The Hatch Restore 3 is a really solid sunrise alarm and sleep system. It also costs $159. For a lot of people, thats more than they want to spend on a bedside clock that mostly does what a $40 wake-up light does. So we tested through the budget end of this category and pulled together 5 alternatives that get you 80% of the Hatch experience for half the price (or less).

None of these are perfect. Most are missing one or two Hatch features. But if you mainly want a sunrise alarm with light + sound, any of these will work without making you put $159 on a credit card.

If you want the closest thing to Hatch quality without the smart features, this is it. Philips has been making wake-up lights longer than basically anyone, and the HF3520 has 20+ light intensities, 5 natural wake sounds, and a tap-to-snooze top. The build feels premium. No app, no smart routines, no white noise machine, just a really good sunrise alarm.

The middle-of-the-road pick. Sunrise simulation, FM radio, 7 colored mood lights for evening wind-down, and a USB charging port on the back. The build is plastic and feels exactly like its price, but it does what its supposed to. Solid choice if you want something a step up from the $30 lights but don’t need the Philips badge.

This is the closest spiritual cousin to Hatch in the budget tier. Sunrise alarm + 30+ sleep sounds + customizable routines + a “favorites” mode. Dreamegg has been quietly putting out solid sleep machines for years, and the Sunrise 2 finally combines their sound expertise with a wake-up light. For $40, the feature set is honestly absurd.

JALL is one of those Amazon brands you’ve never heard of that quietly racks up tens of thousands of reviews. The wake up light has 7 colored modes, FM radio, dual alarms, and 7 natural sounds. Build is plasticky but the light is genuinely bright and the sunrise gradient feels natural. A safe sub-$50 pick if you’re testing whether sunrise alarms work for you.

The cheapest pick that we’d still recommend. Sunrise simulation in 30 minute fade, 7 colored light modes, 7 natural sounds, FM radio. Yes its generic. Yes the casing is the kind of plastic that feels hollow. But for $33 you’re getting a working wake-up light that does the core job. Good for a kid’s room, a guest room, or testing whether you’ll even use one.

If we had to pick one, the Dreamegg Sunrise 2 at $40 is the best value. It’s the only one that meaningfully overlaps with what makes the Hatch good, the combination of sunrise light + sound machine + customizable routines. The Philips is a better-built unit but lacks any sound machine personality. The cheaper picks (JALL, B081CHLF46) get you the light and not much else, which is fine if thats all you want.

Skip the Hatch if you mainly care about waking up to a gradual light. Buy the Hatch if you want the full ecosystem with sleep stories, integrations, and a polished app, no $40 alternative matches that experience.