The Best Smart Alarm Clocks of 2024

Modern smart alarm clocks use technology, and the latest models offer advanced features to help you achieve a soothing bedtime and improve the quality of your sleep. The best smart alarm clocks have built-in displays that can be controlled via apps and access voice assistants like Alexa. Advanced models have lights that mimic sunrise and sunset, as well as an AI assistant that tells personalized bedtime stories to ease you to sleep.

Here at Pocket-lint, we review a lot of phones, laptops, and monitors, so it’s refreshing to test more niche products like smart alarm clocks because they have modern designs and impressive features. In this list, we’ve looked at some of the best smart alarm clocks on the market from various brands to provide a comprehensive selection suitable for any buyer.

Best Overall Smart Alarm Clock

Google’s Nest Hub (2nd generation) comes in Chalk, Charcoal, Sand, and Mist, and expands the definition of an alarm clock with a bright 7-inch display and touch and gesture controls. Not only can it display the time and weather, it can also be used as a Bluetooth speaker, a streaming device for Netflix and other services, and has Google Assistant compatibility to control your lighting and other smart home devices.

In addition to the alarm system, the Nest Hub uses Google’s Soli radar system to track your sleep by monitoring light and sound in the room and tracking coughing, snoring, and breathing rate. You can then review the report in the morning to understand your sleep patterns, see if you’re restless, and try to improve your sleep schedule.

The Nest Hub is quite affordable considering its features and is the perfect all-in-one smart alarm clock since it can stream movies and shows and track your sleep. It’s easy to forgive the lack of a camera since it performs so well in all other aspects. While it’s not as accurate as a proper tracker, it’s great for those who don’t like wearing a smart alarm watch to bed.

Best Premium Smart Alarm Clock

The Hatch Restore 2 may be pricey, but it’s the best smart alarm clock for anyone who lives in a city apartment and wants a personalized sunrise clock to help them sleep well and wake up in the morning. It has a semi-circular shape and is covered with programmable lights in Putty, Latte or Slate fabric that support healthy daily rhythms by automatically lighting or dimming the room at set times.

Yes, if you want to keep things simple, it displays the time and includes countless alarm sounds to choose from. Most buyers will appreciate soothing white noise, rain, and other sounds that can help you drift off to sleep and block out traffic and noisy neighbors. The lack of sleep tracking may turn off some buyers, but it’s a plus for those who don’t want a device monitoring their every move.

The Hatch Restore 2 has an intuitive app for adjusting light and sound settings, and most people will use the tactile buttons once everything is set up. Getting enough sleep is key to good health and a productive day, and Hatch Restore 2 is worth it for anyone who’s too stressed out to fall asleep or has trouble drowning out the annoying noise around them. It also looks more organic and natural than in-your-face tech products.

The best value smart alarm clock

Amazon’s fifth-generation Echo Dot comes in blue, charcoal, and white and resembles an unassuming spherical speaker with an LED display for the time. It has even more features, including excellent Alexa voice integration to control its features and your smart home devices. You can also use the large buttons or click function to adjust the volume of the 1.75 drivers for decent sound. There’s a handy temperature sensor, which is helpful if you have small children or sensitive pets, and it doubles as a Wi-Fi extender as part of the Eero mesh system.

As an alarm clock, the Echo Dot has a large, clear LED that displays the time, and it can also display weather, track titles, and more. There are 20 alarm sounds to choose from, and you can even set up routines to adjust smart lighting or heating based on your movements or sounds. Streaming services like Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora are all supported, but there’s no 3.5mm audio port to connect older smartphones and tablets.

One of the best things about the Echo Dot is that it’s compact and low-profile enough to fit into any bedside, but also fits into most decors. Its reasonable price is well below many premium options, but it offers a vivid LED display, smart features, and can be used as a Wi-Fi extender.

The best smart alarm clocks with ambient tracking

The Philips SmartSleep HF3670/60 is round in shape with a hole in the middle and looks like a white plastic donut. Its shape conveniently mimics the rising and setting of the sun to help you wake up and fall asleep, and it comes with many customization options. Duration and light intensity are easily set using the app sliders, and you can choose from a variety of colors to suit your preferences, such as Sunny Day, Nordic White, and Caribbean Red.

In addition to lighting, the SmartSleep HF3670/60 can put you to sleep with breathing exercises or white noise. You can choose from a variety of alarm clocks such as ocean waves, summer birds, and other relaxing options to ease you into your day. The SmartSleep HF3670/60 can also be used as a traditional night light and includes an FM radio with Bluetooth speaker functionality.

Getting the right amount of sleep can do wonders for your life and improve your happiness and focus. The SmartSleep HF3670/60 isn’t cheap, but it can help you get the restful rest you deserve with natural wake-up and bedtime routines. It monitors the environment rather than being a true sleep monitor, but makes up for its shortcomings with a built-in smartphone charger, a soothing wake-up alarm, and other handy features.

Best Innovative Smart Alarm Clock

Some people prefer traditional-looking smart alarm clocks like a bedside Loftie to distracting bulky spheres and discs. The Loftie fits most bedsides and features a user-friendly design with large tactile buttons and a built-in night light. It also works as a Bluetooth speaker, and refreshingly the app is optional, with no need to create an account or pay a subscription fee to access all its features.

Loftie aims to replace your smartphone as a bedside companion, offering calming features like breathing exercises and guided meditation instead of blue light and irritating apps. Another of Loftie’s signature features is the two-phase alarm clock, which gently wakes you from sleep with a soft sound, then fully wakes you up with a melodic chime or other customizable options. What sets Loftie apart from other smart alarm clocks is its AI bedtime story feature, which will create a custom story based on your preferences to help you fall asleep.

Many buyers are uncomfortable with gadgets that track sleep and want to unplug their phones at night. Whether or not the Loftie replaces your smartphone alarm clock is up to you, but it’s an eye-catching case designed to be simple and easy to use, packed with useful features like a night light, healthy content, and custom stories.

Bottom line: Which is the best smart alarm clock?

The Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) is the best smart alarm clock as it can play movies and videos on its large display and has a radar system to track your sleep patterns. The Hatch Restore 2 is the best premium option because it brings sunrises and sunsets into your home and provides soothing sounds to lull you to sleep. Amazon’s Echo Dot offers incredible value because it’s cheap and offers easy Alexa access and a temperature sensor.

How do we choose the best smart alarm clock?

We specialize in testing Apple HomeKit devices, sunglasses, and other smart home gadgets, and have hands-on experience with many of the models listed here. Smart alarms can be trickier to test than many tech devices, so we evaluated them based on functionality and value.

Your best bet is one with a large touchscreen display for viewing content and the ability to simulate a true day-night cycle with smart lighting. We’ve added a variety of models for every price, and even the base model has a backup battery system so you never miss an alarm and includes Bluetooth speaker functionality.

Value is always a key factor as it influences most purchasing decisions. All of our options offer great value, with premium models offering unique features that justify their cost, while affordable options punch above their weight, delivering more for less.

FAQ

Q: What is the best smart alarm clock?

There are many excellent smart alarm clocks available, with the Hatch Restore 2 and Loftie being voted the best for their innovative features like smart lighting and AI-generated stories.

Q: Is a smart alarm clock better than a mobile phone alarm clock?

Yes. Compared to cell phone alarm clocks, most smart alarm clocks include soothing sounds and lights. There’s also no need to worry about running out of battery or disrupting your sleep due to distracting blue light.

Q: What are the features of a smart alarm clock?

Most smart alarm clocks come with internet connectivity, app control, and voice assistant compatibility, making them easier to use. Even the base model has Bluetooth and connects to your phone to play music.