I’ve tried a handful of sunrise alarms over the years. Most of them felt like cheap nightlights with a clock slapped on. The Hatch Restore 3 is the first one that actually changed how I wake up.

It’s not cheap at $160, and I’ll be upfront about that. But after about three weeks with it on my nightstand, I stopped hitting snooze entirely. Thats not something I ever expected to say.

What Makes This Different From Other Wake Up Lights

The Restore 3 does three things really well. First, the sunrise simulation is gradual enough that it actually mimics a real sunrise. It starts dim about 30 minutes before your alarm and slowly ramps up. By the time the sound kicks in, you’re already half awake. Second, the light quality is warm and doesn’t feel harsh the way some LED alarms do. Third, the whole thing doubles as a sleep sound machine at night, which means one less gadget on your nightstand.

Hatch redesigned the speaker for this version and it shows. The sleep sounds are noticeably better than the Restore 2. Not tinny, not looping every 30 seconds. You can layer sounds together too, which is a nice touch.

The Sunrise Wake Up Is the Real Selling Point

Look, the sound machine stuff is nice. But the reason to buy this is the sunrise alarm. I set mine to start 30 minutes before I need to get up, and the difference is noticeable from day one. You go from being jolted awake by a phone alarm to sort of… drifting into consciousness. Its hard to explain until you experience it, but your body responds to light cues in a way that sound alone cant replicate.

The color temperature shifts as the light gets brighter, starting deep amber and moving toward a warm yellow. It felt pretty close to actual morning light coming through a window. Way better than the blueish white LED some competitors use.

What About the App and Subscription

Here’s where it gets a little annoying. The Hatch app is required to set up routines and customize your alarm. You can do basic stuff without paying, but the full library of sounds and advanced features need a Hatch+ subscription at around $5 a month. I think thats a tough sell on top of a $160 device, but honestly the free tier has enough sounds and customization for most people. I used it for two weeks without subscribing and didn’t feel like I was missing much.

The app itself works fine. Clean interface, easy to set up morning and evening routines. No complaints there.

Who Should Buy This

If you hate waking up to alarms (and who doesnt), the Hatch Restore 3 is worth a serious look. Its especially good for anyone who struggles to get out of bed in winter when natural light is scarce. The sunrise simulation genuinely works, and after a few weeks you start waking up before the sound even plays.

Skip it if you’re on a tight budget. There are decent sunrise alarms for $30 to $40 that do the basic light thing. But none of them sound this good or offer this level of customization.