7 sunrise alarm clocks to get before the time change in fall 2025

your body is made to Wake up naturally with the sunrise And when the sun goes down, I get sleepy. The light at the beginning and end of the day has a warm golden tone, unlike the bright, slightly blue sunlight of midday, which can wake you up. A sunrise alarm clock mimics this transition from morning to bright daylight, signaling your body to wake up (or go to sleep if your clock has a sunset option).

Each model we recommend offers a sunrise routine. This means that when you choose your wake-up time, the sunrise clock will start displaying a deep orange glow that will turn to a bright light by the time your audio alarm is set. Some offer customization that allows you to choose the length of your artificial sunrise, while others set a timer. Some allow reverse options in sunset routines, sound machine. Most of these plug into the wall like the classic ones alarm clock However, there may be a companion app or charging feature (but if it’s not mentioned, assume it isn’t).

There are many features to consider when it comes to sunrise lamps, and which one you like best will vary from person to person.

If you have trouble falling asleep: Splurge on your nighttime or relaxing routine with a sunrise alarm. These will help you build a routine for falling asleep.

If you need a bedside lamp and a sunrise clock: Get a brighter sunrise clock with easy controls to switch on as a bedside lamp. Not all sunrise watches have these, so check the details carefully (and reviews like ours)

If you need specific bedside sounds: Check the number of sounds provided. Almost all sunrise clocks have some sound machine features and options, but the cheaper ones tend to only include a few sounds and may not include the sound you’re looking for.

If you need app control: Some options in this guide don’t have partner apps or Wi-Fi capabilities. My favorite option in particular lacks partner apps and Wi-Fi capabilities. Apps aren’t necessarily great sunrise clocks, but they can sometimes be useful. If you want an app to set up your sunrise lamp, buy Casper, Hatch, Loftie, or WiiM.

yes! I’m a particularly deep sleeper in the morning, but it still helps me wake up. You may want to choose the most gradual increase in the brightness of your sunrise lamp so that you can wake up slowly from a deep sleep by slowly brightening the room.

These two gadgets may look similar on the outside, but sunrise clocks and other wake-up lights are meant to wake you up, while SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder lamps are designed to simulate sunlight during the day. SAD lamp perform light therapy While it can help fight seasonal depression during the dark times of the year, sunrise alarms are simply meant to ease your morning awakening. Both help regulate circadian rhythms, but in different ways. You can also set your sunrise clock to stay on all day to simulate sunlight, but that doesn’t guarantee the same effect and you might not get the effect you’re hoping for.

Based on my testing, I’d say no, especially if you’re both heavy sleepers or don’t like waking up in the morning. Sunrise alarms will brighten the room to some extent, but not all will brighten the room completely. Even for those who do, I wouldn’t have had the same experience without the strongest light on the bedside table next to my face, what felt like bright sunlight shining through my closed eyelids. You’ll both want your own wake-up light. Some lights are cheaper to buy in pairs like casper.

Explore all models in advance to see which ones are suitable for testing. We look to see if they have wake-up capabilities (for example, some SAD lamps are similar to sunrise alarms, but if you can’t slowly wake up to sunrise, they aren’t part of our testing for this guide), and we test different price points and additional features to see which ones are really worth buying. We strive to select both more affordable and high-end options with fewer features to compare and contrast with each other in our testing rounds.

I tested the recommended sunrise clock at my bedside. With blackout curtains See how much you can actually brighten up a room during your sunrise routine. I slept between one and seven nights in each model, depending on performance. We also tried out the different sound options each machine offered and tested the speakers to see how soothing the sounds were for waking up and falling asleep. If there is an option for a nighttime routine, I also tested it.