Philips HF3500 Review

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Updated January 25, 2022
Reader Rating7 Votes
3.3
8.6
Expert Rating

Looking for one of the best and easy-to-use alarm clocks? With a sunlight simulation thanks to it’s wake-up light, the Philips HF3500 makes waking up all the more easier and happier. You wake up feeling much refreshed with a gradually brightening light waking up. And although it only has a single alarm option,that too with only a beeping sound, the Philips HF3500 can also be used as a reading light if you want. It comes with a number of adjustable settings for the brightness of the light as well as the time display. And so with some of the qualities of the potential best alarm clock, the Philips HF3500 is a great clock as well as a lamp.

Why We Like It – Philips HF3500

Delivering almost everything you need in an alarm clock, the Philips HF3500 comes with a number of brightness settings which automatically change during the morning before your alarm, thus making sure you wake up more easily and comfortably. And paired with a functional snooze button unlike the American Lifetime Clock as well as a number of different settings for the display, the Philips HF3500 may just be one of your go to alarm clocks. But if you want an alarm clock that does not have sunlight simulation, and can be viewed from multiple angles, read about the Mpow Digital Curved Screen Display Adjustable.

Pros
  • 10 Brightness settings for light
  • Easy to use
  • Portable
Cons
  • No battery backup
  • Only single alarm option

Performance

The LED light simulating the sunrise alarm comes with 10 different levels of brightness on the Philips HF3500 and also automatically increases to your desired level 30 minutes before your alarm. With the level 10 being rated with a lux light intensity of 200, it makes waking up much easier and convenient, thus also saving you by waking you up before the alarm as the beeping sound cannot be changed in terms of the sound itself or the volume. Being fixed at a volume of 67.5dB and not capable of being turned off without plugging off the device itself, it doesn’t make for the best wake up call, if you prefer nature sounds which provide a more gentle call, the American Lifetime Clock and the LBell LB01 Sunrise Alarm Clock might be worth checking out.

Moreover, while you do get a 9 minute snooze option with the Philips HF3500, it isn’t the easiest to reach or rather use. You have to tap on the top of the clock to turn it off, but without any designated button or even a marked area, it becomes seemingly hard to figure out where to tap to turn it off. The Travelway Home Alarm Clock makes for a much easier snooze option, but just without the added sunrise simulation.
Moving back to the bright yellow light once again, they make the Philips HF3500 into a perfect light therapy clock, allowing you to adjust it for reading whenever you need it to. It will work seemingly like a sunset simulation in the morning and as a natural light during reading. But, do keep in mind that you need to reset the brightness for the alarm again. It is fairly easy to do along with the rest of the controls, but it does become a chore for a light alarm.

However, the Philips wake-up light alarm clock falls behind without a battery backup. This means that if the electricity goes out, you won’t be able to rely on the light HF3500 produces as it won’t be on time, nor will the alarm. So it isn’t as reliable an alarm as the American Lifetime clock. It also doesn’t have any form of FM radio support like the LBell LB01 and only features a single alarm setting. What about an alarm clock that can physically wake you up? Read about the Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock And Bed Shaker.

Design

Having product dimensions of H 180mm x W 180mm x D 115mm and weighing just under 290grams, the Philips HF3500 comes with a pretty compact and lightweight build. You can easily change its place and when you need to go for a trip, you can just as easily pack it into your luggage. Additionally, from the review Philips HF300 has received from many amazon com customers, you can rely on the adjustable light settings on it for both waking up and reading, thus the only downside on the design being the unclear snooze area/button.

Value

Priced at around $36 on amazon com, the Philips HF3500 is on the cheaper end of sunrise alarm clocks, but if you don’t really need the light effect, opting for a more traditional alarm like the American Lifetime clock or the Mpow Digital Alarm Clock might be a better choice, that too with added nature sounds. Since you can easily get the LBell LB01 for a few dollars more, we would say that considering the agitating beeping sound, the Philips HF3500 may not be worth the price. Although, if you do prefer the beeping sound, the HF3500 might just be a great sunrise alarm clock for you.

Philips HF3500 Wrap Up

Offering you a number of light settings on both the display and LED, the Philips HF3500 is an easy to control and moreover pretty good looking alarm clock. It is both compact and easily movable and along with that it even has a sunrise simulation feature. And so for all that, the Philips HF3500 is a pretty great alarm clock. But, if you can’t stand a beeping sound and you fear a power outage in the morning, I would say spending a few dollars for a clock with more options with the sound and a battery backup might be a better option.

Bottom Line
Performance
8.6
Design
9.2
Value
7.9
Reader Rating7 Votes
3.3
What We Liked
What We Didn’t
8.6
Expert Rating