Wake up naturally with the best wake-up lights
- jul
- 11
Setting a wake-up light on your bedside table is a great way to improve your sleeping habits. Using light to begin your wake-up routine is a subtle yet effective way to start your day, allowing you to ditch traditional audio alarms. The Philips Somneo Connected is the ultimate wake-up light as it includes features such as environment monitoring, sleep, and relaxation routines, built-in clock, FM radio, and more. We have gathered all of the best wake-up lights to help you choose the best for your needs.
Best Overall: Philips Somneo Connected
Philips Somneo Connected includes capabilities that go beyond the wake-up routine. The Somneo Connected features four customizable sunrise light color options and eight alarm sounds which make waking up in the morning an inviting experience. The PowerWake function ensures that you never sleep in by using flashing lights and loud audible cues to help kick you into gear.
The Somneo Connected utilizes Wi-Fi to communicate with the provided SleepMapper App, which offers personalized coaching to help establish healthy sleep routines. Temperature, humidity, light, and noise levels are all measured by the built-in AmbiTrack sensor technology, helping to determine which factors affect your sleep.
Also included is the RelaxeBreathe function which uses light and breathing patterns to help your mind wind down at night. Other extras include a USB port for charging a phone or other device, an auxiliary port for connecting an audio source to the built-in speaker, FM radio, clock, and a touch-screen display which fades in when in close proximity of the light.
Pros:
- SleepMapper App-enabled
- Environment monitoring
- RelaxeBreathe program
Cons:
- Expensive
- Odd design
- Limited backup
Best Overall
Philips Somneo Connected
Loaded with extras
The Somneo Connected is a wake-up light designed to help improve your sleeping habits with built-in coaching and environment monitoring.
Best Value: Philips HF3500
The Philips HF3500 is the best choice for those looking to save a little cash when shopping for a wake-up light. However, this light's low price does not mean that it skimps on features, as it covers all of the basics, including a gradual wake-up process through light.
This light features a large diffuser capable of outputting 200 lumens of light and has ten intensity options for customizing the right amount of light for your needs. Also included is a large clock, as well as a backup audio option to beep in the event where you oversleep.
Pros:
- Low price
- Backup audio option
- Ten intensity options
Cons:
- Cannot turn off display
- One audio alarm
- No power backup
Best Value
Philips HF3500
Cost effective
The Philips HF3500 is a cost-effective solution for those looking for a wake-up light without all the extra bells and whistles.
Best Convenience: Philips HF3520
The Philips HF3520 is made for convenience with a delightfully simple way to hit the snooze button. When you are not quite ready to start the day, a simple tap anywhere on the HF3520 will buy you some precious extra moments of sleep.
The HF3520 is more than just a one-trick pony though, as it also includes a large LED display for displaying options and a cool to touch design, which prevents any potential burns when someone inevitably touches the unique globe design. The included PowerBackup+ feature keeps your device's settings for up to 8 hours in the event of a power failure, helping to avoid situations where you wake up late due to the time being reset.
Pros:
- Tap to snooze
- Large LED display
- PowerBackUp+ feature
Cons:
- Bulky design
- Non-replaceable bulb
- Not fully illuminated
Best Convenience
Philips HF3520
Tap to snooze
The HF3520 is perfect for those days when you are just not ready to get out of bed. Hit the snooze button by tapping anywhere on this wake-up light.
Best Design: Philips HF3470
The HF3470 features a clean, modern design, that is sure to fit in with most bedroom decor. This sleek design is also compact, and included features such as an FM radio, and the built-in clock can help reduce the number of devices on your bedside table.
The HF3470 includes only one wake-up light duration, and two wake-up sound options making it simple to set up, but can also limit its effectiveness. This means that the light will follow the same 30-minute process of gradually increasing light levels every day, making it a good option for those just wanting the basics.
Pros:
- Clean design
- Built-in clock
- Includes FM radio
Cons:
- Expensive
- Sunrise length not customizable
- Only two wake-up sounds
Best Design
Philips HF3470
Good design, good features
Philips HF3470 features a clean, modern design and several handy features such as a clock and an FM radio making it great for the nightstand.
Best Brightness: Philips Hue Wellner Table Lamp
The Philips Hue Wellner is a uniquely designed table lamp that features a large glass diffuser that sits around a replaceable hue bulb. This design enables a traditional size light bulb that dwarfs the competition when it comes to brightness compared to wake-up lamps that use a proprietary bulb.
The included hue light bulb can output up to 800 lumens of light, and since it is replaceable, a multi-color bulb can take its place if desired. However, this globe design does not allow for on-device controls, and a separate Philips Hue Hub requires an additional expense to set it up.
Pros:
- 800 lumen output
- Replaceable bulb
- Hue App connected
Cons:
- Unusual design
- Requires Hue Gateway
- No on device controls
Best Brightness
Philips Hue Wellner Table Lamp
As bright as they come
The Wellner Lamp is the brightest of the bunch and can display up to 800 lumens of light. This lamp also supports the Hue App for smartphone control.
Best Portability: Philips Hue Go
The Hue Go is from the Philips Hue line of connected smart lighting, allowing it to function as more than just a wake-up light. This light is capable of displaying 16 million colors enabling a near-perfect representation of sunrise through a wake-up scene within the Hue App; however a separate Hue Hub creates an additional expense just to set it up.
The Philips Hue Go also features a built-in rechargeable battery allowing it to be by your side anywhere you go. This will help to ensure that you never miss a beat when it comes to your morning routine. The light can also serve as a decorative or task light and can last up to 3 hours on a single charge.
Pros:
- Portable
- Hue App connected
- 16 million colors
Cons:
- 3-hour battery life
- No built-in display
- Requires Hue Hub
Best Portability
Philips Hue Go
Take it everywhere
Philips Hue Go is a portable alternative to the traditional wake-up light. This unique light includes a built-in battery that will last for up to 3 hours.
Improve Your Mornings
Wake-up lights bring the sunrise to your bedroom through gradual changes in light levels, temperature, and color. These lights can help to improve your sleep habits by easing your body through the wake-up process and not through loud alarms that ring suddenly.
If you are in the market for a high-quality wake-up light loaded with extras, then look no further than the Philips Somneo Connected. This light can take your sleep routine to the next level with vivid colors, as well as offering guidance and coaching through environmental monitoring. The Somneo Connected is also highly customizable, allowing you to build an experience that is tailored to you through light and sound adjustments.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Christopher Close spends most of his time writing and dreaming about all things HomeKit for iMore. If you wish to join him on his quest to automate everything, you can follow him on Twitter at @itschrisclose.