#PHILIPS SMARTSLEEP LIGHT UPGRADE#

I woke soon after the alarm, but presumably deeper sleepers have noted that the sound alarm shuts off too soon. Unlike with the Philips clocks, both the light and the sound stop (instead of just the sound) when you hit snooze at least one online reviewer disliked this, though my husband actually preferred it. The radio and its alarm rendition of Pachelbel’s Canon sounds tinny compared with our more-expensive picks, and the time display is less subtle, but set it to the bird chirping and ocean waves and turn the display off, and you should be fine. (We found similar flaws in the other under-$50 wake-up lights we tried.) You can also pair the light with one of its seven alarm tones (almost as many as on the Somneo at a fraction of the cost), including the radio. Even at its peak, the light doesn’t quite fill the room-it’s only 130 lux, compared with our main pick’s 300 and the entry-level Philips’s 200. Rather than simulating dawn or dusk, its white light simply grows from dim to bright within a 30-minute window-no fancy color nuances, and with a less gradual change than on our other picks. We also like that you can set multiple alarms during the week and that the sunset component comes with the option of several “wind down” routines, complete with calming sounds and (if you like) visual prompts to guide you in deep breathing.

#PHILIPS SMARTSLEEP LIGHT UPGRADE#

We think it’s the intuitive app that truly makes the upgrade worth it, allowing you to program your sunrise and sunset times and other features much more easily than navigating the buttons on the clock. It also has sensors that detect temperature and humidity, noise, and light levels (which post readings on its app), a built-in nightlight (just tap if you need it), and a USB port.

But it offers more alarm sounds and a wider range of brightness levels and programmable sunrise nuances. The Philips SmartSleep Connected Sleep and Wake-Up Light (essentially the Bluetooth-connected version of the SmartSleep HF 3650, previously called the Somneo HF3650, our former upgrade pick) has many of the same features as our main pick, including a natural, red-tinted sunrise and sunset light.

It’s for anyone who is eager to use their clock as an accessory for an entire sleep ritual. This upgrade isn’t for someone who is simply looking for a sunrise alarm clock to go to bed and wake up to.

Philips smartsleep light