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Waking up can be difficult, and nobody likes bolting out of bed to a cacophony of bells and chimes. Though the geniuses behind smartphones have heard these complaints and created sweeter-sounding alarms to wake up to, I still wouldn’t call rising to Apple’s softest ringtones relaxing. So, I started looking for something that would improve my morning mood and make waking up less of an anxiety-inducing experience. That’s how I wandered into the wonderful world of sunrise alarm clocks.
I purchased my first model, a Philips Wake-Up Light, during the pandemic and it made a huge difference (especially when I was in the depths of isolation). It costs $175~ and has a minimalist design, offering a coloured sunrise simulation with 20 brightness settings, five natural alarm sounds, and a sunset simulation for winding down. It gets the job done, but my one complaint is that it doesn’t allow for a lot of customization. Yes, you can control the timer, brightness, and volume, but the sound library is small and you don’t have many lighting tones to play around with.
So, after a few years, I decided to gift my Philips model to a friend and search for an upgrade. My TikTok algorithm is definitely aware of my interest in the wellness world, and I was being served wake-up routines involving the Hatch Restore 2 for months, so I decided it was time to bite the bullet and commit last year. And let me tell you, it has paid off.
Setup was as easy as turning it on and pairing it with the free Hatch Sleep app on my phone. From there, I was able to control almost all of its functions in-app (though it does have buttons for setting/muting alarms, and a touch-sensitive linen-covered screen for adjusting the volume/brightness if you don’t want to go the old-fashioned route). It ran me through a short tutorial upon setup, so I didn't have to do any guessing.
Its Rise function supports my circadian rhythm, brightening my room slowly to mimic the sunrise. I can choose from 10 sunrises, 12 wake-up alarms, and an entire library of sounds. It’s also easy to control the sunrise duration, brightness, and volume, giving me complete control over my routine. These features are free, but if you take things to the next level with a premium membership ($5/month), you can add other steps to your routine, like affirmations and guided breathwork. I personally skipped the membership and don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.
The Rest feature is designed to create a more restful evening routine. Same as the sunrise, I can set as many steps as I want. I can choose from 24 sleep sounds, 10 customizable light colours, and three different types of sunsets to help me create the perfect atmosphere for my wind-down routine. If you opt for the premium membership, you can add dreamscapes, sleep stories, meditations, and music to your routine, too.
I use the ocean waves sound and a sunrise-mimicking light for my morning alarm, and fall asleep to a rainstorm with blue light every evening. I used to suffer from severe insomnia, but I’ve found that the rain sounds keep me asleep from night until morning — it’s truly life-changing.
As expected, I can also use it as a bedside lamp, customizing the colour and brightness to my liking. Its softest settings are great for nighttime reading, and at its highest, it’s bright enough to fill my room — now I don’t have to rely on my overheads for everything.
There is only one real negative in my opinion, and that is the price. It costs $230, which isn’t cheap. However, if you struggle with staying asleep, want to make your mornings more soothing, and value customizable features, I think it is well worth the investment.
Display Type: Digital
Power Source: Corded Electric
Mounting Type: Tabletop
Dimensions: 6.17 x 3.81 x 13.49 cm
Colours: Latte, Putty, Slate
Reviewers love the Hatch Restore 2 as much as I do, giving it an average rating of 4.3 stars. Many purchased it after using the Hatch Rest Baby Sound Machine in their little ones’ nurseries. They say they saw a serious improvement in their morning and nighttime routines and that they wake up calmer with the sunrise function than they do with their regular “jumpscare” alarms. They also love how customizable the features are and how much variety the companion app offers.
Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We’ll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes.