Best Sunrise Alarm Clocks of 2025

To make a fair comparison, we limited our roundup to stand-alone devices with a clock interface. Ultimately we landed on popular models from six brands: hOmelabs, iHome, JALL, La Crosse, Lumie, and Philips. All have backup-battery capabilities (though a battery may or may not be included) that save the clock’s time and alarm settings in case of a power outage, or if the clock is accidentally unplugged.

Here, we list the clocks in order of how they fared in our evaluation, from most to least user-friendly. (This test did not assess brightness levels or light color or quality of the audio.) Prices below are approximate and may change.

Sometimes called wake-up lights, these devices gradually brighten over the course of a designated window of time (typically 10 minutes to two hours), before reaching its highest level of brightness at your desired wake-up time. Some higher-end sunrise alarm clocks emit light with colors resembling a natural dawn, incorporating more nuanced shades of yellow, orange, and red to wake you up.

How bright should sunlight alarm clocks be? Generally speaking, to effectively wake you up, a light should fill your room. While we didn’t measure the brightness of light intensity in this round of testing, we found that a manufacturer’s advertised intensity can vary from clock to clock.

The maximum brightness intensity of two of the devices we tested landed around the 300-lux range (measured from a distance that roughly approximates what’s between a sleeper’s eyes and the nightstand where the clock would presumably sit). The cheaper clock options fell below that. One clock in this round of testing emits 500 lux from about a foot away, according to the manufacturer. Another provided no information, even when we reached out to customer service.

Waking up with light, albeit artificial light, isn’t just helpful for people seeking a more pleasant way to start the day—it’s also great for those struggling with time changes like a transition from daylight savings to standard time, jet lag, or shift work. 

“The impact can predispose the body to wake up as if it were receiving direct access to [sun]light,” says Girardin Jean-Louis, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and neurology at the University of Miami who has studied sleep equity for more than 20 years.

Of course, these devices aren’t a replacement for how refreshed you might feel after 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep. But for those who are not morning people, a sunrise alarm clock can be pretty good at helping them wake up more easily. (If you’re a heavy sleeper, make sure to set the clock for a wake-up sound along with the sunrise alarm.)

As one user told CR, “I have an extremely hard time waking up early for work. I also get seasonal affective disorder in the fall and winter. I noticed how my mood is greatly impacted by the sun and thought a sunrise alarm clock would help. It does.”

There may be some scientific evidence for this. While the effect of light on sleep and waking is still a relatively young field, research suggests that dawn simulation may be helpful. One study found that it may ease subjective feelings of grogginess. Another reported that adolescents experienced enhanced alertness, demonstrating significantly increased attention during computer tests when compared to a baseline.  

To better understand consumer needs in this area, Consumer Reports reached out to 15 sunrise-alarm-clock users to find out what they value in the products they own. Dana Keester, an engineer on CR’s Consumer Experience and Usability Research team, then used their responses to help organize a set of criteria with which to compare the popular models we chose to review. Each model was then scored according to:

Ease of setup: The clock should come with clear, simple instructions. The process should be easy to navigate and fairly intuitive. You should also be able to preview the settings (such as the alarm sounds and the brightness levels of the light). 

Ease of use: Buttons and switches should be accessible and easy to maneuver. The time on the clock, indicators for alarm sounds and brightness levels, and other markings should be easy to read and understand. You should also have the freedom to customize the alarm settings (such as with light and sound). 

Available features: Sunrise alarm clocks that scored well in this category include the three features that the users we interviewed found most desirable. Interestingly, two of those three features are sleep-related—namely, having a “wind-down” sunset mode and the option of white noise or nature sounds. The third feature is the ability to preset multiple alarms. This comes in handy if you wake up at different times on weekdays and weekends.

We limited our assessment to models that (1) had a light that fades in as at least one of its primary sources of alarm, (2) had a clock face, and (3) the primary means of interaction was through the user interface on the product itself rather than an app. Because the Hatch Restore is an app-based sunrise alarm clock, it didn’t meet the criteria for our test.

Although the Hatch didn’t receive a formal evaluation for its sunrise alarm clock abilities, a team of evaluators did assess this model for its white noise feature. What they found is that the Hatch is a bit extra. First, you need to use the app to program its alarm and noise settings. (Did we mention the best way to get sound sleep is to keep your phone out of the bedroom?). But more annoyingly, you have to pay an annual fee to unlock the already pricey product’s full library of bells and whistles.