8 best light-up alarm clocks to wake up your 2023 morning routine

This Beurer lamp is one of the neatest wake-up alarm clocks we tested. It looks more like a speaker than a clock, with the time on a small screen at the bottom rather than a bigger one in the centre. It has pretty much everything else you could possibly need next to your bed too. There’s an FM radio and it also functions as a Bluetooth speaker, which we thought was a nifty touch. It has LED mood lighting and can be charged and used wirelessly – though beware that runtime is only around three hours on a full charge, so it won’t get you through the night.

This clock is a particularly good choice if there are two people needing to wake up at different times, as it has two distinct and very useful alarm settings. We also liked the wake-up melodies, especially the bird song. Using this never felt like too much of a harsh wake-up call, although we never failed to wake using just the light anyway, despite the fact it was slightly (pleasantly) softer than some we tested. We loved the fact we could play the sound of waves during the sunset too and really felt like we slept a lot deeper and more easily afterwards. A great bedside buy overall.

After using this light for just a couple of days, we realised we’d stopped using our bedside light entirely, so it’s a great choice if space is tight. Circular in shape and with the time displayed in the centre, it’s one of the best-looking clocks we tested and has 10 light intensities, which we found more than bright enough to read by.

It’s also one of the easiest clocks to use. We could work out how to set the alarm and use the radio without even glancing at the instructions and then simply had to tap the top to start snooze mode. The clock cycles through 20 brightness settings over 30 minutes, to wake you up, but there are also two bird songs, if you think you’ll need an additional alarm. The light is very bright, though, so you’d need to be in a very deep sleep to doze through it at full beam. Our only gripe is that we would’ve loved a sunset mode to help us get to sleep at night too but, otherwise, this will transform your mornings.

For the price, this light-up clock from Groov-e is packed with features. It has an FM radio, a digital clock, a snooze setting and three alarm functions – it can wake you up with the light only, the light and an audible alarm or just the alarm. There are eight alarm sounds to choose from and, when the light’s set, you just need to choose whether you want the ‘sun’ to rise over 10, 20 or 30 minutes. Half an hour was way too long for us, as we tended to wake fairly soon after the light started but we loved the fact there was an additional audible alarm for days we were worried about sleeping through the light.

We especially liked the fact it has seven colour settings, so the clock could be used as a mood light for the rest of the day. A dimmer function means it’s easy to get the right light for the moment and it would work well as a nightlight for children. Our only complaint is that it was fairly large on our bedside table but, otherwise, this is proof there’s no need to blow the budget to find a decent sunrise clock.

There’s no clock on this floor lamp but it was still one of the best lights for waking us up when placed close to our bed. When switched off, it looks like a thin pole, which might not work well with more-traditional décor, but we loved the fact we didn’t need to find room on our bedside table. A smaller table lamp version is also available, which would take up hardly any space either.

Obviously, the design means there are no extra functions, so it’s not one for you if you want a radio, clock face or speaker. But the wake-up light setting is top-notch. It can be set via Bluetooth through the app – which we set up and connected in seconds – and can also be controlled through Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit or Google Assistant. You simply choose between a light fading to bright or (our favourite) a full coloured sunrise effect, which blends the colours of the sun together along the whole length of the lamp using gradient technology.

As it’s larger than a traditional clock, the light is much brighter, which we found helped to wake us far more effectively. In fact, after two days of trying it, we were confident enough to ditch our back-up phone alarm and rely on the light only. We loved using it through the day too, setting endless different colours and even a softly flickering candlelight effect. It can also sync to films and music but, disappointingly, this requires an extra pricey bit of kit.

This clock does almost everything except wake you up with a cup of tea. It doubles as a Bluetooth speaker, has a USB port to charge your phone and is the only product we tested with a DAB+ radio rather than an FM one. Easily the most advanced product we tested but also the fiddliest to operate, it’s fairly large, so you’ll need to make sure you have space on your bedside table. We liked the fact the trim comes in different colours – including blossom pink, paprika red and the classy sage green we tested – to match every décor.

As with all Lumie’s light-therapy products, this one is certified by Quiet Mark, an independent programme associated with the UK Noise Abatement Society to prioritise the noise reduction of everyday machines. That said, you don’t need to rely on just the light to wake you up. There’s a whopping 33 sounds to wake up or go to sleep with, including a chirping blackbird, a rushing waterfall and even the sound of a ping pong ball. We definitely didn’t need a noise to wake us up, though, as the light is very bright and mimics the colours of a real sunrise. We definitely felt less groggy every morning too – even our children commented we seemed more awake than usual. If you dread the sound of the alarm each day, it’s worth the splurge.

We’re not saying a sunrise clock will necessarily make your teenager spring out of bed, but it’s got to be better than yelling at them over and over again. Plus, waking up gently with a light gives them a little more time to come round from a deep sleep and our teenage tester said she definitely felt more awake than normal by the time she got out of bed. The light takes between 10 and 60 minutes to get to full brightness, as preferred, which is longer than most other clocks, so perfect for a teen reluctant to wake.

The slim, circular shape is also suitably inoffensive and will suit any bedroom. It has a large digital clock, FM radio and two separate audible alarms with eight sounds, if teens really want to make sure they don’t sleep through the light. Our tester also liked the fact it could charge devices via a USB plug and could display 16 million colour combinations for use during the day. Best of all? Any teen will appreciate the fact the snooze button can be pressed an unlimited number of times, to give an extra nine minutes sleep every time.

This clock might not be crammed with extra functions but it’s incredibly effective at doing what you need it to – that is, waking you up gently with a light rather than an awful noise. Small, slim and Quiet Mark certified, it’s one of the easiest clocks to find room for on a crowded beside table. It would also be ideal to take away when travelling, to help combat jet lag. No need to worry that the light won’t wake you either – this one is seriously bright, with a UV-free, blue-enriched white LED bulb that has five levels. By the time we’d finally opened our eyes, our whole room was bathed in light, so it felt much easier to hop out of bed than normal.

There is an optional alarm beep, if you need it (you won’t), but it’s not the most pleasant sound to wake to. There’s also a snooze button but it’s unlikely you’ll ever need it, as the light is so bright. Best of all, it’s certified as a medical device to treat SAD, so can be used during the day for a blast of much-needed daylight.

Dyson has taken the sunrise clock to a whole new level with this ingenious desk lamp. There’s no audible alarm or radio on this one – there’s not even a clock – but you’ll still be smitten once this is next to your bed. Sleek and silver, it has a minimal look with a 360-degree rotating head and magnetic touch-docking, so it glides into place with a gentle – and oh-so-satisfying – push. It adapts for every need, changing from a focused task light to a soft background light or even one that lights up artwork. It can also be programmed via the easy-to-use app, to turn on when it senses motion or at random intervals throughout the day, as a security measure.

We loved reading next to it in bed, then docking the head to use the stem as an ambient light for watching TV, as well as waking up with it the following morning. We also appreciated the fact there were some controls on the lamp, so we didn’t always have to reach for our phone.

The best bit? It will track local daylight, using a GPS-driven algorithm via the app, and adjust colour, temperature and brightness accordingly every 60 seconds. So, the light perfectly mirrors the cycle of light outside for maximum benefit – turning brighter if it suddenly gets cloudy, for instance. This can also be scheduled to wake you up whenever you need and it never failed to rouse us from even the deepest sleep. It’s definitely the smartest lamp you’ll ever use – but likely the most expensive one too.