The traditional type of clock radio is an inexpensive appliance which has to a large extent replaced manual alarm clocks - if we have to be woken up at all then many people feel it is better to be woken to the radio rather than to the high pitched sound of an alarm.
However as technology has advanced, the options available on the market now range widely in sophistication and price from the simple clock radio to a multi-functional device capable of docking an MP3 player or iPod, so it is important that you look carefully at the features which each type of clock radio offers.
Standard Clock Radios
This is a digital alarm clock with an in-built analogue radio and the standard features are
- AM/FM Tuner
- Dual alarm - music or traditional alarm sound
- Snooze button
Most clocks have a programme feature with 'once', 'daily' and 'Monday to Friday' settings as well as different times on different days.
Other features may include:
- Programmable pre-set stations
- The ability to pre-load CD tracks or other sounds
- An automatic stop button if left unattended for several minutes
- Battery back-up in case the power fails
- Low battery indicator
- Alarm volume control
- Sleep timer which enables the user to go to sleep listening to the radio
- Dual alarm function (i.e. for two people who get up at different times)
- Day/date display
- Automatic winter/summer setting
- Automatic instant time set
- Low power consumption
- Gradual volume increase on the alarm
- CD player
- Remote control
- Headphone capability
DAB Clock Radios
These share many of the features of the standard clock radio but use DAB technology for the radio. DAB stands for Digital Audio Broadcasting and some of the benefits over the traditional AM/FM technology include:
- The ability to automatically tune into stations, so that there is no need to do it manually. Once the radio finds the stations they are displayed in one easy list.
- Wider station choice
- Digital sound quality with no interference
- Intellitext - scrolling text to indicate information such as artist and track names and news flashes
- textSCAN to pause and control scrolling text
- Some offer a pause and rewind facility for live programmes
The DAB signal is not available in all areas and some people have reported problems with the reception quality even in those areas with adequate coverage, however this is constantly improving.
It is likely that DAB will replace FM technology within the next 5 years although FM would still be used by local radio stations. Those stations using AM technology would move to FM or digital.
DAB radios are generally more expensive than AM/FM radios but the price gap is narrowing. The vast majority of DAB radios are also FM compatible.
Although the UK uses DAB technology as the standard for digital technology other countries have adopted DAB+. If you are likely to be using your clock radio in another country choose a DAB model that can be upgraded if needed.
Other features may include those already mentioned for the standard clock radio as well as:
- Colour touchscreen
- Menu display
- Imported alarm sounds from SD card
Internet Clock Radios
Some units also incorporate internet radio technology as well as AM/FM and/or DAB technology which allows the user a wider choice as they can also access internet radio stations and listen to previously broadcast material.
MP3 Alarms
These more sophisticated alarms incorporate an MP3 or iPod docking system into the unit, and they range from simple clock radios with docking stations through to state of the art units which are used as the principal music system in the bedroom. They are generally far more expensive than basic clock radios and they do take up more space on the bedside cabinet. They often have integrated top of the range speakers and the sound quality is far superior to a clock radio.
They can use either conventional AM/FM or DAB radio.
Other features may include:
- Remote control
- Headphone capability
- CD player
- Customizable alarms
- Imported alarm sounds from SD card
However these are just a few of the features that may be included and it advised to study the specifications carefully if opting for one of the more advanced machines to compare which features are available.
One of the main considerations will be cost, as the basic models can be bought for under £20 whilst the more sophisticated one can reach £100.
The vast difference between a basic clock radio and an MP3 or iPod docking station alarm means that if you opt for an MP3 alarm this will probably be used as your principal music system in the bedroom, so your criteria in choosing a conventional clock radio will be very different from choosing a music system which also includes an alarm.
Your main criteria will be the features that each model offers and although we have listed some of the main and optional features in the Product Types section this list is not comprehensive as there are so many different features available in different models and you are advised to study this carefully.
Another criterion for choosing will be size. The unit usually sits on the bedside cabinet and some of the more sophisticated units are considerably larger than the more basic ones.
The size of the LCD which displays the time is also important. It should be big enough to see but not too large as to disturb your sleep. If the display is too bright it might prevent you from sleeping, so you might want to look for a clock radio with auto-dimmer controls.