The best radio alarm clock: 10 contenders to start your day
For many modern bed lovers, the best radio alarm clock is an essential investment to help with starting the day. If you struggle to wake up each morning, a clock radio could be the answer.
The best alarm clock radio is more than just a way to keep your life on schedule. These fantastic bedside companions are ideal for motivating you into action first thing in the morning.
A radio alarm clock eases you into the waking world with the familiar sound of your favorite station, or a trending track.
At the same time, good clock radios can also come with extra features to help you get to sleep too, like sleep timers, or headphone sockets for listening to tunes while you wind down.
So, what are the best radio alarm clocks available right now?
That’s what we’re here to find out. Read on for a complete insight into some of the top-rated clock radio options in the States.
1. i-box Dawn bedside radio alarm clock (best wireless charging)
What’s better than a reliable alarm clock radio that plays all your favorite channels? How about a product that can charge your device while you snooze, without demanding extra wires?
The i-Box alarm clock radio is a simple and convenient bedside device that charges your phone as you sleep thanks to a QI wireless charging pad.
All you need to do is rest your QI-enabled phone on top of the radio for quick charging with no wires.
If wireless charging functionality isn’t enough to impress you, how about the fact that this clock radio comes with dual alarms, so you can set two different wake-up times.
This boosts your chances of avoiding a late arrival to work because you accidentally hit the snooze button.
Features include:
- Stylish and compact design
- Bluetooth streaming functionality
- 10 FM presets to help you find your station
- LED display with five light levels to choose from
- Two alarms to tailor your wake-up time
- Passive subwoofer for better bass
- 1 USB port for external charging
- Wireless charging pad
- 12 month warranty
This is one of the more impressive radio alarm clocks on the market today, intended to appeal to modern radio lovers.
With a dual alarm functionality, 5-step brightness control to reduce distractions, and stereo sound, there’s a lot to love about this clock.
One slight issue is that the brightness levels are still too high for a lot of sleepers. If you connect your device via Bluetooth, you lose the time display, which is a bit annoying.
Pros:
- Attractive display fits well in most bedrooms
- Good sound quality with passive subwoofer
- 12 month warranty included
- 10 FM presets for radio listening
- 12 month warranty
- Bluetooth enabled
Cons:
- You lose the time display when you connect something via Bluetooth
- Very bright display even with five modes to choose from
- Need to reset the brightness every time you use the snooze button
2. Sangean RCR-22 FM-RDS (best for reliability)
Sangean is a brand that shows up quite frequently in reviews of clock radios. The company has a wide range of audio devices to choose from, including some of the top rated clock radio options around.
The Sangean RCR-22 is a reliable bedside device with 14 memory preset stations to choose from, and an adjustable backlit display.
You can adjust the snooze function on this alarm clock radio and implement an adjustable sleep and nap timer with two alarm choices.
There’s also a super capacitor built into this radio that helps to continue delivering alarm functionality for up to an hour during a disruption.
You’ll get:
- Compact and lightweight design
- Easy-to-use digital tuning
- Loudness on/off button
- 3.5mm input and output jacks
- Battery backup with super capacitor
- Adjustable sleep and nap timers
- Humane waking system buzzer
- 14 presets
There are some advanced features missing from this Sangean which might be problematic for some radio lovers. You can’t stream your own music with Bluetooth, or charge your device.
The good news is that you can still play your own content by attaching your phone to the alarm clock radio with an aux cable. The back-up battery feature is a great extra touch for peace of mind.
Pros:
- Back up battery function
- Adjustable nap and sleep timers
- Compact design is good for most bedrooms
- Aux-in allows for streaming your own music
- Easy to find your favorite channel
Cons:
- No Bluetooth included
- No charging options
- Too many functions controlled by too few buttons
3. iHome Bluetooth alarm clock radio (best light features)
Since the beginning of radio history, innovators have searched for new and improved ways to use radio systems to deliver excellent experiences.
As radio alarm clock products have evolved, this search for the best radio solution has begun to include new features for your alarm too. You can even find clock radios with built-in light shows.
The iHome Bluetooth alarm clock radio is a quirky option for those who want a new way to wake up each morning and wind down each night.
The translucent color-changing display means that you get a bedside radio and a lamp in one. You can also pair your cellphone to your alarm clock and take calls hands-free.
You’ll have access to features like:
- Color-changing LED cabinet display
- Microphone pairing
- Bluetooth streaming
- FM radio
- Bluetooth audio alarm options
- Quirky design – great for modern bedrooms
- Charging port for your devices
There are a handful of advanced features in this clock radio that will make it an eye-catching option for many homeowners.
It’s not perfect, however. The microphone and speaker quality is good – but not excellent. You can’t use the lighting setting to gently wake you up on a morning.
Pros:
- Fun and unique design
- Color changing display
- Microphone pairing
- Bluetooth enabled
- Charges external devices
Cons:
- Limited speaker and microphone quality
- Lighting feature is mostly a novelty
- Not the best for volume
4. Sony ICFC1PJ clock radio (good for USB charging)
The Sony ICFC1PJ alarm clock radio might not seem like the most futuristic system at first glance, but it’s a nifty device from a well-known market leader.
This clock radio comes with a time projection option, which means you can display the time on your bedroom wall or sleeping. Another thing that sets this device apart as one of the best alarm clock radios is its relaxation features.
Aside from helping you to wake up in the morning, this radio alarm clock also helps you drift off, with 5 soothing nature sounds to choose from.
There’s a USB port for charging your smartphone, and a backup battery included so you still wake up on time if the power goes out.
You will get features like:
- Time projection with focus dial
- USB port for smartphone charging
- Battery backup for peace of mind
- Automatic time adjustment
- Programmable sleep timer
- Nature sounds for relaxation
- Easy to read display
- Gradual wake alarm
There’s a lot to like about this alarm clock radio, from its 10 station preset options to its gradual wake alarm that helps you to easily drift out of sleep.
We also love the fact that you can charge your smartphone through the device to save space and wires.
On the downside, the cube is pretty chunky, much bigger than what you would expect, and setting up the device isn’t particularly easy.
The “alarm off” button isn’t easy to find when you’re half asleep, either.
Pros:
- Time projection feature
- Soothing nature sounds to encourage sleep
- Excellent USB charging functionality
- Programmable sleep timer
- Great appearance
Cons:
- Quite bulky
- Difficult to set up
- Difficult to find the alarm off button
5. Magnasonic digital clock radio (best basic)
The Magnasonic digital clock radio looks like a very simple and traditional clock radio. It’s small, lightweight, and just unobtrusive enough to fit neatly on your nightstand.
Although this isn’t the most advanced radio system that we’ve ever seen, it’s got some handy features that will be useful for a lot of consumers.
The dual alarm, for instance, means you can set one alarm for your partner, and one for yourself.
The AM/FM radio system comes with up to 20 programmable preset stations, so you don’t have to spend forever tuning your device to suit you.
There’s even a reliable battery backup built into the device to ensure that you’ll still wake up on time if your power goes out.
You’ll get:
- Easy to read LED display
- Pre-programmable dual alarm
- AM/FM radio with 20 presets
- Battery backup to reduce your risk of sleeping in
- Easy-to-find snooze button
- Small and compact design
If you know you need a clock radio and you don’t want to spend a fortune on something that’s overly advanced, this product could be a great choice.
It’s reliable, compact, and it even features easy-to-use buttons. Unfortunately, you don’t get any advanced features with this alarm clock radio.
There’s no automatic update feature for daylight savings time, no Bluetooth, and the device doesn’t even come with an instruction manual.
Pros:
- Simple and convenient
- Dual alarm functionality
- Backup battery included
- AM/FM radio with good sound quality
- Easy to read display
Cons:
- Very limited in features
- Nine minute snooze time (strange choice)
- No automatic time changing
6. HeimVision Sunrise (best with sunrise feature)
The best alarm clock radios are starting to deliver a host of new features to help improve your quality of life.
There are options out there that allow you to stream your own music via Bluetooth, and products with built-in relaxation features to help you fall asleep each night.
The HeimVision sunrise clock is one of the more innovative top rated clock radio options we’ve seen.
With sunrise and sunset simulations, the HeimVision clock radio helps you to improve your sleep hygiene and quality.
The sunrise function gradually increases the light in your bedroom before your alarm goes off, so you wake up in a more natural way. That means less time spent fumbling for the snooze button on a morning.
The sunset stimulation uses soft lights and sounds to sooth you into sleep too.
All that, and you get a low price tag of only around $40.
Features include:
- Sunrise and sunset simulation
- Amazon Alexa compatible for speech management
- 7 natural sounds and FM radio available
- Snooze function with easy-to-find button
- Simple design fits well into most bedrooms
- Excellent for waking up and falling asleep
This is an excellent product if you’re looking for something to help your little one get into a natural sleeping and waking routine.
It’s not just for babies, however. With high-level features like Amazon Alexa control, and the option to set four different alarms, anyone could benefit from this clock.
On the downside, the app included with the clock radio can be a little confusing.
Pros:
- Unique wake and sleep lights
- Four alarms to choose from
- FM radio or natural sounds for relaxation
- Lightweight and compact design
- Good volume
Cons:
- Difficult to use app
- Feels a bit cheap and plastic
- Can be difficult to use a smart speaker with the clock
7. Emerson SmartSet projection clock radio (best with projection)
An alarm clock with a projection functionality can make it a lot easier to see the time when you’re waking up in the morning with bleary eyes.
If you’ve turned the brightness down on your alarm screen, you can often be left squinting, trying to see the time.
That isn’t the case with the Emerson SmartSet projection clock radio.
This easy-to-use product comes with 20 station memories to choose from and an FM radio connection.
There’s also a USB output for charging your mobile devices, and a 180-degree adjustable ultra-clear projection system.
The easy-to-read display also comes with a dimmer function so you can ensure it doesn’t disturb you during the night.
The Emerson SmartSet includes features like:
- Adjustable 180-degree projection feature
- USB mobile charging
- Digital FM tuning
- 20 preset station memories
- Easy-to-read display with dimming options
- SmartSet technology to automatically set the time and date
- Built-in battery to defend against power outages
Unfortunately, unlike the other SmartSet clocks on the market, this device doesn’t come with Bluetooth functionality.
It’s also worth noting that the radio setting is quite loud, even on its lowest settings, which could be a problem for those trying to relax before bed.
Pros:
- Handy projection feature
- Excellent FM tuning
- USB mobile charging included
- Automatic setting of time and date
- Built-in battery back-up
Cons:
- One of the loudest alarm clock radios
- No Bluetooth or advanced features
- Not the most attractive option
8. Te-Rich digital alarm clock radio (best for travel)
Sometimes, the best radio alarm clocks aren’t just the products that fit perfectly into your bedroom, they’re the items that you can rely on wherever you go.
This compact digital alarm clock from the Te-Rich brand is designed to go with you on your adventures, offering a reliable way to manage your schedule, no matter what.
The device comes with 7 alarm sound options to choose from, including a good collection of nature sounds to help wake you up in the right mood.
You can also customize your alarm tones to ensure that you’re getting the best clock radio wake-up experience.
The display is easy to read, and comes with extra information, like indoor room temperature.
You can also track your FM radio channels, although there doesn’t seem to be a preset function.
Features of the Te-Rich include:
- 24-hour or 12-hour clock
- 7 alarm sound options
- Customizable volume and tones
- Compact and space-saving design
- FM radio with sleep timer
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- Battery backup option
- 18-month warranty
One thing we particularly liked about this digital alarm clock is how easy it is to use.
No matter how exhausted you are, the buttons on this device are easy to find. That’s particularly true for the snooze button, which is a giant circle on the top of the alarm.
On the downside, there isn’t a lot of extra functionality built-in, with no Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and you can’t set your own radio presets.
Pros:
- Easy to use design
- Portable – great for travel
- Informative and easy to read display
- 7 alarm options to choose from
- 18-month warranty
Cons:
- No presets for your radio
- No Bluetooth or advanced features
- Instructions are hard to follow
9. Homedics radio alarm clock (best for white noise)
These days, the best radio alarm clocks can do a lot more than just wake you up.
These intuitive devices can also help with soothing you to sleep too. That’s the case with one of the top rated clock radio products from Homedics.
The dual alarm digital clock radio comes with a multitude of features to improve your sleep quality. You can project your clock onto the ceiling, instead of using a bright LED display. There’s also a sound-spa system with up to 8 relaxing nature sounds.
The Homedics alarm clock also has a built-in white noise sound machine. If you have a hard time getting to sleep because of the extra noise outside of your window, Homedics can help.
This alarm clock radio will help to block out the distractions so you can fall asleep in comfort. There’s even automatic time setting and DST adjustment too
You’ll get features like:
- Clear LED display
- Ceiling clock projection
- Multiple alarm setting options
- FM clock radio
- 8 relaxing nature sounds
- Nightlight
- White noise functionality
- Large easy-to-use buttons
- Built-in FM radio with digital tuning
For such a low price, it’s amazing that you get so much rich functionality built into this small clock radio.
The white noise machine and radio helps you to tackle two issues at once.
It’s worth noting that the projection can be a little too bright for some people to handle. What’s more, because the instructions are difficult to follow, it’s hard to know how to turn the brightness down.
Pros:
- White noise features
- Sound spa with relaxing nature sounds
- Excellent LED time projection
- Multiple alarm settings available
- Good FM radio tuning
Cons:
- Difficult to follow instructions
- Very bright projection
10. Emerson SmartSet Bluetooth (best with bluetooth)
Finally, we come to the Emerson SmartSet Bluetooth alarm clock.
This is another clock radio taken from the SmartSet line, this time offering a few extra features, like USB port charging for your devices, and a Bluetooth connection for listening to your favorite music.
You still get a digital tuning FM radio with your clock, with up to 20 preset station memories.
The SmartSet functionality means that your time automatically changes to suit things like daylight savings time.
You can program your alarm so that it operates only on weekdays, or on certain days of the week if you have a unique schedule.
With an LED light to help you find your alarm clock in the dark, and an easy-to-read display, this is a great investment for many homeowners, available for a price of around $65.
Features include:
- Bluetooth streaming
- USB output for mobile charging
- Digital tuning FM radio
- 20 station memories
- Patented SmartSet automatic time setting
- Easy-to-read display
- Dimmer control
- Multiple alarm settings
There’s a lot of big benefits to this clock radio, including USB ports for charging your devices without extra wires.
On the downside, if you’re using your charging system and radio at the same time, the reception can suffer. The alarm setting starts at a very high volume and increases, which can be overwhelming for some.
Pros:
- Bluetooth streaming functionality
- USB output for mobile charging
- Digital FM radio tuning
- 20 station memories
- Easy-to-read display
Cons:
- Very high volume
- Reception suffers when charging
- Quite a bright display
Choosing the best radio alarm clock
So, with so many top-rated clock radio products to choose from these days, how do you make sure that you’re getting the right one for your needs?
Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all option. You can, however, examine a few critical features of the products in our alarm clock radio reviews to determine which option is best suited to your needs.
For a quick summary:
Alarm functionality
A dual alarm function is always a good idea with most radio alarm clocks. However, you can find other feature options too, such as a sunrise feature that helps you to wake up with light instead of sound. If that appeals to you, then the HeimVision sunrise is likely to be your top choice.
Design
Most of the best radio alarm clocks are designed to be durable, compact, and easy to use. Depending on how you plan to use your alarm clock, you might need to consider some other things. For instance, maybe you need a product that can project your time on the ceiling, as well as showing it on a display. This would make the Emerson Smartset Projection a great choice. Alternatively, if you want your clock to be more portable, you could try the Te-Rich travel alarm clock.
Extra features
Many alarm clock radios now come with additional features to improve your quality of life, from soothing nature sounds for relaxation to Bluetooth and built-in microphones. The I-Box radio comes with the bonus feature of wireless charging, so you can avoid having extra wires and cords around your bed.
Price
Sometimes, getting extra features with your alarm clock radio also means paying extra too. If you have a budget to think about, you might need to stick to a product that’s a little more basic, like the Magnosonic digital clock radio.
Ease of Use
Finally, it’s important to ensure that your clock is as easy to use as possible. You don’t want to have to spend an hour before bed every night figuring out how to set your alarm for work the next day!
Finding the best radio alarm clock
The best radio alarm clock is a crucial investment in keeping your schedule on track. While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to “which is the best radio alarm clock?” there are a wide range of options out there for you to choose from.
One of our favorite options has to be the HeimVision sunrise radio, which adds something extra to your sleep hygiene routine by allowing you to wake up gently and fall asleep gradually each day.
If you’re looking for something a little more tech-focused, then you might prefer the I-Box bedside radio, with its fantastic wireless charging functionality, a built—in microphone and a selection of other advanced features.
Which alarm clock will you be waking up to tomorrow morning? Let us know in the comments or join the conversation with us on social media.
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