PHILIPS SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light, Simulated Sunrise and Sunset, Multiple Lights and Sounds, RelaxBreathe to Sleep, HF3650/60

I really wanted to hate this clock so I could return it because of its crazy price tagI needed a clock that would wake me easily and build better sleep pattern since I wake up at 4am everydayI’m a heavy sleeper and my loud blaring alarms that I normally used would wake up my wife and she hated it but it was the only way I’d wake upI read about sunrise clocks and was wondering if they’d work since I’m the kind of guy that has 3 crazy loud alarmsIt works, stupidly it works and I hate that I paid this much for a alarm clock. But I wake up easier and refreshedNot as groggy and overall better

I bought the non-app enabled version and this is my breakdown:Useability: From my perspective, this was really easy to use and quite intuitive. I was expecting to keep the manual on hand because it might get confusing, but my boyfriend and I went through the whole setup without even looking at the manual. I haven't had any problem navigating since then. I assume the buttons can be more confusing for some people because there might be a learning curve if this type of product is new for them.Sunrise: There are 7 natural sounds for the sunrise, in addition to the radio and no sound option, which I was surprised about. I was easily able to pick a sound I liked from the lineup. The light works, what more can I say. Perhaps because I'm taking melatonin right now, I didn't wake up to the light on my first night, but the sound did. I chose Nepal Bowls. The sound was a little loud, so it was a bit joltier than expected. Nothing changing the volume can't fix, but what surprised me was how I felt. After a few more minutes of snooze, I got up and just looked at the light and around my room. I was getting more energy just chilling there and forgot to turn on my electric fireplace when I got up. I never forget that, because it's the first light I wake up to. Not anymore.Sunset: This area I was looking forward to the most and was a bit disappointed. Ever since starting school up again, I've had insomnia for 3 months now. I didn't have a lamp in my room before this and wanted something that could help my night routines. I thought the sunrise sounds could also be used for sunset, but this is not the case. The sound choices are only 2 nature sounds, radio, no sound and aux. You only get Soft Rain and Ocean Waves, which is not enough options in my opinion. Most people don't have mp3 players or phones with aux ports anymore, so this severely limits what people can listen to when it comes to sleep music. I understand the frustration with not having Bluetooth, but for me, the point of having an alarm clock is to have the phone OUT OF THE BEDROOM!I initially did not realize that this clock enabled aux music, which was a pleasant surprise, for me at least. I am lucky enough to have a DAP (Digital Audio Player) already loaded with sleep music and other such. This limits screen use and blue light exposure, so I was able to listen to my preferred crackling fire sound. When I listen to the radio, I exclusively listen to 88.7, the classical channel. With these two options, the clock more than makes up for the lack of sleep sounds. Unfortunately, this is an outdated feature.While I make this work with my DAP, I'm very disappointed in the sunset sound options. I believe there needs to be more built-in options to encourage people to not bring their phone into the bedroom. I don't own a smartphone, so this was very important to me.RelaxBreathe: This one also falls REALLY short. The light mimicking breathe patterns is actually really good. Watching the light as I breathe does a good job of keeping me focused on the actual act of breathing, because I usually get stuck in my head and get distracted. The light gives me something to focus on. The sound though, is no good. There is no point in turning on sounds with the program, because YOU ONLY GET 1 SOUND. Your choice is no sound or Ocean Waves. I was really expecting a breathing sound or something, but no. I don't think this is a big deal though. The main focus is to breathe, and I think just the light is good for that. This feature is also part of the Unwind program, so it counts for bedtime too.Overall, these features are the most important to mention. The biggest problem I have is the sunset options. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A SOUND MACHINE ALARM CLOCK, THIS IS NOT IT. While the aux function should be replaced by Bluetooth to accommodate most people, the problem is that phone usage is encouraged by not having enough nature sounds. The aux port proves no problem for me, so my sunsets are calming, and sunrises are very invigorating. Just ask yourself whether you need sunrise or a sound machine, then figure out whether the product will work for your lifestyle. Fun fact: I was actually looking for a sound machine alarm clock, but this clock works for my lifestyle, so I'm glad I got this one.

I’ve been thinking about purchasing one of these for a while now. Now that I have it, waking up is a lot less traumatic. I recommend a sunrise alarm clock for anyone who uses blackout curtains and is sensitive to light while sleeping. I actually use this in conjunction with the alarm on my phone. The clock’s alarm sounds are a bit lame, to be sure, so I set my alarm without sound with this clock. My sunrise takes 30 minutes and starts very dim and gets extremely bright (both brightness and timing of the sunrise is totally adjustable), and it almost always wakes me up before the alarm on my phone goes off.The only complaint I have is that this clock cannot be used as a Bluetooth speaker with my phone. It seems like a natural extension of features, but that wasn’t a requirement of mine, and there may be other sunrise clocks with this feature.And initially, I thought this was a con of the clock, but has turned out to be a pro: you can’t set up alarm schedules based on the day of the week. So, if you don’t want to have your alarm go off on days you don’t have to be awake, you have to manually turn it off the night before and turn it back on when you need it. I thought that was going to bother me, and it did at first, but now I just keep my alarm on through the weekends. It helps keep my sleep schedule more consistent but it’s also something I can sleep through if I’m that tired since my phone alarm won’t go off.Maybe this is more so a review of sunrise alarm clocks in general, and less of this particular one bc I’ve never had another one to compare its performance to, but I do recommend giving this one or another one a try if you’ve been thinking about getting one. It’s been very nice.