Help wake me up
August 12, 2015 11:29 AM Subscribe
Do you love your alarm clock? Tell me more..
Things I don't like about our current one:
-Annoying to change alarm time (hold "alarm" button down, press minute or hour button... a lot of clocks have this but I have to believe there is a better design out there)
-Buttons click really loud (would be nice to be able to turn it off without disturbing my significant other)
I would like:
-It plugs into the wall (battery backup is good)
-Can see it in the dark (bonus points if you can vary the brightness)
-Super easy to set different alarm times
-Silent or near-silent buttons
-Non-jarring alarm option (otherwise a simple analog design might work)
Things I don't like about our current one:
-Annoying to change alarm time (hold "alarm" button down, press minute or hour button... a lot of clocks have this but I have to believe there is a better design out there)
-Buttons click really loud (would be nice to be able to turn it off without disturbing my significant other)
I would like:
-It plugs into the wall (battery backup is good)
-Can see it in the dark (bonus points if you can vary the brightness)
-Super easy to set different alarm times
-Silent or near-silent buttons
-Non-jarring alarm option (otherwise a simple analog design might work)
I have a "Sony ICFC414 Clock Radio"; it's a fabulous alarm clock. It cost me like $20, I have no idea why it says $110 on Amazon right now.
What I love about it:
All the buttons are different shapes or textures (innie/outie) so you can tell which is which when you're fumbling for them in the dark. They don't really click.
You can dim the numbers.
The radio is decent - I still listen to FM radio and this was really important to me so I can wake up to KPOO.
The time sets itself by some kind of radio magic.
There are two independent alarms, and the controls for each are on opposite sides of the clock so you don't mess with your normal alarm when you are setting a special one for an early day or something.
You just press a + or - to change the time.
I just use the radio as an alarm, I don't use the beeper because I don't go for beeps early in the morning.
posted by gyusan at 11:45 AM on August 12, 2015
What I love about it:
All the buttons are different shapes or textures (innie/outie) so you can tell which is which when you're fumbling for them in the dark. They don't really click.
You can dim the numbers.
The radio is decent - I still listen to FM radio and this was really important to me so I can wake up to KPOO.
The time sets itself by some kind of radio magic.
There are two independent alarms, and the controls for each are on opposite sides of the clock so you don't mess with your normal alarm when you are setting a special one for an early day or something.
You just press a + or - to change the time.
I just use the radio as an alarm, I don't use the beeper because I don't go for beeps early in the morning.
posted by gyusan at 11:45 AM on August 12, 2015
Yeah, iHandy's Alarm Clock Pro app is my best friend. I've got like 10 active alarms that do various things on various days (including reminding me to take medication) and I play a song from my music library that starts off very soft (there are also settings to fade in over seconds or minutes).
My one complaint is that occasionally I am awakeish enough to see a Twitter/mail/podcast notification appear, but I do not put my phone on DND at night. That would solve that problem.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:47 AM on August 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
My one complaint is that occasionally I am awakeish enough to see a Twitter/mail/podcast notification appear, but I do not put my phone on DND at night. That would solve that problem.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:47 AM on August 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have a version of this. Not the sexiest, but it works well. It has a remote that I use to turn off the alarm, silent bubble buttons on the remote. I set the alarm to NPR which I don't find very jarring to wake up to (a classical station might work better for you). You can change the volume and brightness of the clock. Only thing is it's not the easiest to set different alarm times, but there's two presets so if you change between only two different times, it'll work.
posted by monologish at 11:48 AM on August 12, 2015
posted by monologish at 11:48 AM on August 12, 2015
Nthing using a cell phone. I use the Timely app and it's fantastic. My favorite option is the fade-in alarm, which starts out quiet, and gets louder within a couple minutes.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:49 AM on August 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by zombieflanders at 11:49 AM on August 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
I paid way too much money for my alarm clock, but it does the following:
posted by dobi at 12:05 PM on August 12, 2015 [3 favorites]
- Gradually wakes me up with something approximating a sunrise over a period of 20 minues, even in winter months
- Allows you to set a radio or sound alarm that slowly increases in volume
- Has pretty quiet touch buttons that don't require crazy hand maneuvers to operate. Downside, it's a little confusing to manage all the settings.
- Clock brightness varies with room brightness.
- I can smack the alarm anywhere to get it to snooze. Best feature ever.
posted by dobi at 12:05 PM on August 12, 2015 [3 favorites]
I have a "Sony ICFC414 Clock Radio"; it's a fabulous alarm clock. It cost me like $20, I have no idea why it says $110 on Amazon right now.
That model is discontinued by the manufacturer. There is a newer model that currently lists for $17
posted by I am the Walrus at 12:12 PM on August 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
That model is discontinued by the manufacturer. There is a newer model that currently lists for $17
posted by I am the Walrus at 12:12 PM on August 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
I love my Philips Wake-Up Light. Mine looks like this, but I think the newer models look like this. You can easily adjust the brightness, it's definitely non-jarring, and the buttons on mine are almost silent. My model allows you to set two alarm times, but it looks like the newer models only support one, so that's something you might want to double-check.
posted by neushoorn at 12:37 PM on August 12, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by neushoorn at 12:37 PM on August 12, 2015 [5 favorites]
I use the Sony ICFC1 linked to by I am the Walrus. I like it a lot. Addressing your needs:
1. It plugs into the wall with battery backup
2. You can see it in the dark. Brightness is adjustable.
3. Very easy to change alarm times. Just press the +/- buttons. There isn't even a "set alarm" button, just the +/- buttons. They have raised symbols on them, so you can adjust the alarm time in the dark.
4. The buttons are kind of clicky, but not very loud.
5. My non-jarring solution is to wake to the radio set to a news/talk station. If you would normally sleep through that, you can use the buzzer, which has adjustable volume.
Bonus conveniences: small footprint, automatic daylight savings adjustments, and the snooze duration is extendable on the fly. Press the snooze more than once to extend it in 10-minute increments.
posted by Boxenmacher at 12:37 PM on August 12, 2015
1. It plugs into the wall with battery backup
2. You can see it in the dark. Brightness is adjustable.
3. Very easy to change alarm times. Just press the +/- buttons. There isn't even a "set alarm" button, just the +/- buttons. They have raised symbols on them, so you can adjust the alarm time in the dark.
4. The buttons are kind of clicky, but not very loud.
5. My non-jarring solution is to wake to the radio set to a news/talk station. If you would normally sleep through that, you can use the buzzer, which has adjustable volume.
Bonus conveniences: small footprint, automatic daylight savings adjustments, and the snooze duration is extendable on the fly. Press the snooze more than once to extend it in 10-minute increments.
posted by Boxenmacher at 12:37 PM on August 12, 2015
I have the same Philips wake up light as neushoorn and still don't hate waking up 3 years later. The brightness of the display can be dimmed, there are several pleasant wake up sounds to choose from or the radio, the buttons are quiet, and it makes a great lamp for in the evenings because you can control the brightness. I often turn the volume all the way down and wake up just with the light. It took me a little while to get used to all the settings, but the controls for changing them are pretty intuitive and once you have it set like you want you don't really have to fuss with it.
posted by congen at 2:09 PM on August 12, 2015
posted by congen at 2:09 PM on August 12, 2015
This may be the unconventional answer, but the Alarm Clock Xtreme app for Android is my all around most favored alarm clock in the world. I never thought I'd rely on an app, but that thing will get your bum up and get you moving.
I have the pro version for the extra features. I don't like their alarm ringtones, but I downloaded this Zedge ringtone that's free, which wakes me up.
There are so many options that you'll get dizzy.
* Set it to slowly increase the tone for non-jarring sound.
* Set as many alarms as you wish.
* Set math problems with different difficulty levels to solve before canceling your wake-up for the day (yes, you can silence it while you do the math).
* Set how many (infinite is okay too) times you can hit snooze, the length of the snooze and so forth.
* You can set it to even go off when the phone is silenced. This way if you forget to turn the sound back on after that late movie, no worries.
* You can set it for certain days of the week or different times for different days of the week.
* You can name each alarm.
* Because it's your phone, you don't have to worry about daylight savings, or traveling to a new time zone.
I'm telling you, that is the best money I just about ever spent. It's the first thing that gets downloaded to any phone I buy now. I don't know how I survived before!
Oh and I have no relationship to the app, I've just been an adoring customer since I bought my first tablet (I didn't get a smart phone until later).
Granted, it's not a traditional stand alone alarm clock, but it's so much better than that.
ETA: It does not meet your seeing it in the dark business, but if you set your screen to on while plugged in, you can show the clock and naturally, you can dim your screen.
posted by magnoliasouth at 2:41 PM on August 12, 2015
I have the pro version for the extra features. I don't like their alarm ringtones, but I downloaded this Zedge ringtone that's free, which wakes me up.
There are so many options that you'll get dizzy.
* Set it to slowly increase the tone for non-jarring sound.
* Set as many alarms as you wish.
* Set math problems with different difficulty levels to solve before canceling your wake-up for the day (yes, you can silence it while you do the math).
* Set how many (infinite is okay too) times you can hit snooze, the length of the snooze and so forth.
* You can set it to even go off when the phone is silenced. This way if you forget to turn the sound back on after that late movie, no worries.
* You can set it for certain days of the week or different times for different days of the week.
* You can name each alarm.
* Because it's your phone, you don't have to worry about daylight savings, or traveling to a new time zone.
I'm telling you, that is the best money I just about ever spent. It's the first thing that gets downloaded to any phone I buy now. I don't know how I survived before!
Oh and I have no relationship to the app, I've just been an adoring customer since I bought my first tablet (I didn't get a smart phone until later).
Granted, it's not a traditional stand alone alarm clock, but it's so much better than that.
ETA: It does not meet your seeing it in the dark business, but if you set your screen to on while plugged in, you can show the clock and naturally, you can dim your screen.
posted by magnoliasouth at 2:41 PM on August 12, 2015
Response by poster: Those with the Sony ICFC1, have you noticed the "white noise" issue one of the Amazon reviewers mentioned? (Basically that even though the radio is off, the amplifier is still on, making a noise?)
Also is the dimmest setting low enough to be pretty subtle?
Thanks for the responses so far.
posted by starman at 2:42 PM on August 12, 2015
Also is the dimmest setting low enough to be pretty subtle?
Thanks for the responses so far.
posted by starman at 2:42 PM on August 12, 2015
Several have mentioned the Philips Wake Up Light. I agree. It's a game changer. I love being up early but have a terrible time "coming to." With the Philips light, I wake up slowly. When the alarm sounds, I am sleeping so lightly that it's pleasant to open my eyes and stretch.
After I had this alarm for a few months, I mentioned it to my sister, who was having a terrible time getting her 17-year-old up and to school on time. She bought one for him and it worked; she no longer had to keep checking in to nag him to wake up and head for the shower.
posted by GeorgieYeats at 4:36 PM on August 12, 2015 [4 favorites]
After I had this alarm for a few months, I mentioned it to my sister, who was having a terrible time getting her 17-year-old up and to school on time. She bought one for him and it worked; she no longer had to keep checking in to nag him to wake up and head for the shower.
posted by GeorgieYeats at 4:36 PM on August 12, 2015 [4 favorites]
I have the Phillps Wake Up Light too (the older model), and love it. I have always struggled with waking up, and after using this a year is the first time in my life I've gotten up on time regularly. The gradualness is less jarring, and if I don't wake up to the light the bird sounds are pleasant. I find it easy to set, and I am very sensitive to light and noise and can have it right by my bedside without bothering me. You can adjust the brightness of the light and display (though not quite as dim as I'd prefer). The buttons do not make any sounds, there is a slight click when I push down the lever to set the alarm that just lets me know it's been pressed.
posted by Sweetums at 5:38 PM on August 12, 2015
posted by Sweetums at 5:38 PM on August 12, 2015
I use a battery powered analog alarm clock made by Westclox. The specific one I have I can't find (I did buy it over 10 years ago) but this one is similar.
-The hands are glow in the dark but also the snooze button is the light button
-The alarm time is just another hand on the clock so its easy to change
-The alarm sound starts as a quiet beeping and grows in intensity (the snooze time also shortens the more you snooze)
-The battery lasts a long time and you can tell when its running out of juice because the light gradually starts to get dim so no surprises there
I also love it because you don't hear the second hand, which is a big problem with me and clocks. I love this little alarm clock so much I took it to be repaired when I dropped it on accident and something got screwed up on the inside even though its only a $10 alarm clock.
posted by LizBoBiz at 5:36 AM on August 13, 2015
-The hands are glow in the dark but also the snooze button is the light button
-The alarm time is just another hand on the clock so its easy to change
-The alarm sound starts as a quiet beeping and grows in intensity (the snooze time also shortens the more you snooze)
-The battery lasts a long time and you can tell when its running out of juice because the light gradually starts to get dim so no surprises there
I also love it because you don't hear the second hand, which is a big problem with me and clocks. I love this little alarm clock so much I took it to be repaired when I dropped it on accident and something got screwed up on the inside even though its only a $10 alarm clock.
posted by LizBoBiz at 5:36 AM on August 13, 2015
I have not noticed the white noise issue with the Sony.
I find the dimmest light setting less bright than other LED clocks. Still a bit bright if it's aimed at your face from right by the bedside. It's better a couple feet away if your beside table is big enough. Or just tilt it away a bit.
posted by Boxenmacher at 5:43 PM on August 13, 2015
I find the dimmest light setting less bright than other LED clocks. Still a bit bright if it's aimed at your face from right by the bedside. It's better a couple feet away if your beside table is big enough. Or just tilt it away a bit.
posted by Boxenmacher at 5:43 PM on August 13, 2015
Response by poster: Lots of good suggestions... tempted by many of these. Will update if I pull the trigger. Thanks again.
posted by starman at 6:39 AM on August 14, 2015
posted by starman at 6:39 AM on August 14, 2015
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