If you're not a morning person, a wake-up light or sunrise alarm clock can be a game-changer. Sunlight is key to getting your day off to a great start, improving alertness during the day as well as being more pleasant to wake up to than a buzzing phone.
Traditional alarm clocks wake you up with a start; a disorientating experience that can put you in a bad mood that lasts all day. But wakeup lights do so much more pleasantly; by slowly increasing the level of light in your room, thus mimicking the rising of the sun. The slow build-up of light tells your body to reduce the production of sleep hormones such as melatonin and increase wakeful hormones like cortisol.
Here, we’ve brought together the very best models available today. All offer a sunrise simulation, and offer the converse in the form of a sunset simulation: slowly reducing the level of light from 100% down to zero, in order to help you fall asleep in a soothing and peaceful manner.
Whatever your preference, there's a wake-up light for you right here.
The quick list
Below is our quick guide to the best wake-up lights around. Use it to narrow down your options, then either hop down to the more in-depth entry, or head straight to a retailer to buy.
The best wake-up light overall
Simple and stylish at a reasonable price point, with multiple shifting light tones and small enough to pass as a table lamp, the Beurer WL50 is the wake-up lamp our tester would use in her own home. The optional wake-up sounds were a little annoying, but the light itself ramps up and shifts color smoothly, rousing you gently.
The best smart wake-up light
The Philips Hue Twilight offers the smoothest dimming of any wake-up light we've tested. It has two light sources: the front bulb, which doubles as a reading light, and a rear LED strip that washes your wall with a calming glow. It's the most expensive light we've tested though, and requires a Philips Hue Bridge for the full experience.
The best wake-up light with radio
The bigger sibling of the Bodyclock Spark below, the Bodyclock Shine includes an FM radio so you can enjoy music and news updates after its gentle simulated sunrise has brought you round in the morning. We didn't love its optional nature sounds (like 'goats' and 'osprey') but its warm light is excellent.
The best budget wake-up light
Affordable but effective, the Lumie Bodyclock Spark doesn't brighten and dim quite as smoothly as premium wake-up lights, but that won't be an issue if you're not a light sleeper. There's also a back-up alarm if you sleep through its wake cycle, which starts when it reaches full brightness and increases in volume the longer it runs.
The best smart light for relaxation
The Philips SmartSleep increases and decreases in brightness more gradually than many wake-up lights, and shifts in color temperature from warm to cool to simulate a realistic sunrise. Our tester appreciated the gentle start to her morning, but her favorite feature was Relax Breath - a guided breathing session to help you unwind.
The best wake-up lights 2025
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Best wake up light overall
Most wake-up lights have a rather distinctive look, but the Beurer Wake Up Light WL50 could easily pass for a regular table lamp. It's stylish enough to look at home in any bedroom, and small enough to be handy for travel as well.
The simulated sunrise lasts 10, 20 or 30 minutes, with the light gradually brightening until it reaches full intensity at your preferred wake-up time, and shifting in tone from red to white. In case the light alone doesn't wake you, there are also several sounds to choose from, including birdsong, chimes, and standard alarm beeps. The birdsong doesn't sound quite as natural as we'd like, but the light effect is impressive, and can be set to occur in reverse when it's time for bed.
There's an option for mood lighting as well, which allows you to choose a specific color to illuminate your room. The lamp looks particularly good when running from its internal battery with no dangling cables, but bear in mind that it only lasts a few hours between charges.
Read our full Beurer Wake Up Light WL50 review
Best smart wake-up light
The Philips Hue ecosystem includes some of the best smart lights you can buy, and the Twilight is no exception. It doesn't have any music or nature sounds to wake you up, instead using gentle light that starts off extremely dim and brightens very gradually to avoid startling you. It's the closest thing you can get to waking to the sunrise on a camping trip, and our reviewer Josie Watson said it was the smoothest change in illumination of any wake-up lamp she's tested.
The Twilight has two light sources: the main lamp on the front (which can pivot) and an LED gradient strip on the back that provides a wash of color over your bedroom wall. When it's not gently rousing you from your slumber, you can use the Twilight as a reading lamp, or use it as part of a wider Philips Hue setup, incorporating it into Scenes to set the mood.
The downside of this excellent wake-up light is its price. This is easily the most expensive lamp in this roundup, with a list price of $279 / £249. You'll also need the Philips Hue Bridge to get the most out of its smart features, so it's best suited to those who already have a Hue setup at home.
Read our full Philips Hue Twilight review
Best wake-up light with radio
The Bodyclock Shine 300 sits in the middle of Lumie's lineup of wake-up lights, and produces a realistic sunrise effect that gently increases in intensity while shifting from red to yellow, and then white. Older models like the Bodyclock Active 250 changed brightness in quite sudden jumps, but Lumie has honed its tech over the years to give a more natural effect that won't jar you awake.
There's also a choice of sounds to rouse you in case the light alone doesn't do the trick. Some of these are rather strange (waking to the sound of a steam train is an odd experience), but there are lots of calming options as well, which can gently fade in to ease you into wakefulness. You can also choose to wake up to an FM radio station, if you prefer.
It's not the most sophisticated wake-up light on the market, but the Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300 will make your morning routine less stressful, at a very reasonable price. If you're in the UK, also take a look at the Lumie Bodyclock Luxe 750, which has a DAB radio rather than FM.
Read our full Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300 review
Best budget wake-up light
It's the little touches that set the Lumie Bodyclock Spark 100 apart from the competition, including its auto-dimming display that darkens itself at night, a quick setup process, and customizable light levels.
The tap-to-snooze function is also well designed, letting you grab a little more rest without needing to fiddle with the Spark 100's buttons.
Its design isn't the most stylish around, and it would be nice if the Bodyclock Spark 100 could run from a rechargeable battery so you could use it away from a mains outlet, but those are minor quibbles.
In our tests it worked well for both adults and children who needed a little help getting to sleep and waking in good time. If you're looking for a dependable, mid-priced wake-up light, it should definitely be on your shortlist.
Read our full Lumie Bodyclock Spark 100 review
Best wake-up light for relaxation
The Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light (also known as the Philips Someo) has an unusual shape that doesn't just look interesting, but also helps diffuse light evenly throughout the room.
The lamp is simple to operate using touchscreen controls that disappear when not in use. It wakes you gently with a simulated sunrise that shifts from red to yellow and finally white, increasing in brightness gradually without jarring you awake. The SmartSleep also works as an excellent reading light, and has a wind-down function that helps you relax and settle down at the end of the day.
There are customizable audio options as a backup, and although it's a shame there's only an FM radio rather than digital, there's a good range of sounds to choose from. The downside is the relatively steep price, but you're getting a lot for your money (particularly if you spot it on special offer).
Read our full Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light review
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Why get a sunrise alarm clock?
Wake up lights do more than make your mornings more pleasant: there are benefits to sunrise simulation. While it's nicer to get out of bed in the mornings, they could also make you more alert, according to the Journal of Sleep Research. A study on twelve college students found the subjects had "earlier sleep onset time, shorter sleep latency, and lower morning sleepiness" when exposed to bright light in the mornings.
Morning light is also associated with the "modulation" of hormones leptin and ghrelin, which impacts hunger and sleep. Exposure to light at the appropriate times ensures we're sleepy and hungry at the right times for our body clocks.
How to choose the best wake-up light for you
First you have to consider your budget. Are you a student looking to buy a better wake-up solution than the alarm on your phone? Or are you someone looking for a gentler way to wake up, that can also function as a DAB radio or Bluetooth speaker? Your needs may differ, so understanding exactly why you want a wake-up light is useful information before you buy.
Next, you'll want to consider your budget. Cheaper lights will wake you up, but tend to have less customization in terms of hue, alarm noise and additional features. More expensive ones have features such as sensors to detect when you begin moving around at night, or a wide variety of hues and sounds creating multiple ways to wake up.
How we test the best wake-up lights
We sleep with the wake-up light in our home for several days, testing its features, experimenting with multiple wake-up sounds and any additional tool sit might have, such as guided breathing exercises or digital radio functionalities. We'll then compare those features to its contemporaries, examining where it sits in the market.
