Alexandra Ramirez
1. Electrohome
Best Overall Alarm Clock
5/5 Product Rating
The clock radio automatically sets the time and date and saves all of the alarm settings, even if the power goes out.
The time projection display, dual alarms, backlit LCD with the ability to be dimmed, temperature display and the ability to play your cell phone, tablet or MP3 player, you will never need another alarm clock.
The large blue lit display measures 3.6” and makes it easy to view the date and time as well as the temperature. You can easily reduce the brightness of the screen with the dimmer options, setting it to high, low or off if you are sensitive to light when you are trying to sleep.
The alarm clock will also display the indoor temperature in either Fahrenheit or Celsius and also the current day, month and year.
With the unique projection option you can project the time into your wall or ceiling so it is visible from anywhere in the room. You can also tilt it a full 180 so you can project time or temperature as well. The projected time will always be clear and easily read thanks to the adjustable focus. All you need to do to have the correct time is make sure the time zone is set and the smart clock does the rest.
The battery backup restores all your alarm settings and auto adjusts for daylight savings as well. There are dual alarms that can be set for you and your partner if you want to get up at different times. Other features include being able to listen to your favorite music on the AM/FM radio, or your favorite device.
– Sarah Lytle
2. Sony
Best Overall Alarm Clock – Runner Up
4.6/5 Product Rating
The battery backup makes sure that even in a power outage; your appointments won’t be missed.
Another great feature is the projection aspect where you csn project the time onto the wall or ceiling. The swivel projector can tilt up to 180 degrees which means you can project the time anywhere you want.
The adjustable focus ensures that the projected time stays clear. The projector can be turned off as well.
The Sony alarm clock radio gives you the choice of falling asleep or waking up to nature sounds (5 different choices: Ocean, waves, birds, rain, brook and under the sea. You can use the programmable timer or the wake alarm. The convenient side mounted USB port can be used to charge your devices including smartphones, MP3 players, and tablets.
You can set dual alarms if you and your partner want to wake up at different times and the gradual wake alarm can wake you gently rather than jolting you awake with a loud alarm. It starts low and gradually increases to a louder alarm so you wake gradually.
With all of the great features of the Sony Alarm Clock Radio you will be able to wake up when you need to without stress or worry, even in a power outage. It’s a valuable and convenient clock with tons of features that you will surely use.
– Sarah Lytle
3. Timex
4.5/5 Product Rating
Charge your phone right by your bedside while you sleep so when you wake up, your phone is all ready to go.
The two alarms can be set independently and a separate programmable nap timer too. You can even program the snooze alarm.
The large red display measures .9” and has a multi-level dimmer control. The concealed LED nightlight also has dimmer options.
The lithium back up battery will back up your settings for as long as three years helping you save money on batteries. The 24 hour set and forget alarm has auto repeat and auto shut off. You can wake up to a buzzer alarm that is set to go off loud or soft.
– Sarah Lytle
Alarm Clock Buying Guide
What is an Alarm Clock?
Even though an alarm clock is a pretty simple purchase, there are a few things that you will want to consider before you make your purchase.
Is there a battery backup? – Almost all alarm clocks have some kind of battery backup in place in the event of a power outage. It will prevent all of your alarm settings from being lost and will also ensure that you won’t miss any important meetings or work.
Many of the battery backups take a 9v battery but some use AA or AAA batteries instead. Be certain you know ahead of time what type of batteries your back up feature needs so you are prepared ahead of time.
What is the snooze button like? – The snooze button is often hit the first time the alarm goes off. Many times, it’s a lot more than that. You will want to find out a little bit about the snooze button feature on the alarm clock radio that you are considering. Depending on the model, the snooze button can be programmed to go off once only, more than once, or even once every minute or so for a full 30 minutes if it takes a lot of cajoling to get you out of bed in the morning.
Does it have Dual Alarms? – Dual alarms are a very convenient feature when more than one person needs alarms set in the morning, but not at the same time. Rather than the first person to get up having to reset the clock every single morning, two alarms can be set, at the times needed.
Does it have a sleep timer? – If you like to listen to your radio at night but then get woken up by it earlier than you’d like because it’s still running, you’ll like the sleep timer feature. This enables you to set it to shut off on its own after a specified time frame.
Does it have Different choices for alarm sounds? – Many people get accustomed to the sound of their alarms and can sleep right through them. Having access to a variety of alarm noises can prevent you from becoming immune to the sound of the alarm.
Types of Clocks
There are many different types of alarm clocks on the market to choose from. People choose the type of clock they want according to their personal preferences. We have outlined the three different types of alarm clocks below.
- Quartz Analog Clock – This type of clock uses a quartz crystal that tracks the time as it passes. They quartz crystals are made of silicon dioxide. Quartz analog clocks are powered by batteries and can be digital or have a traditional clock face. These are very reliable clocks.
- Digital Clock – With digital clocks, you plug them into a wall outlet and use 60Hz frequency to run the clock. They normally have an LCD or LED display and not a traditional clock face. It is reliable also but needs a connection to the power line to work or a battery backup.
- Atomic Clock – These clocks are considered the most precise of all of the clocks. There are three types of atomic clocks: cesium, hydrogen and rubidium. Cesium is the most common of the three. The major difference between the clocks is how the frequency is measured.
Alarm Clock Features to Consider
There is a large variety of different factors that can influence the choice of alarm clock you make. Things like power source, alarm, compatibility and more all come together and either make up a clock you want for your home or you continue looking for other models that DO have the combination of features that you are looking for.
- Power Source – There are a few different power sources that you can choose from when it comes to powering your alarm clock. Battery powered, electrical (plugged into an outlet) If the clock you choose does require being plugged into an outlet, make sure it has a battery back up in the event of a power outage.
- Type of Alarm – The majority of alarm clocks have the option of playing the radio as an alarm or a buzzing or beeping sound. There are some that have a Human Waking System or HWS which starts off low and then gets progressively louder. There are some that offer vibrations as well.
- Media Player Dock – for a customized way to start the day, some alarm clocks have a media player dock so you can use your MP3 player, cell phone or other device to customize a wake up method such as a special song, etc. To use this feature, your device will need to be compatible with the clock’s media dock.
- Time Display – Most digital alarm clocks have LCD or LED displays so you can see the time. There are some retro designs as well that some may like. You want to easily see the time or date and not have to strain. A relatively new feature on some models of alarm clocks is the projection feature which allows users to project the time onto a wall or ceiling.
- Snooze Button and Timers – Make sure that you know what snooze alarms the clock you want has. Does it have sleep timers for the snooze button? Does it have a nap timer where you can take a short nap? Ideally look for a snooze setting that can be set to repeat again and again. Dual timers are great too since more than one person might be using the clock and alarm.
Additional Features that alarm clocks may have may include the ability to set themselves and auto set daylight savings time, date display, temperature display, nature sounds for going to sleep and waking up and more.
Conclusion
Having an alarm clock is crucial for the majority of people. They are available in many different styles, sizes, and types. Alarm clocks can do so much more than they used to. Consumers will enjoy the variety of features they can take advantage of and use to ensure that they get to work on time and not miss important engagements.
The information contained in this buyer’s guide and the reviews will help you know exactly what features you are looking for and how to sort through the choices available to find the one that is just perfect for you. Make a decision that you can be confident about and enjoy the feature packed alarm clock that you choose.
Resources
- Electrohome – http://electrohome.com/
- Timex – https://timexaudio.com/
- Sony http://www.sony.com/electronics/clock-radios/icf-c1pj
