Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300

The Shine 300’s case rests on range. Its sunrise and sunset each run anywhere from 15 to 90 minutes, which no other clock here matches except Lumie’s own Luxe 700FM. That matters if you want to copy the research: the sleep inertia trials used 30-minute dawns, while a 95-patient winter depression trial used a 90-minute dawn peaking at 250 lux.

The light moves through red and orange to warm white, and you can set the peak intensity. Lumie does not give a lux rating. Its FAQ says it does not measure Bodyclock lights in lux because of the distance involved, and quotes about 350 lumens for the range. Treat brightness as unknown and keep it close to your pillow.

Everything else is set on the clock: 15 sleep and wake sounds, FM radio, tap snooze, a daily or weekly alarm schedule and a display that dims with the room. There is no app and no subscription. It comes with a 3-year warranty and a 45-day trial, though Lumie does not refund delivery charges on returns.

Lumie has a long link to this research. The company was founded in Cambridge, England, in 1991, and Lumie is a trademark of Outside In (Cambridge) Ltd, the maker of the dawn simulator used in a 2004 study in which 12 people produced more cortisol in the 45 minutes after waking with a 30-minute, roughly 250 lux dawn.

Tom’s Guide picked it as its sunrise clock for seasonal mood, with the caveat that light alone may not wake every sleeper. WIRED’s reviewer said it is a little smaller than the Luxe 700FM with fewer sounds, “but otherwise is similarly great.” If you want a published lux figure instead, the Philips HF3650 is rated to 310 lux. For mood treatment rather than easier mornings, a light therapy lamp delivers a far bigger dose.