With darker days ahead, waking up in the morning can be rough. If you never feel rested when your alarm goes off, a sunrise alarm clock could change your life. The gradually brightening light signals that it’s time to wake up instead of beeps and harsh, unnatural tones. I’m a chronic snooze-button kind of gal, and I’ve found a sunrise clock, or wake-up light, incredibly helpful for getting up when I need to and for supporting a healthier circadian rhythm. Plus, it’s much harder to ignore than a phone alarm that I can simply snooze.
If you want to face dark winter mornings by waking up more gently and naturally, using a sunrise alarm clock might just improve your mood. We recommend the newly released Hatch Sleep Clock if you want a sunrise alarm and sleep tracker in one machine, as well as a personal favorite, the Lumie Bodyclock Luxe 700FM.
Here are our favorite sunrise alarm clocks, each tested for up to a week.
Updated October 2026: We’ve added the Hatch Sleep Clock, Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light, Rise Centered, Melalight Red Light Lamp, and pros and cons; removed the out-of-stock WiiM Wake-up Light; and ensured links and prices are up to date.
Table of ContentsAccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevron- How Do Sunrise Alarm Clocks Work?
- What Features Should You Look for in a Sunrise Alarm Clock?
- Which Sunrise Alarm Clocks Are Best?
- Honorable Mentions
- Do Sunrise Alarms Work for Heavy Sleepers?
- What’s the Difference Between a Sunrise Clock and a SAD Lamp?
- How Does WIRED Test Sunrise Alarms?
How Do Sunrise Alarm Clocks Work?
Your body is built to wake naturally with the sunrise and feel sleepy as the sun sets. The light at both the beginning and end of the day is warm and golden, unlike the bright, slightly blue midday sunlight that keeps you wide awake. A sunrise alarm clock mimics this transition from morning to bright daytime light, helping signal your body to wake up (or fall asleep, if the clock also has a sunset option).
A sunrise alarm has a built-in light you can set to brighten at a certain time. It doesn’t happen instantly; it will slowly transition over a period of anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, and better sunrise alarms let you choose your exact brightening window. I usually choose a half-hour window for the light to start brightening, and let the gradually brightening light wake me.
There are also sound effects. Sunrise alarms feature a mix of relaxing and classic sounds that usually start when the light begins to brighten, helping to rouse you. I’d prefer the light to go first, with music activating later, but that isn’t always an option with these lights.
Some sunrise alarms also offer a sunset routine, meaning you can turn them on at night and they'll slowly dim to darkness to help you feel sleepy. It’s another good visual cue for your brain and body that it’s time for bed, and I prefer sunrise alarms like Hatch and Lumie that let you choose when to activate a routine (for example, pressing a button starts the routine over the course of 30 minutes) rather than needing to be in bed by a set time to use the routine.
Ultimately, these lights can do a lot. They can double as a sound machine, help you wake up and fall asleep, and even serve as a regular bedside lamp if they’re bright enough. Not all sunrise alarms have all of these features, though, so you have to decide how much you want to spend and which features are most important to you.
What Features Should You Look for in a Sunrise Alarm Clock?
You might see a range of features listed for a sunrise alarm, and more expensive models will include more of these than cheaper models. If you’re not sure which features you want, try this series of questions to figure out which features you need.
Do you struggle to fall asleep? Splurge on a sunrise alarm with a nighttime or wind-down routine. These help establish a routine that makes it easier to fall asleep.
Do you need one device that doubles as an alarm and a bedside lamp? Get a brighter sunrise clock with easy controls to turn it on as a bedside lamp. Not all sunrise clocks have these features, so check the details carefully (and reviews like mine!) and note that cheaper, smaller sunrise alarm clocks usually won’t brighten an entire bedroom.
Are you picky about your alarm sounds? Check how many sounds are offered. Just about every sunrise clock has some sound machine features and options, but cheaper models tend to offer only a couple of sounds and might not have the sound you’re looking for.
Do you want app control? Some options in this guide don’t include a companion app or Wi-Fi capabilities, especially some of my favorites. An app doesn’t necessarily make a sunrise clock better, but it can be convenient to use. If you prefer an app to set up your sunrise lamp, try Casper, Hatch, and Loftie.
Which Sunrise Alarm Clocks Are Best?
Photograph: Boutayna ChokraneSave to wishlistSave to wishlistHatch
Sleep Clock
$250Hatch
The Hatch Sleep Clock is the company’s latest sunrise alarm and its first to offer contactless sleep tracking. Priced at $249, it sits between bedside trackers like the Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) and pricier systems like Eight Sleep. It costs as much as an Apple Watch SE 3, but you’ll get a more stripped-down picture of your sleep, without the physiological measurements or audio data you’d get from a wearable. Otherwise, it’s essentially the Restore 3 (below), doubling as a dimmable light and sound machine. You’ll need a Hatch membership ($6 per month) to unlock the audio library, but it’s worth it for the full bedtime experience. The Sleep Clock is great if you want a sunrise alarm that also functions as a sleep tracker, and/or if you’re done with strapping gadgets to your body overnight. —Boutayna Chokrane
Routine optionsSunrise and sunset settingsSound options40+ free sleep sounds, 20 alarm sounds, 5 basic unwind samplers, 2,500+ audio options with a Hatch+ subscriptionBedside lamp capability?Yes, but quite dimApp control?Yes- Photograph: Nena Farrell
- Courtesy of Lumie
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Lumie
Bodyclock Luxe 700FM
$259Amazon
This is my personal favorite sunrise alarm. It’s big and bright, with a stylish exterior. It has a button for lamp mode, so you can easily switch it on in the evening as a regular lamp, and it’s bright enough to fill my bedroom like a normal lamp. It has a nice range of sounds and not only connects to the radio but also allows you to save five stations. There are both sunrise and sunset settings. The biggest downside is that it only has a 24-hour clock and doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi or an app, so you have to set the time manually (and change it manually for daylight saving). If you want to spend less, the Shine 300 ($169) is a little smaller and has fewer sounds, but otherwise it’s similarly great. —Nena Farrell
Routine optionsSunrise and sunset settingsSound options27 sounds, plus radioBedside lamp capability?Yes, easy to control and gets very brightApp control?No-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Nena-Farrell.jpg)
Photograph: Nena FarrellSave to wishlistSave to wishlistHatch
Restore 3
$170Amazon
$170Hatch
The Hatch Restore 3 and its previous generations are probably the most popular sunrise alarm clocks. I constantly see the Restore 3 recommended online, from gift guides to TikTok videos, and it's understandable why it's so popular. It’s controlled by the Hatch app, which offers a wide range of sounds, lights, and routines you can use for both mornings and evenings. The Restore 3 came out in early 2025 and has more buttons and controls, so once you set up your favorite settings, you can easily toggle them on with the press of a button. The Restore 3 isn't too large, which is nice for fitting onto bedside tables, but it's not quite as bright as I'd like to force me to wake up in the morning. Note that some of Hatch’s audio content requires a Hatch+ subscription. —Nena Farrell
Routine optionsSunrise and sunset settingsSound options58 sounds, plus additional sleep contentBedside lamp capability?Yes, but too dim to be usefulApp control?Yes, both iOS and AndroidSubscription tiers?Yes, Hatch+ membership ($6 a month) gets you more content and optionsHonorable Mentions
Casper Glow Light
Photograph: Nena FarrellCasper Glow Light for $129: This light is cool because it responds to touch and movement. It turns on or off when you flip it over, and when you twist it, it brightens or dims the light. There are no sound features, but it is battery-powered and intuitive to use. —Nena Farrell
Photograph: Nena FarrellMelalight Red Light Lamp for $169: If you’re looking for something super simple, the Melalight might be what you want. This red-light lamp promises to help you wind down with its 660-nanometer wavelength. It’s the same wavelength commonly found in red-light masks to improve your skin, but it won’t impact your face from your bedside table; instead, Melalight says this wavelength is melatonin-friendly. Red- and warmer-toned lights are known to help you relax, as opposed to blue light, which is why your phone and e-readers often have a warm-light mode for evening use. You can turn it on and off by tapping the Melalight logo on the front, and adjust the brightness by holding it. There are two buttons on the back to set a 30- or 60-minute timer so it turns itself off. It’s portable and rechargeable, making it a good option if you're short on outlets at your bedside. It’s not bright enough for reading, but I’d use it with a backlit e-reader. It won’t wake you up, but it’s an option to help you fall asleep. —Nena Farrell
Blueair Mini Restful
Photograph: Lisa Wood ShapiroBlueair Mini Restful Air Purifier Sunrise Clock for $124: This device combines an air purifier with a sunrise alarm clock. The Mini Restful is the smallest air purifier in Blueair’s Sleep Collection, and it promises to gently wake you and clean the air in your bedroom. You’ll use Blueair’s app, which includes nine sounds, and you can start your sunrise anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes before your alarm. You can read more in our guide to multi-use air purifiers. —Nena Farrell
Hatch Baby
Photograph: Nena FarrellHatch Baby for $80: The updated version of the popular Hatch Rest is the Hatch Baby, with a new look and app options similar to the Hatch Restore 3 above. (Previously, the app options were much simpler, even though the devices all share the same Hatch Sleep app.) This is a fun option for kids, though it doesn’t offer gradual sunrises. It does, however, turn on fun colors and play music at certain times and for set durations. My 3-year-old looks forward to the “green light” turning on every morning (but this does not, unfortunately, keep him from leaving his bed for mine at 4 in the morning). You’ll also get a six-month subscription to Hatch+ content. —Nena Farrell
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Loftie Lamp
Photograph: Nena FarrellLoftie Lamp for $280: Loftie’s lamp is gorgeous; it’s my favorite for filling my bedroom. It has three light colors and a handful of brightness settings for each. But for the high price, you need the Loftie Alarm to get sound features, and there’s only a nine-minute brightening and dimming window, which doesn’t help me much. It syncs with Alexa, though. —Nena Farrell
Rise Centered Original Sunrise Alarm Clock for $199: This unique sunrise alarm clock features a beautiful, spherical salt lamp on your choice of a beech or walnut wood base. There are no subscriptions, no Wi-Fi, and no Bluetooth, specifically to discourage phone use around bedtime. I tested the Himalayan pink salt version, but found its light to be far too dim and muted to wake me up. The company says the white version is brighter. Still, I absolutely love the look of this clock and, because it's touch-controlled, it makes an excellent bedside lamp on its own. —Kat Merck
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Philips SmartSleep
Photograph: Nena FarrellPhilips SmartSleep Wake-up Light for $109: The SmartSleep wake-up light was once our budget pick and remains one of the most basic—and least expensive—options on this list. It offers 20 brightness settings, simulated sunset and sunrise settings, five natural wake-up sounds, FM radio, tap-to-snooze, and an automatically dimming display. This basic model is best for people who want help waking up more gently but don’t need much else. —Molly Higgins
FAQs
Do Sunrise Alarms Work for Heavy Sleepers?
AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronYes! I'm a heavy sleeper in the morning, and these can still help me wake up. You might want to choose the most gradual increase in brightness on the sunrise lamp you choose, so the slow brightening of the room can better rouse you from that deep sleep.
What’s the Difference Between a Sunrise Clock and a SAD Lamp?
AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronThese two gadgets might look similar on the outside, but sunrise clocks and other wake-up-style lights are designed to wake you up, while a SAD (seasonal affective disorder) lamp is meant to simulate sunlight during the day. SAD lamps provide light therapy to help combat seasonal depression during the darker months, while sunrise alarms are just meant to make the morning wake-up less rough. Both can help regulate your circadian rhythm, but in different ways.
How Does WIRED Choose Sunrise Clocks to Test?
AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronWe research all models in advance to determine which are a fit for testing. We ensure they have wake-up features. (Some SAD lamps look similar to a sunrise alarm, for example, but if there’s no gradual sunrise to wake up to, they don’t qualify for testing with this guide.) We also test a variety of price points and additional features to see what’s really worth buying. We make an effort to select both more affordable options with fewer features and high-end options to compare and contrast in our testing rounds.
How Does WIRED Test Sunrise Clocks?
AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronI tested each recommended sunrise clock on my bedside table in a room with blackout curtains to see how much it could brighten the room over the course of its sunrise routine. I slept with each model for anywhere between one and seven nights, depending on its performance. I also tried out the various sound options each machine had to offer to test the speakers and see how pleasant the sounds were for waking up or falling asleep. If there was a nighttime routine option, I tested that too.
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