Best Wake-Up Light For Your Money

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In our contemporary world, everything is so fast-paced that sometimes we forget how to just slow down. Our devices do a good job of keeping us up to date with the outside world, but they also keep us up until the wee hours of the morning. And then, we wake up tired and cranky the next morning. This, in turn, affects our creativity and drive at work, and lessens our overall productivity.

It has never been so difficult or so important to get a good night’s sleep and wake up fresh for the next day. A good night’s sleep recharges our immune system, helps to promote heart health, improves memory, retentiveness, along with mental alertness, and can even keep hormonal balance steady.

In comes the wake-up light.

What are Wake-Up Lights?

Over the years, basic alarm clocks have been the standard means of getting up out of bed early in time to beat that morning traffic. However, it is a well-known fact that those alarms are loud, annoying, and usually snoozed at least three times before wakefulness can kick in, and usually, the user is left feeling resentful and irritable.

A wake-up light may become your solution to a restful sleep. They provide a different type of alarm that uses light to stimulate the brain to wake up, as opposed to a blaring noise that startles you.

How do Wake-Up Lights Work?

Our bodies are a tightly run machine, and this machine runs on a 24-hour cycle of day and night, called the circadian rhythm. This means that the body produces hormones, like cortisol, which peak in the morning and helps to keep us awake when there is daylight. And on the other hand, hormones that help us to wind down and induces sleepiness, like melatonin.

Wake-up lights produce an artificial sunrise-stimulation that gradually lightens the room in line with the natural sunrise, nudging you awake with the brightening of the day. They also come equipped with a soothing alarm backup which gradually increases in volume as the light gets brighter, helping you to wake up slowly and restfully, instead of abruptly by a blaring alarm clock. This makes it so much easier to get out of bed and start the day.

A standard wake-up light runs on a basic alarm feature that can be set up to tie to the wake-time desired. In this way, it is just like a standard alarm clock. However, unlike a basic alarm clock, the lights start to brighten at a pre-selected time before the alarm goes off and continues to brighten until the wake time reaches, at which point the room looks like a bright morning. Wake-up lights also come with sounds to back up the lights, usually, soothing nature sounds that echo a dawning day and get louder as the alarm brightens up in intensity.

To help you choose the best wake-up lights, we used this three-step process:

Step #1: Research what you should look for when buying a wake-up light.

Step #2: Identify at least 15 popular and highly-rated models of various brands, prices, and types.

Step #3: Narrow down the list to a maximum of 10 based on the criteria that are most important when selecting the best wake-up lights

Based on our three-step process, here are the top 10 best wake-up lights we have found on the market.

Product Quick Compare

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Philips is a leading name in light-manufacturing and has continuously backed up this reputation with products packed with many desirable features. The Philips HF3520 starts our list off of wake-up lights. It is a consistent bestseller on Amazon and does not just claim that position; it justifies it with its very useful features. The unit offers an adjustable brightness setting of up to 20-minutes.

Benefits:

  • This Philips wake-up light offers simulated colored sunrise for mornings and sunset at night, mimicking the earth’s natural sleep and wake cycle brightness.
  • This unit was created with Philip’s Clinical Sleep and Respironics Healthcare Knowledge, a research that is backed with more than 100 years of Philips light-engineering work.
  • The Philips wake-up light offers a Tap-to-Snooze feature— for those mornings when you just cannot leave your bed.
  • It also contains an FM radio option in addition to the five other alarm sounds it can make.

What We Liked

  • Has a variety of up to 5 alarm sounds to wake up to.
  • It comes with a snooze that lasts only 9 minutes, so there is no danger of oversleeping after snoozing.
  • The bulb offers long-lasting durability.
  • 90-day money back guarantee for customers.
  • The unit can be shipped internationally.

What We Didn't Like

  • The alarm settings are a bit complicated and take some getting used to.
  • The lights tend to be too gentle for some heavy sleepers, as they are not as bright as some other wake-up lights.

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Another product from Philips is the HF3470. This wake-up light has the same basic features as its competitors. It wakes you up with increasing glowing light, like the natural sunrise. It is one of the older models of the Philips wake-up light, but has continued to deliver quality making it a favorite among the others on this list. In fact, it is notable that this Philips HF3470 was once given to a town of people in the Arctic during their blackout months of darkness.

The HF3470 is a more modern design. Looking like one would expect a lamp to be, it has a conical shape that could double as a bedside lamp.

Benefits:

  • The lights increase gradually, simulating a sunrise and makes waking up as natural as possible.
  • Like other Philips products, this wake-up light is an official Light Therapy Product of the National Sleep Foundation.
  • Light intensity increases gradually over a course of 30 minutes before the alarm goes off, making waking more relaxed.
  • Alarms include an FM radio and nature sounds.
  • The light stays on after alarm has been turned off so that it can be used for room-illumination.
  • An adjustable light intensity feature to mimic the bright and upcoming sunrise or snoozing sunset to help you go to bed.
  • Up to 20 different light brightness settings for bedside lamp function.
  • This light is clinically proven to make getting out of bed easier and pleasant and promote a less stressful day.

What We Liked

  • The light intensity is adjustable to increase comfort for people who are more sensitive to light.
  • The bulbs boast more than 4,000 hours of life and are easy to replace.
  • This wake-up light can double as a bedside lamp.
  • The light is UV free, making it safe to use.

What We Didn't Like

  • There is no sunset simulation available.
  • The light is white; this may be uncomfortable for some people.
  • The alarm choices are limited to only two sounds.

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The Magiclight Bluetooth Smart LED Light bulb is on this list because of its quality, multipurpose function, and high adaptability. A Bluetooth-enabled light bulb combines the conventional features of energy-saving lighting with smart features that can be operated and controlled from a Smartphone.

The bulb has a color palette of over 16 colors for different moods and occasions that are all controlled from your phone. All these features are in addition to being an effective wake-up light with a sunrise-simulating function and a sunset dimming function for night time.

Benefits:

  • The Magiclight has an accompanying app, MAGICLIGHT BT, available in the app store or in Google Play Store that is used to control the lights.
  • The light comes with a color palette of over 16 colors, each of which has adjustable brightness settings and is dimmable. The colors are also customizable.
  • There are also different tones of white lights available to suit different functions like reading, sewing, etc.
  • The music sync function helps to automatically choose the type of music to go with the light change, from smooth jazz to classical to rock or urban music.
  • The bulbs can be controlled individually or together as a collective light source.
  • There is a preset timer function for setting sunrise and sunset times as the bulb gradually brightens for sunrise, and gradually dims for sunset.
  • The bulb is energy-saving, with a power consumption of 7 watts delivering 20,000 hours of light. This saves up to 80% of power.

What We Liked

  • The lights are versatile and suit any occasion.
  • Its dimming function is highly desirable.
  • The light bulbs are energy-efficient.
  • Easy to install.

What We Didn't Like

  • Since the lights are Smartphone controlled, their use is limited to only people who have a Smartphone.
  • The Bluetooth function makes it unavailable for non-Bluetooth enabled devices.

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True to its brand reputation, the Philips HF3500 has all the essential features of a standard wake-up light. It has the sunrise stimulation with white LED lights, a convenient tap-snooze, variable brightness settings, and even an option to convert it to a lamplight. The lights are backed up by alarm chimes to ensure wakefulness. The lamp lights can be adjusted in brightness to suit the time of the day.

Benefits:

  • This unit was created with Philip’s Clinical Sleep and Respironics Healthcare Knowledge, a research that is backed with more than 100 years of Philips light-engineering work.
  • Has a natural glow reminiscent of the sun’s rising brightness that gradually increases in intensity until the room is filled with a bright yellow light.
  • The tap-snooze function makes snoozing a breeze.
  • There is a gentle beep at the end of the sunrise simulation to nudge you awake completely. The beeping sound increases in volume every 90 seconds until the alarm is turned off.
  • The light intensity can be adjusted to suit individual preferences.
  • The Philips wake-up light can also be used as a bedside lamp.

What We Liked

  • The alarm sound gets gradually louder to coax from sleep gently.
  • The design is attractive and modern.
  • The unit is jam-packed with loads of essential features.
  • The product is inexpensive and budget-friendly.
  • There is a 90 day warranty.
  • The unit does not heat up, so it is safe for children.
  • Large and readable LED display.
  • The light bulbs are long-lasting and rarely need repalcing.

What We Didn't Like

  • There is no setting for sunset stimulation.
  • The alarm chime sounds are limited.
  • The clock display lights cannot be turned off, even at night. They can be turned down though, which comes in handy.

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The Withings Smart Sleep System is a smart alarm system packed with lots of futuristic features that revolutionize sleep and wake cycles and makes getting a good rest scientifically ensured. This product is a premium product for people who place value on technology that can improve all-around health. Aura products are linked to activity trackers, bathroom scales, thermometer, and a blood pressure monitor running with the sleep trackers to give a comprehensive report on the user’s health.

Benefits:

  • Boasts an advanced sleep metric system that tracks sleep and improves sleep quality.
  • Monitors the sleep cycle to wake you up at the best time with the light and music options.
  • Multi-colored LED dimming light technology that emits the right wavelength for melatonin secretion and thus influences an optimal sleep-wake cycle.
  • Has a bedside clock and USB port for charging electronics.
  • Has a sleep and wake function: when it is bedtime, the Aura Smart Sleep System starts to emit certain red wavelengths of light that can influence the secretion of melatonin, causing sleepiness. When the wake time has reached, the unit’s light gradually increases with blue wavelengths that induce wakefulness and inhibit melatonin secretion, causing a smooth waking experience.
  • The Smart Alarm adapts to the sleep pattern of the user by timing their waking and sleep times based on their patterns and data recorded by the Sleep Sensor during the night.
  • Compatible with Spotify and Nest to play music as a wake function. Playlists can be compiled for both sleep and waking.
  • A sleep sensor can be placed under the mattress to measure heart rate, body movements and breath cycles to analyze sleep patterns.
  • The sensors in the unit can analyze sound, temperature, and other environmental factors in the room that contribute to the quality of sleep both negatively and positively. It adapts to these patterns to promote better sleep by adjusting the alarm times accordingly.
  • The interface is touch-sensitive and does not need to be manipulated to work.
  • Its accompanying app, HealthMate App, can be assessed to track sleep and wake times, duration of sleep, how long it takes to fall asleep, and even how many times the sleep was interrupted at night. The data can be synced through the devices by Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

What We Liked

  • It has special settings for naps and short rests.
  • Effective light and sound therapy.
  • Attractive, modern design.
  • The advanced sleep technology is effective and tracks sleep patterns to adjust its alarm systems
  • The information gathered by the sleep trackers can be very valuable to a physician or sleep therapist in treating insomnia.
  • It can be used as a standalone device without the sleep tracker.

What We Didn't Like

  • The initial setup can take some getting used to before a rhythm is established.
  • The touch-interface can also be difficult to master.
  • The sleep tracking exhibits some glitches.

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Sound Oasis’ Natural Wake and Sleep System helps you to sleep deeply and wake up even more refreshed. The manufacturer has described it as a “sound therapy machine”, as it combines the conventional wake-up light features with soothing sounds and an aromatherapy feature that releases soothing smells as the unit heats up with the sunrise feature. This makes waking an all-around pleasurable experience. It also has a white noise feature for people who have trouble falling asleep to other sounds.

Benefits:

  • The lights are clinically proven to stimulate an energetic wake-up with its convenient sunrise function.
  • It has 6 soothing nature sounds that have three play options: 30 minutes, 60 minutes and 90 minutes. The nature sounds can also be set for continuous play for users who want the soothing sounds through the night.
  • It contains aroma beads with up to 4 different scents that diffuse a soothing smell as they are heated up by the metal tray of the Natural Wake-up and Sleep System, making waking a pleasurable and relaxing experience. This option can also be bypassed if the user so prefers.
  • The alarm clock is backlit and so easy to read.
  • iPhone/iPod/MP3/CD dock for music playback.
  • The wake-up settings can be customized to different combinations: nature sound only, nature sound with light, etc. All these are customized to the user’s preference and personality.
  • The two LED light bulbs make the unit long-lasting.

What We Liked

  • The unit is versatile and multi-functional.
  • The aromatherapy scents are a nice, unique touch.
  • This wake-up light is inexpensive, when compared with its features.
  • It is durable, lightweight and has simple controls.

What We Didn't Like

  • The unit is bulky and unwieldy; it is not suitable for travel or carrying around.

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Another stellar product from Satco, the color-changing LED system of this Serenity product is what makes it stand out among other products of its type. The Satco Serenity helps regulate your sleep and wake cycle with a light and sound prompt that starts building in intensity 15-30 minutes before the wake time. This synchronized sleep and wake system builds on the body’s cues that regulate sleep and waking, promoting a restful sleep.

Benefits:

  • The light intensity can be controlled and chosen to fit different spectrums.
  • There are 6 soundscape options on this wake-up light, with accompanying harmonious music cues.
  • The LED light display is energy-saving and dimmable.
  • It is possible to choose a soundless function without music.
  • The sleep and wake feature promotes with its sunrise and sunset lights.
  • The snooze feature is just a tap.

What We Liked

  • Satco has a solid customer service reputation.
  • Battery backup is available.
  • 15 brightness levels available.
  • Good audio quality.
  • The large LCD display makes visibility clear from different angles.
  • Energy efficient LED light display.

What We Didn't Like

  • Limited options on how many alarms can be set at once.
  • The days for the alarm cannot be chosen, if one wants to turn off the alarm for a day in the week, the unit has to be unplugged the day before.
  • The settings are complicated to set up.

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Attractively designed and effective, the Lumie Body Clock is a natural wake-up light alarm that simulates the sunrise that brightens in intensity over 15, 20, 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes depending on the preferences of the user. When winding down for the night, the sunset feature helps to relax and lull the user to sleep. This wake-up light comes with a quirky rooster alarm feature that wakes the user with a smile.

Benefits:

  • Includes battery backup in case of a power outage.
  • Gentle sunrise and sunset features.
  • It offers up to 6 different sounds including a rooster call and the FM radio.
  • The wake-up light can double as a bedside lamp for reading, and the brightness feature can be adjusted to suit the user.
  • It has a snooze feature that allows for 9 minutes of snooze time.

What We Liked

  • The Lumie wake-up light offers international shipping, albeit to select countries.
  • The sounds can be used to mask noise when sleeping.
  • There are multiple display languages available, making this wake-up light adjustable to different places.
  • Can double as a night light or bedside lamp.

What We Didn't Like

  • The Lumie wake-up light unit is a bit pricey.

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The Xenon is smartphone-controlled and functional, while also being budget-friendly and accessible. The wake-up light is easy to install and control with the accompanying app available on the Google Play Store or Appstore. It is a collection of lights that work together to create an ambiance in the room, giving it different color hues depending on the whim of the user. This will especially delight children who will love the many changing colors and will appeal to people with an artistic and whimsical nature.

Benefits:

  • The Xenon wake-up light unit is easy to install for people with different levels of mechanical expertise.
  • The bulbs are long-lasting and do not run out easily.
  • Over 16 colors available, including a white light for reading.
  • It can be remotely controlled with its app. All that is needed is a Wi-Fi connection. The colors can also be customized.
  • The wake-up and sleep light intensity can be adjusted to suit the mood and use of the light. The lights can be scheduled to suit the sleep and waking times of the customer, coming on and increasing in intensity until wakefulness is achieved.
  • The Xenon wake-up light has an energy-saving function.
  • The unit is shock and vibration resistant.

What We Liked

  • The Xenon light offers a money-back guarantee available to its customers.
  • Multifunctional lights mean that it can be used for leisure and work too— not just to induce sleep and wakefulness.

What We Didn't Like

  • Cannot be operated without a Smartphone and a Wi-Fi connection.
  • The lights do not have a cooling function, and so when they heat up they stay hot. (Keep away from children)

Why Do We Need Wake-Up Lights?

Using a wake-up light is very prudent and effective in returning your body’s rhythms to normal as they are synced with the natural rhythm of morning and night.

There is a reduction in stress hormones— especially early in the morning, as irritability from the alarm clock noise is eliminated. When you wake up feeling refreshed, you are less likely to prepare for the day in a rush.

For anyone with sleep problems, having a wake-up light will gradually let your body correct its rhythms. You will find yourself going to sleep much earlier and waking up refreshed.

Heavy sleepers will sure appreciate this, as it not only produces an insistently increasing daylight-like light, the sounds also increase in volume to make sure that wakefulness is achieved.

How To Buy Wake-Up Lights?

A wake-up light is not just a glorified light bulb; it has to be able to gently stimulate wakefulness and alertness. The brand chosen has to have a light that strikes a balance between bright and soothing, and should not have an irritating glare. It should also be budget-friendly.

QUICK SUMMARY

Step One: What type of light do you need? Would a stimulator in the mornings be enough, or do you also need a sunset light for the nights?

Step Two: Determine your budget range. There are different brands of wake-up lights with a span of prices available.

Step Three: Read the reviews and based on that, make a list of the best wake-up lights that suit your considerations.

Step Four: Make a shortlist based on your choices, and choose from that list to make a purchase.

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