While it looks lovely in pictures, this alarm clock is even more beautiful outside the box. It's small, but it's got a shape and texture that makes it look very elegant. This display panel is invisible, so the numbers look like they are right on the wood. I don't know how to describe it, but it doesn't look electronic -- especially when it's not turned on. It's the most beautiful clock I've ever owned.

It doesn't have a usb port so it won't change your phone or anything like that. It has a very minimalist design, except for the display which, in addition to very clear time display, also has temperature and humidity display, which I find SOOO helpful. (The important thing to keep in mind with humidity is that it should stay between 40 - 60%. If it goes above or below, you may want to get a humidifier (in summer, if 60%). I keep a large computer in my bedroom, which has very little ventilation, so having a humidity indicator is essential and having it build into my alarm clock is quite the convinience -- especially one so small and elegant looking.

As I said, it has a minimalist design so it has few buttons which make the controls very confusing. Or at least, I thought they would be confusing. I read the directions, which were very clear and had diagrams, and was able to pick up the alarm clock and use it intuitively. I could see how someone might have problems with it, but I didn't.

As an alarm clock, I found it a bit lacking. I bought the alarm clock (along with several others) because my old one was failing to wake me up. I don't know if there's something wrong with me or I'm just getting old or I'm not getting enough sleep or what... but I needed a more robust alarm clock and am concerned this one won't be able to wake me. Despite that I am using a seperate alarm clock, I still keep this one in my room because it makes for great decor, is very useful, and doesn't take up much space.

The volume is probably okay if you have the clock by your bedside, but I'm one of those people who keep it on a desk across the room. The volume is not adjustable, so I recommend keep it by your bed. There's no giant snooze button, which is good, but there is a snooze feature if you press any of the small buttons -- which you kind of have to wake up a little to do properly. I like that. Press any button for snooze, and hold down to activate. The display also has a small alarm indicator that flashes when the alarm is active, even if currently snoozed, which is pretty convenient.

My main issue is that the alarm only rings for one minute and doesn't change pitch or volume. This is an issue mainly because of me and my situation of not waking up easily -- otherwise normal people may not have a problem with this, especially if they keep the alarm by their bed. But I've seen alarms that gradually change in volume or tone so you don't get used to it and fall back asleep, I've seen alarms that continue beeping for five minutes or more, I've seen alarms where you can customize how long they ring for or at what volume. This alarm clock doesn't do that.

The alarm rings for one minute, waits 6 minutes, and then rings for another minute. The volume cannot be adjusted. And I'm just afraid that one minute of noise may not be enough to wake me, especially if I wake and go back to sleep or something like that.

I think of this as a clock rather than an alarm clock. If is a really awesome clock with a basic alarm feature. Okay, maybe not that basic. It's alarm can be set to go off at three different times (which, may be a way to get around the problem I was having now that I think about it) and the alarm can be deactivated without turning off the alarm so it's ready the next day. Best yet, and I've never seen this before, each alarm time can be individually set so that the alarm doesn't activate on weekends. The only problem with this is that you have to take it on faith that the alarm knows what day of the week it is when you set the date. There's no calendar display. There's no day-of-the-week indicator.

All and all, I would highly recommend this product. I may buy additional ones to put around the house or to give as gifts. It's not the greatest "alarm clock", but it is a truly spectacular clock with some nice alarm and other features added in. It is also excellently priced and looks like a more expensive product, and would probably sell for more if displayed on a store shelf.

I don't recommend it if you are a very heavy sleeper or -- like me -- find yourself sleeping through alarms, but then, for the price and features, you may want to try it out anyway to see if it will work. Otherwise, you may want to search for "loud" or "heavy sleeper" alarm clocks. But for everyone else, especially for people who don't necessarily need a bedroom alarm clock, this is an excellent and useful clock with temp and humidity displays and it makes for a beautiful artistic decoration.

If you're interested in using it as decor, the sound control feature may appeal to you. In that mode, the time only displays if there is a loud sound or if someone touches the clock. So in all other times it just has a wood finish.

One final note is that I keep the brightness level on its lowest setting. It still creates more glare than I expected in the otherwise dark room but not enough to keep me awake or anything. At all times it looks great, even on the lowest brightness setting.

Pros:
Easy to set up. The instructions with the clock were very easy to follow and completely described every setting within the clock that a person would need to complete. The instructions include pictures and detailed language making it very easy to get the clock into its many modes for daily use.

Functionality: The clock is very accurate for both temperature and humidity which makes it ideal for replacing a similar clock/humidstat combo that I've seen get real expensive. This is an ideal alternative for those looking to have a clock and additional information available. Clock can be set to 24hr time or 12hr time with a PM light. The temperature can be set in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. There are 3 brightness settings, however, I would argue that even on the lowest setting it still glows to brightly for a bedroom (see cons below). Very easy to read though, I will say I got the BLACK clock with WHITE lettering, and can't speak for the other clock colors.

Cons:
Too bright during sleeping. I think this is a personal preference, and also based on how your bedroom is arranged, but I currently cannot place the clock directly next to my bed to utilize the "touch to wake" feature on the clock. Therefore, I have to have the clock face always on, and even on the lowest setting it sheds a pale glow throughout the room. I realize this isn't a problem most people will have, but wanted to point it out.

As a foil to my above point, if you can use the "touch to wake" feature on the clock it is very easy and works with a single finger. If I had space to put this within arms distance I would use it.

Setting the time every time it is unplugged. I have read some reviews saying that the clock will remember the time when it is unplugged, however, I have found that this is only true if there are batteries installed in the unit. It takes 4 AAA batteries to run, and like it says in the reviews and the product page itself it will BURN through those batteries quickly. If the unit does not have batteries installed it will forget all the settings and time and will have to be set up again once you move it to it's new location.

What I have done to move my clock around is install the batteries, unplug the clock from the wall, relocate it, and plug the clock back into the wall before removing the batteries. This way no settings need to be adjusted and you won't have to worry about old batteries.

Conclusion:

Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase. It serves the purpose currently as a replacement clock for the cable box that I just tossed aside and also does the duty of telling me how warm it is in the room. The black wood look is great with the other black/dark woods that are in my living room and the display is easy to see from anywhere. I currently have the display always on as it is in the living room, but if I were to place one in a bedroom I would find a spot for it to sit next to my bed so I could utilize the "touch to wake" feature. A very impressive clock that is well worth the price compared to other similar alarm clocks and digital thermometers and humidistats.

This is the second clock of this exact style I've bought. Anytime I need to replace a digital clock I buy this one. It's sleek and keeps time even when you lose power. Accurate temperature reading and humidity gauge. Easy to set/adjust the time. Large enough display to see across large rooms but not so large its distracting. I've never actually used the alarm portion so cannot speak to sound quality.

I like being able to see the humidity as well as the temperature in the room, which this device displays, in addition to the time of day. Easy to see, works as promised and simple to set. Additionally, its understated design blends in with any decor.

Very nice clock. Comparing to three other devices I have that show the temperature this (along with the others) are all within 1 degree F of each other, so that's accurate enough. As for the humidity I only have one other device that shows humidity, and they're generally within 5% - that said I couldn't tell you which one is more accurate, but again, close enough. On the lowest brightness setting it is readable in indirect daylight, and almost too bright at night in a completely dark bedroom - it can almost function as a dim nightlight. Overall I like it.

P.S. As others have noted or even complained about... Make sure you check the "sound activation" switch. If you have to hit the device and bang on the table to turn it on - it's not broken! It's just in sound activation mode. Check the switch!