Hatch Restore reviews are in
And the verdict is that I’m completely obsessed. If you’re looking for a Hatch Restore review that will convince you not to buy it, this is not that kind of review.
First, I fell in love with the idea of a sunrise alarm clock, then I fell in love with a Hatch Restore
Before we get into the reviews for Hatch Restore, how about a quick love story?
I wanted a sunrise alarm clock for a long time before I actually purchased once. It all started when I went to Las Vegas for a work trip. The hotel I stayed at was right on the strip and it was super bright in the room no matter what time of day, so like most hotels in Las Vegas it had black out blinds. But what was even cooler was that I could program the blackout blinds to open up at a specific, scheduled time. I decided I would set it for 10 minutes before my alarm went off. And oh my gosh. It was the most delightful way to wake up ever. I gradually, naturally woke up as the light of the city filled the room and when my alarm went off I wasn’t jolted up and annoyed, I was ready to get up. It felt good.
For a long time, I dreamt about purchasing programmable blackout curtains, but they aren’t the cheapest upgrade, not to mention they aren’t super helpful for waking up in the winter in Michigan (it is SO dark). Fast forward a few years and I started to see sunrise alarm clocks all over. I was so excited, I researched options, read plenty of Hatch alarm clock reviews (and other brands), and I finally made the purchase!
Quick tour of the Hatch Restore
The Hatch alarm clock +
The Hatch Restore is an alarm clock, noisemaker, and light all in one.
When looking at the front of the alarm, the right side allows you to control the brightness of the light, the left side the volume of the noisemaker.
It also has a small bar on the top to manually initiate your bedtime routine, snooze, or turn off the alarm with two fingers.
The app
The alarm clock is controlled by an app. The app has a section for “bedtime” where you can create and save a bedtime routine and a section for “wake up” where you can create an save as many alarm wake up routines as you want.
As you can see, I have a couple of wake ups right now. Both of them are the same wake up routine (light, noise, etc.), but they are different times. The first alarm (the one that is toggled on) is my ideal wake up time should Nellie sleep through the night (the light starts at 5am and out of bed by 5:10am). And the second alarm is the alarm I adjust if Nellie wakes up at a weird time and I need to sleep longer than 5:00am to feel my best.
Is the Hatch alarm clock worth it?
When I found the Hatch alarm clock and read Hatch Restore reviews I knew I had to give it a try. Honestly, I’ve been scoping out sunrise alarm clocks for a year or two. I am so glad I made the purchase.
Hatch reviews: My favorite things!
- It’s a clock, light, and noisemaker all in one.
- I am no longer jolted awake by an alarm.
- Simple, minimal design that looks good on your dresser.
- It’s not just to wake up, it’s an amazing tool for bedtime routine too! (more on this below)
- You know that “5 more minutes” feeling when your alarm goes off? The Hatch Restore solves that for me. I have my Hatch Restore set for a 10 minute sunrise before some soft white noise turns on in addition to the light, and then my alarm clock goes off 5 minutes later. Those 15 minutes are enough for me to gradually wake up before my alarm goes off.
- There’s a ton of flexibility when setting up your bedtime and wake up routines — so many possible combinations of light, noise, and timing!
- My absolutely favorite thing is that it’s a delightful, gradual, more natural way to wake up. I wake up happier! And anything that makes the mornings more enjoyable will likely have my endorsement.
My not so favorite things about the Hatch Restore
This list is short. Pretty good sign, I’d say.
- Like all technology, a hard reset is good for your sunrise alarm clock every once in a while. My Hatch Restore went through a phase and I had to reset it (on the bottom of the alarm). Once I did it was as good as new.
- Small potato — it takes longer than I’d like for the app to connect to the Hatch Restore so I can make adjustments (turn on or off an alarm). (p.s. “longer than I’d like” it probably a few seconds, it just feels like a long time because I’m usually sleep deprived after feeding an infant when I try to turn an alarm on or off).
Hatch reviews: Can it help create a better bedtime routine too?
You know I am allllll about an early wake up time. But don’t be fooled, this mama needs sleep, so establishing a (early) bedtime routine is critical. An unexpected perk of the Hatch Restore is that it has really helped me wind down for bed. When I tap the alarm to go to bed it turns on a warm light for me to read, 20 minutes later the light slowly fades out, and my selected white noise fades in. I have my white noise set to last for 40 minutes, but I’m usually asleep much faster.
I have loved this routine. Since my alarm is across the room I shut my book when the light turns off. I don’t end up over reading. And it’s a nice way to dial down my thoughts from the day and prepare for sleep.
Hatch Restore tips
- Put your Hatch alarm clock facing your bed so the light shines onto your face.
- Put your Hatch alarm far enough away that you have to get out of bed to turn it off. This is my number one way to get yourself to stop hitting the snooze button and it will also help you stick to your bedtime routine because you’d have to get out of bed to adjust the light or noise.
- If you have a different routine during the weekdays vs. weekend, make two alarms, select weekdays for one and weekend days for the other, and keep them both on all the time. No adjusting needed!
- If you are a light sleeper, make good use of the brighter, whiter light (vs. the pink or orange tones) for your wake up routine as well as the white noise!
- Stay away from blue light tones for your bedtime routine, I selected a warmer, orange-ish pink tone light and I love it!
Hatch reviews TLDR;
Get a Hatch Restore alarm clock, your morning routine will never be so lovely.