Don't snooze on these cute and reliable alarm clocks. (Amazon)
Let’s be real — most of us scroll ourselves to sleep, then crash with our phones practically under our pillows, counting on their blaring alarms to jolt us awake. But science says bedtime screen time messes with your sleep. The fix? A good alarm clock.
Today’s best alarm clocks are smart in all the right ways, with features like dimmable displays, soothing white noise and customizable alarms to help you fall asleep and wake up better. We’ve rounded up our top-tested picks — from sleek, minimalist designs to tech-savvy powerhouses built for even the heaviest sleepers.
Whether you want something basic, stylish or packed with bells and whistles, there’s an option here for you. These are the best alarm clocks of 2025, ranked by usability, price, features and overall wake-up vibe.
Best alarm clocks for 2025 | Factors to consider when shopping for an alarm clock | How we chose these alarm clocks | Alarm clock FAQs
Update, July 12, 2025: We updated prices and checked stock for all products. We’re currently testing more alarm clocks and will update this story again once we’ve finished.
Related: The best white noise machines for 2025 | The best sleep masks for 2025 | The best sunrise alarm clocks for 2025
Power: Corded | Dimmable: Yes | Features: Large LED digits, smart dimmer, single alarm setting with 9-minute snooze, adjustable volume, USB charging port, battery backup | Alarm style: Sound
The DreamSky Compact Digital Alarm Clock is simple but effective. The 2-inch LED digits are large enough to see from across the room, and you can easily set the brightness from zero to 100 with a wheel on the rear panel. The alarm sound can be adjusted, and there’s an on/off switch if you want to disable it on the weekends. A USB charging port lets you juice up your phone while you sleep.
"This clock is perfect for what I wanted," said one five-star review. "It is small, so it doesn’t take up a lot of space. The numbers are large and bright so I can see the time in the middle of the night without my glasses. The time was easy to set right out of the box. It comes with the USB cord PLUS the electric plug. Most don’t include that. It takes two AAA batteries in case of power outage [so] you won’t lose your alarm settings. It is surprisingly heavy and well built, so it will not be knocked over.”
Power: Corded | Dimmable: Yes Features: Amazon Alexa integration, weather display, nightlight, voice calling | Alarm style: Sound
Amazon's Echo Spot is a good choice for those who want an alarm clock with a smart assistant. Alexa integration means you can use it to get the weather forecast, listen to last night's sports scores and your favorite tunes and even control your smart home. It has a big and bold LED display and comes in a few colors, including black, white and blue.
"Bought this for my 91-year-old father-in-law, who is almost completely deaf without his hearing aids. He has not been able to find an alarm clock loud enough," wrote one dutiful shopper. "This works perfectly. He also struggled with setting the alarm times on his old clock. He loves that he can just tell Alexa to wake him up at a certain time, and the alarm sets itself. I set some routines for him through the app, but he has loved not depending on me to set his routine alarms. This device works great for the elderly! I definitely recommend it."
Power: Corded | Dimmable: Yes | Features: Three alarms, humidity and temperature sensor, weekday mode | Alarm style: Sound
The Jall Wooden Alarm Clock is a stylish alarm clock that looks much more expensive than it is. A digital display is overlaid on a minimalist wooden face, and you can adjust the brightness levels as needed. You can also enable power-saving mode so that the display will only appear when it registers sounds or when you touch it. Set up to three alarms, and program a weekday mode so that the alarm only comes on Monday to Friday.
“I absolutely love this alarm clock,” said one Amazon reviewer. “We purchased it for a spare room but liked it so much we moved it to our bedroom. It’s attractive and stylish. I love its three brightness levels and that you can turn the display off so that it’s only sound- or touch-activated. I also really appreciate the temperature and humidity displays. ... [I] like this clock so much I will probably purchase another one soon.”
Power: Corded | Dimmable: Yes | Features: Has sound baths, visualizations, and a white noise machine to help you doze off, a gentle two-phase alarm, a companion app with a large content library for meditations, playlists and more | Alarm style: Sound and light component
This is a potentially life-changing investment. Instead of blasting you with sound, the Loftie has a two-phase, wake-up call alarm that plays a softer sound at first and then an extra louder alarm later. We’re talking soothing sounds, too, like chirping birds and morning bells. It’s also one of a few alarm clocks that will help you go to sleep as well, with soundscapes, meditations and bedtime stories designed to help you gently drift toward slumber.
“Loftie has been such a game changer for me!” raved one shopper. “At first, I was skeptical about investing in a smart alarm clock, but after seeing what a difference it’s made in my quality of sleep, I can confidently say it’s more than worth it! I've struggled with bouts of insomnia and fatigue for years, and this smart alarm clock has been huge in helping me initiate and maintain healthier sleep habits."
Power: Corded | Dimmable: Yes | Features: All-in-one sleep-wake machine, has a sunrise alarm that mimics the arrival of daylight | Alarm style: Light and sound
The Hatch Restore will help you doze off to sleep and uses a gentle wake-up method in the morning with the help of soothing sounds and lights. It's an all-in-one sleep-wake machine and our best sunrise alarm clock that works even for deep sleepers.
It offers soothing sounds and calming lights to help you drift off to sleep, plus a light sunrise simulator alarm clock that will gently wake you with a gradually brightening glow. On top of that, it has a soft-glow reading light to help you doze off. It also comes with a free trial for the Hatch+, an optional in-app subscription that gives you unlimited access to meditations, sleep stories, soundscapes and more.
“This thing is a game-changer,” raved one five-star review. “I am one of the heaviest sleepers ever. You could crash a truck through the wall, and I wouldn’t wake up, most of the time. Also, I’m not a morning person. I’ve tried every manner of alarm available; I don’t hear the alarm sounds or feel any of the vibration from the wearables. I do have one that shocks my wrist, and I do wake up, but mostly out of panic and not 100% of the time. Sometimes I’ll still sleep through it. ... I’ve been using it for about a week now and I haven’t overslept once! This is usually a 3-4x/week occurrence, making me late for work. This is a lovely, natural way to wake up. Makes for a very peaceful morning, and I don’t feel the need to hit snooze. Would absolutely purchase again.”
Power: Corded | Dimmable: Yes | Features: Simulated sunset and sunrise, 20 brightness settings, five natural wake-up sounds, FM radio, automatic dimmable display | Alarm style: Sound and light
The Philips SmartSleep aims to wake you up more naturally by simulating sunrise along with five different wake-up sounds inspired by nature. Wake to the “sunrise” with this brilliant invention that rouses you with light and nature sounds. A glow, which begins 30 minutes before your set time, starts as a soft dawn-like reddish-orange and builds gradually, waking you slowly and gently. There’s also a sunset mode that will gradually dim the lights as you go to sleep. It even doubles as a bedside reading lamp thanks to its 10 brightness settings.
According to one digital-age renegade: “I got it because I got tired of being owned by my phone. It used to be the last thing I checked before going to bed, and the first thing I would check in the morning. No more. Now I can leave the phone charging across the room (or in a handbag even. Who cares?) I can set this for the ‘sun to set’ at 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes later. So I set it, and I get in bed and read a book for an hour. Then the ‘sun goes down’ gradually, and I go to bed. Eight hours later, the ‘sun’ starts coming up gradually. So gradually that at the beginning you don't even notice."
Power: Battery | Dimmable: Yes | Features: Night light, three dimmer settings, gradually faster beep noise, top snooze button, indoor temperature monitor | Alarm style: Sound
Want an easy-to-read alarm clock with a night light? Consider this Smart Night Light model from Peakeep. It has large digits plus a built-in ambient light sensor that turns on a nightlight. The brightness can be changed from low to high, or you can just turn it off. Plus, the clock shows a temperature gauge so you always know how warm or cold your surroundings are.
“This is so simple to operate,” said a shopper who called this a great alarm clock. “Big protruding buttons and simple operation. Touch any button to reset for the next day. A slide switch (big) to switch off the alarm. Big top button for snooze. Can be set even when half asleep. So much better than my previous clock which had tiny recessed buttons and you had to touch exactly the right one and would automatically switch to a weekend mode so that you couldn't get up early at the weekend. This is like heaven in comparison."
Power: Battery | Dimmable: N/A, not lighted, there's a small light you can turn on at night | Features: No-frills, 1 AA battery operated, classic beep alarms, ascending volume, alarm lasts for nearly an hour, non-ticking clock | Alarm style: Sound
If you prefer the look of a traditional waker-upper, this Peakeep Small Travel Alarm Clock is a fantastic option. For those who appreciate a classic, this small, square clock is a winner that will fit tiny nightstands. It’s even compact enough for travel. It has the basic beeping alarm sounds, which can last for almost an hour before the alarm or snooze button is pressed. And it doesn’t have that annoying ticking sound that most analog clocks have either, so you can rest easier through the night and have a better wake-up experience.
"This is a winner," said one review. "Easy to see in the dark with the dim light just enough light to pick it up and look at it. It has a simple 2 button operation set the alarm and then it gives you a gentle beeping tone that gets louder over about 1 min. if you let if get to full volume you will not sleep through that. Hit the top button and you are in for a brief 5 min snooze for the next alarm. The same top button activates the light when the alarm is not active. Easy to read without my glasses on."
Power: Battery | Dimmable: N/A, not lighted, there's a small light you can turn on at night | Features: Ultra small size, large alarm on/off switch, quiet sweep no-ticking | Alarm style: Sound
As its name suggests, the Peakeep Ultra Small Travel Alarm Clock is super tiny. It's so small, it can even fit in your pocket! We love the retro green color on this tiny, battery-operated treasure. It has a convenient on/off switch on the top and an easy access snooze button and light bar on the right side. You can also turn on a small backlight to illuminate the clock at night. But don’t let the size fool you — it’s a loud alarm clock!
This shopper says this palm-sized clock does the trick: "I was looking for a small alarm clock that did not have to be plugged in, quiet, no glaring light in my face, with a small footprint on my table—this is it! I keep one by my bed, one by my Lazyboy. For me, they’re perfect. Totally quiet, works with one AA battery, so easy to use that there aren’t any instructions with it! The clock hands are NOT glow-in-the-dark and there’s no glaring back-light to light up your room, but there’s a small button you can push so a light comes on and you can read the time when dark. The alarm is loud—not some shrimpy little buzz, but loud like a regular full-sized alarm. You turn off the alarm by pushing down the bar on top of the alarm—very easy, no fumbling around the back of the clock looking for a button to slide or push."
Power: Consider whether you want a clock that's battery-powered or corded. A corded clock means never having to worry about batteries, but it's also less portable.
Dimmability: Many people prefer a clock with a dimmable display so they can drift off to sleep easier.
Features: The number of extra alarm clock features can vary widely. You might want one with a smart assistant or sunrise features, while others prefer a no-frills clock.
Alarm style: Not all alarms are the same. If you prefer a gentler way to wake up, opt for one with soft sound options or a sunrise alarm, which uses light to wake you up instead of sound. Of course, there are also clocks with the traditional beeping alarm if you're the sort that needs that extra jolt to wake you from your slumber.
These clocks were chosen based on professional reviews, user ratings, price and rankings on sites like Amazon and where possible, personal experience. We are also in the midst of testing more alarm clocks and will update this story with our findings.
Sure, you could use your phone as an alarm clock, but if you want a deeper, more fulfilling sleep, it's best to keep your phone out of the bedroom. Plus, not having your phone around means not being tempted to doom-scroll social media or check your work email. Relegating your phone to another room is almost sure to improve your mental health.
Recent studies suggest that hitting the snooze button isn't as bad as some people think. It doesn't appear to affect overall quality of sleep and, in some cases, might even help people shake off morning drowsiness. That said, snoozing impacts people differently, so what works for one person might not be so beneficial for another.
The most common reason someone might sleep through their alarms is poor quality sleep. If you don't get enough deep sleep, your body will naturally want more of it, and will therefore be more likely to ignore surrounding sounds and alarms. There are a few ways to improve your sleep hygiene; you can try to establish a more regular sleep routine, or you can try avoiding sleep-altering substances like nicotine, caffeine and alcohol.
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
