Sunrise wake up clocks - are they any good?

[SurfingApple]

This morning it was properly dark when my alarm went off! I’d forgotten how horrible that was. Last year I wondered about one of those sunrise clocks but never actually shelled out.

Thinking I may invest now. Are they any good? Do they make waking up on dark mornings easier?

Ideally, assuming buying one is a good idea, I’d like to be able to set it in advance for the same time each weekday (don’t need it at weekends) and it not to make an audible ticking noise as I hate ticking clocks! Any recommendations or experiences please...

I’m fairly certain mine is a Phillips. The Lumie reviews suggested not as accurate as I would like etc.
It’s bloody brilliant. Generally woken gradually by the light. If that doesn’t happen I’m awoken by the radio that starts VERY quietly then gets louder. And I’m not opening my eyes to pitch dark winter misery. It allows you to set different alarm times. 1 is early for a weekday and 2 is later so I don’t oversleep and the poor dog gets to have a morning wee before it’s too late.

I have the Lumie bodyclock 250, it cost me £70 3 years ago. It's been brilliant, never had a problem, only had to replace the bulb once when my nephew dropped it off by bedside table which is about 1m high.

I have the light set to start 30 minutes before I need to get up and it's set to play the radio so no blaring noise to wake up to. There's so many options but I tend to use the same one, I just push the on button every night and it's set. I find it very easy to change the time for the weekends. I use it year round as find it's such a great alarm clock. It also has a sunset feature so I put the light on before bed and it slowly dims.

Gosh a real mix of love and hate! I am torn!
I definitely don’t want any goat noises - or any noise. Alexa plays the radio (quietly) as my alarm. It’s just the idea of the light subconsciously waking me naturally I’m liking...

Got my very basic Lumie about 12 years ago and absolutely love it (I don’t use the alarm function on it though, just the light).

I'm on my second. The first is still in service in my DC's room

No noises, just a gentle light to rouse you. Much nicer than waking in pitch black to a standard alarm. I got my first about 13 years ago when I got a new job mid-winter with an early start.

The only problem is that I share a room with an annoying snooze-loving DH who likes alarms on repeat and spending ages denying that he needs to wake up so does not appreciate my gentle light. FFS, stop faffing, set the alarm for the best fit of when you need it/ natural sleep cycle and stop making yourself feel crap by fragmenting the last half hour of sleep

Thanks to all who posted. I’ve just ordered a Lumie 750 with 20% off from John Lewis. Will update during next week.

I'll hold you to that, apple.

Im wondering about one myself. I really struggle in dark mornings.

I collect it tomorrow so I’ll be using from Monday. Promise to update.

Loved my Lumie when I had 5am starts, I would still like to use it now but dp & I have different sleep patterns and it would wake us both up. I also used the sunset function to gradually get sleepier at night / stop falling asleep with a light on. Do report back when you’ve used it a few times!

There is a reason why I'm already awake and vaguely functioning this morning - and even though DP will sometimes mutter that we don't need it, I'm pretty sure that this is because, unlike the multiple phone alarms, clocks 21 gun salutes and compact nuclear explosions and sounds we've tried, he can't sleep through it.

I have a Lumie too - was really great before I had a child, now I really don't need any help getting up early but it's super helpful doing his bedtime as the "sun" sets as well!

Had my Lumie for 20 years, couldn’t live without it. When I work away I hate using my phone. You don’t need a noise and you can control how long the sunrise is. Got one for DD when she was about 8 and it really does make a difference to how she is in the morning.

First update - I wasn’t totally sure I had set it up correctly so I did this morning as a test run with my old alarms (phone and Alexa) still set. Turned out I had done it right . Set for 6.30am with the suggested 30 minute sunrise so light got brighter from 6am and to full brightness at 6.30am. No audible alarm and, for today, I kept my 6.20 phone alarm on. I then have Alexa set to quietly come on with the radio at 6.30am which I also kept.

I left the light on whilst I was getting ready for work and it switched itself off just as I was leaving at 8am. So no need to touch it at all. It will now do that every weekday with no further setting or switching on/off. Perfect!

Will update again once I’ve seen how the wake up goes. I’ve switched off my 6.20 phone alarm so it’s just Lumie sunrise and then Alexa playing the radio. Once this runs well I’ll switch the radio from Alexa to the Lumie (but couldn’t face another section of the instruction booklet yet!). First impressions are good.

Update - one week in and it’s a hit!

I love the fact that I have literally not had to touch it since the day I set it up. Monday to Friday it’s does my sunrise from 6-6.30am and the light stays on until 8am when it turns itself off. Weekends I had set it up not to come on at all and it didn’t. No remembering to set it at night or to unset it at the weekend.

I have left my Alexa to come on with the radio at 6.30am which I could change to be on the Lumie but just haven’t bothered as doesn’t really gain me anything.

I don’t think that light would always be certain to wake me so I wouldn’t give up the quiet radio coming on in addition but it makes waking up so much easier and far less jarring as no need to turn on a light when you have to get up on dark mornings.

Very pleased with my purchase.

Love my lumie. Without it I am sluggish and Sad on a winter's day. I rarely let it beep as I use it as my back up alarm so it sunrises and then I turn it off.

I love my lumie sunrise clock, had it for 9 years, I hate being without it