5 Sleek Gadgets That Can Replace Your Morning Alarm

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The way in which you wake up in the morning can set the tone for the rest of your day, for better or worse. It's become fairly common today for people to wake up using the alarm on their phone, but if you don't like to keep your phone near your bed, a traditional alarm clock is still a valid approach. Of course, that approach also utilizes the usual piercing alarm noise, so if that doesn't work for you, you might want to try a different kind of alarm clock that encourages you to get up in different ways, like a gradual sunrise or running right off your nightstand.

Everyone has different needs for their morning alarm; on one hand, maybe you want softer sounds to gradually ease you out of bed, or, on the other hand, you want an alarm that shakes you right out of bed and into the light of day. Despite the popularity of phone alarms, alarm clocks are still a booming sector, with all kinds of new and interesting models available online to suit your particular needs.

All of the following alarm clock gadgets are available for purchase on Amazon, each with a user rating of at least four out of five stars based on at least 1,000 user reviews.

There's something rather romantic about being woken up by the steady rise of the sun through your bedroom window. Of course, whether or not you actually want to get up at first light is another matter entirely, but if you don't want the actual sunrise to wake you, you can get a simulated sunrise with the Odokee Sunrise Alarm Clock, available on Amazon for $59.99.

This ovoid alarm clock has a large lit surface on the front above the actual digital clock display. This gradually brightens over a custom-set period from five to 60 minutes before your desired wake-up time in order to simulate the effect of the rising sun on your face. You can set your precise desired brightness, as well as add one of seven different alarm sounds for a tailored wake-up experience. The clock also works in reverse, gradually dimming with soothing sounds to help lull you to sleep. This cool gadget can even connect to your phone via Bluetooth for use as a speaker.

The Odokee Sunrise Alarm Clock has a 4.5 out of 5 rating from 1,214 Amazon shoppers, who generally enjoy the soft brightening effect of the light and the positive effect it has on their circadian rhythms. One user on Amazon called it the perfect sunrise alarm clock, and their preferred choice over several similar, more expensive devices.

There are few worse ways to start your day than to wake up without an alarm, realizing that you had slapped your clock's off button in a half-asleep daze. The best way to prevent this from happening is to place your clock out of reach, but if you need an alarm right next to your bed, the next best choice would be an alarm that won't let you slap it as easily. That's a job for the Clocky Alarm Clock on Wheels, available on Amazon for $36.00.

This cute little alarm clock robot has a deviously simple means of encouraging you to get out of bed: when the alarm goes off, the wheels whirr to life, carrying the clock off your nightstand and onto the floor, where it begins dashing to and fro. The alarm sounds continuously and loudly during this process, which means you'll need to get out of bed and chase it down, a perfect solution for particularly heavy sleepers.

Amazon shoppers have given the Clocky Alarm Clock on Wheels a 4.0 out of 5-star rating based on 9,232 reviews, and it is an Amazon's Choice product at the time of writing. One Amazon user bought this clock for their son, who sleeps through most traditional alarms, but Clocky always gets them out of bed.

If you're hard of hearing or have a tendency to sleep with your head sandwiched between your pillows, an alarm clock that relies on sheer volume alone may not be sufficient to rouse you from sleep. In such a case, rather than going even louder, what you need is a clock that strikes through one of your other senses, like touch. What you need is the Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock and Bed Shaker, available on Amazon for $43.99.

This clock's secret weapon is a small shaker module connected to the main unit via a 6-foot cable. This module is meant to be placed under your pillow, between your sheets, or beneath your mattress. When the alarm goes off, the module delivers a powerful, intense vibrational force alongside a 113-decibel alarm. Even if you can't hear the alarm, you'll almost definitely feel your entire bed being shaken up like an earthquake. Add the flashing red alert lights on the front, and there's no way you're sleeping through this one.

An impressive 36,666 Amazon users have collectively given the Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock a 4.5 out of 5 rating. One user attests that this clock is powerful enough to wake everyone in their home, though more importantly, it's able to wake their legally-deaf spouse, where other alarm clocks fall short.

While the archetypal alarm clock uses noises of escalating shrillness and volume, that approach doesn't work for everyone. If you'd rather spare yourself the potential morning migraine, the ideal choice would be an alarm clock that wakes you with carefully curated, gentle noises and chimes. That's exactly what the Loftie Alarm Clock and Sound Machine offers for $169.99.

This high-end alarm clock contains an internal library of over 100 different sleep- and waking-positive sounds. At night, you can play soothing white noise, nature sounds, and meditation guides to lull you to sleep. When morning comes, the clock utilizes a two-stage alarm system, starting with a soft, yet distinctive chime to gently rouse you, followed by a slightly louder, but still relatively soft alarm to get you all the way up. You can customize the sounds, volume, and other features using the clock's companion smartphone app.

The Loftie Alarm Clock and Sound Machine has earned a four out of five rating courtesy of 1,025 Amazon shoppers, who appreciate its efficacy on both sides of the sleeping equation. According to an Amazon user, it works as both a bedtime reminder and a wake-up alarm, appreciating the calming quality of the sounds used in both.

Finding the perfect alarm clock isn't always an exact science. Sometimes, you just need to try a few different approaches and see what works, employing a mix of visual, auditory, and physical sensations. If that's the name of the game, the Mesqool Digital Projection Alarm Clock is a contender. It's available on Amazon for $27.99.

This clock has a simple digital panel on the front that displays the current time, but in addition to that, it has a small projector lens mounted on the side. This projector mirrors the current time onto whatever wall or ceiling you point it at, ensuring you can see the time no matter where you're facing in bed, especially when the alarm is going off. The clock also has an optional shaker module that can be set to activate on its own or in tandem with the alarm and projection, waking you with three of your senses simultaneously.

The Mesqool Digital Projection Alarm Clock is an Amazon's Choice product at the time of writing, with 27,997 users giving it a collective rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. This particular clock is helpful for those with some manner of physical impairment; One person who reviewed it on Amazon likes the projection feature for their sibling who is blind in one eye, while another user with clinical insomnia uses the shaker module when the alarm alone isn't sufficient.

The absolute last thing you want when purchasing a new alarm clock is to go through the trouble of setting it up at night, only for it to completely fail to wake you the following morning. That is why, in order to ensure you only get reliable alarm clocks, we selected the preceding products from clocks available on Amazon with a user score of at least 4 out of 5 stars. Additionally, to ensure those scores are properly weighted, we focused further on products with at least 1,000 user reviews.