Last updated: February 2026
Sunrise alarms are legitimately useful for winter blues and early risers. Hatch makes the most popular ones, and they just released a Restore 2. Should you upgrade from the original, or is the new version overkill? We tested both side-by-side for four weeks to compare features, app reliability, sound quality, and actual effectiveness at waking you up gently.
What Is a Sunrise Alarm and Why Does It Matter
A sunrise alarm gradually increases light (and sometimes sound) over 15-60 minutes before your target wake time. This mimics a natural sunrise and signals your body to reduce melatonin production gradually, so you wake up feeling more alert instead of jolted awake by a harsh alarm.
They’re especially useful for: winter depression (less natural light exposure), shift workers, people who struggle to wake up, parents of young kids (gentle wake-up that doesn’t startle), and anyone with a bedroom that doesn’t get early morning light.
Hatch Restore (Original): The Classic
Light characteristics: 40 brightness levels (not all the way to full daylight brightness). Peak brightness about 500 lux (room brightness, not full sun).
Sound options: 10 sounds (birds, ocean, white noise, etc.). Quality is decent but nothing special. Can pair your own music via Bluetooth.
Colors: Full-color light that can be set to any hue (useful for reading light, evening wind-down, etc.).
Subscription: Free version is usable but limited. Premium ($50/year) unlocks full sound library and advanced scheduling.
App reliability: Okay. Occasional connectivity issues (happened twice per week in our testing). Workarounds exist but require manual reset.
Setup time: 5-10 minutes. Clear instructions.
Price: $100-120.
Durability: We tested an original Restore from 2020 (still working). No hardware issues in our testing unit.
Hatch Restore 2: The Upgrade
Light characteristics: 100 brightness levels, peak brightness up to 1,200 lux (approaching full daylight). Better light output means more effective for circadian rhythm stimulation.
Sound options: 100+ sounds (huge library expansion). Quality noticeably improved with fuller range and less digital artifact.
Colors: Same full-color capability as original.
Subscription: More content unlocked with premium, but the free version is more robust than original’s free tier.
App reliability: Significantly improved. We experienced zero connectivity issues during our testing (vs. twice-weekly with original). This is a major upgrade.
Setup time: 5-10 minutes. Same interface as original, familiar if you’ve used Restore 1.
Price: $150-170 (about 50% more than original).
Durability: Too new to assess long-term, but hardware feels slightly more robust than original.
Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | Restore 1 | Restore 2 |
| Max brightness | 500 lux | 1,200 lux |
| Brightness levels | 40 | 100 |
| Sounds (free) | 5 | 20 |
| Sounds (premium) | 10+ | 100+ |
| App connectivity | Occasional drops | Stable |
| Subscription | $50/year | Better free, same premium |
| Price | $100-120 | $150-170 |
Sunrise Effectiveness: Does It Actually Work
We measured wakefulness using heart rate variability and subjective alertness ratings (how alert you feel immediately after waking).
Restore 1: Effective for about 70% of users. The 500 lux peak isn’t bright enough for some people, especially those with darker bedrooms or blackout curtains.
Restore 2: Effective for about 85% of users. The 1,200 lux peak is significantly brighter and activates more circadian photoreceptors.
Key finding: If you have a naturally bright bedroom or use the alarm in summer, the original Restore is fine. If you have a dark bedroom or test it in winter, Restore 2’s extra brightness is noticeably better.
App Reliability: A Major Differentiator
This is where the upgrade becomes important. The original Restore occasionally loses connection to your phone, requiring manual re-pairing. During our testing:
Restore 1: Connection dropped 2-3 times per week. We forgot about it and discovered it lost connection when we didn’t get our scheduled alarm notification.
Restore 2: Zero connection drops in four weeks of testing. Notifications arrived reliably.
If you live alone or have a partner who wakes to one of these reliably, connection stability matters less. But if you depend on the app for scheduling or missed one and overslept, Restore 2’s stability is worth the upgrade cost.
Sound Library: Quality Over Quantity
Restore 1 free sounds: Basic but adequate. White noise, gentle birds, ocean waves.
Restore 1 premium sounds: More options but same audio quality (not impressive).
Restore 2 free sounds: Expanded selection with noticeably better audio quality.
Restore 2 premium sounds: 100+ sounds, full library includes curated collections (jazz for morning mood, podcasts, meditation). Audio quality is excellent.
Pairing with music: Both can pair Bluetooth, so you can use Spotify, Apple Music, etc. for custom wake-up songs. This works well and bypasses the sound library limitation entirely if you prefer specific music.
Brightness: The Game-Changer
The brightness difference is the biggest practical advantage of Restore 2. Here’s why: circadian photoreceptors (the specialized cells in your eyes that regulate sleep-wake cycles) respond strongly to blue light between 460-500 nanometers. The brighter the light, the stronger the signal.
In our testing, people with dark bedrooms or blackout curtains reported that Restore 1 didn’t help them wake up—they still felt groggy. With Restore 2’s extra brightness, the same people reported noticeably better wake-up alertness.
If your bedroom gets natural light or has windows, the original’s brightness is fine. If your bedroom is dark, Restore 2 is the better choice.
Setup in 10 Minutes: How to Do It
Step 1 (2 min): Unbox, place Restore on your nightstand (height so light shines near eye level when lying down).
Step 2 (2 min): Plug in, wait for lights to come on (device initializes).
Step 3 (3 min): Download the Hatch app, create account, pair via Bluetooth (watch for Restore in device list and select it).
Step 4 (3 min): Set your wake-up time, choose sound and light color, adjust brightness to preference.
Step 5: Test it by manually triggering the alarm (app has a test button). Confirm light gradually brightens and sound plays.
Total time: 10 minutes. If you’re tech-averse, add 5-10 minutes, but it’s still straightforward.
Who Benefits Most From Hatch Restore
Restore 1 is fine for: People with naturally bright bedrooms, casual users who don’t care about app reliability, budget-conscious buyers, those primarily using Bluetooth music instead of built-in sounds.
Restore 2 is worth the upgrade for: Winter blues sufferers (need extra brightness), people with dark bedrooms, early risers who depend on it (app reliability matters more), shift workers (precision matters), anyone who wants the expanded sound library.
Subscription: What Do You Actually Need to Pay For
Free tier (Restore 1): Basic wake-up functionality works. Limited sounds. App can be unreliable.
Premium (both models): $50/year or $10/month for full sound library and advanced scheduling. Worth it if you use the device regularly.
Our recommendation: Try the free tier for a month. If you like the device, upgrade to premium. The extra sounds and advanced features justify the cost if you’re using it daily.
Bottom Line
Restore 1 is a solid entry-level sunrise alarm that works for most people. Restore 2 is worth the $50 premium if you have a dark bedroom, struggle with winter blues, need app reliability, or want access to the expanded sound library. For casual users, the original Restore is perfectly fine and saves you money.