Philips UK Kitchen and Home SmartSleep and Wake Up Light, 5 Natural Alarm Sounds, Coloured Sunrise Simulation, FM Radio, Reading Lamp, HF3519/01
 |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simulation | Sunrise and sunset | Sunrise and sunset | Sunrise and sunset | Sunrise |
| Brightness settings | 25 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| Light intensity | 310 Lux | 300 | 300 | 200 Lux |
| Wake-up sounds | 8 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| Relaxation sounds | 3 | X | X | X |
| Snooze function | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Charges mobile phone | ✓ | ✓ | X | X |
| Weight: | 1.04 kg |
| Size: | 5 Natural Alarm Sounds |
| Dimensions: | 19.9 x 14.6 x 19.2 cm; 1.04 Kilograms |
| Model: | HF3519/01 |
| Part: | HF3519/01 |
| Colour: | White |
| Pack Quantity: | 1 |
| Batteries Required: | No |
| Manufacture: | Philips |
| Colour: | White |
| Quantity: | 1 |
| Size: | 5 Natural Alarm Sounds |
This is a great light but not without its faults.
On the positives this has changed my sleep routine for the better. The light is just perfect for getting off and getting up. As a nurse i really appreciate a good night or days sleep. This gives you that sleep. Great sounds and great colours that wake you feeling refreshed and calm.
I did and still do find this difficult to operate, I have however got the modes i want and that’s what works for me. I love how its improved my sleep and so will you.
The light it’s self is really awesome looking, and it really does have a sun like appearance. If you set it to go to sleep mode, it will start bright, and work it’s way down, setting in this really nice red sunset colour. The morning alarm mode happens in reverse, and helps some people wake up more naturally. I like the go to sleep mode, it’s actually quite effective for me. The wake up mode however was not fun, I was completely un aware of the light coming on, and didn’t notice any smoother transition from sleep to wake. What I did have was a very bright light in my face which I felt was the same as some one just opening the curtains suddenly. My partner however loved it. She loved waking up to the light naturally getting brighter. Over the last several nights, she’s set an alarm to get up, and if the little one is up yet, she can just sit on her phone for a little while, and the phone doesn’t strain her eyes since she was slowly woken by the Philips light.
First thoughts:
Pros
The sunrise simulation is excellent (this is my favourite feature).
The clock display can be dimmed or turned off completely.
Most of the controls are touch sensitive (but not all of them)
The first alarm sound (birds tweeting), sounds very natural and realistic.
Cons
The price point may be a little high for some.
The light is almost cone directional due to the shape so it doesn’t light the room as evenly as a table lamp and round shade.
This is not DAB so radio reception is hit and miss with a soft cable antenna.
The natural wake-up sounds are short loops so they repeat in pattern very quickly.
I was a little sceptical about this as I can’t remember the last time I used or even saw a clock radio but I’m a light sleeper and wanted to try out the sunrise and sunset sleep features.
I have to say that the lighting effect is very nice indeed and starts with a lovely orange/red glow and smoothly gets brighter in colour temperature over a period of approximately 30 minutes (operates in reverse for the sleep timer but you can set a longer or shorter set and rise time). The full light can be quite bright but it is diffused so it is bearable in a dark room (this can also be adjusted manually).
Details and things to note (See pictures):
Sunrise/sunset clock radio which is mains powered (will save the time if you need to switch sockets). There are 2x alarms that can be set (I use a weekday and weekend alarm setup), there is a small set of natural sounds that can be used as alarms and include bird song, flowing water and chimes.
Touch panel controls on the face of the device and manual buttons running around the edge (there is a touch sensitive area at the top edge for the ‘snooze’ function though).
Controls include setting of the 2 alarms and alarm sounds, display brightness, light brightness, radio frequency. Some of the controls are split between the ones on the touch panel and the manual ones around the edge so I will sometimes need to use both to adjust something.
The radio reception is ok but takes some adjustment as the antenna is a thin flexible cable connected to the back of the radio.
The overall size is larger than I was expecting and so did take up a considerable amount of space on the bedside table.
Final thoughts:
If I take the occasionally poor radio reception out of the equation then I really do quite like this wake-up light system but even if the radio worked perfectly the price point doesn’t quite justify the remaining features. If the sound files were longer before they repeat their loop then I would be happier as I end up focusing on the pattern of bird song and know when it’s about to repeat as the cycle is so short (repetition works for some but for me it keeps me awake and focused rather than relaxed).
If you’re into clock radios then it is worth having a look at this as a novel way to sleep and wake up but you may be left wanting a little more out of this device.
If you are looking for a device that excels at providing the best waking up experience then this is probably among the best solutions out there. This is Philips Smartsleep device. It offers a variety of brightness modes, sounds, and other features.
– To start with I really like the design. It doesn’t mimic vintage alarm clocks (my favourites) but is still packing a combination of old school and modern sleek design. When the light is off, the front looks very basic and minimalist. It merges perfectly within our bedroom and adds a lovely and not very intense source of light by night for bedtime reads.
– The thing I need to note here is that people who wear eye masks at night will not benefit fully from this, since the sunrise mode won’t be noticed by anyone who wears an eye mask (like my partner), and you will only end up with the sounds or alarm as means to wake up. So you are left with the choice of ditching the eye mask or not being able to fully enjoy this smart sleep device.
– It excels at what it does: The light can be used as a bedside lamp to assist reading, or can be used to simulate sunrise. It functions perfectly for both purposes.
– The sounds are really amazing and probably the highlight of this device. These come in handy if you live in a city and you are fed up off car/bus noises.
– Limitations:
1. Limited number of sounds
2. It is not as smart to meet today’s standards
3. No compatibility with smart assistants
4. No ability to control it via voice
5. The features on offer are also limited. I would have preferred a more interactive display considering the price.
Still, is it worth it? Yes I firmly believe so. The features I mentioned would have been perfect, but still this device is a very convenient way to improve my wake up experience.
Regarding the device itself, it’s an attractive design, not too large like some previous ones,and the light can be bright enough to fill the room and certainly way brighter than you need to read etc. It’s obviously dimmable and remembers your setting each time. There is a mix of “proper” buttons and touch controls which is a little odd, but not an issue. Once you get used to the button positions (they’re small) they’re easy to use and the touch controls are nicely responsive and sensitive – you don’t need to prod at it 10 times to get it to respond to you. Two alarms, so you can perhaps use one on a weekday and one at the weekend without reprogramming.
The negatives, few, but worth noting. Theradio, while decent, is FM and not DAB which would have been nice and surely not a big ask these days. Also, it would perhaps have been nice for the snooze function to dim the “sun” perhaps to half your preferred brightness while also silencing the noise, but it doesn’t. I’d still recommend this unit with those caveats.
There are two aspects about this Philips wake-up light: one is the effectiveness and functionality, and the other one is the interface and how to program this device.
In terms of functionality, it provides several different options for the alarm sounds and few wake-up light programs. There is also a nice bonus, new function which is the opposite of wake-up light and it simulates sunset and helps to go to sleep.
The alarm sounds are very natural and great quality. Most of them are natural sounds like birds and a spa like alarm sound. You can also use FM radio as your alarm ma sound. However I highly prefer to use one of the 5 natural sounds as they are very smooth and and enjoyable to wake up to.
The wake-up light is actually powerful and impressively simulates sunrise as it initially turns on as very red and then eventually turns to strong orange and then to orange, yellow and then bright white. At the time it gets to bright white I have noticed that my body is almost awake and when I hear the alarm sound it’s not unpleasant as I’m kind of expecting it and almost pleasantly awake.
I must mention that I have initially been sceptical about how the light functioning is effective to wake me up but I am glad to report that I find it easier to wake up specially if it is before the sunrise. Philips also claims that they have done independent research and testing and they found that the wake-up light of of this wake-up light buy Philips. Interface is not as friendly as I expected. It took me a bit of a time to figure out how to set up different settings. I would suggest to spend some time beforehand and understand how to setup your wake-up light before the first you want to use it at bedtime.
Turn on Bluetooth and smartphone connectivity. I would have also really like to have Alexa or Google home functionality on this wake up light.
At the time of writing this review you it does not have a price but looking in on the internet the price should be around 140. I think that is a fair price but if you can get it with a discount I definitely would recommend it.
In conclusion, this wake-up light has an impressive functionality and it really helps me wake up smoother especially if I want to wake up before sunrise. The interface is not perfect and needs some time getting used to.
At the end, I am happy to recommend this wake-up light by Philips.
This smart sleep light is like an all in one bedside light, alarm clock, radio and sleep soother.
It features sunrise simulation,Natural sounds, an FM radio and reading light.
In the morning the light simulates a sunrise starting red and ending bright orange filling the room. This lasts 30 minutes before your selected natural sound or radio station starts to play. I found this lovely and wakes your body up thinking it’s glorious sunshine so puts you in a good mood !
It does the reverse in the evening, unwinding your mind, giving you a natural and calm feeling of being tired and drifting off.
In different lights the brightness of the display adjusts itself. So when the bedroom is light, the brightness increases to keep the display readable. When the bedroom is dark the brightness dims ensuring it doesn’t wake you when you’re asleep.
Theee are lots of options to personalise such as brightness , volume ect making it an experience tapered to you.
The audio is great quality , smooth and clear.
I would highly recommend trying this if you have trouble either waking up or going to sleep. Even if you don’t it’s actually a really peaceful routine to get into.
Even though I’ve only given it 4 stars, more for the lack of a couple of little functional things for user control over it, that truly would have made it even more outstanding considering the high cost.. and the pricing of this range of lamps!
Because, lets face it, as Stylish, Functional & High Quality as This/these units are.. really its just a bedside Lamp, Clock with a FM radio, albeit with a few extra niceties to help you sleep & wake more gently, naturally and refreshed! Rather than Rudely being startled by Beeps or bells! .. It does that Exceptionally Well, by the way! I’ll Quickly run through the major good points below:
The whole Overall Look & Sculpted Style of the unit speaks for itself.. Very pleasant & pleasing. Philips, you got it just Right! Prefer this, than their one with the Hole through it. Just the Perfect Size, not too big or small.. it will fit & look great on any size unit.
Excellent robust build. High Quality plastic materials used & finish throughout. Nice to feel & touch.
Simplicity to Set-up & Use. (too simple, see the Cons:) Full easy to follow & read instructions with explanations for its various Alarm wakeup modes, either by the great inbuilt Sounds or the Radio. 2 Separate Alarm Programs & Buttons to switch between them. Touch Controls on Front Panel are instantly responsive. The Display is excellent.. you can set the display/clock Contrast/Brightness level to suit you.
The Sound from the Little backward firing Speaker is both Warm & Crystal Clear.. very decent & pleasant whether playing the 5 Inbuilt Sounds or the Radio, must be a good quality speaker in there then. The Radio Reception along with Auto Scanning or Manual Tuning, via the attached at the rear 1.3m/51″ thin cable Antenna is Superb.. it has a Loop on end for fixing, I just trailed mine behind the bedside table & onto floor.
Radio can be operated independently at will from all other modes.
You can use this as a Bedside table Lamp too, Bright Enough to See & Read with, Dimmable with 20 Levels, Separate Manual Button Function.. totally separate to Wake-up Sunrise & Sleep Sunset Mode functions.
The Pre-Wakeup Simulated Sunrise before Alarm Sound is brilliant, really does Work Great! .. more often than not, I naturally ‘come too’, before the alarm, I prefer the Inbuilt sounds, of flying Quacking Ducks & the Birdsong with mooing cows, than the radio. The Light Brightness gradually Increases over 30 minutes*, like sunrise/dawn would, stimulating our natural inbuilt primeval instinct to wake, when we lived naturally under the stars in our world’s habitat.. before discovering fire, manmade light, homes & inventing the modern world & way of living! You’d obviously would want the Lamp Facing the Side you Sleep most for that full effect.
You can control the Light Intensity, * The Duration, default is ’30mins’.. The Sounds that play, when light reaches its Maximum.. 5 built in, or Radio, the Volume of the sound. You Can just Tap the top of lamp to ‘Snooze’, set the ‘Snooze’ 9 minute duration.
The Sunset/Sleep Light Button is fantastic too, as similarly adjustable (5 to 60 minutes.), fading to a Gorgeous Relaxing red sunset glow.. also if radio is set on with it, the volume Fades with the setting sun. Or goes off at set volume, when light turns off.
Been using for 3 weeks.. Utterly works well, Very Pleased & Impressed.. I just feel they could have made it that little bit better..
I would have liked to have seen: A Day/Date Calendar Display.. has none, just a 12/24hr clock time. The Ability to Set Dawn Profile/Alarm Wakeup times for any Single Day of the Week.. Why Not! Limited to 2 Alarm Profiles.. say one for Weekdays, & use one for Weekends – Manually Operated/Activated & Switched between, by the Alarm 1 & Alarm 2 Physical buttons located on opposing sides of lamp.
Would have been ‘Nice’ to have inbuilt sounds played for Sleep Mode.. only radio.
Just cannot understand why they did not Implement all that above, yes would have added a little more complexity to Menu & Setup.. But nothing virtually all of us could not have coped with! This would have partly justified the price, sure it was around 120 notes or so (unavailable at mo’), I would have been a little disappointed if I’d paid that price for the ‘missing’ extra control/convenience.. Regardless of how good this lamp/clock functions & its Quality.
Their flagship one is an eye watering 189 Rrp.. which does not look half as good with the ‘Hole’.. doesn’t bring more to the table either.
I will upload the Video later of it in use by my bedside & in a speeded up demo mode.
Yes! I can Recommend it, it is Good in function & use.. as long as the Limitations won’t bother you..
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I have always been an awful sleeper. Taking ages to fall asleep, waking in the night and struggling to get out of bed every morning. I have tried all sorts of remedies — nothing really changed anything. That is until I tried this clock. I am surprised by this, as I would never have considered it had I not been offered it to review — and what a huge shame that would have been!
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Setting up the clock out of the box was really easy. I loved that there are two alarms that once set up, it is just a case of pressing the button at bedtime. Equally as easy is the sun set feature to help you fall asleep. You can set this for different timings, but I also do a nice gradual 60-minute countdown to go to bed. I love this feature! It has got me into a solid routine of falling asleep. Now I have been using this clock a few weeks, I can now fall asleep within five minutes! Unheard of for me, with some days still awake at 2 in the morning.
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The alarm can be set up to play the radio or natural sounds. The light will simulate a sunrise and gradually wake you up so that the maximum setting kicks in at the time you set. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I wake up much more refreshed. I normally feel groggy as hell in the mornings and really have to work hard to get out of bed. This has been a significant change for me, and I have even managed to start getting up earlier, making the school run mornings so much easier and less stressful.
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Not many things I review make a profound difference to my life, but this clock certainly has. If you’re a poor sleeper and have exhausted all the other options, this has to be worth a try.
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I will never be without mine now and will happily purchase another after this one. 100% recommend.
This Philips Smartsleep and wake up light is a great product, that does seem to do the job it was designed for. So far I’ve used it for around three weeks and I think it really does work – so for those that having sleeping/waking issues this product might be worth trying. The light offers 30 minute increasing sunrise stimulation to help you wake up naturally. There are twenty brightness settings which is plenty. The light offers five different alarms sounds to wake you up. Also included in the unit is an FM radio. The sound quality on the radio is ok, I did expect better from a Philips product. You have the option of setting two alarms which can be useful if you get up at different times on different days. This light is very well built and looks very nice on my bedside cabinet. The quality of the plastic is excellent and I do expect this light to last many years – which is typical of most Philips products. Included in the pack are clear and concise instructions, which are very useful if you are totally new to this type of product. Setting up the light was rather simple because of the clear instructions. The sleep sounds do really help you to drift off.
For the price I do think you are getting very good value for money, as this light is easy to set up and well made. The display on the unit automatically becomes dimmer as your room becomes darker.
This wake up light uses a unique combination of light and sound to wake you up in a relaxing sort of way. There are five natural sound options to wake to – forest birds (my favourite), Buddha, Yoga, Ocean Waves and Nepal Bowls.
This light is very good at helping you wake up and get out of your bed naturally. This light does this by simulating a sunrise which in theory should naturally wake you up as light starts to hit your eyelids while closed. I have found that this works quite well and especially helps prevent the startle that you usually get when an alarm goes off. When I wake up to this alarm/light, I feel a lot more refreshed and aware, while on the other hand, without this alarm, I would feel startled and confused.
It has great in-built features such as a radio which sounds clear and audible, perfect for the bedside. It also has a sunset mode which simulates sunset and helps you go to bed, which is finding really great. The controls are easy to use and work your head around. Let’s not forget to mention, this thing does look very interesting on your bedside, and I really love the look.
Overall, I’d say this product is very good and has worked well for me, and has done what it has promised. It is not guaranteed that this will work for everyone, as everyone’s lifestyle is different. However, if you’re someone that wakes up confused and startled by your own alarm, this product will definitely help reduce startle and will also help you feel more refreshed when woken.
I ordered this product as I dread my current alarm going off in the mornings.
Arrived nicely boxed in Quality packaging.
Touch sensitive controls take some getting use to when setting up alarm.
I am sold on the sunrise simulation, I genuinely feel it’s time to get up when the alarm goes off. Light effect is brilliant and can be set to your individual requirements, I am a light sleeper who has blackout blinds as sensitive to lights so it’s perfect waking up to natural light when I want to get up and not 6am.
5 choices of natural alarm sounds, wakes you up happy not with a shock.
Annoying that you have to reset alarm everyday, especially when you forget.
Overall, great idea and a nice way to wake up. Wish smart light could link to mobile as touch buttons are annoying.
I would recommend this product.
I am not a morning person and any product that claims to wake me up naturally and put me in a good mood for the day is definitely worth a try. I have to say I was sceptical at first as I usually have to have my alarm on full volume, so much so I set my phone alarm as a back up, the first week, just in case this didn’t go it’s job.
The setup instructions were pretty straight forward and I had the choice of brightness, different sounds, including birds singing, waves, soothing music and radio. There are 2 alarms available to set up which is great so I can have a different alarm midweek to the weekends.
The built in radio is also a great feature and I have found that I have this on whilst getting ready in a morning now. I’m also making great use of this as a bedside light for reading.
I’ve woken up with this for a couple of weeks now, to the birds and sunrise and it really is amazing how I just naturally wake up. The only thing I find frustrating is the tiny buttons on the top, I have to get up and move the clock just to see what I’m pressing for say the light or radio, turning functions off etc. The controls around the top are the only flawed design in my opinion but I’m sure in time, I’ll get used to where they all are.
Overall, I would recommend this and I’m genuinely feeling the benefits and enjoying the different functions. A good product!
The Philips SmartSleep and Wake Up light is one of those hit or miss products; you will either love it or hate it. I’ve personally been using it daily for the last 2 weeks and must say my experience has been relatively positive. I am an early bird and tend to work very early hours (from 4:30am) due to the nature of my work. Often; waking up at these hours can be a headache, where the snooze button on a phone alarm seems like the only logical solution. Though, this product does something your phone won’t do (nor a dedicated AI Speaker such as Alexa). This product has a rather smooth yet fast transition where it will brightly illuminate your room; replicating a sunrise.
Though, I felt that this transition and lighting could be improved, especially for a Philips product. The warm low red lighting through to the warm yellow transition of the light was excellent, and truly mirrored what a sunrise would look like, though, the bright warm white transition period towards the end was too harsh for me and I would’ve rather preferred a warmer bright yellow for a sunny day sun rise. Though this can be altered to an extent on the consumers end, where you are able to set the brightness intensity for each designated alarm. Perhaps the speed cycle of the light transition could be a feature Philips could incorporate.
Speaking of alarms, you can set two separate alarms, perhaps one for the work week and the other for the weekend. This can be selected with a click of a button on the side of the product before bed. Volume can also be altered and a radio feature is also available for those that wish to use it. Though, the quality of the radio isn’t fantastic and is just an extra feature, you’re much better off using your phone/radio if you want to listen to it.
I personally did feel that the product was slightly bulky and hence took up a generous amount of space on my desk. I personally feel that it could’ve been several inches thinner in design for a more modern and robust looking product. The touchscreen buttons on the front surface illuminate so they can be accessible on the front panel of the alarm in dark environments. You can also chose to have the LCD display show you the time which can also be dimmed in different light modes. I do feel that the interface could be improved slightly as the buttons on the sides of the alarm clock can’t be seen when your rooms dark and it can often feel like you’re guessing which buttons to press. It would be nice if these buttons also illuminated a little when trying to access them.
Overall, this product is great for those who wants to improve their sleep/wake up quality. Often times doing so the right way can allow you to live a more happier day especially since you won’t feel like you’re rolling out of bed every morning and reaching out for your phone for distractions. It is one of those products where you won’t know if you’ll enjoy it until you have it, so if it’s within your budget, I’d recommend giving it a go.
Thank you for reading my honest review, I hope you found it helpful! 🙂
he lamp looks nice and stylish, the way it slowly comes on in the morning is so good, it never fails to wake me up feeling fresh, most of the time I even wave up from the light alone without the alarm needing to go off, the menu is simple to use and once you play around with for a little while everything is intuitive, it comes with a built-in radio so you can wake up to play a particular station, or use the built-in natural sounds like birds chirping. it seems well made and the light looks so natural when it comes in the low red simulating morning and slowly getting brighter, it is very good for the winter and will work as a sad lamp, I think its a brilliant lamps and alarm clock and light
I wish it was a smart light that worked with Philips hue, I think that could have been amazing to have this integrated into a smart home.
I have replaced by bed side alarm clock with this and I really like it. I was hoping I could get rid of my bedtime lamp and save yet another plug but I don’t find this bright enough for reading. It is however great for waking up to. I have had one similar to this, a much cheaper one which got brighter but it only had 5 modes before it got to the full brightness setting. I do like how this does it slowly and seamlessly you don’t even notice it.
One thing I thought it might have is some kind of SAD lamp certification for the price but I don’t think this is clinically approved in anyway like the Lumie. It does give off a lovely glow that you would expect from the sun. My bedroom only gets the light in the evening so it’s nice to wake up to some kind of sunlight albiet it artificial.
The deisgn is good, easy to use and programme. I was a bit annoyed that the radio was FM. I listen to Capital Dance which is DAB in the car and it was a shame I couldn’t wake up to it as well. The sound was clear and you can also wake up to sounds instead – there are 5 to select- shame there isn’t more. However I still set my phone as back up as sometimes I need to wake up at different times and my sleep pattern is different week to week. I like the midnight option which won’t wake your partner, it’s a dim orange light.
f you don’t mind the FM radio, limited sounds, then this is a great wake up light, it has a natural colour and it’s very easy to use.
I’m not a morning person, I had heard that this Philips light/alarm clock is a good way to improve the way you wake up.
Setting it up was alright, it’s not over complex, but I feel the interface could have done with some improvement. The buttons on the front are lit to guide you to them in the dark, but sometimes they don’t light up, and it leaves you having to guess where to press.
I like the tap on top to snooze function, it’s easy to hit and is something I use about 3 times each morning. There’s other actual buttons around the edges, these allow setting up the light maximum brightness, which alarm is active, and the go to sleep mode.
There’s two alarms that can be set, and these can be controlled by a single button on each side. It would be nice if it was just one press of these buttons to activate the same alarm as the night before, however each time you turn one of the alarms off and back on, it will ask you to set the time again, it’s not too bad though as it remembers the previous time that was set, so you just need to hit the set button on front a few times to activate it. This doesn’t sound too bad, but the set button is one of the touch sensitive buttons on the front that sometimes can’t be seen if it doesn’t light up, so it can be tricky to set at night time.
The light it’s self is really awesome looking, and it really does have a sun like appearance. If you set it to go to sleep mode, it will start bright, and work it’s way down, setting in this really nice red sunset colour. The morning alarm mode happens in reverse, and helps some people wake up more naturally. I like the go to sleep mode, it’s actually quite effective for me. The wake up mode however was not fun, I was completely un aware of the light coming on, and didn’t notice any smoother transition from sleep to wake. What I did have was a very bright light in my face which I felt was the same as some one just opening the curtains suddenly. My partner however loved it. She loved waking up to the light naturally getting brighter. Over the last several nights, she’s set an alarm to get up, and if the little one is up yet, she can just sit on her phone for a little while, and the phone doesn’t strain her eyes since she was slowly woken by the Philips light.
The light has a radio as well, and works like any other alarm clock radio. The sound is OK, and volume is more than enough to hear clearly, but it’s not so much for listening to music though. if you’re looking for something that has an alarm and can play good sounding music, you’re going to be better off with a dedicated speaker, something like a Nest Audio or Amazon Echo.
The Philips light/alarm is quite a strange product, and as I mentioned in the headline, it’s not for everyone. It’s a product that works though, my girlfriend loves waking up to it, and I don’t. I like falling asleep to it, and she’s not so fussed about that. I think your enjoyment of this light will really just depend on what kind of person you are. It’s a little bit pricey, but it’s got something I haven’t seen from other alarms, so I’d recommend picking one up if you like waking up to the sunlight gradually creeping up.
I have attached a video with this written review to demonstrate The layout of The buttons on this Phillips alarm HF 3519/20 model. The video also demonstrates the simulation of the Sunrising and the different alarm sounds that you can choose. When recording the simulation for the sunrise the video seems to show the light flickering, but this isn’t detectable by the naked eye. There is a speaker at the back of the alarm clock and to the left of the speaker is where the mains power plugs in, And to the right of the speaker is where the Radio aerial wire is attached. The power cable measures approximately 147 cm, and the aerial wire measures approximately 131 cm. there is nine physical buttons around the edge of the alarm clock, And there is four touch sensor buttons on the fascia. When setting this up it was very easy, and even if you have a power cut this will keep the settings as long as the power comes back on within eight hours. There is two alarm timers and each alarm has its own Notification symbol that is displayed on the Clock front located at the bottom left for alarm one and bottom right for alarm to, to let you know that the alarm is turned on. There is a light button that you can adjust the brightness levels from 1 to 20, Which is nice and bright at maximum. The light is ideal if you want to read in bed. The radio seems to work fine, but I have only chewed it into LBC because I like the variation of topics they discuss. I have been using this for a couple of weeks now, and have left the sunrise simulation at its preset setting, Which starts about 30 minutes before the alarm sound place. You can tap the snooze and the sand will go off, but the light will stay on and the alarm sand will play again after nine minutes. You can also set this in reverse so that you can have it from sunrise to sunset, this can be adjusted between five and 60 minutes to help you wind down and sleep. I personally have found over the last couple of weeks using this Phillips light alarm that the simulated sunrise has woken me before even the alarm has gone off which is like having Summer sunshine illuminating your room. Overall this is well constructed, is easy to use and works well. I hope you have found my review helpful.
Been using for a couple of days now and I’m finding it a great way to wake up with the slow rise I’ve been waking up before the alarm sounds and feeling much more refreshed.
It’s also nice and bright to use as a regular lamp I’ve been using it at around half brightness before I go to sleep and setting the sleep mode for an hour to slowly wind down.
Overall I’m really impressed with it and would definitely recommend it to others.
I was pleasantly surprised, given the price, that the build quality of this alarm clock is very good indeed. The quality of finish and the materials are more what I would expect from a more expensive one. It is nicely constructed and has a reasonable weight to it. In terms of build quality I don’t see any issues.
It comes with very clear instructions which include diagrams of the buttons you need to press to achieve required actions.
Setting up the clock is rather easy and the basic functions of setting clock time, alarm time and switching the radio and light on/off are all quite logical and memorable. Changing the radio preset station to wake up to, and changing the light colour when wanting to use as a mood light are not so logical, but are described adequately in the instruction manual. These two things are just taking me a little time to get used to, but are my only criticism. Otherwise a fantastic sunrise simulation alarm clock, with nice bright light when fully illuminated, good enough to use as a bedside lamp to read by if you so wish. The sleep sounds are quite relaxing and are good quality too.
I have mine set so that the gradual sunrise effect starts 30 mins before the alarm sounds… by the time the 30 minutes is up the sunrise has completed, the sound effects start and the light is burning a hole in your eyelids if you have it set to its brightest setting and on a bedside unit. I don’t spring out of bed on a morning full of beans. But I no longer need multiple alarms and I no longer fall back asleep after the alarm has sounded.
The light brightness is easily adjusted but the very best bit for me is the beautiful birdsong wake up – I love it.
I think this is a great product for the price point, my experience is possibly skewed because I love my sleep time and rhythms and I am incredibly particular about what I like, so what I didn’t enjoy is possibly not going to affect most buyers. If you want to try a sunlight alarm clock and want many features such as dimmable light , clock and an ok speaker radio, then really give this a shot and enjoy the experience!
If you are looking to try out an alarm clock system that uses light to wake you up but you aren’t sure whether you will like it, this is a great product to experiment with. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles but it does have almost all the features you’d want to try out whether this works for you (more on this below).
It’s compact and bright, if you would like an item that acts as both your alarm clock and a bedside table light while not taking up too much space (and can even tell the time) this item does it for you and you should give it a shot.
The different intensities are pleasantly warm and go from the dim orange of daybreak to a much whither morning sun warm colour. These settings can be chosen for not only your alarm clock but also for your bedside light, so you can dim and brighten at will.
The speaker can go loud and easily fill a decently sized room. In other words you won’t sleep through it.
The alarm very helpfully allows you to set over how long you want sunrise to happen before the alarm kicks in.
The alarm offers a sunset period as well as then a sleep aid for a certain amount of time which is great as it can help some people settle down, but I would only recommend it with singles, my wife likes sleep aid sounds, I like silence.
The product has many features and it is understandable that you’d need time to learn how to access them, the manual does need to be read as the system only now and again is verbose enough to help you intuitively understand what you have set. the speaker is loud but the sound quality isn’t fab, good enough to wake up, but for listening to their radio I’d rather use my phone.
The build quality of the item is great for the price, except the buttons, they are hard clicky and despite the tactile bumps, I would have preferred other items, such as a dial for volume and a dial for light brightness to allow me to quickly choose what I want when I want it rather than have to fiddle with the buttons to make it do what I want.
Sometimes salespeople make mistakes when they are promoting their product, the problem is when that mistake is intentional.
In this particular case, it is very difficult to say whether the error was intentional or not.
This Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock is on the amazon website along with another product that I would call a twin, because honestly I was not able to know the difference between the two besides the price.
The most expensive is called 5 Natural Alarm Sounds and costs over 130 and the cheapest is called 5 Sounds and Radio and costs less than 90 but this one also has an alarm, with such a significant price difference, I wondered several times what is the difference, and why I should or shouldn’t pay for the more expensive.
So far I don’t have this answer. It would certainly be easier to distinguish the difference if I had the opportunity to test both devices.
So let’s talk about what I know for sure.
This device came with some manuals, the plug to connect to the wall, and the antenna cable that was already connected on the back of the lamp.
The manuals in this case are very important, because it will help you better understand what each button is for, and how to use this Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock without causing any damage, or even being disappointed with the purchase.
The things you can do with this Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock
You can program two alarms, identified on the side buttons as alarm 1 and alarm 2.
You can tap on the top of the lamp to Snooze the alarme.
You can select one of the 5 sounds available for the alarm,
You can set the time manually,
You can adjust the brightness of the display to show the hours and menus,
You can turn the light on and off manually and you can also adjust its brightness.
You can tune in to any FM Radio station,
You can use the sleep function, to gradually dim the light until it goes out, the time available varies between 5 minutes and 60 minutes, the light will be turned off just with the radio.
The Aurora function is pre-programmed for 30 minutes, and can be changed, from a minimum of 20 minutes, to a maximum of 40 minutes, this function determines the time that the light takes between the off and the maximum chosen by you, before the alarm clock. touch. In theory, this allows your eyes to adjust gradually.
I’ve talked so much about the product now let’s talk about my personal opinion.
In my opinion this would be entitled to five stars if,
1 had bluetooth
2 it was possible to use the mobile phone as a secondary option to program it
With bluetooth, I could choose the music that favors me most to sleep, radio stations usually talk a lot and have a lot of publicity.
The mobile phone would make it easier to program the different functions and not be afraid if the functions were programmed properly as I had. However, after fiddling with the device for a few days I believe that the cell phone is not as missing as the bluetooth.
I believe that this is a magnificent lamp to have at the head of the bed, if you choose the right sound and the right volume you can enjoy a calm and smooth awakening.
I would have though t a Philips product would be a lot better designed to use as its UI is very cumbersome, and the placement of buttons is very awkward to use and setup.
The front buttons light up as your fingers approach them (motion sensing) and the display of the clock light sensitive, meaning the the darker the light in the room, the darker the display etc, for night-time display, which the clock having a dim burnt orange look is great for seeing in the night. but the control in the front are somewhat confusing to use as the left is the far left button and the right is ht efar right button, with the other buttons in the middle, the text on these is very small and hard to make out too, as well as being very low on the unit to read.
However the other buttons are placed around the out edges of the unit, all the way round and one of them was jammed somewhat (The FM button in the upper right) so it kept activating itself, thankfully i just got a sludger in and realigned the button with the clicker part it touches myself.
However after following the instructions, (also very confusing to read, due to having three separate languages per section of the instruction, albeit in Black, Dark blue and light blue, it was a lot of text to cover to do a simple setting.) (This is probably the standard way Philips has set out all instruction manuals)
The unit has various functions, notably the wake up light, that gradually increases brightness to the requested wake up time, however i still haven’t been able to get this to actually work as intended, maybe its the wrong setting, but i haven’t yet heard and seen the light and heard the natural sound i have set up in the morning.
(Update, apparently it needs to be showing as Alarm 1 to be able to use the wake up light and sounds, i assumed it was to be a normal every morning on lights, and alarm was separate, but my mistake and it works perfectly fine in the morning, actually wakes up with it and sounds OK and brightens up naturally i seen.)
It states 5 natural sound, the first being birdsong, but the rest is somewhat man made noises and effects, that i wouldn’t call them ‘natural’
I will persist in trying this more as it may just be wrongly set but after a few nights i would have expected it to be better for the money.
Also there is not remote setup and this ideally would have been a lot easier to use i think that touch buttons to set it up.
Also has a FM (not DAB) radio setting and snooze buttons, with one of two alarms that can be setup and used.
Also the light can be switched on and off manually pressing the button on the top left of the unit.
What a lovely way to wake up – I live in a big city, and my default wake-up sound is usually the grinding of rush hour gear; a gently increasing glow accompanied by bird song is just what the doctor ordered.
Firstly, my apologies for not being able to show you in detail just how gorgeous the light is up close – like all LED lights, as you get close to them, bars start rotating in your viewfinder, and this was true with the numerous videos I attempted too.
In the box you’ve got the light unit itself, with a trailing wire that acts as an aerial for the FM radio, the 3 pin power supply and a very complete instruction book written in entirely comprehensible English with pictorial guides below the feature explanations. Note that this isn’t a ‘mood light’, it’s a sunrise and sunset simulator (try saying that when you’ve had a few) and it’s health benefits are attested to by a number of sleep science experts, as you can see from the product description.
There are a plethora of buttons surrounding the front of the circular frame for control of brightness, duration, volume and so forth, but the main control and setting options are on a touch screen below the clock which you wouldn’t even notice until you put your finger near it, upon which the various menus light up and there’s a feedback ‘click’ sound on contact (which can be turned off if desired). It was very easy to set the clock, alarm and the various sleep and waking ‘profiles’ using the touch screen and you can dim the digital display or turn it off completely (it’ll light up again when touched).
The integrated FM radio is equally easy to use, with the frequency displayed on screen whilst changing stations – you can manually move it through the frequencies with one touch or get it to ‘seek’ for the next available strong signal by holding down on the touch button. The sound from the FM tuner was excellent and you can choose to wake up (or fall asleep) to this rather than the inbuilt nature sounds (which as well as chipping birds, includes trickling water, chimes and others).
The unit itself feels very solid – the front piece with the light and touchscreen being a kind of vinyl finish, whereas the ‘body’ is metal and it’s beautifully engineered in the way you’d expect from Philips – you’ll probably be seeing lots of TV footage of hospitals at the moment (I’m writing this in the middle of the global coronavirus outbreak) and regardless of what country the footage is from, look at the equipment – in almost all cases it’ll be made by Philips, it’s certainly a name I’ve always trusted and it appears the pan-European medical establishment does too.
In conclusion this is a beautiful and capable piece of equipment with a range of customisable options ensuring a delightful sleeping and waking experience.