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Hatch Restore Review: This Trendy Sunrise Alarm Clock Helped Me Avoid My Snooze Button

Though not as smart as it looks, this alarm clock did improve my nighttime and morning routines. But that doesn’t mean you need it.

hatch alarm clock on night stand Grace Cooper

By Grace Cooper

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It’s 2023: there are quite a few devices out there you can use to set an alarm to wake you up in the morning. You can use your smartphone, an old-school analog alarm clock or even a smart speaker, of course. But there’s also a growing landscape of smart alarm clocks that have a specific features (like soothing sounds and gradually brightening lights) for waking you up — and Hatch’s Restore might just be the trendiest of the bunch.

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If you haven’t seen Hatch Restore before — it seems to be everywhere on social media, at least for me — here’s what you should know. It’s a 3-in-1 device that acts as an alarm clock, a white-noise machine and a sun lamp (an indoor light that mimics the sun’s natural light throughout the day — not to be confused with a tanning lamp.) You can customize its various colors and noises, schedule different alarms and program routines via its companion app. There’s also an subscription option that gives you access to features like guided meditation, soothing music and sleep stories, but costs an extra $5/month or $50/year.

The Hatch Restore: What We Think

If you don’t regularly use a white-noise machine or sun lamp, or if you already own those items, the Restore won’t offer you much more than a standard alarm clock. For a device that costs $130, it glitches more than it should. And you’ll have to opt for the paid monthly subscription if you want access all that the Hatch has to offer — but you probably won’t need to, as the Restore works fine without spending the extra $5/month.

Pros

  • It's an alarm clock, white noise machine and sun lamp in one
  • Ability to program both morning and sleep routines

Cons

  • Occasionally glitches and needs to be reset
  • $130 for the clock and $50/year for membership benefits

Despite its somewhat limited functionality, I do use the alarm everyday and quite enjoy its nighttime programming. It’s a fun addition to my routine and an adequate substitute for cluttering my nightstand with a few different devices. In short, do I like using it? Yes. Could I live without it? Also yes.

The alarm positively changed my night routine — more so than my morning one.

I’ll admit I was a somewhat reluctant convert to the alarm’s sunrise alarm. In theory, it sounds great to be gently awakened by a slow sunrise — and there may be benefits to it — which is essentially what the Restore does. But in practice, you may find there’s a bit of an adjustment … as having a bright light flashed in your face is probably one of the last things you want to happen as you wake up.

The first few mornings of incorporating it into my routine, I found myself frantically turning off the alarm to get a few more minutes of rest. I like to think I’ve grown since then after months of use, but I still struggle to wake up during that first alarm occasionally.

hatch alarm clock
Choose from 22 colors to display on the Restore.
Grace Cooper

Morning person or not, the alarm clock also allows you to program a nighttime routine, which I do think has been surprisingly beneficial for my sleep. The device allows you to choose a color for the lamp and an accompanying white noise sound that plays with a touch of the main top button. There’s a free library of colors and sounds, as well as a paid membership you can opt for (because, of course).

I avoided upgrading to the paid app membership because I wasn’t sure the extra sounds would be worth an extra $50/year on top of a $130 clock, but finally gave in to the 30-day free trial and was pleasantly surprised. The membership gives you access to additional white noise sounds as well as other programs, like music, mindfulness practices and sleep stories, and I found myself using it quite often to unwind after the day.

However, I do also have a subscription to Headspace, which offers similar content and much more of it for only $6/month. The library feels still somewhat limited even with the paid additions; whether it’s worth a recurring expense is probably up to you as a user and what you want your nighttime routine to look like.

hatch alarm brightness control
The alarm clock’s controls are fairly simple, with volume and brightness levels on either side and a main button on the top of the machine.
Grace Cooper

It occasionally glitches.

My scheduled alarm has always gone off when using the Restore, but there have been a couple malfunctions. For example, there were a few times when the light won’t turn on, whether I manually set it to a color or my scheduled nighttime routine. Similarly, the other night I went to press the top button to turn on my nighttime routine, and it wouldn’t work; so I had to use the app.

Unplugging and plugging it back in seems to fix the issues, and it only happens occasionally. But considering I’ve really only been using the clock for a few months and it costs $130, glitches like this make me wonder about its longevity.

It doesn’t actually have that many smart features.

The color-changing sunrise alarm boasts many unique features that you won’t get with a simple phone alarm, and in theory it takes the place of a few devices, like a sun lamp / smart lightbulb and white noise machine. But if you don’t already use those things in your nighttime routine, then the Restore becomes just another viral product you didn’t need but were influenced into buying.

My initial disappointment with the Restore was that it lacks some of the features of other smart alarms we like, such as the ability to act as a speaker, and I question whether it should be categorized as a smart home device at all. Sure, it connects to your Wi-Fi and uses Bluetooth to connect to the app on your phone … but beyond that it’s simply a digital alarm with some fancy features and the ability to program morning alarms, a sleep routine and a bedtime ritual. It doesn’t sync with other smart devices in your home, adjust volume/brightness to its environment, monitor your sleep or respond to voice commands.

screenshot of hatch app
The device’s app allows you to personalize your morning and night routines. 
Grace Cooper
screenshot of hatch alarm app
Hatch’s paid membership gives you access to additional channels.
Grace Cooper

If design is an important factor for you, the Restore does have a unique, futuristic design that has certainly become popular (at least according to my TikTok feed). Seeing it in person, I was slightly underwhelmed. The matte plastic front that acts as the lamp part of the clock looks a little cheap and less sophisticated than I’d hoped — it’s like something you might find in a child’s room. Additionally, the actual time display is difficult to see during the day, as it’s projected through the textured gray material that covers the lower-front of the clock.

I will say that the Hatch is competitively priced in comparison to other sunrise alarms like this one from Philips, but it’s a bit steep if all you want is a run-of-the-mill alarm clock. If you’ve succumbed to the trend that has normalized spending over $100 on a clock, I’m here to bring you back to Earth: break down the price of a clock, sun lamp and white noise machine and compare that to the price of the Restore. I’m willing to bet you can find all three items for around $25 each on Amazon, and they probably won’t glitch as much as the one from Hatch. And if you’re really on a budget, frankly, there’s an app for all that.

The Hatch Restore: Alternatives

Hatch itself actually just released an upgraded version of the Restore, the Restore 2, which comes in at $200. It has an elevated linen design available in three colors, upgraded controls and more sound and light options. If you’re still hooked by Hatch, willing to splurge and want the latest the brand has to offer, then this could be the one for you.

Although Hatch seems to be one of the predominant brands in the space, there are other sunrise alarm clocks and even smart lamps that can help improve your morning and night routines. But if you aren’t willing to shell out $100 or $200, you can also get a smart light bulb.

If you’re not swayed by the “allure” of a sunrise alarm, then there are plenty of other smart alarms worth buying. Our favorite is the second generation Google Nest Hub, which tracks and monitors your sleep, gives you access to Google Assistant and has an excellent display. But if you’re still itching for a trendy item, then the Loftie Clock immediately comes to mind. It has a sleek design and shares a lot of the features of the Hatch in addition to acting as a Bluetooth speaker.

Pros

  • It's an alarm clock, white noise machine and sun lamp in one
  • Ability to program both morning and sleep routines

Cons

  • Occasionally glitches and needs to be reset
  • $130 for the clock and $50/year for membership benefits

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