Every morning, modern sleepers all over the world are roused by the unwelcome sound of their smartphone alarm, but the best alarm clocks present an alternative vision for your wake-up routine: less grating, more considerate, and (if we have any say in it) aesthetically pleasing. For our list of the finest timekeepers out there, we opted for privileged looks and throwback features (FM radio, anyone?) over USB ports, resulting in this assortment of beautifully designed analog alarm clocks that cover the basics—a snooze button, a backlight, and dimmer. Though we aimed for picks that don’t go full 21st century, we did sprinkle in a few innovative options with features like sleep trackers and meditations that can help make REM sleep all the more soothing. Your doom-scrolling brain will thank you for the circadian rhythm reset, and your groggy self will appreciate the thoughtful up-and-at-em assist.
Our Top Picks for the Best Alarm Clocks
Best Vintage Style
Arne Jacobsen’s table clock doesn’t just tell time, it also tells visitors that you have exquisite taste. Jacobsen’s original creation was designed for and inspired by one of his architectural projects back in 1939—the home of an electricity company CEO. While it maintains the same bulbous shape and slender base as the OG, this modern iteration is equipped with a snooze function and light sensor, letting you tackle your morning routine like a boss.
Best for Sleepmaxxing
A trailblazer in the smart alarm clock space, Hatch keeps finding new ways to reinvent the bedside staple and suit it for the 21st century. The brand is one of the first to take sunrise simulations to the mainstream market, while including noise machine and media capabilities (including podcasts and meditations). Their newest addition, the Sleep Tracker, can detect micro-movements and breathing patterns from your nightstand with “97% accuracy.” As such, it can offer personalizations and sleep recommendations that encourage good sleep habits and achievable REM. While we’ve yet to try the new design, our shopping market editor Kate McGregor lauded their Restore model: “The wind-down routines (whether rain sounds or instrumentals) have encouraged me to dedicate more time to the art of falling asleep more efficiently, and not with an episode of The West Wing playing in the background.” It also encourages her to sleep without her phone in reach. Deep sleepers will appreciate the gradual wake-up call from a large catalog of alarm sounds, and an alarm volume that reaches decibels capable of reviving a bear from its hibernation.
Best Wooden Clock
Here’s a wooden alarm clock with staunch minimalist appeal. The wood block base is carved from sustainably-sourced Japanese hinoki cypress, with the natural grain serving as the star of the show. We can’t help but think it’d look very handsome resting on top of a matching nightstand, like this one from the Citizenry that’s also hand-crafted from hinoki wood by Japanese artisans.
Best Sunrise Alarm Clock
This smart alarm clock doesn’t just look good on your bedside table—it also works as a white noise machine for an iPhone-free wind down, and a Loftie+ subscription gets you custom-made bedtime stories, guided visualizations, and meditations. The two-phase alarm mimics your body's natural waking process (heavy sleepers, this is for you), so you can ease into your consciousness, instead of irritably beginning your day with a grating beep. It also makes a handsome night light. And if you’re feeling compelled to listen to your own chants, white noises, meditations, etc. this model also functions as a bluetooth speaker so you can pick and choose how exactly you doze off.
Best Clock Radio
Some of us are staunchly anti-digital clock. We miss the days of waking up to the blaring classical AM radio station of our parent’s preference, or the droning voice of NPR’s Robert Siegel. You can recreate such childhood bliss with this bluetooth clock radio. The retro wood panels encase something deceptively bluetooth-adept so you can use this like any regular old Bose for the occasions you’re not so keen on listening to the radio’s crackling Chopin. In any case, its design lends a 1970s music guy quality to your decor.
Best All-in-One Option
Is it the sexiest on this list? No. But is it a bluetooth speaker, wireless charger with a USB charging port, a noise machine, and an alarm clock with an LED display for easy 24-hour reference? Yes. While this encourages the opposite of Hatch and Loftie’s anti-phone-in-bed agenda, we can’t all live such an ascetic life.
Best Flip Clock
This space age design might just make you question your allegiance to analog. A collaboration with Hong Kong-based TWEMCO, one of the last flip clock manufacturers in the world, this Penco timepiece has a compact design that packs a punch with its glossy finish and bold numerics display. Station it by your bedside or at your work desk, but we can’t promise you won’t be transfixed by the oh-so-satisfying fluttering motion as time moves.
More AD-Approved Clocks
German-based Braun (of coffee maker fame) are masters of modernist style. This alarm clock has the basic amenities you’d expect—a backlight, snooze, and a crescendoing alarm—while still maintaining the analog look. Its simplicity, clean lines, and white colorway give a nod to Scandi design, especially the way its sphere is set in its frame is ultra-modern. This pick is also battery operated, which makes it a great choice for those who live without the privilege of bedside outlets.
Balmuda calls this “a personal clock,” referring to its size—a whopping three inches. This alarm clock is also a timer, naturally, but it has a “relax timer” setting that plays ambient sound to help you relax or sleep. It’s also capable of telling time by its light output—glowing various shades that correspond with the sky’s color. Each hour, it rings with a chime and the dial swings like a pendulum. It’s a lot of personality for something smaller than a coffee cup.
MoMa is one of our favorite retailers for alarm clocks more concerned with aesthetics than they are with bluetooth connectivity. This one strikes a mid-century chord with its wide face and retro time display, with an atomic dial and silent-sweep movement to maximize quietness. This is a battery powered piece, meaning it can adapt to any nightstand regardless of outlet connectivity, but it also means you’ll need to pick up a AA battery at checkout.
Here’s the number one bestseller in clock radios on Amazon. This DreamSky pick maintains the beloved look of an analog digital Timex, while covertly offering modern accoutrements like a dimmable LED display, a sleep timer, and a USB port. If you’re the sort of person who’s drastically committed to supporting radio, this is just the thing you need to wake up to a blaring FM every day of the week.
This bold, geometric clock leans retro-futuristic—a great desk or bedside accessory for those who also have a Back to the Future poster hanging above their bed. This is a reissue of a 1990s design, made with archite and quartz for a high-quality piece with accurate time reads. Fans of Schoolhouse’s bright, playful styles will find this a perfect bedside companion for their decor sensibilities.