As far as anyone knows, the first (sort of) alarm clock was invented in 222 BC by a guy named Ctesibius who decided one day to modify his clepsydra, a device otherwise known to us moderns as a water clock. With his adjustments, the clepsydra would drop pebbles or even blow trumpets when the water reached a certain flow. The only trouble was that Ctesibius wasn’t sure just what to do with his noisy clock.
Many years and missed appointments later, Levi Hutchins invented the first modern-day alarm clock in 1787 — and those gradually developed through the years into what we have today.
And what we have now is no shortage of choice: To get us up and running we have ersatz suns, gentle nature sounds, clocks to shake the daylights into us, clocks to shock the heck out of us, and even wheeled robot clocks to annoy us out of bed.
A lunar projection
La Crosse Technology 616-146A Color LCD Projection 5-Inch Alarm Clock with Moon Phase – $45.79, Amazon
A couple of quick Questions: Do you absolutely hate being late for anything — even just a minute? Are you into astronomy? Or do you insist on starting your day with the weather forecast?
This atomic projection alarm clock ticks all those boxes and then some. The ultra-punctual among us will love that it’s atomic, which tracks time down to absurdly tiny fractions of a second. There’s visual display involved as well: One setting makes it project the time and indoor temperature on your wall or ceiling, along with the phases of the moon.
A shocking start
Pavlok Shock Clock 2 – $149.99, Amazon
Pavlok labels this wearable device as a “wakeup trainer” for folks whose ultimate goal is to jettison their alarm clocks, which is both accurate and also slightly euphemistic. One of Pavlock’s selling claims is you’ll “Never Hit Snooze Again.” Can you guess why? When you dare to oversleep your wakeup time, your wrist device corrects your attitude by shocking the crap out of you — but hey, it has a solid four stars.
Wake up with white noise
Sound Soother White Noise Machine – $79.99, Sharper Image
If you can’t fall asleep in the first place, then why have an alarm clock, right? This attractive digital companion not only wakes you up but lulls you to sleep with your choice of 20 “natural” white noise options. Come the morning, it wakes you with the nature sounds — or, should you prefer, the usual options of beeps or some FM radio. The natural white noise selections include rain, thunderstorms, babbling water, the ocean, and even foghorns.
Other features are pretty standard but no less helpful: easy-to-read digits, dual alarms, snooze button, optional sleep timer, and even battery backup in case the power fails.
Shake yourself awake
Alarm Clock for Heavy Sleepers – $59.99, Sharper Image
For a period of time in my younger years, I used not one, but two alarm clocks with one placed strategically across the room. (My girlfriend at the time suggested a siren) I wish, or I think I wish, I had had this instead.
To begin the waking-up process, the dual alarms will alert you awake at a hellish 113 decibels (think chainsaw, leaf blower, or snowmobile). But your evil friend is far from finished: Now the “super-shaker bed vibrator” you so masochistically placed between the box springs and your mattress is bucking like . . . well, like a bronco. Give it up and have some breakfast — you’ll win no trophies for this wild ride.
A gentle sunrise
Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light – $99.99, Amazon
At the opposite end of the mattress-shaking spectrum is the positively tranquil Phillips Sunrise Clock. You’ll gradually awaken to a gentle ersatz “sunrise” that begins gradually illuminating the room well before you wake up, to mimic your body waking up with the natural rhythm of the sunrise. You can choose to accompany this with your pre-selected option of five natural sounds or perhaps the FM radio. At the end of the day, it does double-duty as a reading lamp with 10 brightness settings and an automatic dimmable display.
An obnoxiously effective legend
CLOCKY – $39.99, Amazon
You’ve probably seen this one before — only because it is both preposterous and effective, which is generally a recipe for success. If you haven’t, well…meet “Clocky.” This wheeled terror of an alarm clock has what it takes to cajole our groggy lumps from the comfort of our dream worlds. First of all, Clocky is loud and emits R2D2-like shrieks. But it doesn’t stop with that: He rolls, clatters, jumps (from as high as three feet), changes course, beeps, hides, and rolls on carpet or a hard surface. Clocky will cover more terrain in the first 30 seconds of your waking day than you ever could — and you won’t want to stay in bed while he’s wheeling around.
Source: https://www.registercitizen.com/shopping/article/quirky-but-effective-alarm-clocks-16701416.php