Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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149 of 155 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Function over form, 16 Feb 2008
If you're thinking about buying one this may help.
First:
If you haven't already tried wake-up lights, and find getting up to normal alarms is jarring, then I recommend these. They really do seem to help, in winter at least (though bear in mind winter doesn't last forever). This one does that job easily as well as the Lumis I've used, and is in some ways better, though worse in others.
This review compares the Philips to other light alarms, not to other alarm clocks.
Here is the review:
The bad
- It's quite big, and frankly a bit ugly.
- User interface not the best - e.g. too many turns needed to adjust light & volume
- No radio presets, so if you want to change, you use the search function
- Radio OK for talk stations, but not audiophile quality.
- My radio makes a nasty squelch noise when switching on (as it searches for the station?)
. (n.b. not as bad as I'd feared if using to wake up, as it fades in,
. so squelch not too intrusive on waking up)
- Both the light and sound come on at the volume you left them at.
. (so if you need 100w of light to read, but 60w to wake up, you'll need to adjust. Every night.)
The good
- It works. Wake up light fades up perfectly. It wakes me up gently.
- Mine seems to be absolutely silent when radio etc not on
- 100w light means it works as a bedside light, which others (e.g. Lumi) don't, really
- It uses a (fairly) standard bulb
- I found radio reception OK to good (compared to last alarm clock)
- Less space than light + alarm clock (tall = small "footprint")
- I found the digital read out and "alarm on" lights not a problem when dimmed
(caveat emptor - if you've very sensitive, might be problem, but I found the dimmed settings much less bright than I feared - noticeably less the than my wife's lumi's green LED display, for example. The designer has at least clearly thought about it - they're not "full strength" LEDs)
Observations
- The design follows function, so is probably excusable:
. It looks like this so that you can have a relatively small unit with a 100w bulb - which is actually quite clever
- The shade has vents to let air through, well designed to conceal the bulb, and handle the heat
- Albeit made of plastic, it's more robust than I'd feared from other reviews. It's functional - not a style statement. Not Sony quality.
- I found 'birdsong' sounds OK/good, and the beep is much better than most - quite gentle
- The frog pool and ocean sounds are a bit weird, I can't imagine using them
- No "fade down" to sleep function, no "white noise function"
- Fade-up times are not adjustable
- You have to cycle through alarm modes to switch off the alarm for weekends
. (as opposed to "shut up, I'm awake now")
- It's tall, and snooze buttons are on top - can be hard to get at.
Overall:
If you want functionality, at £60 (current offer) it's not at all bad. It does exactly what it says on the tin - 100w fade-up light and workable radio - and does that well.
I agree with other reviews, however. It's an OK to good product, particularly in the design of the key function (which excuses a lot - this is what you're buying it for), but it doesn't have the attention to detail that would mark it out as something exciting. It doesn't do anything it doesn't say it does, and has no "gosh, that's neat" features. However, no-one has a product that does have that out there at the moment - which means this one may be the best on the market for now.
If you're looking for a functional light alarm with a radio (and particularly that works OK as a bedside light) then at £60 I'd recommend it. As long as you can live with the limitations. I might even pay the full £100 if I had to, just for the functionality. Until Sony come out with a better one, that is ...
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94 of 104 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Glorified lamp but still very good, 17 Oct 2007
I bought this yesterday so have only woken up to it once. I did wake up very well though and wasn't drowsy at all.
The dawn effect is very good and I wasnt aware of any sudden noises or lights when I woke up. Even the radio fades in so as not to jolt you awake.
It is quite a plasticy product and doesnt feel very sturdy when you press the buttons. The radio sounds quite hollow but the beeping is very nice and gentle.
It is set to take 30 mins to light up and you cant change it but thats the time I'd choose anyway. I like how the light fades out when you turn it on or off so theres no sudden changes. If you're using it to read at night you have to remember to turn the brightness back up for the morning.
My main complaint is the price. For £100 I want something really well made, all singing, all dancing. This is basically a lamp with a dimmer switch and a timer and that really is what you get. They are cashing in on the fact that it's a 'medical device' (proclaimed at every opportunity)but not invested in the small things that make you feel like you've got a quality product. It feels a little flimsy and there arent many options to personalise. The snooze, lamp and radio buttons are on the top and it's quite tall so its a stretch to reach from lying down.
Having said all that I like it. It wakes you gently and the highest setting is really very bright. The brightness is on a dial so you can get exactly the brightness you want. Its a really nice way to wake up and I expect it to be invaluable through the winter.
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55 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Good idea but considering the price lacking style, 5 Jan 2008
I have been on the look out for a sunrise type alarm clock for a while to make getting up early on winters mornings less depressing.
I bought the philips HF3461 a few weeks ago.
It has 3 different sounds to wake up to (birds, tropical or waves). You can also wake up to the radio. All fade in gradually as the light comes on over 30mins. In terms of doing its job therefore it is fine.
I have 2 major issues with this product however.
Firstly the price. The list price is £100. I don't mind spending £100 on an alarm clock but what really irritates me is bad value. Unfortunately this is. It is essentially a basic philips alarm clock price £15 with a light. It does not cost £85 to add a light. I know it is made of plastic and so will be plasticky but as we all know there is a hell of a difference between the plastic in Fiat and that in a Mercedes. This is very definitely the former. The plastic feels very cheap and the buttons equally so. (ie you press a button with no reassuring clunks and plastic fascia bends).
My second issue is the look of the thing. I could almost live with the cheap feel if it looked good but it doesn't. Why have they made the light shade so big. Most people who can afford £100 for an alarm clock probably already have a very nice bedside light. All you really need surely is a light on top little bigger than the bulb it contains not some hideous plastic tower.
The bottom line is philips have produced a cheap looking plasticky alarm clock with a light which will therefore appeal to the cheaper end of the market but priced it at £100. Will anyone therefore buy this. In my opinion it is worth about £25. Anyway my wife not unreasonably made me return it something about 'Hideous and not in my bedroom' and no she wasn't talking about me.
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