Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock Coloured Sunrise Simulation, 5 Sounds and Radio Function – HF3520/01
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simulation | Sunrise and sunset | Sunrise and sunset | Sunrise |
| Brightness settings | 25 | 20 | 10 |
| Light intensity | 310 Lux | 300 Lux | 200 Lux |
| Wake-up sounds | 8 | 5 | 2 |
| Relaxation sounds | 3 | X | X |
| Snooze function | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| SleepMapper app enabled | X | X | X |
| Charges mobile phone | ✓ | X | X |
| Weight: | 1.11 kg |
| Size: | 5 Sounds and Radio |
| Dimensions: | 7.39 x 18.69 x 28.4 cm; 1.11 Kilograms |
| Model: | HF3520/01 |
| Part: | HF3520/01 |
| Colour: | Transparent |
| Pack Quantity: | 1 |
| Batteries Required: | No |
| Batteries Included: | Yes |
| Manufacture: | Philips |
| Colour: | Transparent |
| Quantity: | 1 |
| Size: | 5 Sounds and Radio |
I bought this for my daughter as she prefers the light it gives on dark winter mornings. It seems to do lots of different things. Which she loves.
It was worth buying this Philips make as she had a cheaper make before and it only lasted about a year, so it’s worth paying the extra fir a more reliable make.
This light alarm clock is revolutionary. I love it
Gradual increase in light to simulate sunrise .
From extremely low to extremely bright light.
You can set the light to gradually get brighter over 20min or max of 40mins and this means you gradually wake up, completely relaxed and in complete silence.
So no harsh alarm cock noise.
You definitely wake up its very bright.
There are also 5 sound settings including bird song that gradually gets louder as the light gets brighter.
I love this so much
My reccomendation , buy one
I did a lot of research before choosing this light and I’m really pleased with it. Firstly the design is really modern and looks great. It actually doesn’t take up much space on a bedside table either. The light is really lovely even just to use as soft bedroom lighting before you use the sunset mode. It’s a very pleasant way to wake up too. It’s really easy to set up and use. The only unclear thing is if you have to use the same button to switch off the alarm when it’s sounding as when you don’t want it to come on at all. But overall five stars because it’s a lovely alarm light and I’m sure I’ll work out the switch!
have taken to trying to go to bed at same time every night and wake at the same time every morning. I really like the way the light comes on slowly in the morning and I think it really helps get you started and encourages you to get up.
The gradually brightening light and choice of natural sounds is so much more pleasant to wake up to than a traditional alarm clock. It’s surprisingly effective too – resulting in feeling much more refreshed and ready to go in the mornings.
My only quibble would be that this product doesn’t integrate with the Philips Hue set up we’ve got elsewhere in the house.
This lamp is pricy, of that there is no doubt. But I was willing to invest in my well being so I believe it was definitely worth it.
As a peri menopausal woman who finds my anxiety levels a bit higher in the mornings – getting woken in the morning by an ordinary alarm clock or my mobile phone alarm was almost akin to getting ‘frightened awake’. I tried all sorts of ring tones on my mobile phone to no avail. This alarm has been a game changer.
I’ve set the alarm so the the face starts to glow from a deep orange to a mid brightness about 15 mins before the ‘alarm’ going off. The alarm itself is set to gentle bird song. It’s a far gentler method of being brought to wakefulness each morning. I usually become awake by the light itself before the birds even start!
It can be a job to work out how to program it for those not ‘good’ with these things, but there is advice online and information in the leaflets too. It’s just trial and error till you find out what works for you in terms of how bright the light should be and how high the volume is. Once you know how….well you know the rest.
his product has helped so much with waking up. I wish the radio/sound alarm in the morning was more gradual, but the light is so great and so gradual that you wake up feeling very well-rested
It seemed like a great idea and a good gift to my partner. Living in England you don’t get much of the sunshine in the morning. Though, after a few months of using it became more of a table lamp, as the light from it does not remind you of sunshine, it still looks very bright and artificial. The sound options are very limited as well. Unfortunately, this product still needs to be improved.
Helps a lot with my SAD.
Different levels of brightness so it can be used as a stand alone lamp. Plenty of options for your alarms and very customisable. 10/10
Pretty cool alarm clock. The light feature doesn’t wake up me when I’m sleep deprived but that’s on me. The noise then works pretty well thou.
I hesitated some time about buying a device like this, thinking it was a gimmick, but I’m so pleased. I’ve been using this for about 2 months and I wake up more relaxed. I love the sunset function as well and use it daily to dim the lights slowly at night. Easy to use, looks nice, plenty of functionalities.
I was a bit sceptical when we ordered this but my mornings become so much nicer. I’m waking up now without phone alarm just because of raising lift and radio murmuring.
But it doesn’t suit to everyone, my partner just ignores it.
Brilliant for walking you up on those dark winter mornings. (As long as your partner has to get up at the same time). As a shift worker it is great, come home in the morning close the black out blinds set the alarm and wake up to the sound of tweeting birds with the light getting gradually brighter. (I still set a noisy alarm on my phone for 10 minutes later, I can be a bit of a heavy sleeper) but 95 percent of the time I don’t need i
A great way to wake up no sudden loud noise just gentle sunrise followed by birdsong
I’ve been using this lamp every winter for five years now. It is excellent. I wake up naturally with none of the abruptness of an alarm clock. The light quality is very good, a realistic impression of actual daylight.
It’s robust and well made. Once you are used to them the controls, which are situated around the rim, are easy to use even with your eyes closed.
I don’t use the sounds because I prefer the lamp only. But the are good quality samples on a loop.
Please remember this is not an alarm clock. It is a lamp, don’t buy it & then feel let down because it doesn’t have alarm clock functions. That’s not it’s purpose! I have used this in conjunction with the alarm on my phone when getting up at the right time was crucial. But most often the lamp is enough for me.
In summary a good quality, reliable, hard wearing product that has transformed dark mornings for me.
great products for those who are sick of hearing and annoying siren sound when waking up the lighting feature definitely helps to wake me up every morning
I was sceptical initially.
But within 2 weeks it helped put me back into a healthy sleeping cycle.
I never struggles falling asleep, but I have been struggling to wake up and get out of the bed.
This has definitely changed my habits.
Works well.
Imitates sunrise within 30 min before the alarm goes on.
You wake up to the sound of birds, and your eyes are comfortably adjusting to the light.
Bought mainly for winter times when I wake up at 5am
This alarm clock is amazing. It wakes me up every morning (been using for about 4 months now)
They brightness is fantastic, especially during winter and it’s nice to wake up to the radio
The alarm works great and looks fantastic, my only gripe would be that the user interface can be a touch awkward to use. Very satisfied with it overall though.
Great product nice easy interface. Nice bright light to simulate the sun. Only real down side is for the price I would of expected a dab radio instead.
The only thing I would change about this is the wake up noises. They can be quite grating; have started just using the light.
This product is great. It helps you wake up in a nice refreshing way.
Two down sides; 1. The clock snoozes when the draw beneath it is opened 2. There’s no way to set different alarms on different days or no alarms e.g. on the weekend.
Although the menu system can be a little fiddly, once you have the device set up you don’t need to go into the menu often. The sunrise simulation makes waking up on dark mornings far easier and more relaxing than a typical alarm clock.
Gentle wake up on the dark winter mornings. Much prefer this to the sound of an alarm clock. Also use it as main bedroom lamp. Don’t really use the radio. Would be better with dab.
Rather expensive though.
The lamp is surely helping me wake up easier. But it is annoying that I have to set it up every evening. Also it would be nice if it had some back up power supply, so if the is a power outage during the night I’m still able to wake up.
Ok so for the price I think it could do a whole lot better still good product dont get me wrong but let me elaborate.
Buttons seem a little delicate and wont last for long time.
Cant help thinking for the price and usability it could easily be fitted to connect to hue this would be massive all lights turn on in your home (can be done with phone) but that’s not the point.
I reviewed many wake up alarms before choosing this one. It is sturdy and every aspect of it’s functions are adjustable to your needs. Operation instructions are clear and quality of sound, light structure are all excellent. Would recommend.
This sunrise clock is fantastic. I am so ease with it. I’m glad I didn’t go for a cheaper one, although very tempting this is a absolutely perfect, it gets so bright and is good to use as a reading light so I don’t disturb my husband in the evening. The alarm options are fantastic, it does everything I had hoped and more. Not easily impressed but as far as alarm clocks go, don’t hesitate you will be happy with this clock.
I am using it for couple of weeks and never had stressful wake up as sometime happens when you are in somewhat deep sleep and suddenly alarm sound blasts you out of dream. This lamp really wakes you gradually and softly as sun.
Display has, I think, 4 brightness levels and you can even switch it fully off.
Menu buttons has small LED as dots which lights up when you bring your hand close to them, so you can press them in night. Same goes with the display, if it is switched off, it will light up for couple of seconds when you bring your hand close to lamp.
You can use it as night lamp too, regulating brightness.
Lamp is pricey, but definitely worth it. Happy with purchase.
Could do with clearer buttons when fumbling around in the dark, doesn’t have a dedicated snooze butto
Waking up is never nice, but the alarm has improved it, especially in the coming winter days, i am loving the warm light. You have to keep in mind it is a bit of an indicative alarm. The sounds for me are just perfect. the sounds of ocean waves to feel on holiday, and the horrible waking seagull chirps. Does the perfect trick! I recommend the light !
Love the interface, the sounds, the buttons, the brightness, the sunset mode… everything! I did add tiny stick-on crystals so i could find the light, and alarm buttons more easily when lying down (they are juuuuust behind the “rim” of the “sun”).
I love it so much I bought a travel copy of it (a crappier and cheaper version that works off USB and is smaller) to use when I travel because hotels have really bad lights and either awful alarm clocks or not alarm clocks at all.
I honestly don’t know what I’d do without it.
Whenever I have been forced to wake up with a regular alarm, like off my phone, it’s a hard and scary wakeup, with my heart racing.
This alarm clock is a lifestyle change and a lifesaver in the winter when we have to wake up hours before daylight even breaks.
Decent sound out the radio and the light effect is really handy with my blackout curtains when I don’t have a clue what time it is. Another nice feature is setting the light to cooldown at bedtime, starts out bright then gradually dims over the next half hour as I read.
But note, all this is past-tense.
After just over 1 year (conveniently just out of warranty!), I started to notice that the alarm wouldn’t turn off at all, no matter what I did. The clock was essentially “frozen”, and none of the buttons would respond until I pulled the power. Also, the wake-up light started behaving strangely – it would start dim and brigthen up as usual, but when the sound started the main upper light would immediately turn off.
These were initially infrequent niggles, but grew steadly more regular over time to the point that it’s now consistent. Randomly, it will also start clicking (as if I’d tapped one of the buttons on the front) in rapid succession. It’s happened in the middle of the night a couple of times, which was infuriating.
All in all, this might be anecdotal, but I cannot possibly recommend this product. It was good while it lasted, but it doesn’t seem designed or built to last. For an alarm clock that costs a cool 90 quid, I expect MUCH better than this.
Update – Philips were great about replacing this, even though it was just out of warranty. I’ve since had the replacement for about a year, and this unit has been much better, exhibiting none of the faults I observed with the last one. Looks like I simply had a defective unit. Revising the review from 2 to 4 stars – it’s been a good clock since.
Now I don’t normally waste my time reviewing things, but I have got to say what an amazing product this is. I have always found waking up in the summer easy. I find waking up with light pouring through the window better than an abrupt alarm. Well if you need an alarm to wake you up in the winter months dont look any further. Its a lot of money but worth every penny.
You choose a time you want to wake up (e.g. 8am) and the light will start to come on slowly from either 30, 20 or 10 mins prior to that time until it reaches your preferred brightness level at 8am. I love that there are 5 sounds to choose from (or you can pick the radio – your call), which go off at the time you’ve set the alarm, gently getting louder. I’ve chosen a lovely sound that makes me feel like I’m in a spa in Bali. Perfect way to start ANY day. The back up of the sound is reassuring as sometimes the light itself wakes me, and sometimes it doesn’t. But it’s woken me one way or the other every time.
Game changer.
Given the price, this was a bit of an extravagant purchase. However, I really love it, and already within a couple of weeks it’s made a noticeable impact to my mood and sleep hygiene. I particularly like the orange stage that the light goes through, and waking up to pleasant sounds of the sea. I also find the wind-down function useful as part of an evening ritual – I tap the button, turn off all electronic devices, and wind down over the next 45 mins. It’s a tad fiddly to set up, but fine once you get the hang of it, and I appreciate how many of the features you can customise. As a bedside lamp it’s also great because the brightness ranges from 1-20, so you can read with a nice, subdued glow. The bulb isn’t replaceable, so I really hope it lasts.
Might need to play around with the timings and alarm, but works sufficiently. Best in the market for types of products.
Excellent Product, only dissapointed by the fact that this comes with a 2-pin plug and not a standard UK plug. No mention of that in the listing…..
I absolutely love this alarm clock. Im naturally a really heavy sleeper so am super groggy in the mornings & find it so difficult to wake up. But this changes everything. The light gently brings me out of sleep & wakes my eyes & the zen garden is so soothing to hear instead of a sh***y phone alarm. Absolutely love it & would recommend to everyone, especially in these dark winter months.
I would definitely reccomend this alarm clock over many others as the 20 light settings are simulating a slow sunrise and it starts out very dark and red and then goes into a very bright light, illuminating easily the entire room.
Programming and setting the clock was farily easy. Within 10min you have clicked yourself through all the different settings and programmed it the way you want to.
Only downer, the 5 nature sounds…I honestly wish it had a few more options to chose from.
Best piece of technology I have ever purchased!! Got this a few years ago and I would be lol without it. I use it every morning to wake and is a saviour in the winter. I have 6 friends who have one now too on my suggestion and they all say the same. Don’t hesitate. Get a light alarm clock in your life if you don’t have one already.
This has been such a massive help in getting me up in the morning, especially for these winter months. My partner likes the room pitch black when sleeping, so you can imagine waking up in winter to the same darkness, only for your alarm to be the bearer or bad news. So as a compromise, I got this. Now it doesn’t feel so dark and gloomy waking up and I don’t feel as sluggish as I had before, as this brings in ambient light slowly so it doesn’t distract you like sunrise would. I’d recommend the lower settings, the brighter ones are pretty much like your typical desk lamp or bedroom lights so way too bright for me to wake up to.
I wasn’t sure whether this would actually be all that helpful, but I’m pleased to say I was wrong. For me personally, it’s made a huge difference. I’m a lot less depressed/murderous in the mornings these days. Nicely done, pretty good-looking and easy to use.
I fall asleep to it every night as well.
This is a game changer! I hate getting up on dark mornings but this wakes me gently and I find it easier to get out of bed. Its not tge easiest thing to set up, you’ll definitely need to use the manual but once you know it, its easy. Its a very expensive option but if you suffer from SAD I’d say its worth the cash.
When the alarm clock is switched off even for a second or two the settings are reset and you have to manually reset the time. This is very frustrating for me living in a country where power failures are common.
The alarm clock also lacks a variety of alarm clock sounds, I think there are 4/5 options only.
I love this light, it genuinely makes it easier to wake up without the jolt. The bird song alarm starts quietly then as it gets louder it’s a bit distorted which is a shame. My only gripe would be that if you are lying down, you can’t see where the buttons are, I have marked their position on the front with a sharpie, which whilst practical, looks a bit scruffy
Easy to use and light is great , this is my second one as first only lasted 2 years , hope this one lasts longer for the price.
Ever since I got the Philips Wake-Up Light alarm clock, I am able to actually wake up in the morning.
The light changes gradually over a configured period of time, going from red to white. There are 5 different wake up sounds you can choose from, which is nice.
The only drawback is that configuration might be a bit confusing in the beginning.
I have to say I think some people are simply wrong with their comments. Yes, buttons are small but you soon get used to them, so no problem for me.
Also, unlike a few other reviewers, I think the radio quality is excellent (and I’m a bit of an audiophile) – Radio 2 is crystal clear. Maybe others have got bad reception because the unit can clearly produce a lovely sound.
On the positive again, I love the fact that the time display has 4 brightness settings and another for off completely. I have the display set at the lowest on level (i.e. level 1) and it’s good – low enough not to light up surroundings but I can still sleep happily. Of note, a neat function I discovered is when display is set to off pressing any button illuminates the display for just a few seconds – great idea!
Also, you can select the brightness that the light reaches when the alarm goes off (the previous alarm lamp I bought couldn’t be changed from maximum brightness, which was horribly too bright). So you can tailor this perfectly for your own eyes – another big thumbs up from me.
Also, not only does brightness increase over 30 minutes but alarm sound also increases over a few seconds from very quiet to the level that you can predetermine – nice touch again.
The only negative (which is why I only provided 4 stars) is that there are only 5 alarm sounds (excluding radio) that you can choose from, 2 of which quite frankly are rubbish. The other 3 include 2 bird songs and a third that is a mixture of waves and squawking seagulls. In principle these 3 sounds should be fine; however, the quality of them is very poor (i.e. sound like a low quality recording rather than the real thing) and additionally they’re very short so loop every few seconds, which is fairly annoying. I can’t believe Philips couldn’t have invested in more and better quality sounds, especially for the price. A shame considering everything else is spot on.
In summary, my advice is ‘buy’ – it’s almost perfect!
Helps my toddler get to sleep at night. He does need to have some tiredness already, but it definately makes the process quicker and easier when he’s ready. If he’s not, he gets excited about it going dark, but that is not the fault of the clock.
If his sleep has drifted (travelling, illness, clocks changing etc) this helps get him back on track much quicker than otherwise.
He also loves the bird alarm, which is reasonably realistic. Usually he wakes up before we’re ready so the alarm is rarely used.
When I bought this I thought I might be wasting my money but was so desperate to feel different in the morning I went ahead anyway. I am so glad I spent the money, it has made waking up so much more pleasant. No more jerking awake and thrashing around to turn off an obnoxious alarm, but a slow wake up and a nice radio station to wake up to, allowing a few minutes to lie in bed with a light already on and music playing. The radio quality isn’t the best but it does the job. If this could be a digital radio and was a bit smaller then it would be perfect!
So there are a few problems with this.
1. My kids wake me up before it.
2. This results in me being grumpy for the day.
Therefore the light is pretty useless.
HOWEVER
On the very rare occasion they don’t wake up at some ridiculous hour it is by far THE best way to wake up. It’s gentle increase of light is the perfect alarm call and you wake feeling refreshed alert and happy to start the day. If it’s gets right to the brightest setting the gentle birdsong finally wakes me but this happens rarely as the light does the job. This is a big plus as there is no risk of me waking the kids when I need to be up early and they don’t.. Cause that would be unfair wouldn’t It?
This is the only reason I manage to get up in the dark mornings. Honestly it’s a game changer for me and I’ve recommended it to all my friends and family. The first week I used it I was waking up refreshed and spritely. I never usually talk to anyone for about an hour when I wake up but I headed downstairs and started having conversations!
Anyone who struggles in the mornings know how hard it is and this honestly helped. I’ve played around with the volume and light levels in the morning and have found my perfect spot.
This is a fantastic alarm, it wakes us up in a really relaxing way. The only niggle is that it’s difficult to see the buttons which are placed around the light, when the light is on. However, I’d much rather have them there than on the front, as I’ve seen on other lamps like this, as the whole round front is the “sun”, sunrise and sunset. It’s a lovely product, and I am pleased that the bulb doesn’t get hot, as that would have concerned me. I like the cosy colour of the tine display, too (soft orange), it’s not distracting like bright blue, red or green. It has different sounds to wake up to, as well, which means you can choose your favourite and not be stuck with their choice. We did lots of on-line research before choosing this product, and feel we found the best one possible. I saw a lower priced one elsewhere, but it got hot, and the display was all over the bottom third of the “sun”.
The only complaint about the seller is that they packaged it in bubble wrap only, around the product box, so that everyone at the local Post Office ((where I collected it) could see what I’d bought, which I was really unhappy about.
Fantastic light that is bright enough to wake me up from across the room. It’s far from perfect – the sounds are very limited, and the user interface is baffling when you’re fully awake let alone half asleep; but the build quality is good and, having tried two of the Lumie offerings, I have come to the conclusion that this is the best sunrise alarm clock on the market.
Really like this. It works. I much prefer the “coming to” wake up experience over the “jolted awake” traditional alarm clock. The instructions are not complicated, just a bit fiddly initially but I think that’s to keep the design minimalist. My only criticism is that the sound quality on the radio really should be better for the price. I’ve not had problems with de-tuning that other mention. The sound effect loop is a bit short but not awful. I love the sunset feature. Would I buy it again? Yes.
A little tricky to set up but otherwise a brilliant way to wake up. I don’t like mornings and this light doesn’t really change that but it does make waking up in winter a lot less painful. I particularly like the sounds, which I leave on in the background as I get ready.
– The radio gets interference from the light, so I can’t wake up with the ‘sunrise effect’ and radio. I have gone for the sunrise effect then birdsong instead, which is lovely (and quite realistic). I definitely find the light bright enough (it is really quite bright), but you can adjust it between strengths of 1 and 20.
– I would prefer buttons on the front because – well it would just be easier than having them around the top of the rim. I forget which ones are which and I’m not positioned directly above the light to see what they are. Funky design but not the most functional.
Overall however it’s still pretty awesome and helps me wake up easier in the morning.
Works well, I find myself being woken up by the light before the alarm goes off. Great for those of us who work night shift and don’t see the sun very much at this time of year.
The button to turn the light on can be a little hard to find in the dark, but this is a minor thing.