Home tools Buyer's Guides from tech enthusiast who loves technology and clever solutions for better living.
Best clock radio 2018 – [Buyer’s Guide]
Last Updated June 1, 2023
My name is Roger Barnett. I have been a freelance writer for 20 years, focusing mainly on technology related topics. After spending over 55 hours comparing at least 12 clock radio, I am recommending the best clock radio of 2018
In fact, it was the first time I had been in this situation and what I thought was going to be a very quick and easy task turned out to be a good many weeks of research. Like most products, some outdo others, so use my top three list below to get started on your search for the best clock radio of 2018.
Best clock radio of 2018
On that note, I review the three best clock radio of 2018 to help you get value for your money. I have taken the initiative to educate you on the top three best clock radio that you can buy this year. There are dozens of choices for an clock radio these days. These are composed of modern styling with modern technology to match it. Here are some good examples. If you’re reading this, it is very likely that you’re scouting for the best clock radio.
Test Results and Ratings
| Rank | №1 | №2 | №3 |
| Product |  |
 |
 |
| Total | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 |
| Style |
5 points
|
5 points
|
5 points
|
| Versatility |
5 points
|
5 points
|
4 points
|
| Durability |
4 points
|
4 points
|
4 points
|
| Quality |
5 points
|
4 points
|
4 points
|
| Awards |  |
||
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
How to save up to 86%? Here is little trick.
You must visit the page of sales. Here is the link. If you don’t care about which brand is better, then you can choose the clock radio by the price and buy from the one who will offer the greatest discount.
№1 – Alarm Clock Radio with Audio Bluetooth Speaker
| Total: |
4.8
|
Why did this clock radio win the first place?
I really enjoy the design. It is compact, comfortable and reliable. And it looks amazing! I also liked the delivery service that was fast and quick to react. It was delivered on the third day. I am very happy with the purchase. It is definitely worth its money. The product is top-notch! The product is very strong. Its material is stable and doesn’t crack.
5
|
5
|
4
|
5
|
№2 – Wake Up Light Alarm Clock 7 Color Light
| Total: |
4.5
|
Why did this clock radio come in second place?
I recommend you to consider buying this model, it definitely worth its money. Managers explained me all the details about the product range, price, and delivery. This is a pretty decent product that perfectly fitted the interior of our office. The material is pretty strong and easy to wash if needed.
5
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
№3 – Emerson CKS1800 SmartSet Alarm Clock Radio with AM/FM Radio
| Total: |
4.3
|
Why did this clock radio take third place?
We are very pleased with the purchase — the product is great! This price is appropriate since the product is very well built. It doesn’t squeaks nor bents. Looks great in my apartment. It is inconvenient to use due to the size. I am going to get something different next time.
5
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
clock radio Buyer’s Guide
Projection
Some clock radios have a cool feature where they will project the date and time information at the wall or ceiling. That way you can set up the display in such a fashion where you never have to turn your head to see what time it is. This feature may also be helpful for the visually impaired as you can cast a large projection.
Gradual wake-up alarm
If you set your clock radio alarm on a setting which is too quiet, it may not wake you up on time. But if you put it on a really loud setting, it can startle you unpleasantly awake. A solution is to purchase a clock radio which has a gradual wake-up alarm. This is a setting where the alarm will begin quietly and gradually scale up in volume. That way it will not startle you, but will progressively become loud enough to wake you up.
Easy tuning and pre-sets
A clock radio which includes a large tuning knob which can turn smoothly will be easiest to tune to the station you want. Also look for a radio which allows you to program in a number of pre-sets. That way you do not have to scan through all the stations to listen to the AM or FM station that you want. If you listen to a lot of different radio stations on a regular basis, buy a radio which offers you a larger selection of pre-sets.
Multiple power options
Most clock radios run primarily or entirely on AC power. But you may find some which also can use batteries. It is uncommon for batteries to be a main power option, but they may be available as a backup power supply. That way if there is a power outage, you do not have to worry about your alarm clock not going off when you need it most. Nothing is more frustrating than getting to work late because you were asleep when a tree fell over a power line. With a battery backup, you will never again be late for work because of a power cut in the morning.
Input for MPplayers and mobile devices
This feature is now pretty much standard with all clock radios, but you should always make sure it is included if it is something you are likely to make use of. The snooze button allows you to catch a few extra minutes of sleep and then have the alarm go off again.
The Sony
Sony quality. The Sony brand name means that you won’t wind up with a piece of broken plastic shortly after you buy this clock.
Gets the job done. Use it to find out what time it is and set your morning alarm.
Large snooze bar. The snooze button is easy to feel around for in the dark.
Amber LED display. This clock’s pleasing honey colored backlight won’t distract your eyes at night.
Battery backup. If the power goes out, you’ll still wake up on time.
RCR-5BK
Great sound quality. This clock is quite small, but it sounds huge.
Buttons click when you press them. If you’re a fan of buttons that make noise, you might like this clock’s interface.
Adjustable brightness. Crank the light levels down at night if you’re sensitive to bright clock displays.
Battery backup. The RCR-5BK won’t leave you hanging if a power outage occurs.
The Insider Pick
Let’s face it: The ring, blare, buzz, or chirp of your alarm clock is probably never going to be your favorite sound. But then again, the angry rumble of your boss, when you show up late for work after oversleeping, is even worse. So make mornings a little easier by choosing an alarm clock that makes your return to reality if not a pleasure, then at least not a pain.
You might be wondering, “Why bother with an alarm clock when I have a phone?” A fair question and many people do wake up to their cell phone’s prompting. The problem with this, however, is it makes it far more difficult to put some space between your technology and your sleep, and those are two areas of your life best kept separate.
By the time that phone hits the nightstand, you’ve lost precious sleep time, you’ve tricked your brain into thinking it’s wake-up time instead of dream time, because the glow of the blue light emitted by your phone reduces your body’s release of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle. Instead of relaxing, you’ve stimulated your mind. All of that adds up to poor quality sleep followed by a groggy, foggy, “I don’t know why I’m so tired,” kind of morning.
Although the Electrohome Projection Alarm Clock is our top pick, for various reasons laid out in the slides below, you should also consider the Sonic Alert Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock, the Philips Wake-Up Light, the Marathon Analog Desk Alarm Clock, and the OK to Wake! children’s alarm clock.
Electrohome
The provision of two excellent speakers brings stereo to the tabletop DAB market, with good quality, reliable Bluetooth streaming lending the Evoke Da valuable all-in-one feel and it’s certainly one of the best DAB radios you can buy. Could it replace a hi-fi? Absolutely. The design is clean and fresh, the radio’s core functions are easy to use, and the sound quality is warm yet precise. Pure has once again come up with a fine DAB radio and offers decent value considering both its stereo speaker array and the price of the competition. The Evoke Dboasts a marvellously warm, detailed sound and an excellent build quality.
A DAB radio you can take with you come rain or shine
Few digital radios have built-in batteries and splash-proof, portable designs, so the PAL+ BT is a bit of a one-off. Its 1hour battery is simply superb, and makes it a great – though expensive – alternative to a Bluetooth speaker that you might take into the garden or park. Its headline slot and aux-in are handy, while the sound quality is thoroughly decent. But bluetooth isn’t exactly an expensive technology and the sound quality isn’t close enough to perfect for Tivoli to be charging the kind of money it’s asking for the PAL+ BT. Its unusually large remote control proves critical because its top-mounted control wheel isn’t quite proficient enough to control the PAL+ BT’s core functions. In the end, this is a compact, versatile DAB radio that can be taken around the home (and anywhere else) quite easily thanks to a 16-hour battery, and it’s nevertheless the PAL+BT’s inclusion of Bluetooth and a a bass-heavy sound that helps justify its high price. Perfect for occasional forays into the bathroom.
High-End Radios
Radios over £150 are top-of-the-range models with amazing state-of-the-art features. For this price you can expect WiFi connectivity, DAB+, crisp sound quality and quality engineering. You can also buy radios like the Pure Evoke C-Fand the Roberts Blutune100 (pictured below), that function as a DAB radio, wireless speakers, and CD player.
How we picked and tested
Big, bright display. We looked at clocks in all shapes and sizes. However, almost all of them had displays that were visible from at least 20 feet away in daylight and at night. The exceptions were the three analog clocks we reviewed, which are small and require you to push a button to illuminate.
Dimmable display. Although having a bright display is nice, without the option to dim it light sleepers may be kept awake at night.
Easy snooze button. Sometimes you need a few extra minutes. If you’re fumbling to find the snooze button, you may as well find your toothbrush and start the day.
Battery backup. If your home is prone to power outages, you’ll want a clock that will be ready in case of an emergency.
Radio. Some people prefer to wake up to music, weather, news, or whatever else is playing on the radio. This feature was available on about half of the clocks we reviewed, but it adds to the price.
Multiple alarms. Whether you have two people sharing a clock or prefer a different wake-up time for the weekends, there are several clocks that allow for two separate alarm times.
Multiple sounds. Some clocks beep, others buzz, and some provide soothing sounds for that wake-up call.
USB ports. Whether you use your smartphone as a backup plan or not, there are a few clocks that offer the option to charge gadgets by your bedside.
Bluetooth. Many alarm clocks now have Bluetooth, but not in this price range. Only one of the models we reviewed included wireless music streaming.
We tested a total of 1alarm clocks. Three of those were analog clocks, which were the only models that didn’t offer AC power; they’re completely battery-operated. Six of the 1models tested also included radios.
We tested each clock in a first-floor home office and a second-floor bedroom. This helped when testing reception on the clock radios, because it gave us data from different locations. We used them during the day and at night to test out brightness levels and if they were easy to work with in the dark. We also monitored each clock for accuracy, the duration of the snooze, and if the snooze would continue after one hour.
We think the RCA RCD30 is the best alarm clock for most people. It is the textbook definition of an alarm clock in features and style with an easy-to-use button layout, a bright display, and an alarm that should wake up even heavy sleepers. It’s also the least expensive model that we tested.
Of the models we tested, the RCD30 packed the largest display size in the smallest design, so it won’t take up much room on your nightstand. The illuminated display measures approximately 3.7by 1.inches, which was visible in daylight and at night from at least 20 feet away. The large display size is a boon for people who wear glasses because you don’t need to fumble with your glasses to check the time. If a big display keeps you up at night, know that the RCD30 does have two brightness settings.
The easy operation has a lot to do with the unit’s no-frills design. It has a large snooze button across the top, so you can usually hit it without much fumbling. That snooze also doubles as an hour/minute button for setting the time and alarm. On the back, there are three switches: one for setting the time/alarm, one for turning the alarm on/off, and one for dimming the front display.
The RCD30 is a basic unit, but it has all you really need in an alarm clock, including backup via a 9-volt battery so you won’t lose your settings if the power goes out at a.m. Just know that like most of the alarm clocks we tested, when using that battery the front of the RCD30 will not display the time, but the alarm will trigger in backup mode, which can’t be said of the Mesqool Projection Clock, the Sangean RCR-5, the Sonic Alert SBB500SS, and the Sony ICF-C1.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
A few of the alarm clocks we reviewed have up and down buttons for setting the clock and alarm time. The RCA RCD30 is not one of them. The minute and hour buttons go in only one direction, so if you get distracted while setting the time and go too far, you’ll need to cycle through again. This is not unique to the RCD30, though.
Also, out of all of the digital alarm clocks we reviewed, this one had the fewest perks. There’s no radio, projection, or separate alarm sounds. In fact, the clock has one alarm at one volume. If it’s too loud (or not loud enough), there are no other options. However, it’s a reliable, basic alarm clock and priced accordingly.
For the past few months, I’ve been using the as my bedside alarm clock. It has great speakers, shows me the weather for the week and wakes me with an alarm in the morning. However, if I want to get an extra 1minutes of shut-eye, I have to say, “Alexa, snooze!” which is not exactly a relaxing thing to do.
Setting an alarm
The feature of the iHome that most drew my attention is that you can set an alarm using Alexa but then use the iHome’s physical buttons to snooze or turn off the alarm. It’s something that’s been a long time coming, and while it’s welcome, it could still use some tweaking.
Gear & Gadgets
Having an alarm clock keeps us alert, responsible, and on top of our schedule. They are particularly important for aging adults, who might be on a strict sleep schedule; relying on your internal clock might cause one to oversleep and in consequence make it harder to fall asleep later that day. Furthermore, take into account that seniors are prone to memory loss; an alarm clock, functioning as a loud auditory reminder, also might help provide the usually forgetful about certain tasks. With the ability to tell time and provide us with constant reminders, consider the alarm clock a highly useful device for aging adults. Though, it is important to realize that not all alarm clocks are made the same. Pending on your own physiological needs, there are certain features that seniors should look for in an alarm clock. We hope that our guide will provide you with the tools needed to pick out the appropriate alarm clock.
What to Look For in an Alarm Clock
How to save up to 86%? Here is little trick.
You must visit the page of sales. Here is the link. If you don’t care about which brand is better, then you can choose the clock radio by the price and buy from the one who will offer the greatest discount.
Final Word
First of all thanks for reading my article to the end! I hope you find my reviews listed here useful and that it allows you to make a proper comparison of what is best to fit your needs and budget. Don’t be afraid to try more than one product if your first pick doesn’t do the trick.
Most important, have fun and choose your clock radio wisely! Good luck!
So, TOP3 of clock radio
- №1 — Alarm Clock Radio with Audio Bluetooth Speaker
- №2 — Wake Up Light Alarm Clock 7 Color Light
- №3 — Emerson CKS1800 SmartSet Alarm Clock Radio with AM/FM Radio
Questions? Leave a comment below!
Chatting about clock radio is my passion! Leave me a question in the comments, I answer each and every one and would love to get to know you better!
