between 20 brightness settings, but note that level 16 is heinously bright. Other alarm details include an adjustable "sunrise" duration of 15-90 minutes and a snooze function that buys you an extra 9 minutes by tapping the top of the glass or any of the preset keys. As far as alarm sounds go, you can wake to any of the 20+ preprogrammed sleep sounds, FM radio (quite the throwback there) or you can connect the clock to your smartphone and tap into your playlist.

Like a few other entries on our list, the Lumie Bodyclock Luxe 700FM can also be used as a bedside light. Putting on my sleep-science-coach hat, it seems that Lumie really did their homework here, as users can switch to a low-blue light setting. Blue light exposure in the evening — whether from our devices or ambient light — can interfere with the body's production of melatonin, the hormone that signals it's time to sleep. This disruption can leave us feeling more alert than we should be at bedtime, which can ultimately mess with our sleep. 

The device earns extra points for its smart feature that automatically adjusts the display brightness based on the room's light level. Many people overlook the impact of bright displays from devices in their rooms, but those lights can also interfere with sleep. And if you're really looking to knock out all of the light in your room, you can turn the display light off — when you want to see the time, just tap the lamp cover.

The sunset program rounds out a nice list of features. Users can set the light on the clock to fade gradually, boosting sleepiness.

While ultimately this is my top pick for sunrise alarm clocks, and I consider it a good deal given its wealth of features, it's also an admittedly pricey purchase. If budget is a concern, you may want to turn to some of our other favorite options. 

Number of brightness levels: Not indicated — there's a dial to adjust brightness as desired | Additional features: Auto-off timer, adjustable brightness, built-in snooze

This Sunrise Sound Machine was easy to set up and has a long power cord that can be plugged into a nearby outlet. The LED display is bright enough to see during the night but not so much that it kept me awake, which was a huge plus.

Like any sunrise alarm worth its salt, this option gradually brightens over the course of the hour leading up to your alarm time, helping you wake more naturally. Even though I wore an eye mask to sleep, I could still sense the increasing brightness, which led to a more peaceful wake-up. However, the light doesn't change from a dark orange to a bright white, like some of the pricier sunrise alarms — it gets brighter, but stays within the orange range. Without a corresponding alarm noise, this may not be effective at waking the heaviest sleepers. 

Beyond the light, the clock has 17 nature sounds, three fan sounds, seven baby sounds and four white noises to help you fall asleep at night and wake up to in the morning. I preferred the general white noise sound. The clock also doubles as a nightlight with seven color options, making it a good choice for kids and adults.

There are two main downsides to this alarm. First, the placement of the volume and brightness adjustment buttons, which are located on the back and tricky to reach. This is especially true when you’re winding down at the end of the day. 

Second, there's no Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity or corresponding app to allow you to make adjustments or personalize the experience. If you want to be able to listen to your own music playlist or to connect with Alexa or Google Assistant, this won't be the sunrise alarm for you. 

Still, for $50, it's a solid investment for those who are looking for a sunrise alarm clock that won't break the bank. 

Number of brightness levels: 25 | Additional features: Sunset feature, night light function, integrated breathing exercises

The Philips SmartSleep sunrise alarm clock was by far the fastest and easiest to set up. It's incredibly intuitive. You just plug in the alarm clock and cycle through the settings on the face of the unit. I don't usually handle the electronics in my home, nor do I want to, but I was able to set this clock up within five minutes, and at no point did I feel the need to refer to the manual for assistance. Another thing that makes this clock so user-friendly is that it skips the annoyance of Wi-Fi connectivity and buggy apps.

In terms of performance, this clock functions like most sunrise alarm clocks. As it approaches your alarm time, it phases through red, orange and yellow lights, eventually into a fairly bright, almost white light. Overall, it works well to simulate a natural sunrise or sunset, but users should know that the clock face is quite large, so when you turn up the brightness (there are 25 levels available), it becomes exceptionally bright. In fact, at 25, the brightness is overwhelming; I think most people will prefer levels 16 to 18.

You can also choose from seven alarm sounds, including "forest birds," "Buddha awake," "morning Alps" or my favorite, "Nepal bowls." Snoozing is as easy as tapping the top of the alarm clock, and like most alarm clocks, it lasts nine minutes.

One standout feature of the Philips SmartSleep is what I like to call the "nighttime assist." If you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night, maybe to use the bathroom, you can simply tap the top of the clock to activate the Midnight Light. This gentle, low-intensity orange light provides just enough illumination to navigate your surroundings without fully waking you up.

Like many of the clocks on our list, this one also has a sunset feature — or "unwind" feature — where you can set it to count down or fade out light and sound until your bedtime. You can adjust the time it takes to wind down from 5 to 60 minutes. Plus, you can choose from any of the preprogrammed sounds, the radio, music from your own device or no sound at all.

This clock also has a RelaxBreathe program, which guides you through breathing exercises to help you unwind. You can choose from seven breathing exercises, adjust the duration and choose whichever soundscape you want, if any.

The Philips SmartSleep sunrise alarm clock has a lot to love, but it's one of the more expensive items we tested, and there are a few things that could have made it better. The first is the sheer size of it. Like the Lumie Bodyclock Luxe 700FM, it has a relatively large footprint and a soft wire antenna — it's not as big as the Lumie Bodyclock, but it still takes up a significant amount of space on your nightstand. Also, given its size and shape, if you turn the brightness up, it looks and feels like a spotlight.

Another downside of this sunrise alarm clock is that it doesn't have Bluetooth capability, which is surprising in 2024. At the back of the clock, there's a port for charging your phone and an AUX port for plugging in a device, which seems kind of clunky and outdated. 

Number of brightness levels: 0-100% | Additional features: Personalized "rest" and "rise" routines, functions as a nightlight, optional Hatch+ membership for more sleep options and travel-friendly access to sleep sounds 

Many of the alarm clocks that made our list do double or triple duty, offering tools to help you fall asleep (like white noise or calming meditations) in addition to offering the sunrise alarm to help you wake up. But for anyone who needs as much (or more) help settling down at night as they do waking up in the morning, the Hatch Restore 2 is a standout ... especially when paired with its subscription-based app. 

For starters, the Hatch Restore 2 is a great-looking clock. Thanks to the choice of three neutral hues — slate, putty and latte — I was able to choose one to blend in seamlessly with my bedroom decor. I appreciate the minimalist design and intuitive buttons on the top. This is especially helpful if you're trying to keep your phone out of the bedroom: You can easily select your preset "rest" or "rise" routines — no app or phone required. 

As far as those "rest" and "rise" routines go, they're easy to set up and simple to adjust and personalize, as needed, and you can enjoy most features with the free Hatch Sleep app. The Hatch alarm offers white, pink, green and brown noises to choose from to help you fall asleep, as well as hundreds of other options (like light rain), sleep stories or music channels to choose among. The device even lets you set up a "rest reminder" so you know when it's time to start winding down for bed. Once you start your routine each night, the Hatch Restore will follow your selections (including offering a gradual sunset light that fades out or transitions to your selected night light setting). 

The "rise" routine is similar — decide what time you want to wake up and set a routine for the gradual sunrise alarm (which adjusts from orange light to yellow, then white). You can elect to accompany the sunrise with the sounds of your choosing (like chirping birds), or traditional alarm sounds or music. 

Most of these features are similar to some of the other products that made our list, but what makes the Hatch stand out as a step above is the additional content that's available on the Hatch+ app. For $4.99 per month, you get additional access to meditation content, sleep tracking and smart home compatibility. You can even access your sleep sounds and routines through the app itself if you happen to be traveling and away from your Restore device. Granted, your phone won't be able to give you the sunrise alarm feature, but you can at least fall asleep and wake up with the other aspects of your preferred routine.

Regarding the sunrise alarm itself, it does the job. Even though I sleep with an eye mask, the light from the clock was bright enough to help me wake up naturally. This one worked gently with my circadian rhythm.

Of course, it's certainly on the higher end pricewise at $170, and the long-term cost goes up if you subscribe to the app, but it packs in a lot of features and may be able to help improve your entire sleep routine, not just your morning alarm.

Number of brightness levels: Between 10-100% | Additional features: Sunset feature, wireless charging capability, Bluetooth connectivity

The first time I saw the Dekala Arches sunrise alarm clock, I thought it had a nostalgic mid-century modern, Mad Men vibe. So, for anyone who likes retro home decor, this might be worth a closer look.

Diving into the specifics of the brand's flagship sunrise alarm clock, the Arches model is a breeze to set up and operate. Like many of the options on our list, it's user-friendly and intuitive.

However, unlike the other alarm clocks, this one has an integrated 15W charging pad. While this feature can help reduce nightstand clutter, it's worth noting that the pad is relatively small. With just a 5 inch x 2 inch area to place your phone, if you have a larger device, you'll need to position it diagonally on the charger. Although the charger doesn't have a magnetic feel, there's a reassuring grip when you set your phone down, giving you peace of mind that it won't slide off and leave you with a drained battery by morning.

This clock works with an app, connects to Wi-Fi and has Bluetooth connectivity, all of which are easy to set up. Plus, it works with Alexa and Google Assistant.

One thing that niggles me about this sunrise alarm clock is that the controls are underneath the unit, so if you want to change the time, change the color or set an alarm, you have to tip the unit to access the buttons on the bottom. For that reason, it's important to use the app, which also allows you to make these adjustment without touching the alarm. Once you've downloaded and connected the app, it shows you things like the time, temperature, humidity level and UV index. You can also set up your alarms and adjust the lights for color and brightness. If you prefer not to have to work with your phone or an app, you can always control the clock using the buttons on the unit.

When it comes to sound options, this alarm clock delivers with a solid basic speaker — just keep in mind it's not a high-end sound system. You can customize your wake-up experience by choosing between seven different alarm sounds, including birds, sea, valley, babbling brook, piano, light music, an alarm beep or wind chimes. Plus, with Bluetooth connectivity, you have the flexibility to stream your own music for a personalized start to your day.

A few other features this alarm clock offers include white noise settings to help prevent ambient noises from keeping you awake and a breath setting to help you calm your breathing patterns as you go to bed. 

Unlike the other alarms, the sunrise setting doesn't provide "levels" for you to choose between. Rather, it offers light adjustments from 10% to 100%, and you can elect where to start and max out. The light turns on an hour before your alarm time, and like the other options, gradually increases in brightness. 

Number of brightness levels: Up to 100% (100 lumens) | Additional features: Rainbow timers

The Amazon Echo Glow is marketed as a sunrise alarm clock, but ultimately, it's more like a fun programmable light that's especially helpful for kids or individuals who aren't looking for all the extra bells and whistles. As such, it hits our list as the best "no frills" sunrise alarm clock. 

Now, first things first: This is an Amazon product, so it's designed to work exclusively with other Amazon devices. And when we say exclusively, we mean it. The Echo Glow doesn't have a microphone, so while you can control it through the Alexa app, you can only make requests or commands if you have other Echo devices in your home (like the Echo Spot or Echo Hub) to route those requests through Alexa.

The Glow itself is small, measuring just under 4 inches around — a big benefit considering the real estate requirements of some of the other alarm clocks on this list. It has a USB power cord and an Action button. To get things up and running, using the Echo Glow is as easy as plugging in the power cord, pressing the Action button to turn it on and then using the Alexa mobile app to discover it.

In terms of lighting, the Glow is touch-sensitive, so with a tap, you can cycle through 16 colors and lighting modes. Additionally, you can set up wake-up light alarms and "rainbow" timers. The latter makes this fun for kids — it cycles through a rainbow of colors, ending on bright white as a countdown to help motivate kids to complete tasks like picking up their toys, getting ready for bed or brushing their teeth.

Like the other clocks on our list, the wake-up timer means the Glow light gradually increases brightness until it reaches 100%. It's worth noting that the Glow only puts out about 100 lumens, which is relatively dim, so it may be worth pairing it with an audible alarm (on your phone or through another device) if you're not particularly light sensitive.