Philips Wake-Up Light HF3475/01 With Radio Alarm - White

 

 

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Whilst I wouldn't call myself a sufferer of Seasonal Affected Disorder I do find waking up naturally with the sun shining through the gap in the curtains preferable to being dragged out of the darkness by the rude awakening of an alarm clock. This is where the Philips wake-up light comes in and I love it - waking up to a room filled with a warm glow, all cosy and coming to naturally, listening to the sounds of the birds chirping - sheer bliss.

The Philips Wake-up Light is designed to gently prepare your body for waking up during the last half hour of sleep. You place the appliance next to your bed at a recommended 40-50cm from your head. Half an hour before you set the alarm the light starts to build to your desired level and at the time you've set the alarm for you have the option of FM radio, Birdsong, a beeping sound, wind chimes or jungle drums.

It's not all good however, the light is large, white and plasticy looking, the controls take a bit of getting used to and the FM radio with its wire aerial doesn't pick up my preferred morning radio station. Hence it sits on my bookshelf and my trusty DAB clock radio still has pride of place on my bedside table set to come on 10 minutes after the wake-up light.

The bulb has an expected life of 7 years of normal use.

After using it for a couple of weeks now I didn't realise how much difference it made until I forgot to set it and instead was woken up by my clock radio and back-up alarm clock - it just wasn't the same.

UPDATE: 25 OCT 2009 - NO LIGHT BUT BIRDS SINGING IN THE DARKNESS

A couple of days ago I woke up in the darkness and thought I'd forgotten to set the alarm until I realised I could hear birds chirping away in the darkness. The only solution offered by the manual or Philips web site was that the bulb was faulty or the light setting was too low, yet when I switched just the lamp on it worked fine at full brightness so the bulb appeared to be OK. By searching the internet I found that others had reported similar with previous models and the solution is to unplug the unit to reset it (had to be unplugged for several hours before the time displayed wasn't the current time) and thankfully my light's now working again......6 weeks on and it has worked every morning since.

FURTHER UPDATE: 13 DEC 2009 - Since writing this review I notice that Philips have added the following to the product description "2-years manufacturer's guarantee - Philips will replace the whole Wakeup light even if only the bulb is faulty "

END OF THE WINTER: And starting to get light in the mornings now..... From first use, this light has locked out on me a total of three times, each time leaving it unplugged all day and then resetting the time has sorted the problem. Despite this I would still thoroughly recommend it!

OCTOBER 2010: The dark mornings are with us again and after struggling to get up last week this weekend my wake-up lamp was brought back into use. This morning I woke up before my alarm went off, warm and cosy to a room filled with soft light and the sound of birdsong - makes me smile just thinking about it!

NOVEMBER 2011: This light's still going well but now relegated to another bedroom as I've got another model Philips HF3470 which whilst it has less options than this one, it had the ones that I use. The controls are in my opinion better laid out and for added peace of mind it has a bulb which is user-replaceable.

I love this wake-up light. I bought it a few weeks ago and it has transformed my morning wake-up. I'd been feeling tired in the mornings and finding it difficult to wake. I wasn' feeling refreshed after my sleep. Now with the wake-up light, every day is like waking up on a sunny day. It's fabulous.

The lamp is sleek and looks nice and it's easy to set the alarm and brightness preferences. There is a choice of back up sounds in case the light doesn't wake you. I have woken everyday in the bathed in the gentle light of the lamp and then I have chosen to wake for the the sound of the gentle birdsong before rising. It's just such a nice thing to do. It makes wibnter mornings feel like summer ones. If you are thinking of buying a dawn-simulator alarm, I really recommend this one. Waking in the morning is a joy since I got this lamp and I feel envigorated and ready for my day.

This lamp has proved to be a pleasant way to wake up. The light really does lessen the shock of getting up in the morning since you become `aware' of it before the alarm sounds and prepare yourself. It is accompanied by your choice of sound which only activates at the actual time you set, unlike the light which very gradually brightens as the alarm time approaches. I chose the `soft chimes in the wind' sound which is a far more civilised way to wake up than the rude suddenness of a traditional alarm clock.

There are some minor issues to consider before purchase though. Firstly, the instructions state that the in-built bulb cannot be replaced, but it is of the low energy type anyway and with normal usage is reckoned to have a lifespan of around 7 years. Secondly there is a very low `hum' emitted from the lamp; this certainly isn't noticeable enough to bother most people but there may be some very sensitive people who will not like it. I had been concerned about whether the lamp would also wake my wife as it came on in the morning. That has proved not to be an issue as it does not appear to be bright enough to bother anyone who isn't sleeping next to the lamp. Lastly, there is no battery backup feature to this lamp although it does retain your settings for 15 minutes in the event of a power cut.

The cost of this lamp is going to be an issue when compared to a standard alarm clock but you must consider the value of your own well being, and decide whether you want to wake up with a start in the mornings or be gently roused from your sleep. I'm definitely pleased to be using this lamp and have no plans to go back.

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4.0 out of 5 stars A quality item with flaws
The Phillips Wake-Up Light is a chunky piece of plastic which is designed to wake you up in the morning using a mixture of artificial light and sounds from nature... Read more

Published 10 months ago by Buzz Harper

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than an alarm
The first week with the light was amazing and it was much easier to wake-up in the morning. However, I must have got used to it because after a while it didn't seem as effective... Read more

Published 12 months ago by Seahorse

1.0 out of 5 stars Steer clear
I have used this Clock/Alarm for one year now. In the beginning the lamp failed to come on occasionally. Now after the one years use it rarely come on. Read more

Published 15 months ago by H. J. Leach

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but fiddly control
Looks good and the light works well, only gripe would be the controls, when you get used to them its OK, but find that Phillips do overcomplicate the control units on their... Read more

Published 15 months ago by peter

5.0 out of 5 stars The best way to wake up during winter
I received this lamp last Christmas as a present and I have been using it to wake up since then. What can I say? Read more

Published 16 months ago by A reader

2.0 out of 5 stars A Disappointing Start to the Day!
I purchased the alarm lamp 8 months ago as a gift for my husband. Up until last weekend it worked perfectly and we loved it - and then late one night we switched it off, were just... Read more

Published 17 months ago by Mrs. E. A. Bentley

3.0 out of 5 stars Wake up light works, but buttons are terrible.
I like the way this wakes me up with a gradual sunrise effect. The problem is that I tend to wake up when the light first comes on about 15 minutes before the alarm, but if I turn... Read more

Published 18 months ago by Nick Finch

1.0 out of 5 stars Not a good buy!
I bought this for my daughter but the instructions are not clear; the controls are fiddly; and, unless we're not understanding it properly, needs to be re-set every night which is... Read more

Published 18 months ago by Helen

3.0 out of 5 stars When it works it is brilliant but...
We had this lamp for about 4 months before it developed a fault. For those 4 months (December to April) it was fantastic and it really improved how we woke each morning. Read more

Published 20 months ago by Alison

5.0 out of 5 stars The best weapon against Monday mornings
Normally reviews start with the opening impressions of the product in question, but please excuse my mis-ordering of what follows as I start the end. Read more

Published 21 months ago by L. Hady

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