Ensuring you receive the right level of light exposure throughout the day is important for your circadian rhythm. If we do not spend enough time in daylight, it can cause our sleep-wake cycles to become delayed and affect our sleep quality. This is why the best sunrise alarms are often sought after – who doesn’t want better quality sleep?
Russell Foster, head of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology and the Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Neuroscience Institute, explained what the research has discovered about dawn-dusk simulation. “A typical approach [of research studies] has been to increase (simulated dawn) or decrease (simulated dusk) the light level by the bedside or in the room,” he said. “Over a period of 15 to 90 minutes light levels change in a smooth progression over a range of less than 1 lux to 300 lux, and this is repeated on a daily basis for multiple weeks. Because study designs have varied, firm conclusions are difficult but the results strongly suggest that, in objective measures, there is improved sleep/wake timing and greater alertness. In subjective measures, better mood and improved quality of life are reported.”
It seems the best sunrise alarms aren’t just a fad and there is some science to back-up their claims. As Dr Victoria Revell, associate professor in translational sleep and circadian physiology at the University of Surrey, noted: “It is morning light that keeps the clock in check and synchronised.” So, if you’re struggling to get a good night’s rest, perhaps one of these sunrise alarms might help increase your morning light exposure and sync your circadian rhythm.
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The best sunrise alarm clocks for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Hatch Restore 3: £150, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Groov-e Light Curve: £35, Currys.co.uk
- Best for audio quality – Lumie Bodyclock Luxe 750DAB: £229, Lumie.com
- Best for travel – Beurer WL 50: £57.56, Currys.co.uk
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Hatch restore 3
Rating: 5/5
Best: sunrise alarm clock overall
Why we love it
- Wealth of colour shows and ambient tones to choose from
- Easy to set up
- Luxurious and calming design
- Intuitive controls
- Highly customisable
Take note
- Relies heavily on a smart phone for set up and alterations (especially when using it as a moodlight only)
The Hatch restore 3 is pleasing on the eye as well as on its functionality. Upon opening the Hatch restore 3, it instantly felt luxurious. All materials were recyclable, including the paper tape used to secure the charging cable together. It’s not the most expensive sunrise alarm on the market but its packaging sure makes it feel like it. Set up is via an app where it took me only a few minutes to answer the questions, set my alarm and select my tone and light choice.
There was so much I loved about the restore 3, which is why I’ve made it the best overall sunrise alarm, including the fact there was a hidden digital display. This, combined with its half sunrise shape and fabric exterior meant it looked elegant on the bedside table and unobtrusive.
Once you’ve set your alarm and wind down routines on the app (there is a huge amount to choose from – it can feel slightly overwhelming), you can switch to using the alarm manually and put your phone away. The controls are minimal and easy to navigate. When the alarm sounded, I naturally hit the top button to snooze it without thinking.
Being woken up by the restore 3 was genuinely heavenly – the light is subtle and diffused by the fabric, allowing for a gentler wake up than the Beurer WL 65, for example, where the light just flicks on. The gradual increase in light is subtle, slow and smooth, unlike the Lumie sunrise alarm where the light alterations were jerky. The sounds of the tones are smooth and good quality with the tone gently rising. Within the app, there is the ability to change the colour of your light, too, and a multitude of tones and ambient sounds to choose from.
However, although the restore 3 is nearly perfect, the heavy reliance on setting it up via an app and altering some of its main functions via a phone screen does slightly take away from their marketing around reducing screen time…
Key specifications
Buy now £150, Amazon.co.uk
Groov-e light curve
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: budget sunrise alarm clock
Why we love it
- Host of features
- Smooth light transitions during alarm
- Good quality audio
- Good selection of alarm sounds to choose from
- Sleek design
Take note
- Display does not tell you which radio station you’re listening to
- Sticky buttons on the back of the device
For less than £35, you can get a great sunrise alarm clock in the Groov-e light curve. It’s cheaper than Lumie’s sunrise alarm and arguably, I think it’s better as the best budget sunrise alarm. This is for a few reasons; it has a radio function that the Lumie sunrise alarm doesn’t have, you can select light shows (cascade flow is my favourite) and it features smooth light transitions on the alarm setting compared to the Lumie sunrise alarm. For a budget sunrise alarm clock, it boasts a wealth of features, some of which compete with the more expensive models, such as the ability to turn off or dim the clock display, being able to select from a variety of colours for the moodlight function and the option of eight alarm sounds.
As this is a budget alarm clock, the build quality isn’t as luxurious as the Hatch, for example, and the item is lightweight, plastic-y and does have clunky buttons that are a bit sticky. However, it is a sleek design that’s uncluttered. Furthermore, the alarm set up didn’t take long, even though the buttons are located on the back of the device which was a bit faffy. And selecting the sunset function was super easy with the tap of one button on the front of the device. During the sunrise alarm function, the light offers orange hues that aren’t too strong, allowing for a gentle wake up.
In terms of sound quality, the Groov-e performs as expected for its price range – it isn’t too tinny or muffled. This goes for the tones and the radio function. While it’s a great addition to have the radio function, sadly the display doesn’t tell you which radio station you’re listening to which is slightly irritating. Other than that, the Groov-e light curve ticks lots of boxes.
Key specifications
Buy now £35, Currys.co.uk
Beurer WL 65
Rating: 4/5
Best: sunrise alarm clock for style
Why we love it
- Wireless phone charging
- Intuitive snooze control
- Pleasant awakening
- Sunset function to unwind
- Multipurpose as a moodlight with a good choice of colours and light shows
Take note
- Poor audio quality
The Beurer WL 65 does not look like your standard sunrise alarm. It doesn’t follow the crowd, looking like a sunrise in shape, but instead features a flat circular surface with a light ring on top. The flat surface offers wireless phone charging for compatible devices – a nice touch seeing as most people have their phones by the bedside.
While the design stands out, and the device stands up (so to speak), it is on the larger side and finding room on a crowded bedside cabinet may be a challenge for some. Although, as their marketing says, it does act as an alarm, phone charger and bedside lamp in one so it could actually help you save space.
This three-in-one alarm was easy to set up, although the manual was required as the controls weren’t that obvious for some of its functions. The tones were soft and gentle upon waking but the sunrise light just flicks on – there is no gradual increase of light as with the Hatch restore 3, although this didn’t massively negatively impact my wake up. Turning off the alarm was easy, you simply tap the light ring once for snooze and twice to turn the alarm off. I loved this as there was no need to search for small buttons while trying to wake up properly.
Overall, the WL 65 is great, offering a sunrise alarm, sunset function to unwind at the end of the day, mood lights of varying colours with light shows and the option to change the intensity of the moodlight to suit your mood and environment. Changing the colour and brightness of the moodlight is simple with a tap, or swipe, of the ring but unfortunately, this alarm is let down by its slightly tinny audio.
Key specifications
Buy now £69.99, Boots.com
Lumie bodyclock luxe 750DAB
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: sunrise alarm clock for audio quality
Why we love it
- Fantastic audio quality
- Huge amount of features
- Pleasing design
- Fits neatly on a bedside table
Take note
- Heavier than other sunrise alarms
- Requires two hands to move it due to its weight and shape
The Lumie bodyclock luxe 750DAB is one of Lumie’s premium sunrise alarms. It boasts a huge range of features which can be used independently of the alarm. For example, you can use the radio, moodlight and ambient sounds independently of each other and the alarm settings, as well as having these combined for your alarm. Sure, most sunrise alarms allow this so what makes the luxe stand out? Its audio quality.
It’s a fancy piece of kit and this is highlighted by its complex set up – it took me a good 20 minutes and more to read the manual to understand all it had to offer, set my alarm and play about with its features. Arguably, the set up is unnecessarily complex, however, it is an impressive sunrise alarm and once you’ve got your head around it, it feels a little more bearable.
Compared to the Beurer WL 65 and Groov-e light curve, it is a step up in audio quality – it’s bassier, more rounded and less tinny. I’d also like to give a nod to its sunrise shape – it’s not excessively large and can fit neatly on a bedside table. The carpeted lower half mimics the ground while the upper half lights up like a sunrise. I found this a pleasing sight upon rising.
While the luxe has the best audio quality, some of its sounds are questionable as to how relaxing they are. For example, you can opt to be woken by traffic noise. I’m not sure this would be my choice over more natural sounds, such as birdsong or waterfalls, but each to their own.
Key specsifications
Buy now £229, Lumie.com
Lumie sunrise alarm
Rating: 4/5
Best: sunrise alarm clock for simplicity
Why we love it
- Simple to set up
- No faff approach to circadian rhythm regulation
- Comfortable, diffused white light for a bedside lamp
Take note
- Feels cheap and isn’t super pretty to look at
- Clunky, loud buttons
If you’re looking for a straightforward, no frills sunrise alarm, the Lumie sunrise alarm is the one to go for. I loved how simple this alarm was to set – the buttons are self explanatory, literally taking me just a few minutes to work out its features and set the alarm, compared to the complex set up of the Luxe. Most of its features require a click of a single button and you’re done. Even the sunset function was easy, one click and it’s set, offering a gradually fading light over 30 minutes. There is no option to change the time duration, as with some of the other models tested, but I didn’t mind this as it resulted in less choice and less faff when trying to unwind.
There are a reasonable amount of sounds to choose from for your wake up sound, six to be precise. Most of the sounds are quite pleasant to wake up to but there are some odd ones in there, such as goat calls! The sound quality fits the price tag, with it being a lot less full than the luxe.
While the light gradually increases during the alarm, it is a little jerky compared to other alarms like the Lumie bodyclock luxe or Hatch. You can see the change in brightness happening in a step approach whereas, on more premium models, the change is more fluid. However, this doesn’t really impact the wake up. One positive is that the light is diffused, offering a soft and comfortable white light even at its brightest during wake up, wind down or as a bedside lamp. Plus, there are multiple colours to choose from when using it as a moodlight.
One bugbear was the red light for the time display. It’s rather garish but luckily, you can opt to turn the display off. And of course, being a budget sunrise alarm, it does feel flimsy and lacking substance and pizazz compared to more premium clocks.
Key specifications
Buy now £49, Argos.co.uk
Blueair mini restful
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: smart sunrise alarm clock
Why we love it
- Easy to control via the app
- Option to ditch your phone by using the buttons on the device
- Took minutes to set up
- Soft, orange hues for the wake up light
Take note
- Poor audio quality for the price tag
- Lacking a sunset wind down function
- Abrupt alarm tone
Now, the Hatch restore 3 was a close contender for the best smart sunrise alarm but the Blueair mini restful just stole it. The app was straightforward to use and less overwhelming than the Hatch app in terms of choice. Plus, no manual was needed to get going. I had my alarm time and tone set within minutes which was a relief as some smart alarms can be complicated or faffy. You can control the alarm settings via the app but there are also buttons on the top of the device to turn the alarm, air purification and moodlight on and off, if you’d prefer to leave your phone elsewhere at night.
The mini restful is an air purifier and sunrise alarm combo. Because of this, the air purifier is incredibly quiet so it won’t disturb your sleep. The size of the mini restful is also perfect. It’s not a large or heavy air purifier so most people would be able to fit it comfortably by their bedside. I’d recommend placing it on the floor rather than a bedside table though, purely because the controls are on top and it’s easier to turn the alarm off if the unit is on the floor.
When using the alarm, the light is a nice orange that gradually brightens. However, its final brightness is not a white light, like most sunrise alarms, but a brighter orange that literally mimics sunrise rather than daylight. This made for a pleasant and soft awakening, despite the light changes being a little on the jerky side, like that of the Lumie sunrise alarm.
In terms of sound quality, it’s okay but for the price, I would expect better quality. Plus, the alarm tone didn’t come on gradually but rather started abruptly which was a bit disappointing and ruined the pleasant awakening somewhat.
One thing the mini restful lacks is a sunset function to unwind at the end of the day. You can turn the moodlight on and off and vary its intensity but there’s no option that allows it to slowly fade.
Key specifications
Buy now £169, Boots.com
Beurer WL 50
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: sunrise alarm clock for travel
Why we love it
- Doesn’t require mains power to be fully functional
- Small and compact making it easily portable
- Simple to set up
- Pleasing red and yellow hues for the wake up light
Take note
- Limited choices of alarm tones
Similarly to the Lumie sunrise alarm and the Groov-e light curve, the Beurer WL 50 can be run without being plugged into the mains. While the Lumie sunrise alarm and the Groov-e light curve require batteries, and will work with minimum functions, the Beurer WL 50 can be charged via the mains and run independently with full functionality. This is why I think it’s the best sunrise alarm for travel.
Setting the alarm was simple, requiring only a quick glance at the manual (mainly due to it having many functions and me not wanting to miss any). When the alarm is sounding, snoozing and turning off the alarm is straightforward by tapping the top of the device. However, there are limited alarm sounds to choose from compared to the luxe, for example.
The sound quality was reasonable for the bargain price and the radio quality was better than expected. While the limited alarm tones were all quite nice, the light was particularly satisfying to wake up to. It goes from a deeper, more vibrant red to a softer yellow, with the changes being subtle and smooth.
For your wind down, the WL 50 offers a sunset function with limited sound options. You can opt for the sound of the sea, the radio or your own music. A lack of options isn’t always a bad thing and arguably, I found it helped me wind down without fretting over choices to be made. I preferred the sound of the sea and felt this sufficed to help me de-stress.
When you’re not using it as an alarm, you can use the device as a bedside lamp – simply tap the top for the moodlight. Its compact design makes it easy to find room for it on your bedside cabinet. There is a good range of colours to choose from for the moodlight and three brightness levels for the white light option, making the WL 50 the ideal companion for a camping trip.
Key specifications
Buy now £57.56, Currys.co.uk
Your questions about sunrise alarm clocks answered
What is the best sunrise alarm clock?
Overall, the Hatch restore 3 offers the most in terms of being a sunrise alarm clock but also for building better sleep habits. The possibilities feel endless with the Hatch app and it makes for a fully customisable experience. However, it’s not the cheapest sunrise alarm clock and if you’re happy with basic functions, the Groov-e light curve will more than suffice. Another favourite of mine is the Lumie bodyclock luxe 750DAB because of the wealth of sleep/wake sounds and its audio quality. Although, it is the most expensive option in this guide. If your bank balance gulps at £229 for an alarm clock, I’d opt for the Beurer WL 50 as it has FM radio, is portable and features a pleasant light upon waking. And, if you don’t mind the limited sleep/wake sounds, it does pretty much what the Luxe does, but simpler.
Do sunrise alarm clocks work?
Dr Maja Schaedel, co-founder of The Good Sleep Clinic explains that sunrise alarm clocks offer a “really nice way to wake up” because “our circadian rhythms, our internal body clocks, depend on daylight to understand what is daytime and nighttime. During the early hours of the evening, when the sunlight fades, our bodies start to release a hormone called melatonin, which signals to the body that it is time to sleep. The level of melatonin continues to increase throughout the night until it starts to tail off in the latter half of the night. When the sun rises in the morning, melatonin is inhibited, and our circadian rhythm tells us that it is daytime. This makes waking up generally easier.”
Are sunrise alarm clocks good for you?
Sunrise alarm clocks help to ease you into the day by mimicking the sunrise, triggering your body to suppress melatonin and to produce serotonin, so you start the day feeling less groggy. This gentle waking process could lead to you being in a better mood and having greater levels of energy. Being woken by bright light in the morning can also help reset our circadian rhythm, which in turn can improve the quality of our sleep, which plays a role in our overall health.
Wake-up alarm clocks also boast mood-boosting benefits that people dealing with SAD may benefit from during the drearier months of the year.
In terms of further health benefits, research has shown that sudden waking can contribute to higher blood pressure and heart rate compared with those who wake up on their own time, as happens with a sunrise alarm clock. However, this is inference; there need to be more studies into whether sunrise alarm clocks lower blood pressure to be certain.
How I tested sunrise alarm clocks
I tested these sunrise alarms for a few weeks using the following criteria:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
The Independent’s dedicated shopping section, IndyBest is committed to providing unbiased reviews and expert advice. Our team of editors and writers have years of experience in testing products and trialling them within their own homes.
Kat Bayly is a writer who specialises in wellness and mindfulness, as well as being a yoga teacher and founder of Kalindi Yoga. She has reviewed a number of sunrise alarm clocks, so know what it takes for a product to impress.
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