The 9 Best Alarm Clocks to Start Your Morning Right

Key selling points: While this is a sunrise-simulation alarm clock, you can choose the hue based on the time of day or, of course, your personal preferences. It works as a sound machine with free soothing soundtracks (as well as a larger library that can be accessed with a paid membership), sleep meditations, and Bluetooth connectivity, which allows it to connect to and be controlled via an app. Bookworms will appreciate its soft glow at night, which offers enough light to read without keeping others awake.

What customers say: While I don’t know the science behind why it works, I can say for sure it has helped me with creating a better sleep routine. I struggled getting to bed, getting to sleep, staying asleep, and actually getting out of bed in the morning. It was all wrong until I tried this device and program that my sister gave me for Christmas. I am totally amazed at how easily I adapted to this process! I actually want to go to bed now and look forward the gentle winding down of my mind. I didn’t think it would wake me enough to get me out of bed, but it did, and it feels so gentle and welcoming in starting the new day with ease! I absolutely love it! I feel so much better, stronger, healthier, and more awake than ever. I’m able to start a lovely day by 7 a.m.—unheard of prior to Restore. I’ve tried so many other things, but this actually worked! Thank you for giving me my life back!! —Nancy, reviewer at Target

Key selling points: Lean into the retro vibes with this battery-operated twin-bell alarm clock. Not only are the clockhands silent and the alarm relatively loud, but it does not come with a snooze function, forcing you to actually get out of bed or risk missing your morning run. There’s also a button on the back that backlights the face, allowing you to check what time it is once the lights are out.

What customers say: Perfect size, doesn't tick, and the actual alarm is LOUD. There’s no way to sleep through this thing. The alarms on my phone are too soft and don’t shake me awake and are too easy to snooze. This guy is not a gentle wake-up call. I keep it on the dresser so I have to get up to turn it off—between that and it being so loud, it’s much harder for me to get back in bed. I’m not a morning person. Once I’m up, I'm fine, but I hate getting out of bed in the morning. I wish I had whatever it is that makes people jump up at the first alarm ready to take on the day. This alarm is a big help. You do have to remember to turn it on every night as there is no a.m./p.m. setting like digital alarms, but that’s not a problem for me. —Erin, reviewer on Amazon

Key selling points: This WiFi-enabled, dual-alarm clock has two settings—one to nudge you awake and another to remind you to actually get out of bed. It comes with a blackout mode for the light sleepers among us, as well as a Bluetooth speaker so you can get ready while listening to the dulcet tones of Michael Barbaro. (We’re just suggesting The Daily, okay?)

What customers say: I have been thinking of getting a Loftie since I first heard about it months ago. I’m glad I finally did! This compact, sleek, and attractive device is so much more than an alarm clock. I like that you can set all sorts of alarms. And the alarm tones have a nice range of non-obnoxious sounds to start my day with. The display is adjustable so that the light isn’t too bright, and I appreciate that. The various nature sounds and white noises are lovely, and I put them on when I’m reading or trying to focus and people in my house are making noise. And there are even adorable little bedtime stories! I’m glad I got this! —Heather Barron, reviewer on Amazon

Key selling points: Meditation sounds too woo-woo for you? You won’t get any unnecessary features with this model. It finds beauty in the basics, with adjustable brightness, a built-in nightlight, and a battery back-up function in case there’s a power outage. Last but not least, its relatively small size makes it travel-friendly.

What customers say: I have to say, these are the best clocks I’ve had! For whatever reason, digital alarm clocks these days are so hard to get right. They are either too small, too big, or have so many bells and whistles that make it too expensive and a waste of “amenities,” to say, in my opinion. I was very happy to find these clocks. They are perfectly simple with touches like the display dimmer and alarm sound levels that I appreciated (my kids love the “night light” on top!). And this company has great customer service to boot. I was just really impressed with the whole thing! I’d definitely buy again. —Erin B., reviewer on Amazon

Key selling points: Want your wake-up call to hurt? (Just kidding.) But if you’re the sort of heavy sleeper that can sleep through overnight construction, no problem—the Sonic Bomb will make sure you’re up and at ’em. It does this with a combo of red strobe lights, different alarm tones that go up to mosh-pit levels, and the aforementioned “bed shaker,” which you can tuck under your pillow or between your mattress and box spring. You can also pick and choose from this lineup, in case you have neighbors…or a significant other.

What customers say: I basically sleep like a dead person, and I’ve tried EVERYTHING. I was tired (no pun intended) of sleeping through classes, work, and just about everything else, so I decided to give this one a try. I have slats under my mattress, so I had to put the bed shaker under my pillow instead—and I'm glad I did! The bed-shaker feature works extremely well. If you’re like me and you hit snooze while you’re still sleeping without realizing it, YOU NEED THIS. The bed shaker will make you feel like you are falling off a mountain; it’s very strong, and you may end up on the floor. Now on to the sound; this is the first alarm clock I have ever purchased that wakes me (and the rest of the neighborhood) up 100% of the time. I work full time on an ambulance, and honestly, I can’t decide what’s louder, my siren or this alarm clock! The very first time I used it, my neighbor came knocking on my door because it also woke him up. Sorry, Mr. D, but I’m keeping it. —TJ Fox, reviewer on Amazon

Key selling points: A minimalist’s dream, this alarm clock has a straightforward display that gives you the time, temperature, and humidity.  With three alarm settings and a weekday mode—meaning it only goes off Monday through Friday—it’s easy to customize according to your schedule. Light-sensitive sleepers, don’t sweat: The dimmable LED display can be adjusted to your preference so it doesn’t wake you up in the middle of the night.

What customers say: I needed a way to see the time in the dark without moving, without fussing with the phone, without it taking up space on my small nightstand, and without being fully awake. Several tries later, after trying old-fashioned windup clocks and clocks that cast a light on the ceiling, I found this perfect little gem. Its numbers are large enough to see from the bed; it’s small enough to be tucked into the bookcase at a perfect height, and the light of the numbers is adjustable to three levels. It not only looks beautiful; when I find myself searching for a book, I take it out to just feel the smooth wooden surface and wonder, How did they do that? The numbers are sharp, yet seem to just glow out of the wood surface. I would recommend this clock to anyone who wants a simple clock with an unexpected element of joy. —Nelle D’Arlen, reviewer on Amazon

Key selling points: While you might not want your phone to serve as your wake-up call in the mornings, you still might want to charge it—or juice up your AirPods or e-reader. This model has two USB charging ports so you can plug in other devices, as well as an oversized display that makes the time easy to read without needing to put glasses on (a major perk if you’re nearsighted). And with the addition of AAA batteries, it also has a backup function in the event the power goes out.

What customers say: I love everything about this clock. With its slim profile, it fits on my mini clamp-on side table just fine (see pix with my Kindle Paperwhite for scale) with room for my Kindle and tablet, phone and other small items. Its very best feature is that the numbers are lit by a blue light that dims with a slider control, so you can get just enough light on the numbers without getting blasted out of bed by a screaming red light. I never understood why so many clock manufacturers use red lights. Who needs that when you are trying to go to sleep??? It is very easy to set the time, and it even has a setting to make it reset itself for daylight savings start/stop. It makes absolutely no noise, so no ticking. I don’t have to get up to an alarm, so I haven’t tested this feature. This is a perfect bedside clock. I looked long and hard for the perfect clock since I have very limited space and wanted blue light, and I couldn’t be happier with this clock. —reviewer on Amazon