Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light, Simulated Sunrise and Sunset, Multiple Lights and Sounds, RelaxBreathe to Sleep, AMZ Exclusive, HF3650/60

Have I reviewed this wake up alarm clock/sunrise lamp before? Maybe, but I'm buying my fourth (4th!) Philips SmartSleep lamp, so I think my experience can help others.I started with the cheapest model HF3500/60 (model in current listing) back in 2014. That clock is still working, but now in my kid's room. (Every family member has slept in a room with one of these lamps at some point, and none found it bad/annoying, but only one kid and I really NEED these lamps to wake up happy in the winter.) I replaced the first Philips sunrise alarm because it is so lightweight, I would knock if off my bedside table pushing its buttons. That was annoying, and my round-topped bedside table is cute but less functional for this problem than the square table against two walls in my child's room.When I saw the HF3520 in November 2017 had a much greater brightness (300 lux vs. 200 lux) and more mass, I bought that one on a whim and gave my kid the first lamp. The HF3520 was probably my favorite while it was in use, but it died in the middle of 2023, so only lasted less than six years. It died after a power failure, so the issue may have been some kind of power surge since it was not on a surge protector, but it never worked again.In October 2023 I purchased the model I'm buying again today: the Non-App (dumb) model HF3650/60. (Note: I never tried, and do not want, the HF3670/60 "smart" product.) I bought the HF3650 over the familiar 3520 in part due to its extra 10 lux (310 lux vs. 300 lux.) In reality, I still need a bright light therapy lamp, and I now have one of those on a timer to illuminate my face for 30 minutes every morning AFTER my Philips clock wakes me gently with a sunrise. The difference in light level between the HF3650 and the 3520 probably shouldn't be your reason for picking one over the other either.The 3520 costs a lot less and I was happy with it. In the end, the fact that it takes up so much more room led me to stick with the newer, slimmer model. The 3650/60 has more weight to it and is far less tippy than the original 3500, and I don't knock the newer one off my table.I'm buying an additional 3650 to keep in the guest room at a family member's house where I spent up to a month every winter. Every year, I have a harder time waking up on dark mornings, and I can afford to splurge on the best solution to that problem for a second location where I spend a lot of time. I almost went with the 3520, because it was totally fine and it is cheaper, but decided that having the exact same controls would be the wisest choice for me.All of these clocks have some learning curve, but the controls differ between 3520 and 3650. They aren't so difficult that I need the pull out the manual, but they are fiddly and require navigating down into a menu, and I don't need to make my life harder when I arrive jet-lagged across the country.Finally, the "wind down" sunSET simulator on the 3650 is very pleasant. I had insomnia a lot as a younger person, but I am almost completely cured of it in mid-life, in part because I've developed excellent "sleep hygiene" habits such as avoiding blue light in bed, winding down with a book every night, and following a routine. The sunset simulation fits beautifully into my routine, and my eyelids get heavier as the clock dims, even though I read on a backlit Kindle most of the time so can continue after my lamp goes full dark.There are nitpicks: it is dumb that starting the sunset simulation briefly sets the lamp, if it was on when the option is selected, ALL THE WAY DARK, then raises the light level back up to where you asked the wind down process to begin. Sometimes my spouse is annoyed, thinking he can go to sleep in full dark at the moment when I actually need the gradual dimming to help me get ready to sleep.I can't recall now if my 3520 went fully dark at night (no visible clock display), but I love that the 3650 does go absolutely dark while I sleep. Simply tapping the face of the clock shows me the time if I wake and want to know what time it is.I also use the tap-the-top nightlight feature most nights as my husband goes to bed before I do. That works great to give me just enough light to get from bathroom to bed without banging into the bench at the foot of our bed. I don't recall my 3520 offering the same convenience in that way, either.At the end of the day, the negatives for the 3650 are small and none are deal-breakers for me. If my 3520 hadn't died, I'd happily buy a new one of those today, so I do recommend it. I only suggest the lightweight 3500 for those with a very tight budget who wake up with plenty of dexterity and not too much tendency to get annoyed by using two hands to settle the alarm clock.

I definitely think I have some PTSD from loud blaring alarms. Fed up, I got this after researching alarm alternatives. Yes, it's expensive but so so worth it! I work from home and don't have a set time I "punch in" but like to wake up around the same time everyday. This gently wakes me up each morning with one of the sounds provided, the bird chirping.I set the volume not too loud or low so it sounds like actual birds outside. That plus the alarm mimicking the sun, it really feels like the most "natural" way to wake up. I use to only use it during the winter time when the sun comes up later but I find myself using it all the time now now that I have room darkening curtains. I got the one without the app as I felt I didn't need it because once I set the alarm up, I don't need to do anything else unless I need to change the alarm time. The alarm turns off by itself but you can also turn it off manually as well. It's as simple as it gets.

I bought the non-app enabled version and this is my breakdown:Useability: From my perspective, this was really easy to use and quite intuitive. I was expecting to keep the manual on hand because it might get confusing, but my boyfriend and I went through the whole setup without even looking at the manual. I haven't had any problem navigating since then. I assume the buttons can be more confusing for some people because there might be a learning curve if this type of product is new for them.Sunrise: There are 7 natural sounds for the sunrise, in addition to the radio and no sound option, which I was surprised about. I was easily able to pick a sound I liked from the lineup. The light works, what more can I say. Perhaps because I'm taking melatonin right now, I didn't wake up to the light on my first night, but the sound did. I chose Nepal Bowls. The sound was a little loud, so it was a bit joltier than expected. Nothing changing the volume can't fix, but what surprised me was how I felt. After a few more minutes of snooze, I got up and just looked at the light and around my room. I was getting more energy just chilling there and forgot to turn on my electric fireplace when I got up. I never forget that, because it's the first light I wake up to. Not anymore.Sunset: This area I was looking forward to the most and was a bit disappointed. Ever since starting school up again, I've had insomnia for 3 months now. I didn't have a lamp in my room before this and wanted something that could help my night routines. I thought the sunrise sounds could also be used for sunset, but this is not the case. The sound choices are only 2 nature sounds, radio, no sound and aux. You only get Soft Rain and Ocean Waves, which is not enough options in my opinion. Most people don't have mp3 players or phones with aux ports anymore, so this severely limits what people can listen to when it comes to sleep music. I understand the frustration with not having Bluetooth, but for me, the point of having an alarm clock is to have the phone OUT OF THE BEDROOM!I initially did not realize that this clock enabled aux music, which was a pleasant surprise, for me at least. I am lucky enough to have a DAP (Digital Audio Player) already loaded with sleep music and other such. This limits screen use and blue light exposure, so I was able to listen to my preferred crackling fire sound. When I listen to the radio, I exclusively listen to 88.7, the classical channel. With these two options, the clock more than makes up for the lack of sleep sounds. Unfortunately, this is an outdated feature.While I make this work with my DAP, I'm very disappointed in the sunset sound options. I believe there needs to be more built-in options to encourage people to not bring their phone into the bedroom. I don't own a smartphone, so this was very important to me.RelaxBreathe: This one also falls REALLY short. The light mimicking breathe patterns is actually really good. Watching the light as I breathe does a good job of keeping me focused on the actual act of breathing, because I usually get stuck in my head and get distracted. The light gives me something to focus on. The sound though, is no good. There is no point in turning on sounds with the program, because YOU ONLY GET 1 SOUND. Your choice is no sound or Ocean Waves. I was really expecting a breathing sound or something, but no. I don't think this is a big deal though. The main focus is to breathe, and I think just the light is good for that. This feature is also part of the Unwind program, so it counts for bedtime too.Overall, these features are the most important to mention. The biggest problem I have is the sunset options. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A SOUND MACHINE ALARM CLOCK, THIS IS NOT IT. While the aux function should be replaced by Bluetooth to accommodate most people, the problem is that phone usage is encouraged by not having enough nature sounds. The aux port proves no problem for me, so my sunsets are calming, and sunrises are very invigorating. Just ask yourself whether you need sunrise or a sound machine, then figure out whether the product will work for your lifestyle. Fun fact: I was actually looking for a sound machine alarm clock, but this clock works for my lifestyle, so I'm glad I got this one.