Is there a clock that defaults to completely dark?

November 22, 2004 11:06 AM

I like my bedroom to be absolutely dark at night. I'd like to find a clock that runs dark by default, but has a switch to display the time. Does anyone know if this exists, and where I could find it?
posted by Zed_Lopez to Shopping (21 answers total)

Would something like this fit the bill? Almost any LCD display would be dark by default, and most have a backlight button. This one is particularly aesthetically pleasing to me -- I really like the rubberized shell, plus you can record your own alarm sounds into it.
posted by ScottUltra at 11:20 AM on November 22, 2004

I've got one of these and I really like it. The snooze switch on top lights it up for a few seconds, and, if you like, there's a switch to a light the projects time and temperature onto your ceiling (red). Also it has a wireless barometer/temperature thing that it uses to attempt forecasts, and, if that's not enough, it sets itself automatically from a US atomic clock radio signal!
posted by jasper411 at 11:21 AM on November 22, 2004

I have an alarm clock that lights up when you pick it up but stays dark otherwise. I can't find it online, but I found something similar at the MOMA online store- just a tap to light it up.
posted by ambrosia at 11:21 AM on November 22, 2004

(seeing that you're in Berkeley, I got my alarm clock at the SF MOMA store for about $20. You might try looking there.)
posted by ambrosia at 11:25 AM on November 22, 2004

Couldn't you just get a little clock radio that you can set on the nightstand face down?
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 11:33 AM on November 22, 2004

I got the same clock (I think) as Ambrosia, also at the SF MoMA store: it's this. There is a very faint greenish glow from the glow-in-the-dark material on the clock hands, but it's pretty negligible.
posted by lisa g at 11:35 AM on November 22, 2004

Braun make some good little analogue alarm clocks with the snooze button doubling as a switch to illuminate the face. Mine is a model AB314 - they're available very widely.
posted by cbrody at 11:51 AM on November 22, 2004

Yep, lisa g found the clock. And yes, that luminescence is truly negligible.
posted by ambrosia at 12:07 PM on November 22, 2004

My darling husband is equally photophobic, and I find that the easiest fix is to put a small book or magazine on top of the clock radio covering the LED--you can then flip it up when you want to see the time.
posted by Sidhedevil at 12:35 PM on November 22, 2004

Or there are laser-pen type things which project the time display onto a wall when the button is pressed. Like:
posted by corvine at 12:54 PM on November 22, 2004

eep, link not there.
http://thelaserguy.com/lasclocandpo.html

I don't seem to be able to linky it. Is it cos I'm new?
posted by corvine at 12:55 PM on November 22, 2004

I just use a little travel alarm clock that has an LCD with a backlight that goes on when I hit the snooze button.
posted by ODiV at 1:53 PM on November 22, 2004

That MOMA clock is gorgeous.
posted by hughbot at 2:28 PM on November 22, 2004

I just use my cell phone as an alarm clock and leave it on the table next to my bed. I know where it is without looking around for it, and when I touch the keys it lights up.

Also, so people don't wake me up with random calls in the middle of the night, I created a profile called "Sleep time" (i.e. meeting/normal/loud/silent/etc) that will silence all incoming rings, but leave the phone volume on loud for the alarm.
posted by fourstar at 2:54 PM on November 22, 2004

I use my Pocket PC phone as an alarm clock, and with Voice Command I can make it "wake up" and show the display. I leave it plugged in all night so I can leave it running for Voice Command requests.

OK, that's pretty pathetic, isn't it.
posted by me & my monkey at 3:38 PM on November 22, 2004

The Oregon Scientific clock that radios into the atomic clock is great. Hit the button on top, LED on the ceiling.
posted by adampsyche at 4:25 PM on November 22, 2004

All the LCD alarm clocks I've ever seen (including the one I own) are dark, and hitting the snooze button lights the face. You may have better luck trying a brick and mortar store than trying to buy something like that off the web. They're very, very cheap, low margin products, which the web is not always good for.
posted by Bugbread at 6:18 PM on November 22, 2004

I have a cheaper generic version of the "project time on the ceiling" clock that I just bought recently- it updates to the Denver Atomic once a day. I like TOTAL darkness, and the projection on the ceiling is bright enough to see w/out my glasses, but it provides virtually no ambient light. It has a indiglo-type backlight when a button is pressed, which last only about six seconds. I am very happy with it. (although now I'm trying to figure out spots for both the MoMA clock and the rubber Ikea one....)
posted by exlotuseater at 6:43 PM on November 22, 2004

I have the same clock that jasper411 links, and CostCo was selling it recently for under $15, rather than the $45 in the link. I like it a lot.
posted by rushmc at 7:52 PM on November 22, 2004

Corvine, you'd want to be typing:

<a href="http://thelaserguy.com/lasclocandpo.html">Link Text</a>

Which gives...

Link Text

Don't be afraid to put an email address in your profile for bits and pieces like this. Only members can see it
posted by nthdegx at 5:35 AM on November 23, 2004

Err, if you did all that and it still didn't work, I guess it is because you're new ;)
posted by nthdegx at 5:39 AM on November 23, 2004