The 5 Best Alarm Clocks of 2026, Tested and Reviewed

It should come as no surprise that Amazon’s Alexa technology lends itself exceptionally well to an alarm clock. But the Amazon Echo Spot isn’t just another entry in Alexa’s extensive resume designed to be one of many Alexa products in your smart home network. It’s an all-in-one product that requires no additional technology (aside from a smartphone) to make the most out of. If anything, it’s an amazing jumping off point for someone who wants to make that transition to the smart home lifestyle.

The interface customization settings give sleepers control over the screen’s brightness, color scheme and font and are what won us over giving the Echo Spot our Best Overall pick. The device comes loaded with 27 alarm tones ranging from a classic beeping to Tara Reid warning of an impending “Sharknado” (the tester’s alarm of choice). The device can be synced with all of the major music, podcast and audiobook services, which can be activated with basic voice commands. As a speaker, the Echo Spot struggles with bass-heavy songs when playing on full volume. Aside from that flaw, it removes the need for a Bluetooth speaker (and FM radio) in most small- to medium-sized bedrooms. Users can customize a morning routine (or pick from a list of popular formats) that can adjust Alexa-compatible lights, provide a weather report, turn on a local radio station or get your morning playlist queued up.

Surprisingly, in testing we found the touchscreen interface on the device has poor responsiveness. This is only a factor when turning off alarms. The snooze feature is activated by tapping the top of the device. This is not ideal for the heavy sleeper who’s prone to get overdoing the snooze button. The other downside is the Amazon Alexa app itself. None of the apps included in this test come without blatant flaws. Amazon Alexa’s focus on the all-encompassing smart home experience makes it difficult to do something as simple as setting an alarm.

For people who are willing to take the time to become proficient in the app, alarm clocks don’t get better than this. If simplicity is the priority, there are some great alternatives.

The DreamSky is a perfect example of newer technology being used sparingly and efficiently. It plays to the traditional alarm clock format of having most buttons serve multiple purposes. The more important day-to-day features have specialized dials. This is specifically referring to brightness and volume adjustments. The latter is less important: something you can set once and forget about. The brightness, especially with the model provided to the tester, is something that will likely need manual adjusting throughout the day if the clock is being used when the sun’s up. The DreamSky comes in seven different colors, some of which are more abrasive than others. The tester was given one with a black exterior and white text. The box includes all of the colors on the packaging, giving the false impression that the color can be changed (it cannot).

There are only two clear faults with the DreamSky. One of them is a recurring theme in this test: The snooze “button” is activated with a semi-firm tap on top of the clock. The other one is its not-so-subtle labeling. It has a clean design on the front and sides, but the top has “SNOOZE” printed across it, which feels out of place given the rest of its appearance.

What you see is what you get with the Wideboy. The retro-style analog clock runs on a single AA battery, can pair well with an array of aesthetics, and doesn’t make any ticking sound. The device’s downsides are generally inherent to analog clocks. There’s no way to differentiate the alarm between AM and PM. The lack of a backlight makes it impossible to see in a dark room. There’s no snooze button. For fans of analog clocks, the aforementioned shortcomings are par for the course.

The one inconvenient quirk of the Wideboy is the awkward angle at which it sits. The face of the clock is perfectly perpendicular to whatever surface it’s resting on. From far away it’s no trouble; the Wideboy lives up to its name and can be easily read across a room. However, the closer one gets to it, the more the top of the clock obstructs the view. The final downside, which is more of a testament to the precision of digital clocks, is the inaccurate alarm. Since users only have a dial to go off, it can’t be expected that their clock wakes them up exactly at a given time. In testing, we found it provides more of an estimate in a three-minute range.

For those who want to wake up every morning feeling like they fell asleep in nature, check out the Philips SmartSleep Wakeup. The sunrise clock lets sleepers customize their experience with 20 different brightness settings (the lowest being no light), and an optional audio alarm. There are six alarm options: running water, dramatic piano music, brassy chimes, FM radio and two different sets of bird sounds. Seven options for snooze durations are provided: 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45 and 60 minutes. Two alarms can be set simultaneously with unique brightness and volume levels (audio alarm and snooze duration remain the same for both). As a lamp, it shouldn’t be relied on as the main light source in a room. It functions well as a personal reading lamp, however the light would likely be too invasive to use next to someone trying to catch some Z’s.

Something that sets the Philips SmartSleep aside from other sunrise clocks is its lack of app-reliance. After testing numerous smart and/or sunrise clocks, our tester grew increasingly disenfranchised with those that use a smartphone application as a crutch. The Philips SmartSleep doesn’t provide all of the features that competing sunrise clocks do, nor is it exceptionally easy to set up. However, once that learning curve has been conquered, the Philips gives users a sense of comfort and trust that their alarm will go off as scheduled. (With app-reliant products, there’s always the looming fear that a bug in the app can affect the integrity of the clock.) Other sunrise clocks are sold with the promise of an all-out nighttime overhaul, which not everyone is looking for.

A notable downside of the Philips SmartSleep is the deceptive capabilities (or lack thereof) of the battery backup. When the Philips SmartSleep is unplugged, the time remains intact (for an unspecified period of time), however any alarms that were set need to be reactivated. Combine this with the fact that the majority of volume levels are too low to wake someone up (and most of the alarms themselves are quite subtle), and the Philips SmartSleep opens the door to failing at its one job if the user doesn’t give it the necessary attentiveness and proper personalization.

The Hatch Restore 3 is more than a simple clock — this smart sleep device is a sound machine, sunrise alarm, and reading light all in one. It's designed to encourage a phone-free sleep environment; you can control the volume, snooze the alarm, and toggle between wind-down routines directly on the device. You’ll only need your phone to set up your wake and sleep routines through the free Hatch App.

It comes in three neutral colorways to match any space and has a sleek half-moon form factor that fits neatly on a nightstand or shelf. Notably, you can hide the time display — handy if you’re prone to watching the clock whenever you have trouble falling asleep. (A simple tap on the side of the device will reveal the time.)

The Hatch Restore 3 includes a solid selection of sounds and lighting options fo customizing your alarms and sleep routines, with a vast library of premium content available with a Hatch+ subscription ($4.99/month or $49.99/year, with a 7-day trial). Retailing for $169.99 this alarm clock is certainly a splurge — and it’s rarely ever discounted — but if you’re committed to improving your sleep hygiene, it’s among the best alarm clocks you can buy. Better yet, the Hatch Restore 3 is HSA and FSA eligible, which can offset your out-of-pocket costs.