The Philips Wake Up Light is one of the most popular and well known of all the sunrise wake up clocks. Philips has a reputation for their innovative technological advancements, but did they get it right with this alarm clock, or have they pushed the limits of their creativity?
The Philips Wake Up Light combines all the features you would expect from a high-quality sunrise clock. From light cycle adjustments, relaxing wake up sounds for the backup alarm, a 300 lux light source, and a slender appearance.
But are there any faults with this wake-up alarm clock? Nothing is perfect and this clock has its fair share of problems which I will address in this review.
Let’s Have A Look At The Benefits…
Natural Wake Up Sounds
The main benefit that this wake-up light has to offer, is its ability to wake you up in an alert and refreshed state using nothing but a high-intensity light. But as a backup and for peace of mind, it comes with an alarm that plays natural sounds. You can use the built-in wake-up sounds (recommended), the FM radio feature, or even your own MP3′s. The built-in natural sounds include birds chirping, yoga (new-age sounding music), cowbell, and sounds of the forest. These are all very soothing and a great accompaniment to the light alarm.
Customized Light Intensity
Everybody is unique in how they wake up to the light. Some people need a stronger brightness of light than others. The Philips Wake Up Light includes a smart feature, so you can adjust the light intensity. Within the 20 adjustment settings, you will find the best setting to maximize your wake up routine.
National Sleep Foundation Approved
Philips is working with the NSF to help spread awareness of the benefits of waking up with light instead of sound. After a few weeks using the Wake-Up Light, you will not only wake up feeling amazing but you will notice the time it takes for you to drift off a night time is reduced. So you will sleep quicker and wake up quicker!
PROS
- Simple To Function – Users of the Philips Wake Up Light have all reported the ease and simplicity of operating this alarm clock. Some sunrise clocks can be a bit fiddly and difficult to operate but not this one. Out of the box, all you need to do is plug it into the wall, turn it on, and then read through the manual and follow the simple step by step instructions to help you configure the settings. This should take roughly 10 minutes and then you’re done!
- Modern Looking – This is a sleek looking sunrise alarm clock, which I think would suit most bedrooms. It is obviously larger than most traditional audible alarm clocks but it is built that way specifically so it can maximize the usage of light to wake you up in the morning.
- Strong Wake-Up Light Effect – At 300 lux, the Philips Wake Up Light is bright enough to wake even the heaviest of sleepers. It gradually brightens over a period of 30 minutes before your desired wake up time. Then you will either already be awake by the time it is at its brightest or you can use the additional natural alarm sounds to gently coax you awake.
- Smart Snooze Feature – I wasn’t sure whether to include this feature in the “good” or “bad” section but I have chosen to add it to the pros. Straight off the bat, I don’t like the snooze alarm and I think it’s one of the reasons why people struggle to get out of bed each morning. If it was up to me I would ban the snooze button from all alarm clocks but I realize many people do want this feature and the smart snooze is actually pretty cool (if you’re into snooze buttons). Basically it gives you the ability to touch anywhere on the base of the unit when the alarm sounds and it will activate a 9-minute snooze. You will have to give it a hard tap for it to register the touch and start the snooze count down but it’s much easier than having to fumble around and look for a button.
CONS
- Turning Off Light And Sound – Some of the older models use to have an annoying feature, where you would have to turn off both the sound alarm and the light alarm separately. I can imagine this being frustrating in the morning but the newer models should not have this problem.
- Weak Sound Quality – At high levels, the quality of the sound can distort. This clock does include the ability to play music or tune in to an FM radio but this is not really the purpose of the sunrise alarm clock. The real power is its ability to awaken you via light, not impress you will amazing audio playback.
- Lack Of Color Choices – This clock only comes in white, and although this color pretty much goes with everything, it would be nice to have a choice of colors.
Philips Wake Up Light Review Final Thoughts…
Overall, this is a very solid and popular sunrise clock. It addition to its bright light wake up effect, it has some nice additional features such as the natural wake up sounds that have made this clock a winner in the eyes of many users. This is definitely one of the best wakes up clocks and is worth a closer inspection.