Philips Wakeup Light update*
I had originally reviewed the Philips HF3470 around a year ago, however a newer and better Philips wake up light had come out, which is why I’ll be talking about the latest version here.
Can’t wake up early?
Let’s face it, waking up in the morning is an absolute chore.
The annoying, screeching standard alarm clocks don’t make matters easier either. That’s why when I came across the Philips HF3520 wake-up light promising to offer a scientifically-proven better way of getting up, I had to bite.
An expensive bite though.
Running at around $140, it’s definitely a tad pricey for an alarm clock. However, It has a number of features that make that number worth it.
How good is this sunrise alarm clock?
It actually works!
The alarm clock is designed to simulate the sunrise and naturally wake you up.
The simulation begins 20-40 minutes before your intended wake up time, and slowly turns from a dim reddish glow, growing into an amber haze and finally peaking at bright yellow.
It’s also coupled by 5 different sounds you can choose from to really complete the whole experience.
They’re all inspired by nature, set off when the light is at its full brightness, and gradually increases its volume. It also comes with FM radio that can be substituted for the sounds.
The first thing that really struck me when I first got this clock was the build-quality.
It has a minimalistic design, with a very solid feel.
It features an LED lamp, which is meant to work for up to 20 years and save tonnes of energy in the process.
The coolest thing about it though, has to be the touch-activated snooze feature.
By just touching anywhere on the face, the alarm immediately goes into snooze mode for 9 minutes.
Procrastinating has never been this easy.
This nifty gadget is more than just an alarm clock, it doubles as a bedside lamp as well.
With 20 brightness settings, it produces enough light to comfortably read a book or simply kick back.
And when it comes to bed time, it can be set to simulate a sunset, slowly lulling you to sleep. To show just how clever this device is, it has an auto-dim feature which makes the face brighter when there’s a lot of light, and dulls it when it gets dark.
The bad side of this Philips alarm clock
The buttons on the rim of the clock are too small to find and operate.
Therefore, if you want to turn off the alarm or change some of the settings, a bit of concentration is required.
For a device costing as much, it’s a huge disappointment that there is no back-up power. So if you’re unlucky and your power goes out, you might just find yourself waking up to the real sunrise.
Additionally, the LED light has a tendency to come off as harsh, especially under higher brightness settings. This gives it less of a natural feel.
Should you buy this dawn simulator?
Heck yeah you should!
All in all, this product is just plain awesome.
Philips promises that this it will energize and improve your mood. Well, I’m not whistling to show tunes every single morning, but getting up is definitely less stressful.
I normally find myself up before the alarm goes off. The sounds, if birds serenading you isn’t your thing, can actually be turned down completely, letting the simulated sunrise do all the work. If you have a job to get to however, I advise you to keep them on!
If you’re struggling to wake up early or you feel like total crap when you’ve woken up, invest in yourself and try out the HF3520 Philips Wakeup Light.
