Best Projection Alarm Clock (Reviews And Buyer’s Guide 2023)

How many times have you fumbled with your clock or smartphone while trying to check the time in the middle of the night? With a projection alarm clock, time stares right at you as it softly glows on the ceiling. You’ll know exactly what time it is without disturbing your bed mate or blindly searching for your watch. Instead, you’ll get to that morning meeting on time, or burrow deeper into your duvet-covered cocoon — all without lifting a finger to figure out what time it is.

In this post, we’ll point out the benefits of using a projection alarm clock, how to go about choosing one, and wrap-up the discussion with the best projection alarm clock reviews.

What is the Point of a Projection Alarm Clock?

In our world of technology, everything is always evolving to make our lives easier. A projection alarm clock is designed to provide data with very little effort on your part to obtain it.

Picture this: While snuggled deeply below your blankets, you suddenly jerk awake thinking you’ve overslept. You stumble through the dark trying to find your bedside clock, wrist watch, smartphone, or anything to tell you the correct time. Once you do, you realize you still have a few hours of sleep left. Bummer.

A projection alarm clock can sidestep this problem by displaying the digital time in giant numbers on the ceiling. All you have to do is roll over, peek with one eye, and voila! You’ve barely moved, and you know exactly what time it is (source).

Why Should You Use a Projection Alarm Clock?

We all know alarm clocks are designed to get you up by making a series of sounds loud enough to stir you awake. Like any well-functioning alarm clock, projection alarm clocks can accomplish this goal. But how do they do it and what else can they offer?

Perhaps you like to wake up to the radio or check the temperature first thing in the morning to help cut your dressing time in half. Or maybe you need a buzzer loud enough to shake the Empire State Building or a snooze button to hit three or four times.

To have all these features in one place could mean owning several different clocks. The best projection alarm clock, however, will have all these qualities in one neat little package.

Another thing to consider is the unit of measure. The standard 12-hour time frame is fine, but the 24-hour time is great for military and veterans. A clock that wakes you up for duty at 1600 hours is more dependable than trying to remember to set the alarm for 4 PM.

What’s more, a well-projected alarm clock allows you to open your eyes and see the actual time without making mistakes.

How to Choose the Right Projection Alarm Clock

Among the most important considerations when evaluating a projection alarm clock is its power source. Some use only batteries and have no electrical cord and vice versa. Battery-operated clocks are particularly useful if you travel a lot since you won’t have worry about lugging around a cord.

Next, consider the clock’s dimming capabilities. You don’t want a display screen bright enough to light up the whole neighborhood.

For those of us with compromised vision, a projection clock won’t do much good if you need to search for your glasses every night just to tell the time. Being able to adjust the focus is important when living in a blurry world.

Price is another high priority. After all, we all want to get our money’s worth. The best projection alarm clock is one that offers the features you need, not niceties you’ll never use.

With that said, let’s take a look at our choices for the five best projection alarm clocks…

Reviews of the Best Projection Alarm Clocks

Electrohome EAAC601 Projection Alarm Clock

Magnasonic Projection Alarm Clock with AM/FM Radio

• Feature-rich alarm clock radio that offers a large, crystal clear 3.6 blue LCD display that can be dimmed to adjust to your brightness preference
• Project time or even temperature onto your walls or ceiling so that the time will always be in full view. 180-degree swivel projection means youll never have to roll over to view the time again.
• Automatically adjusts to Daylight Savings Time & includes pre-programmable daily dual alarm option with weekend cancellation for you and your partner - wake to radio, buzzer, time projection
• Listen to your favorite music using your iPhone, iPad, Android, or MP3 device through the 3.5mm AUX input or using the built in AM/FM radio with digital tuning

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The projection arm of the Electrohome can be adjusted 180 degrees, allowing you to display the time almost anywhere in your bedroom. Its main selling points, however, are its features…

We especially appreciate the auto-dim feature on the 3.6″ LCD display that lets us sleep without bright lights in the room and the built-in snooze feature that lets us drag out sleep an extra ten minutes.

A USB connection allows you to charge your smartphone and a 3.5mm aux input lets you play music through the clock’s speakers when connected to your phone. But while the built-in speakers are adequate for an alarm clock, audiophiles won’t be impressed.

You can also watch cat videos and catch up on text messages in bed without worrying if your cord will stretch from the outlet to your hand.

Above all, our favorite feature is the dual alarm, which lets you set one alarm for the weekdays and a different wake-up time for lazy weekends. Couples can use this setting to create an early quiet alarm for light sleepers — or early workers — followed by a louder alarm when the second person needs to get out of bed.

With so many options, this clock can take a few minutes to fully configure. You’ll have to connect it to the U.S. Atomic Clock, select Fahrenheit or Celsius for the temperature display, and program your favorite AM/FM stations. But you’ll only need to do this setup once. Moreover, the built-in Lithium battery provides backup power to ensure settings survive power surges or outages.

La Crosse Technology 616-146 Projection Alarm Clock

La Crosse Technology 616-146 Color Projection Alarm Clock

• Color LCD and nighttime backlight
• Project time and/or outdoor temperature on ceiling or wall
• 90 degree arm rotation,7 time zone settings
• Please refer the User Manual under product description for installation and trouble shooting steps
• Wireless outdoor temperature and monitors indoor temperat

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The projection feature of the La Crosse Technology is bright and comes with 90-degree rotation settings, allowing you to see the time on the opposite side of the room or ceiling. You can choose between projecting only the time, only the temperature or both, giving you full customization.

The separate outdoor temperature sensor lets you know exactly how cold it is outside, something which the Electrohome model doesn’t offer. But to get this feature and others working properly requires some setup and installation, which you can bypass if you just need the basics.

Do you grimace at the thought of an alarm clock that automatically shuts off the display? This La Crosse model has a gentle, black backlight that won’t interfere with your sleep. The dimmed nighttime display feature means you can always see the time, allowing you to turn up or down both the backlight and projection light. Thus, insomniacs or light sleepers who want a quick glance at the clock in the middle of the night will find this feature particularly useful.

Kecess Digital Projection Alarm Clock

Bright alarm clocks make it harder to sleep at night. Even more so if they have blue displays as evening exposure to blue light can cause sleep disturbances. That’s why we wish this clock didn’t come with a blue LCD panel. Still, we appreciate the automatic shut-off setting where five seconds after touching the clock, the display and the projection turn off, allowing you to sleep in peace.

Unlike the Electrohome or La Crosse Technology models, the Kecess doesn’t include a rotating projection arm. Thus, you’ll only be able to see the time displayed on the ceiling.

The clock also comes with a limited voice-activation feature, setting it apart from our other models reviewed in this list. While it can’t respond to your vocal requests or display customized information, it projects the time if you make any loud noise in the morning. We like to make up our own commands like “Ensign, engage the clock!” or “Alfred, display the time,” but any noise will do. But if you want a clock that displays the time without any personal input, another model would serve you better.

The Kecess comes with chimes, four pre-programmed musical selections, and a standard alarm buzzer, so you have some choice over how you wake up. It doesn’t, however, include radio or phone input options.

Mesqool Projection Alarm Clock Radio

Projection Digital Alarm Clock for Ceiling

• ☆CHILL WITH 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗞 𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗢 & PRESET 20 FM RADIO STATIONS -- Enjoy a 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗠 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼 by choosing from a wide range of free music, talk shows,sports,stories,morning talk shows,broadcasts, weather forecast,traffic and much more(FM Radio frequency:87.5-108MHz). You can also preset 20 FM radio stations for quick and easy access next time.please extend the radio antenna on the back to get enhanced radio signal.
• ☆𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗚𝗘 𝗡𝗨𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗞 with 7” LED DISPLAY & 5 DIMMERS & 12/24 Hours--- 7” Ultra-Large White LED display is easy to read time without putting glasses or contacts from far distance. pick from 5 optional dimming levels by pressing DIMMER button to customize comfortable day or night use without disturbing your sleep.Long press the SET TIME button to switch 12 or 24 Hours time format as your preference.
• ☆RADIO ALARM/BUZZER ALARM SOUND & SLEEP TIMER & ADJUSTABLE VOLUME ---This 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 features dual alarms and allows you to set alarms by waking to a predefined buzzer sound or radio sound with optional ringer LEVEL 1 - LEVEL 5,especially the loudest alarm volume LEVEL5 (80DB) is designed for 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀.sleep timer functions with optional 90-80-70-60-50-40-30-20-10 minutes listening duration,radio will turn off automatically after the specified timer.

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Like the Electrohome, the Mesqool includes a 180-degree swivel arm that gives you a clear display on any wall of your bedroom (rated up to 3.5 meters). This alarm clock also has a focus ring that lets you dial into a sharp projection, eliminating blurriness regardless of how far away the time is projected. Moreover, you can rotate the time display to ensure it’s correctly oriented.

While this clock comes with a dual-alarm feature like the Electrohome model, it runs slightly different. Rather than letting you choose two separate alarm times, this “dual alarm” simply means you can choose between a radio or buzzer as your wake-up sound.

The radio comes with some impressive features. First, you can set an auto-off timer if you’d like to listen to your favorite channel as you drift to sleep (comes in ten-minute increments, ranging from 10 to 90 minutes). Second, the Mesqool includes AM/FM radio capability and up to 20 pre-set channels.

The Mesqool also has two USB outputs, making it easy to charge your smartphone or tablet on your nightstand. But unlike the Electrohome, you can’t play music from your smartphone through the clock.

Oregon Scientific RM313PNFA Projection Atomic Clock

This classic clock has only a few of its competitors’ features but it’s still one of a kind. Generations of sleepers have fond memories of growing up with Oregon Scientific alarm clocks, so here’s your chance to tap into a bit of nostalgia! This latest model has been updated from a 90-degree to a 180-degree projection where you get to choose exactly where to project the time.

The Oregon Scientific clock requires almost no set-up. For starters, it automatically connects to the U.S. atomic clock for accurate time and adjusts instantly for Daylight Savings Time when turned on. Second, it records and displays the surrounding temperature without needing any input from you. Third, the device has no radio stations to program and no alarm music to select; it just comes with a single, crescendo-style alarm option. In fact, the only thing you need to set is your alarm time.

The toy-like design stands apart from traditional, boxy models. And fun casing options like bright blue, robotic silver, or transparency give it a unique flair. We can see this making a great gift for kids — or kids-at-heart — who want a cute and simple projection alarm clock. It could also be a good gift for older family members who don’t want to deal with programming a complex clock.

But despite these perks, we still prefer the musical and dual-alarm features of other models.

Conclusion

While all the projection alarm clocks reviewed above have redeeming qualities, our top choice goes to the Electrohome EAAC601 Projection Alarm Clock for its clear time projection, durable construction, useful features, and affordable price. For hardcore sleepers who hate fussing around with alarms clocks, this is definitely a gadget worth your consideration.

Now Over to You!

What are your thoughts about our choices for the best projection alarm clocks? Do you have any questions that we haven’t addressed? Leave your comments below!