The best smart alarm clocks of 2023

What to look for in a smart alarm clock in 2023

Ever since smartphones became mainstream, alarm clocks have largely been considered a relic of the past. After all, why waste time worrying about a clumsy bedside gadget when you have a powerful clock in the palm of your hand? That notion is starting to change, though, as a new wave of products is reimagining what it means to be an alarm clock.

Smart alarm clocks offer everything you’d expect from a bedside clock, along with a suite of smart home features that make them the perfect bedtime companion.

For one thing, they usually look a bit more modern (and stylish) than their outdated cousins. They also come in a wide variety of form factors and offer dozens of unique features, and with so many options on the market, it can be hard to find the right one for your home.

When shopping for a smart alarm clock, you’ll first want to calculate your budget. These products range from as low as $30 to over $100.

You will also need to determine what you want from a smart alarm clock. Do you want to take your distracting smartphone out of the equation, or do you want luxurious features that can simulate the sunrise in your bedroom? Do you want it to work as a wireless charging station? How many customization options do you need? The more features you want, the more you end up paying.

If you need help narrowing down your options, here are the five best smart alarms available today. Regardless of your budget, there is sure to be something that can enhance your nightly routine.

Frequent questions

Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light is designed around a huge customizable light bulb. It’s not cheap, but Philips spared no effort in creating this premium smart alarm clock.

Once installed on your nightstand, you’ll be able to choose from 20 different brightness settings, five wake-up sounds, and a screen that automatically dims when needed. Better yet, Philips says on the store page that doctors and pharmacists recommend its lights to help develop healthy sleep patterns.

While the SmartSleep Wake-Up Light has a litany of impressive alarm features, it’s not quite as “smart” as you might expect. Unlike many devices in the Philips line, SmartSleep won’t connect to smart home ecosystems like Alexa or Google Home, only the Philips Hue ecosystem. It’s a minor complaint, but something to keep in mind if you’re looking for an alarm clock that can blend in with the rest of your smart home.

The Hatch Restore Smart Alarm Clock is one of the most intriguing smart alarm clocks on the market. Not only does it offer the usual set of wake-up features, but it’s based around a huge night light that’s fully customizable, just like Philips SmartSleep.

The Hatch Restore light serves multiple purposes. It can be a bedtime reading light, work as a nightlight while you sleep, and can even simulate the sunrise when you start to wake up.

All of this works with an intuitive smartphone app that lets you customize your settings, along with touch controls on the alarm so you can easily start a routine when you’re ready for bed.

Stylish lighting isn’t the only thing Hatch Restore brings to the table. You’ll also benefit from sleep sounds that are designed to help you relax and get a good night’s sleep, although you’ll need to get a monthly membership to get access to the full library of sounds and features.

If you don’t mind that fee and the higher price of the clock, then you’ll find the Hatch Restore to be one of the most comprehensive smart alarm clocks available today.

Anyone familiar with smart displays should immediately be at home with the Lenovo Smart Clock 2, as it borrows many design cues from products like the Echo Show and the Google Nest Hub. However, it doesn’t come with all the distracting extras, allowing you to set the alarm, turn on a nightlight, and go to bed without a problem.

Lenovo Smart Clock 2 is sold as a standalone product, but your best bet is to buy the bundle that includes a charging station. This is essentially one large bar that the alarm clock sits on top of, with the space left over serving as a charging pad for your smartphone.

The pad results in a footprint that’s almost twice the size of the clock, but unless you’re working with a narrow nightstand, that shouldn’t be an issue.

Although you won’t find as many innovative features in the Lenovo Smart Clock 2 as you do in the Hatch Restore or the Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light, this is an affordable smart alarm clock that ticks the basics. With a responsive (and customizable) touchscreen, sleek design, and accompanying charging pad, Lenovo’s offering is worth a closer look if you’re on a budget.

Affordable, versatile, and easy to use, the Amazon Echo Show 5 is an impressive smart display. It’s also a great smart alarm clock, with Alexa integration and a small footprint that makes it easy to fit on even the messiest nightstand.

At the center of it all is a 5.5-inch touchscreen, which can show you not just the current time, but scroll through photos or start a Spotify playlist for your bedtime routine. You can also stream Netflix and other video-on-demand services, which could easily divert your attention from sleep.

If you’ve got the willpower to resist Netflix, the Echo Show 5 is worth a closer look. With the ability to set up Alexa routines for your wake-up call, you can start your day by automatically turning on your lights, starting a news broadcast or listening to your favorite music.

It doesn’t have a large screen and it lacks some features found in dedicated smart alarm clocks, but the Echo Dot with Clock is a great alternative to the other entries on this list. It’s also very affordable, coming in at just $60.

The biggest drawback is the tiny HUD, which offers a pixelated design that can only display small bits of information, like the current time or alarm status. But that’s all you need for a basic alarm, and it also means there’s less to distract you from getting some sleep. It can also be synced with other Alexa products, allowing you to quickly turn down the lights, load up a morning playlist, or adjust the thermostat without getting up.

Despite its small size, the Echo Dot puts out some impressive sounds. So when you’re not sleeping, you can use it to play music while you work or do housework. It might not be as futuristic as a “real” smart alarm clock, but it’s a well-rounded option if you’re also looking for a smart speaker.