Every time someone finds out I write about sunrise alarm clocks, they ask me if I’ve tried the Hatch. Specifically, the Hatch Restoration 2 ($170)that I’ve seen in gift guides left and right this holiday season. It’s a good device, but I personally think you can do better.
Hatch Restore is great for falling asleep and great if you want a sound machine. But if you really want to wake up easier, it’s not the one I recommend. My favorite sunrise alarm clocks sell for over $200, which might be a little more than you’d like to spend. But if you’re looking for something a little cheaper (and cheaper than the Hatch’s $170 price tag!) that can do the same tricks, look no further than the Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300.
Bedtime
The way dawn alarm clocks work is that they slowly light up over the course of a set period of time. Both Lumie and Hatch start by default at around 20 minutes, and you can customize it to be longer or shorter to wake you up slowly. Simulate a sunrise, but right next to your face and at a time you prefer instead of when the sun actually rises. It’s especially useful in these dark winter months and if you need blackout curtains to fall asleep (or if you have a windowless room, like I once did in college).
A sunrise alarm clock is supposed to replicate the sunrise, the very thing that makes life possible. So the ability to be nice and bright is a clear necessity. That’s my problem with the Hatch: it doesn’t shine bright enough to wake me up in the morning. I don’t have that problem with the Shine 300, which is bright enough not only to wake me up, but also as a bedside lamp at night.
It only has a range of sunrise-like yellow and white tones it can perform, while the Hatch can generate a full rainbow of lights like a smart bulb, but I found that I didn’t really need green or purple ambient lights on a daily basis. What I needed was something bright enough to wake me up, especially as a person who doesn’t get up in the morning.
It also has a relaxation routine, which allows you to customize a routine with sounds and dim the light for the length of time you prefer to help you get sleepy. It’s one of my favorite features as someone who has as much trouble falling asleep as he does waking up. I also like that I can click a button and activate the routine on the Shine 300 when I’m ready.
Small quirks
Photography: Lumié; fake images
The main disadvantage of not getting a Hatch is losing out on the Hatch’s largest sound library. Hatch Restore 2 gives you access to 13 wake-up sounds and 24 sleep sounds, plus you can get additional content by subscribing to Hatch+ ($5/month). Everything at Hatch is set up through their app, which is easy to use.