Sunrise alarms have always seduced me, but I have never held back. After all, these appliances tend to take up a fair amount of bedside closet space — space I really don’t have. I was skeptical of the difference it could make to my morning, either—what if it was more annoying than helpful and simply tossed in the back of the closet? I was torn, and therefore ignored the potential of this technology.
Next, when I tried the Philips Hue Go Portable Light ($89.99, Amazon (Opens in a new tab)), I realized now was my chance to give it a go…Go ahead. Using a “wake up” routine, which basically simulates a sunrise in the morning, I can recreate the experience of a sunrise alarm clock with one of the best smart lights. I’ve been using it for over a week now, and this little light has made a huge difference in that time – both in the morning and in the evening. Here’s what happened.
What is the sunrise alarm?
Sunrise alarm clock is one of them 6 ways to make it easier to get out of bed In the morning. You’re basically programming it to light up gradually before your set wake-up time, so you’ll feel naturally awake and refreshed by the time your alarm rings.
In any case, you should feel a lot better than waking up in a dark room and then exposing yourself to sudden light. Sunrise alarms are especially desirable on dark winter mornings, when there is often little natural light outside. These devices tend to cost from $30 to $130.
What is the Philips Hue Go portable light?
This device is quite iconic if you are familiar with the Philips Hue range. It is a portable pot-shaped smart lamp that can basically project the color and atmosphere you want. It’s dimmable, offers all sorts of shades and tones, and comes with a plethora of preset moods and themes—everything from Chinatown, Starlight, and Ruby Glow to Honolulu. You can also create your own scene if you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for. It can be controlled via the Philips Hue app, as well as voice control via Alexa and Google Home if you purchase a separate Philips Hue bridge ($42.95, Amazon (Opens in a new tab)). With Bridge, you can control it while away from home, too.
It comes with routine options, which is where I found settings for Wake up as well as Go to sleep. These dim and brighten the light over a set time to simulate sunrise and sunset. You can also set a global timer here too if you need. This light is rechargeable and portable, giving you 2.5 hours of bright light, or up to 18 hours on the Cozy Candle setting. A small foot on its base means it can sit flat or propped up, like a spotlight.
What difference did it make in the morning and evening?
First, I was pleasantly surprised by the fingerprint of this smart light. It measures just 3.1 x 5.9 inches, which means you can fit it in the palm of your hands. aperture recovery alarm clock ($129.99, Amazon (Opens in a new tab)), measures 7.5 by 5.75 inches by comparison. Despite its small stature, it still weighs in at 1.4 pounds, which I absolutely loved because this gives it a sturdy feel. Overall, it looked pretty good displayed next to my bed.
The Philips Hue Go Portable Light doesn’t require access to a plug at all times either, making it easy to maneuver and versatile. Although it does need to stay connected while using Wake up settings, which is somewhat disappointing. Keep in mind that the battery runs out soon even if it’s fully charged, too – two and a half hours might not last even watching a movie.
Having said that, it was surprisingly bright when I first tried it, so much so that it outperformed my standard bedside lamp. I was really impressed with the massive collection of pre-made scenes as well. I ended up trying a different one every night to suit my mood, which became a fun routine in itself. Controlling the lamp via my phone was convenient and simple. Although there is a button on the base of the light that can let you cycle through several primary colors as well.
I tried the Go to sleep function the first night, and set it to fade out for more than 20 minutes. I found this more comfortable than I expected. While it helped set me up for bed, it felt good that I didn’t have to reach in and turn off the light switch once I started to get sleepy. And it wasn’t a case of suddenly being dark, guessing if you were ready for bed yet. I ended up relying on this setup as much as the wake-up function, but the latter was definitely a game-changer.
I have to get up at different times in the morning, depending on whether I go to the office, work from home, or just lie down on the weekends. Fortunately, you can easily program multiple timers on this smart bulb and then reuse them as needed.
On my first morning with the Philips Hue Go portable light, I was more aware of it. I woke up gradually within 20 minutes. That said, it wasn’t an unwelcome addition – just something I needed to get used to. By the time I finally got out of bed, I was sleepy, but more aware than usual. I loved that I could see around the room easily – I usually have to leave the lights off because my partner is still asleep. The last light wasn’t very intense either, so I can brush it off.
As the week went on, I became more accustomed to the artificial sunrise. I would wake up stretched and feeling energized, rather than surprised. Somehow I got the cold out of the room too, though I know that’s not possible. I had a more energetic and positive approach to mornings, which made getting out of bed so much easier. Now that I’m starting to use it, I can’t imagine trying to get up without it. The question is, what do I do with the original table lamp?
Were there any defects?
Remember, this is just a lamp at the end of the day, so don’t make noises. You will still need to rely on your trusted alarm clock for this. As mentioned earlier, you need to keep it connected as well to use the wake setting. This was a bit annoying as the charging cable somewhat spoils the aesthetics of the light.
At $90, this isn’t a particularly cheap option either. In fact, you can buy a standard sunrise alarm clock for half the price. Although it is worth noting that this light can do much more than a sunrise alarm clock. If you value the never-ending range of tones and colors, as well as the versatility of moving it around and the option to sync it with your smart home, you might prefer spending more on the Philips Hue Go Portable Light.
Finally, we’d like to see some lighting effects on display as well. Right now, the range of colors is huge, but they are just static continuous colors. There is no flickering effect of candlelight for example, which is nice. the Govee Ambient RGBWW Portable Table Lamp can achieve this, so why shouldn’t Philips?
Final thoughts
I’m so glad I got to try this setup on my Philips Hue Go Portable Light. Although it is not an official sunrise alarm clock, it gave me all the benefits of one and so much more. I use it to set the mood at dinner, as well as create atmosphere for movie nights. It has finally improved my mornings and evenings to no end, and I can’t see my sleep routine coming back.
If $90 is out of your budget, the Govee portable table lamp (Opens in a new tab) I mentioned earlier that they offer similar performance and design for $25 less. Although I should note that the bezel-less finish and viewfinder selection ultimately look better than the Philips.
