AMIR Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock, (7 Sound 5 Colour) Nature Night Light with Sunrise Simulation FM Radio Sound, Touch Control Multi-Functional, 4-Brightness for Bedroom, Living Room, Playroom, Nursery [Energy Class A+]

I got this light because I have seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and it's recommended to get a sunrise alarm clock to use alongside light therapy. Sunrise simulator lamps aren't medical/therapy lamps but are supposed to help when you use both. I was expecting to spend a lot more money for one so it was a pleasant surprise to see one in this price range.You set the alarm for what time you want to get up and 30 mins before that time it comes on at 1% intensity and over 30 mins it gradually gets brighter until it's at 100% at the time you set it for. 10 mins before the time, the alarm sounds for 1 minute at a low volume and then at the alarm time the sound comes on again at the volume you set it for.The result of this is that I'm wide awake and ready to get out of bed about 5 mins before the time the alarm's set for, which is pretty amazing for me in autumn/winter. Usually it's a struggle to get out of bed, but with this light it's even easier than it is in the summer. If you have SAD you would need a proper therapy light to treat the SAD, but this light a) makes it much easier for me to get out of bed and b) means the light therapy light doesn't feel like a big shock to my system when I first turn it on. If you don't have SAD but find it hard to wake up easily in winter due to it being dark, or you just want a gentle alternative to a beeping alarm clock that makes you just want to press snooze all the time, then you might like this light.I was particularly impressed by the quality of the light. At full intensity the light is bright, but it's not harsh. It feels the same as natural light. The light can also be a reading/bedside lamp. You can set the intensity of white light by touching the buttons on the front. Even the low intensity one is comfortable for reading when it's a beside lamp. You can change the colour too (four colours) all bright enough to read by (when next to the lamp). It also has a changing colours setting which is very pretty and relaxing. The quality of the light at all intensities and colours is very good. Also, the unit itself looks good and is very lightweight.What I didn't like so much is that it only has one set program and can't be changed (e.g. adjusting the sunrise time from 30 mins to, say, 20 or 40 mins, or changing when the sounds come on, etc). This isn't a big deal to me because it works just fine for me the way it is and I'm wide awake when it's time to get up, but some people may prefer a different pattern of light/sound and won't have that option. The other thing I didn't like is that the sound/speaker quality isn't the best, particularly with the radio. It's not a deal breaker for me, but for listening to the radio I'd rather keep the radio I've got already and use this light with the nature sounds. This is why it's only got 4 stars and not 5.It's quite hard to set up and it's not intuitive. However, the instructions are simple and clear and if you follow them you should be able to set it up.Overall, I'm very impressed with this light/alarm clock and would definitely recommend it and it's excellent value seeing as there are other sunrise simulator alarm clocks that cost way more than this and from the specs don't appear to do any more than this one. Maybe they have a bit more versatility and better sound quality but those two things alone don't make up for the huge difference in price.

Update - 21/09/17Whilst I can't in good conscience uprate the review for this light clock, I have to say that the seller in question was very keen to make things right for me. As there was no guarantee that a replacement clock would be any more accurate, I was sent an upgraded version to test out. This is what I was sent AMIR Upgraded Wake-Up Light, 1-Year Warranty (6 Natural Sounds, FM Radio, Snooze Function) Sunrise Sunset Simulation Alarm Clock, Multi Light Modes, Touch Screen with USB Charger, LED time display, Night Light for Bedroom, Playroom, etc and although I've only been using it for 4 days, I'm advising prospective buyers to spend the extra money if they can afford it. I would be more than happy to pay the extra for this upgraded clock, just for fact that it doesn't lose time. There are a couple of other improvements that add considerable value (for me). Whilst touch screen is the latest thing - it's not great for those of us with co-ordination problem, so it's great to have some proper buttons on the top of the clock for certain functions - like the snooze button. Large, curved, distinct. So when you get used to it, there's no more accidentally cancelling the alarm instead of snoozing. And unlike the previous versions of this clock, no peering short-sightedly into the light trying to distinguish which part of the clock face is the snooze section or hoping for the best.This clock has pretty much the same sounds and lights as the earlier version, so I can still wake to the sound of water (waves on the shore, rather than a running stream or river), or birds singing or someone playing the piano, etc. Add to this the timer for the sunset simulation - which can be set for 15, 30 or 60 minutes. I've yet to find a use for the 'mood' lights, but the ordinary light can be set so it's more than bright enough to read by, therefore eliminating the need for a bedside lamp if power sockets or space are an issue.These are all reasons I would gladly recommend the upgraded version over this version and I have to say, I'd be more than happy to order from 'AMIR' again, because their customer service was great.[original review]I love the idea of this - pity the execution wasn't great. I did find that having the light and sound of moving water (as in a river, rather than a running tap) made it easier to wake up and get up in the morning, but if something is being sold as an alarm clock, then it should be more accurate than it is. Sadly, this had lost more than 5 minutes in under a week - the first 2 minutes happened within the first day.It takes a bit of time to work out how to set the time and the alarm and choose what sound and what volume - and I have to say I couldn't tell any difference between the light levels and sound levels on the '10 minute warning' and the final alarm light and sound. Might be worth looking at one of the more expensive versions of this, as, I do much prefer to be woken this way than the various other alarm sounds available on clocks and small electronics.[/original review]