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Smart alarm clocks might not seem necessary, but they’re leagues better for your nightly routine than the alarm on your smartphone. You can set special alarms, simulate the light of sunrise and sunset, and, most importantly, get some time away from your phone screen.
UPDATE: 05-06-2025
We’ve reviewed our recommendations, and these are still the best smart alarm clocks currently available.
Amazon Echo Spot 2024
What to Look For in a Smart Alarm Clock in 2024
Ever since smartphones rocketed into the mainstream, alarm clocks have largely beenconsidered a relic of the past. After all, why spend time worrying about a clunky, bedside gadget when you have a powerful clock in the palm of your hand? However, that notion is starting to change as a new wave of products is reinventing what it means to be an alarm clock.
Smart alarm clocks offer everything you’d expect from a bedside clock and a bevy of smart home features that make them the perfect nighttime companion.
For one, they typically look a bit more modern (and stylish) than their outdated cousins. They also come in a wide variety of form factors and offer dozens of unique features—and with so many options on the market, it can be hard to find the right one for your home.
When shopping for a smart alarm clock, you’ll first want to figure out your budget. These products range from as little as $30 to well over $100.
You’ll also need to determine what you want from a smart alarm clock. Do you want to eliminate your distracting smartphone from the equation, or do you want luxurious features that can simulate the sunrise in your bedroom? Do you want it to double as a wireless charging station? How many customization options do you need? The more features you want, the more you’ll end up paying.
If you need help narrowing down your options, here are the five best smart alarms available today. Regardless of your budget, there’s bound to be something that can improve your nightly routine.
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✓ Numerous brightness settings
✗ Only works with Philips Hue ecosystem
✓ Built-in FM radio and ambient sounds
✓ Striking design with simple controls
ThePhilips SmartSleep Wake-Up Lightis designed around a massive, customizable light bulb. It’s not cheap, but Philips didn’t cut any corners when crafting this premium smart alarm clock.
After setting it up on your nightstand, you’ll choose from 20 brightness settings, five wake-up sounds, and a display that automatically dims when needed. Better yet, Philips says on the store page that physicians and pharmacists recommend its lights to help develop healthy sleeping patterns.
While the SmartSleep Wake-Up Light has a litany of impressive alarm features, it’s not quite as “smart” as you’d expect. Unlike many devices in thePhilips lineup, the SmartSleep won’t connect with smart home ecosystems like Alexa or Google Home, just with the Philips Hue ecosystem. It’s a minor complaint but something to remember if you’re looking for an alarm clock that can integrate with the rest of your smart home.
Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light
With customizable lights, several wake-up sounds, and a sleek design, the Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light makes a great addition to your nightstand.
✓ Customizable sleep routines
✗ Hatch Sleep membership required for some features
✓ Unique sunrise design
✗ Expensive
✓ Controlled via touch or smartphone app
When it comes to smart alarm clocks, Hatch smart clocks are certainly the most well-known and well-loved—but you need to pay for its quality. If you’re looking for an upgrade from a previous smart (or dumb) alarm clock, theHatch Restore 2is the best choice.
An improvement on the originalHatch Restore, the Restore 2 offers an updated design, including additional speakers to make any music or white noise you’re using sound better than ever. Speaking of, there are a variety of new sleep, and sunrise sounds with the Restore 2, and you can control much of it from the alarm clock itself, so there is no need to use your phone in the middle of the night to change any settings.
All and all, if you’re looking for a premium smart alarm clock experience, this is it. If you’re not sold on sunrise alarm clocks, though, give thePhilips SmartSleep Wake-Up Lighta try instead.
Hatch Restore 2
If you’re looking for the highest quality smart alarm clock, look no further. The Hatch Restore 2 offers great settings, a library of sleep sounds, and plenty more—once you can get past the sticker shock.
✓ Inexpensive and unobtrusive
✗ Not many smart features
✓ LED screen is dimmable
✓ Can set two alarms
Finding a budget smart alarm clock is quite the task these days. Previous budget options like the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential and the Anker Soundcore Wakey have been discontinued, and many of the budget options remaining on the market are either severely lacking in smart functions, are a gamble to pick up in terms of brand names and reviews, or both. However, thei-box Dawnsmart alarm clock does a great job of balancing price and functionality.
That said, this isn’t nearly as smart of a clock as the picks on our list. This alarm clock offers wireless charging, so you can easily charge your phone, as well as an extra port to plug in another charger. The LED screen also dims so it doesn’t bother you at night.
However, you won’t get any app functionality or sunrise and sunset lights here. This is just a basic but solid smart alarm clock.
i-box Dawn Alarm Clock
This smart alarm clock is simple but effective, with dual alarms, wireless charging, and more.
✓ Powerful Alexa integrations
✗ Entertainment features could be distracting
✓ Large 5.5-inch display
✗ Netflix is not available
✓ Smart display perks such as Netflix and Spotify
If you’re looking for asmart displayfor your nightstand, the newest version of theEcho Show 5is a great choice. Retailing at $90, the Echo Show 5 is on the lower end of the alarm clocks on our list, but since it is a smart display, you’ll get all the features you’d expect from what is normally used as a smart home hub.
This means you’re able to connect all your Alexa-compatible devices and control them all from your bed. Did you forget to turn the living room lights on? Just have your fancy smart alarm clock do it for you.
You’ll also get access to apps like Spotify and Prime Video, so you can stay entertained if you’re having trouble sleeping—though you’ll need to make sure the distractions aren’t keeping you up in the first place.
That is the main issue with using the Echo Show 5 as a smart alarm clock. Since it’s a smart display first and foremost, it won’t have functions built in to make your sleep better, so you need to determine if you want a smart alarm clock with features that help you sleep like thePhilips SmartSleepclocks or a smart display that also has alarm functions.
Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen)
The all-new Echo Show 5 packs a 5.5-inch smart display into a small package with more bass, and better sound for videos, music, checking your calendar, or video calls with the family.
Cons
✓ Can be used as a smart home hub
✗ Doesn’t support features that require a video stream, such as smart doorbells
✓ Customizable routines and displays
✓ Cool design with smart display
New for 2024, theAmazon Echo Spotlets you wake up in style. Its wake-up routines can be customized with your music, gradual light displays, weather reports, and much more. The smart speaker features a 2.83-inch half-circle touchscreen display with tinted cover glass that can be preset with the clock face and color display of your choice.
The Echo Spot is compatible with your home’s smart devices and can set daily reminders. With Alexa-enabled voice control, it can also turn on the lights, adjust the thermostat, make hands-free calls, and easily play your favorite music. It can even use motion detection to begin your Alexa routines.
Setting up your Echo Spot is also simple. Once you have plugged it in, scan the QR code to download the Alexa app and follow the instructions to complete the setup. Using it as a hub, You can customize your privacy controls and sync the speaker with your other smart devices.
The Amazon Echo Spot is a versatile smart speaker and alarm clock with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. Its built-in 1.73-inch speaker provides impressive HD audio for music, podcasts, and audiobooks, and it’s ideal for anybody willing to spend a little extra cash for the additional smart features it offers.
The all-new Amazon Echo Spot is the perfect way to start the day. It features a fully customizable smart display and can be used to set your own daily routines and reminders. Plus, with powerful Alexa integrations, you may use this smart speaker as a smart home hub for all your connected devices.
FAQ
How do I reset a smart alarm clock?
Because smart alarm clocks come in all shapes and sizes, there’s no universal way to reset them. Some require you to remove batteries or press tiny reset buttons on the back of the device, while others might require a specific combination of buttons to be pressed. Consult your owner’s manual for more details.
How do I connect a smart alarm clock to Wi-Fi?
Depending on your product, you may need to use a smartphone app to sync your smart alarm clock to Wi-Fi.
What’s the difference between a smart display and a smart alarm clock?
Smart alarm clocks typically don’t offer built-in cameras or support streaming services such as Netflix. They’re also tailor-made to function as an alarm, whereas alarm features are often an afterthought on smart displays. However, many smart displays work just fine as alarm clocks—in fact, you’ll find one on this list!
Why should I use a smart alarm clock over an alarm on my phone?
Smart alarm clocks offer features not found on your phone, such as customizable night lights or sleep routines. Smartphones can be distracting when trying to unwind, and they also emit bright lights that disrupt sleeping patterns.
