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Wi-Fi sunrise alarm and sound machine with an optional Hatch+ plan
$169.99
US price, checked
Sunrise alarm clock
Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light HF3520/60
Plug-in sunrise lamp with a 20 to 40 minute dawn, five sounds and no app
$108.99US price, checked
Check price at Philips for Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light HF3520/60 Our reviews rest on published sources, not hands-on testing. Our method
Porsche also cofounded Superhuman Chambers, which sells hyperbaric chambers · About the author. This is general information, not medical advice, and no clinician has reviewed it.
The verdict
The Philips SmartSleep HF3520/60 is a $108.99 bedside lamp that brightens for 30 minutes by default, up to about 300 lux. A nature sound or FM radio then plays. It suits you if you want a sunrise alarm you set with buttons, with no app or account. The catch is no phone control and a clock memory of only 4 to 8 hours in a power cut.
The trade-off
It has no phone control or streaming, and the clock memory lasts only 4 to 8 hours in a power cut.
At a glanceSunrise alarm clock
- Sunrise
- 30 minutes by default, adjustable to 20, 25, 35 or 40 minutes
- Light output
- 20 levels, about 1 to 300 lux at 45 cm (17.7 in)
- Sounds
- Five natural sounds (Forest Birds, Buddha, Yoga, Ocean Waves, Nepal Bowls)…
- Alarms and snooze
- Two alarms
Model reviewed: US model HF3520/60 with colored sunrise, five natural sounds and FM radio
$108.99
Check price at Philips US price, checked
No affiliate commission on this link. Check the exact variant before buying.
- Returns A 90-day money-back guarantee, with return shipping at your cost. See conditions
- Warranty Two years from the date of purchase. See conditions
About this price
List price on Philips's US product page on Oct 20, 2026, before tax and shipping. The page shows US dollars and marks it in stock, with no crossed-out regular price, so it isn't a sale price. The shipping cost wasn't shown.
$50$100$500$1K
A GOOD FIT FOR
You want a dawn-style alarm you set with buttons, with no app, Wi-Fi or subscription.
- You want a sunrise alarm you set with buttons, with no app, account or Wi-Fi
- You want to choose how long the dawn runs, from 20 to 40 minutes
- You want a printed light level, up to about 300 lux at 45 cm
- You want an FM radio or a nature sound to follow the light
THINK TWICE IF
- You want the light and alarm to keep running in a power cut, since the clock memory lasts only 4 to 8 hours
- You want phone control or your own audio, since it has no app or smartphone audio
- You want sleep tracking or sleep sounds beyond five nature sounds and the radio
- Philips's manual says to ask your doctor first if you have had depression
- You share a bedroom, since Philips's manual says the light may wake the other person
What still needs checking
- Which studies Philips means by clinically proven
- The housing material
- Whether the light and alarm run at all during a power cut
- Typical daily power use, and which of the 12 W or 16.5 W figures applies
- Whether the 90-day guarantee terms in the 2022 manual still apply to a purchase from Philips's US store
- The shipping cost on Philips's US store
- Which size and weight figures are current, the manual's or the product page's
The practical details.
| Exact variant | US model HF3520/60 with colored sunrise, five natural sounds and FM radio |
|---|---|
| Sunrise | 30 minutes by default, adjustable to 20, 25, 35 or 40 minutes. Light moves from red through orange to yellow. |
| Light output | 20 levels, about 1 to 300 lux at 45 cm (17.7 in). Color about 1500 K to 2800 K, UV-free. |
| Sounds | Five natural sounds (Forest Birds, Buddha, Yoga, Ocean Waves, Nepal Bowls) or FM radio (87.5 to 108.0 MHz). The sound rises to your chosen volume within about 1.5 minutes. |
| Alarms and snooze | Two alarms. Tap the top to snooze for 9 minutes. A fall-asleep dimming timer of 5 to 60 minutes. |
| App and connectivity | No app control and no smartphone audio listed. No Wi-Fi or Bluetooth listed. Doesn't charge a phone. |
| Power | Adapter takes 100 to 240 V AC and outputs 24 V DC. Main unit rated 12 W (the product page says 16.5 W). Standby is under 0.5 W with the display at maximum and under 0.25 W with it off. |
| Power cut | Clock time is kept for up to 8 hours (the product page says 4 to 8 hours). Longer and you reset it. |
| Display | Four brightness levels plus off. It brightens on its own when the room is bright. |
| Size and weight | Manual: about 20 x 20 x 15 cm and 0.76 kg. Product page: 19.2 x 19.9 x 14.6 cm and 730 g. |
| Safety standards stated by Philips | UL 153 and UL 62368 (US and Canada) and IEC 62471 photobiological safety. No listing numbers given. |
| Warranty and returns | Two-year warranty. 90-day money-back guarantee with mailed return and refund by check. |
| Dimensions | Philips's manual gives the main unit as about 20 x 20 x 15 cm (7.9 x 7.9 x 5.9 in) and 0.76 kg (26.8 oz). The product page lists 19.2 cm high, 19.9 cm across and 14.6 cm deep, and 730 grams. The two sets of figures differ slightly. The page gives a 150 cm cord, and the manual gives the power adapter a 183 cm (6 ft) cord. Philips says to place the lamp 16 to 20 inches (40 to 50 cm) from your head. |
| Materials | Philips doesn't state the housing material on the pages checked. The page lists a Lumiled Luxeon Rebel lamp and calls the light UV-free. The manual calls it a durable LED lamp that should last a long time, and it gives no lifespan. The base has anti-slip rubber feet. The manual says the power adapter is the only user-serviceable part. |
Before you buy
InstallationNothing to install
Nothing to install. Plug in the adapter, then use the menu buttons on the lamp to set the clock and a wake-up profile. A profile covers the wake-up time, light level, sound and volume. You can store two profiles. Philips says it is for indoor use only and not for a bathroom or near a shower. The lamp has no app, so there is nothing to set up.
WarrantyTwo years from the date of purchase, per the manual and product page
Two years from the date of purchase, per the manual and product page. Philips agrees to repair or replace a defective unit without charge. It doesn't cover accident, misuse, abuse or lack of reasonable care. It also doesn't cover damage in shipping. To start a claim you go to Philips's support site, and the manual suggests returning shipments by insured mail.
ReturnsA 90-day money-back guarantee, with return shipping at your cost
A 90-day money-back guarantee, with return shipping at your cost. Philips's user manual (copyright 2022) says to ship the unit prepaid by insured mail. You include the original sales receipt and a return authorization form, which you get by calling Philips support. It must be postmarked within 90 days of purchase. Philips says a refund check arrives 6 to 8 weeks after it receives the unit, and it may limit refunds to the suggested retail price. The product page names a 90 Day No Hassle Money Back Guarantee but doesn't print these terms.
More about this assessment
The Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light HF3520/60 is a plug-in bedside lamp that brightens over 30 minutes by default. It then plays one of five natural sounds or FM radio. You can set the sunrise to run 20 to 40 minutes. Philips's manual gives its light output as about 1 to 300 lux at 45 cm. It has no app, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. In a power cut it keeps the clock for only 4 to 8 hours. Philips's US store listed it at $108.99 and in stock on Oct 20, 2026. A two-year warranty and a 90-day money-back guarantee apply. Philips calls it clinically proven but names no study on its page.
Strengths on paper
- The sunrise length is adjustable from 20 to 40 minutes, and the light level has 20 steps
- Philips's manual gives the light output as about 1 to 300 lux at 45 cm and the color as about 1500 K to 2800 K
- No app, Wi-Fi or subscription to set up
- Two alarms, a 9-minute tap snooze and a fall-asleep dimming timer
- The display dims itself in a dark room
- A two-year warranty and a 90-day money-back guarantee
Limitations
- It has no app, phone control, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so every change is made with the lamp's buttons
- It has only five natural sounds and FM radio, and you can't play your own audio
- The clock memory lasts only 4 to 8 hours in a power cut
- Returns are by mail with insured shipping at your cost, a return authorization form and a refund check that can take 6 to 8 weeks
- The manual and the product page give different sizes, weights and power figures
- Philips calls it clinically proven but names no study, and its 92% figure is from a 2011 survey of 209 users
Running costs.
PLAN YOUR OWNERSHIP COSTS
What will it cost to own?
Change the assumptions to fit your use. Leave an unknown cost blank. Add water, subscriptions, cleaning, shipping and taxes if they apply. Use average operating power, not the maximum rating.
3-year known subtotal
$108.99Incomplete: energy use. This is not the full ownership cost.
Energy component: Unknown
Purchase + installation + years × (annual consumables + annual other) + watts/1000 × hours/day × 365 × years × $/kWh. Annualized allowances, not an exact replacement schedule. Excludes taxes, shipping, finance and resale unless entered.Replacement parts & cost assumptions
No scheduled consumable is listed. That doesn’t mean zero maintenance or repair costs.
- Purchase is the $108.99 list price on Philips's US store on Oct 20, 2026, before tax. The shipping cost wasn't shown.
- There are no parts, refills, app or subscription, so recurring costs are $0. Philips gives no lamp lifespan, so no replacement is budgeted. A new one costs $108.99 at today's price.
- Philips's manual rates the main unit at 12 W and gives a standby draw of under 0.5 W with the display at maximum. It gives no typical daily use, so energy cost is left unknown.
- The product page lists 16.5 W and the manual lists 12 W, and neither says which applies while the light is on at full level.
Evidence & sources.
- Manufacturer claimPhilips says only its Wake-up Lights are clinically proven. It says research by independent science facilities showed it wakes you more naturally and more energized and improves your morning mood.1 The page names no study. It also says 92% of users find it easier to get out of bed, citing a 2011 survey (Metrixlab, 209 users), which is a user survey rather than a trial.
- Published studyIn two home studies of people who had difficulty waking early, an alarm clock with an artificial dawn reduced complaints of sleep inertia compared with no dawn. The first study compared 0, 50 and 250 lux for two weeks each, and the second compared 0 lux with a self-selected dawn intensity.3 The measure was self-reported sleep inertia complaints. The study doesn't say which lamp it used. Melatonin timing didn't shift, and the authors say mechanisms other than a clock shift are needed to explain the result. It says nothing about the Philips HF3520.
- Published studyIn eight adults who reported difficulty with morning waking, a simulated dawn in the last 30 minutes of sleep gave higher alertness ratings. Reaction times after waking were also faster (0.81 against 0.86 seconds) than on a control morning.4 It was a randomized crossover study of only eight people. The study measured alertness and simple tasks shortly after waking, not health outcomes, and the study doesn't say which lamp it used.
- Published studyIn 23 adults with an average age of 67, a dawn simulation in the last 30 minutes of one overnight stay led to 33% less sleep before waking. Blood pressure was lower before they woke, and the authors found no change in alertness, balance or cardiovascular function after standing.5 It was a laboratory study of two overnight stays, and 12 of the participants reported a history of morning dizziness. It says nothing about a home lamp over months.
- Manufacturer claimPhilips's manual says to consult your doctor before using the appliance if you have suffered from or are suffering from depression. It also says the lamp does not reduce your need for sleep and that a person sharing your bedroom may wake from its light.2 These are Philips's own safety instructions. They aren't a medical assessment, and this review makes no claim about depression.
- Manufacturer claimPhilips's manual says the lamp meets UL 153 and UL 62368 safety requirements for the US and Canada and IEC 62471 photobiological safety.2 Philips gives no listing numbers.
Sources (5)
- SmartSleep Wake-up Light HF3520/60 (US product page with price, specifications and reviews) Philips · manufacturer · checked Oct 23, 2026
- HF3520 user manual (English, with the 90-day guarantee and two-year warranty) Philips · manufacturer · checked Oct 20, 2026
- Effects of artificial dawn on subjective ratings of sleep inertia and dim light melatonin onset (Giménez et al., Chronobiology International, 2010) PubMed · study · checked Oct 20, 2026
- Effects of dawn simulation on markers of sleep inertia and post-waking performance in humans (Thompson et al., European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2014) PubMed · study · checked Oct 20, 2026
- Effect of artificial dawn light on cardiovascular function, alertness, and balance in middle-aged and older adults (Gabel et al., Sleep, 2020) PubMed · study · checked Oct 20, 2026
Other options.
Back to our sleep & bedding picks →About this review. The facts on this page come from manufacturer pages and published studies, checked between Oct 20 and Oct 23, 2026. The sources are listed above.
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