Tom's Guide Verdict
The Dreamegg is a minimal, functional sunrise alarm clock and sound machine designed to elevate your mornings and evenings with simulated daylight and soothing sounds. It's a best-seller at Amazon and looks chic on your bedside table, boasting more than a passing resemblance to the hugely popular Hatch Restore 3 (but costing $100 less). Sleep sounds are a little basic but they do the job and the sunrise simulation is effective. For $59, it's excellent value for money.
Pros
- +
Different colored lights
- +
Sleep sounds built in
- +
Good value for money
- +
Stylish design
Cons
- -
Not much sound variety
- -
No Bluetooth
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Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock: Review in brief
Whenever someone tells me they're struggling to wake up on dark mornings, I immediately start raving about a sunrise alarm clock. In fact, I've tested over 43 sleep gadgets this year and a sunrise alarm clock is the one I find benefits my evenings and mornings the most.
More affordable than most of the best sunrise alarm clocks of the year, the Dreamegg comes at a great price, but what about it's features and functionality? I've been using it for the past two months to see if it can really help you rise and shine through winter (spoiler alert: it can, but we'll dig into its ins and outs and specific benefits below)...
Type: Wake-up and night light and sleep sound machine
Best for: Shoppers looking to stretch their dollars
Dimensions: 5.91 x 5.91 x 2.87 inches
Warranty: 1 year
Price: from $59.99 at Amazon
Out of all the sunrise alarm clocks I've tested this year, the Dreamegg is one of the best looking ones, complete with a chic fabric cloth rather than cheap looking plastic. It offers a decent sunrise simulation and calming sleep and wake up sounds do the job too.
I credit this sunrise alarm clock for helping me fight morning grogginess and get up and out for a run even on cold, dark winter mornings. There's no way I'd feel so positive if I was woken up by a jarring iPhone alarm instead.
The Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock is available in three colors including classic white (the neutral color I tested), dark khaki and navy blue; though the latter two colors are a little more expensive.
On a mission to use my phone less in bed, I've swapped my beloved Hatch Restore 3 for the Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock this winter. Here's everything you need to know about this versatile sleep device...
Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock: Price
If you're looking to stretch your money further this month (and who isn't), the Dreamegg is the sunrise alarm clock for you. Value for money is where it really shines.
It is more affordable than premium sunrise alarm clocks from the likes of Lumie and Hatch, but more functional and chic than ultra-budget options like the JALL sunrise alarm clock, but for not too much extra cost.
Right now there's up to 40% off the Dreamegg at Amazon, which brings the price of the classic white model down to $59.99 (was $99.99). You can expect to pay $69.99 for the dark khaki and $89.99 for the navy blue. Plus it's subscription-free, which can't be said for all wake-up alarms.
Compared to other multi-functional wake-up lights (the Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300 sits at $169 too), it is affordable but not the absolute cheapest (that's the HomeLabs sunrise alarm clock at $20.) Yet it certainly looks more premium than its budget-friendly price tag would suggest.
Price score: 4.5 out of 5
Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock: Features
The Dreamegg is a simple but mighty sunrise alarm clock. It offers an effective sunrise simulation, allowing you to wake up to a soft glow and can also be used as a fun nightlight thanks to its nine different color light options including red, pink, green and blue.
And its uses don't end there. There's 29 sleep sounds built in too, including white noise alongside calming nature sounds, to help dissipate stress at the end of the day and lull you to sleep. These calming sounds are the ones that wake you up too, meaning you can ditch that blaring phone alarm and starting your morning on a peaceful rather than jolting note.
With different light colors and sound tracks, you can customize your sleep and wake-up routines and change them up from night to night, if you wish.
You can keep your bedroom screen-free with the Dreamegg. Unlike premium sunrise alarm clocks like the Hatch, the Dreamegg is fully functional without Bluetooth or a mobile app. Instead, all the controls sit on the top of the device.
In terms of design, the circular Dreamegg is minimal and has a neutral cloth finish so it looks chic without cluttering up your bedside table. Its hand-sized diameter makes it perfect for travel. There's also a handy digital clock on the front.
Features score: 3.5 out of 5
Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock: Ease of use
If you're like me, the last thing you want to do when you're about to hit the hay is to be faced with complicated alarm controls. On the flip side, is there anything more frustrating than not being able to knock off your alarm sound immediately in the morning (no matter how pleasant that sound is, sometimes you just want quiet first thing).
Fully operated via on-device buttons, the Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock doesn't over complicate anything. All buttons on top of the circular clock and they're all intuitive. Honestly, even technophobes you can't go far wrong.
As long as the alarm icon light displays on the clock front before you go to sleep, it means your alarm is set to wake you up in the morning. If not, you simply click on the alarm button to turn it on, and use the same button to turn it off in the morning.
Or there's a snooze button if you need an extra five minutes (though experts don't recommend you hit snooze).
Ease of use score: 5 out of 5
Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock: Performance
I've been testing the Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock for over a month now, assessing it in key areas of performance, including ease of use, set up and general night-to-night function. Here's how it performed in tests...
Set-up
Setting up the Dreamegg takes a matter of minutes. You simply plug in, dial in the time and set your preferred alarm time, sound and brightness using buttons directly on the device. There's no need for any connectivity.
You can chose between a 30 minute or 60 minute sunrise duration, select your alarm sound and volume and adjust light intensity through the +/- buttons and twisting dials.
With your custom morning wake-up and evening routines set, the Dreamegg is ready to improve your sleep cycle with a combination of simulated sunlight and nature sounds.
Sunrise simulation
Honestly, simulated daylight is a game changer for me in winter and I've been pleased with the Dreamegg's sunrise feature.
Smaller and less intense, it is not as bright as more premium models like the Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light. That said, it is enough to give me that much-needed boost in the morning.
The gentle amber light warms my bedroom over the course of 30 minutes before the alarm sounds so I'm gently pulled from slumber and feel more alert upon waking.
A 2014 study by researchers at University College London found this simulated sunlight is the ideal wake-up call. This research concludes: "Light exposure during the last 30 min of habitual sleep can increase subjective alertness and improve both cognitive and physical performance after waking."
Alarms
One of the many reasons to invest in a sunrise alarm clock is the fact they are much kinder on your nervous system than a jolting alarm sound and this is mainly due to the fact they replace harsh bleeps with calming sounds.
Even though the light pulls you from sleep, most people need the audio alarm to fully wake them up.
The Dreamegg's catalogue of alarm sounds includes natural melodies like birds, streams and the ocean, making you feel like you're in nature. So, while you're waking up on yet another dark, cold morning for work, at least the calm sound coming from your alarm clock reminds you of some of the beauty in the world.
Call me delulu, but I find this helps start my day on a more positive note than the iPhone 'Radar' sound ever did. Though, if you prefer a classic beeping alarm, there is that option, too.
Sunset simulation
With nine stunning colors and adjustable brightness, the Dreamegg functions as a night light as well as a wake-up one. In fact, I've relied on it as a bedside lamp for the past few weeks (my usual lamp's bulb needs changing and I haven't got around to changing it since the Dreamegg has done the job so well).
I like how the light gradually dims over 30 to 60 minutes before bed. I change between the two time settings depending on how long I've left myself to wind down before bed. I find the red light setting is particularly warm and cosy and helps me feel sleepy, thanks to red light's role in the production of melatonin.
Sleep sounds
Dreamegg's sleep sounds may not be as sophisticated as Hatch's sleep podcasts and meditations, but there's still plenty to chose from.
The Dreamegg is loaded with white, pink and brown noise, nature sounds like birdsong, ocean waves, thunderstorms, crickets and flowing streams, fan sounds for consistent background noise (if that's your thing), meditation tones and lullabies, which make it a handy bedtime device for your brood, too.
A true water baby, I personally enjoy the sound of crazing waves and find the Dreamegg's wave sound has helped me relax at bedtime on several occasions. I even like to play it on a low volume in the background while reading before bed. I then leave it playing while I fall asleep and the clock's timer will knock it off while I'm asleep.
Although I've appreciated the sounds the Dreamegg has to offer, and enjoy the phone-free controls, it would be useful if you could link it to your phone via Bluetooth to stream your own sleep tracks through the speaker. I imagine the sound selection could get boring after many months of use.
Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock: User reviews
As an Amazon best-seller, the Dreamegg gains a 4.3 out of 5 star rating from 450+ customers.
Customers enjoy the soothing light and sound features and find it easy to set-up and navigate. Overall, they reckon it's good value for money and agree it's an aesthetic pick. But some say the light isn't as bright as expected.
One customer writes: "I’ve been waiting for a sunrise alarm clock that’s user friendly and under $100 and have been so satisfied with this. I travel with it and it travels well."
Another says it's a "great product for half the cost of the over complicated Hatch."
Should you buy the Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock?
Buy the Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock if...
✅You want to stretch your dollars: Good looking and functional, the Dreamegg is one of the best value sunrise alarm clocks you can buy right now.
✅Dark mornings are getting you down: Rise and shine, they say. Yet it's pretty hard to do that when it's dark and drizzly outside. But the Dreamegg's simulated sunlight and calming sounds can really boost your mood.
✅You want to keep your phone out the bedroom: Investing in a sunrise alarm clock means you won't have to rely on your phone alarm and with all controls on the device, it doesn't need to be connected like other premium clocks (Hatch). Instead it's intuitive and easy to use.
Don't buy the Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock if...
❌You want sophisticated sleep sounds: Yes the Dreamegg is preloaded with calming nature sounds and white noise. But you can get more versatile and better quality sleep audio (including podcasts and mediations) with Hatch and Lumie.
❌ You want to listen to your own sleep tracks: Unlike a lot of sunrise alarm clocks, you can't link the Dreamegg up via Bluetooth to play sounds from your phone. You're stuck with what the clock offers.
Alternatives to consider
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