11 best alarm clocks in 2022 to get you out of bed on dark mornings
A nationwide hunt for bedside alarm clocks which are sleek and minimalist – but which give even deep sleepers a weekday wake-up call – has begun. Why? Pre-kip exposure to blue light has been proven to reduce the quality of our sleep and throw our circadian rhythms off kilter, so many of us are leaving our smartphones firmly outside the bedroom. What’s more, recent research has shown that waking up to a melody (read: not Apple’s jarring alarm bleeps) can leave you in a better mood for the rest of the day. In short: ditching your phone and choosing to be woken up by an actual alarm clock is much better for your mood, quality of sleep and sleep schedule.
Of course, there are countless alarm clocks on the market, so it can be tricky to know which to go for. A wake up light alarm clock with sunrise simulation to wake you up gradually? A smart alarm clock which wakes you up to the sounds of your favourite radio station and charges your phone at the same time? An Amazon Alexa? A loud alarm that can wake up even the heaviest of sleepers?
Here, we’ve whittled it down to the very best alarm clocks to help you wind down and wake up – for every kind of sleeper and budget.
Best alarm clocks: our top picks
- GLAMOUR’s alarm clock best buy: Lumie Bodyclock Luxe 750DAB Wake up to Daylight Table Lamp, £229, John Lewis
- Best alarm clock for heavy sleepers: Geemarc Sonic Bomb, £41.99, Amazon
- Best alarm clock for snoozers: Clocky Alarm Clock on Wheels, £39.99, Amazon
- Best sunrise alarm clock: Lumie Bodyclock Glow 150 Wake up to Daylight Table Lamp, £119, John Lewis
- Best alarm clock radio: Roberts Zen Plus DAB/DAB+/FM Bluetooth Bedside Clock Radio, £99.99, John Lewis
How we selected the best alarm clocks
GLAMOUR editors have used a handful of the alarm clocks selected below to help them wake up for at least a month – scoring on their ability to get them out of bed, their ease of set-up, design credentials and features like dimmable lights, USB charging, FM radio, Bluetooth connectivity. For the alarm clocks we've not personally tested, we've scoured customer reviews and chatted to retailers to find out which offerings actually do the job.
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Scroll for GLAMOUR’s full edit of the best alarm clocks to help you seize the day.
Best alarm clock overall
Lumie Bodyclock Luxe 750DAB Wake up to Daylight Table Lamp, £229, John Lewis
Pros: We stan Lumie alarm clocks, and our favourite of them all is the Lumie Bodyclock Luxe. Encouraging a more regular sleep and wake up pattern (and playing on the idea that waking up gradually to light at the start of the day is beneficial for your energy levels, mood and productivity), it wakes you up gently and sets the alarm time for when the light is the brightest. In the evening, you can use the gradual sunset feature to signal your body to produce melatonin and help you drift off to sleep. The light colours will fade through pink, orange and red before turning off completely. You can also use it as a bedside table night light.
You can choose from over 20 different alarms, and play with countless other alarm settings (to mix up colours, light and the radio).
Also worth noting: there is a USB port for playing your music and charging your phone, the snooze function is tap-controlled, there's a built-in DAB/DAB+ radio, and Bluetooth streaming is available.
Cons: Some reviewers mentioned that it took a little time to set up.
Dimensions: H20 x W23 x D13cm.
Weight: 1.1kg.
Power source: Mains powered.Save when you shop for the best alarm clocks with these John Lewis promo codes.
Best alarm clock for heavy sleepers
Geemarc Sonic Bomb, £41.99, Amazon
Pros: If you're after something really relentless – and you can't wake up to the sound of any other alarm – then this bed shaker of an alarm clock is guaranteed to do the job. It's really annoying, features a vibrating pad as a back-up, an adjustable snooze button and two different alarm sounds (which are both as piercing as each other).
Cons: It's a bit fiddly to set up and alter – the buttons on the front are tiny and some of the other controls are dial-operated.
Dimensions: 20.5W x 15.4H centimetres.
Weight: Undisclosed.
Power source: It's a battery powered alarm clock.Save when you shop for the best discount codes with these Amazon promo codes.
Best alarm clock for college students
Amazon Echo Dot Smart Device with Alexa Voice Recognition & Control, £21, John Lewis
Pros: First and foremost, the Amazon Echo Dot is a voice-controlled smart speaker, so you can use as part of your smart home set-up to play music, podcasts, control Ring doorbells and Philips hue lights and ask for news, information or the weather. But beside that, it's a simple and effective alarm clock, which can be set using your voice and which wakes you up every morning without fail. It's convenient, loud enough to wake most sleepers off and can be snoozed with only your voice.
Cons: If you're after a speaker with exceptional sound-quality, you'd probably want to go for something purpose built (and invest in a separate alarm clock). There's no back-up battery.
Dimensions: H4.3 x Dia.9.9cm.
Weight: 300g.
Power source: Mains.Save when you shop for the best alarm clocks with these John Lewis promo codes.
Best alarm clock for snoozers
Clocky Alarm Clock on Wheels, £39.99, Amazon
Pros: If you're addicted to your snooze button to your detriment, consider this alarm clock on wheels. One of the best alarm clocks for kids – but ideal for snoozing adults, too – it runs away if you try and press the snooze button. It has a loud-enough speaker, and can survive bedside table drops of up to three feet. It's available in six different colours.
Cons: It's a bit of a novelty alarm clock and can be a bit annoying on mornings when you don't need to get up urgently.
Dimensions: 13.3 x 8.6 x 8.6 cm.
Weight: 226.8 grams.
Power source: Battery powered - 4x AAA batteries are required.Save when you shop for the best discount codes with these Amazon promo codes.
Best sunrise alarm clock
Lumie Bodyclock Glow 150 Wake up to Daylight Table Lamp, £119, John Lewis
Pros: There are lots of wake-up lights on the market, but few combine efficacy with an impressively low price point like the Lumie Bodyclock Glow. It wakes you naturally, sounding when the light is at its brightest. The light mimics the colours of a real sunrise (or sunset, if you're wanting to wind-down before bed) for 20, 30 or 45 minutes – and you can choose from nine wake-up sounds including white noise. The sunrise intensity is adjustable, and it can be used as a night light to boot. It can also be snoozed as many times as you like with a simple tap. Consider your SAD combatted.
Cons: The alarm time cannot be changed without cycling through all the other settings.
Dimensions: H16 x W19 x D12cm.
Weight: Mains.
Power source: 5.5kg.Save when you shop for the best alarm clocks with these John Lewis promo codes.
Best radio alarm clock
Roberts Zen Plus DAB/DAB+/FM Bluetooth Bedside Clock Radio, £99.99, John Lewis
Pros: First up, let's talk about how stylish this retro alarm clock is. It's available in three colours, including white, black and duck egg blue – and the cute, compact size makes it neat for a bedside cabinet. It doubles up as a Bluetooth speaker, has a clear display, and you can wake up to nature sounds like the noises of a beach tide or burning log fire.
Cons: Some reviewers found it fiddly to set up at first, but soon got used to it after a couple of days.
Dimensions: H10 x W11 x D10.8cm.
Weight: 416g.
Power source: Mains.Save when you shop for the best alarm clocks with these John Lewis promo codes.
Best digital alarm clock
THE TECH BAR Q CLOCK 2 Digital Alarm Clock, £119.95, Selfridges
Pros: Not only does this alarm clock clearly show the time, date and temperature, but it features five ambient lighting functions and a Bluetooth speaker. Plus, you can charge your phone on it overnight using the wireless charging pad. It looks sleek and stylish, is easy to operate and is loud enough to wake heavy reviewers up.
Cons: Nothing to note.
Dimensions: 13cm x 14.7cm x 8.7cm.
Weight: 523g.
Power source: Mains powered.Save when you shop for the best alarm clocks with these Selfridges promo codes.
Best travel alarm clock
Braun Digital Travel Alarm Clock, £25, John Lewis
Pros: Perfect for serial travellers, this compact alarm clock can easily fit in any suitcase or overnight bag. It has an easy-to-ready display, is lightweight (ideal if you're only taking hand luggage) and has a five-minute interval snooze button if you want a few extra minutes in bed. The backlight illuminates for 10 seconds when you need to check the time.
Cons: It's not as loud as some other models and does nothing except for the alarm function.
Dimensions: H5.8 x W5.8 x D2cm.
Weight: 1 x AAA battery (not included).
Power source: 46.4g.Save when you shop for the best alarm clocks with these John Lewis promo codes.
Best smart alarm clock
Hatch Restore Alarm Clock, WAS £222.65 NOW £186.72, Amazon
Pros: Designed around the premise that it's beneficial to your mood, productivity and mental health if you're woken up gradually to light, this alarm clock wakes you up to a custom, realistic sunrise. You can personalise the wake-up process to your routine, ensuring you stay asleep and wake up refreshed, and you can set a soft-glow reading light to get you in the mood for kip. You can also customise the digital clock and the volume – and you can fall asleep to white noise.
Cons: It's fairly expensive for not quite as many features as a Lumie.
Dimensions: 19.1W x 14.6H centimetres.
Weight: 2 pounds.
Power source: Mains.Save when you shop for the best discount codes with these Amazon promo codes.
Best alarm clock and night light
Acctim Jowie Flip Digital Alarm Clock & Night Light, £55, John Lewis
Pros: Available in pink, grey and white, this alarm clock scored highly in both the design and wake-up-ability stakes. It's controlled by touch, and can be used as a night light to prepare your brain and body for sleep. You can fall into a deep sleep to a soundtrack of white noise, and you'll be gently woken up by an increasingly bright light.
Cons: Nothing to note.
Dimensions: H8 x W8 x D9cm.
Weight: 160g.
Power source: 1 x AA battery (included).Save when you shop for the best alarm clocks with these John Lewis promo codes.
Best analogue alarm clock
Newgate Clocks Covent Garden Twin Bell Silent Sweep Analogue Alarm Clock, £29, John Lewis
Pros: If high-tech alarm clocks with LED display that wake you up to a simulated sunrise aren't really your thing, consider this stylish retro analogue alarm clock. It has an easy-to-read clock face, oversized twin bells and a matte finish – and doesn't make a sound when it ticks.
Cons: No frills and no battery back-up.
Dimensions: H17 x W11.7 x D5.5cm.
Weight: 270g.
Power source: 1 x AA battery (not included).Save when you shop for the best alarm clocks with these John Lewis promo codes.
