Alarm Clock Guide

Clocks Central guide

How to choose an alarm clock

It mostly comes down to two things: whether ticking will keep you awake, and how easily you need to read the time at 3am. Here's how to pick, with real examples from the range.

Shop alarm clocks

Will it tick?

The question to answer first if it's going next to the bed.

Most analogue clocks tick once a second as the second hand steps forward. A silent sweep movement moves the hand in one smooth glide, so there's no sound at all. Digital clocks don't tick either. At Clocks Central, the analogue clocks that are silent say silent sweep in the name.

CLAUDE

6cm, silent sweep. $42.95

JULIENNE

10cm, silent sweep, retro. $68.50

GIGI

11cm, silent sweep, backlight. $77.50

PUSH

7cm, silent sweep, backlight. $92.50

For scale, sizes are the width of the clock. 6cm is about the length of your thumb, 10cm is about the height of a coffee mug, and 16cm is roughly a paperback book. The Twin Bell Silent Sweep ($75) has the classic two-bell look without the tick.

Analogue or digital?

Neither is better. They suit different people.

	Analogue	Digital
Ticking	Some tick. Silent sweep models don't	Never
At night	Press a button to light the face, or glow-in-the-dark hands	LED digits stay lit; LCD screens light up when you press a button
Extras	Snooze, backlight	Can add room temperature, USB charging, night light or timers
Looks	Wood, metal and retro styles	Clean and modern
From	$35.95	$48

Match it to the sleeper

Four common situations, and what works for each.

Can't read it without glasses

Go digital with big LED digits. The Large LED ($64.50) and Large Orange LED ($127) are easy to read from across the room. Good for parents and grandparents too.

Sleeps through anything

A metal bell is far harder to ignore than a beep. Try the FRANCIS double bell ($79.50) or the TATE ($67), and put it on the other side of the room.

Kids learning the time

A bright analogue face helps. The Rocket/Unicorn ($78) has a night light, and the TATÜ-TATA ($105.50) wakes them with a siren. More in kids' clocks.

Always travelling

Small, light and battery powered. The MACY ($36.50) is 6cm across, small enough for a toiletry bag, and the ISAAC ($51.50) adds a timer and stopwatch.

Clocks Central doesn't stock sunrise (wake-up light) or radio alarm clocks. For a gentler start, the ROSIE has a mood light and nature sounds.

Alarm clock questions, answered

What is the best alarm clock to buy in Australia?

Start with the noise. If ticking keeps you awake, choose a silent sweep analogue clock or a digital one. If you need to read the time without your glasses, choose a digital clock with large digits. If you sleep through beeping, choose a metal bell alarm.

Do silent alarm clocks still ring?

Yes. Silent means the clock doesn't tick. The alarm still sounds when it goes off.

Which alarm clocks don't tick?

Analogue clocks with a silent sweep movement, where the second hand glides instead of stepping, and all digital clocks. At Clocks Central, the analogue ones say silent sweep in the product name.

What alarm clock is best for a heavy sleeper?

A metal bell alarm, like the FRANCIS double bell or the TATE. A bell is much harder to sleep through than an electronic beep. Put it across the room so you have to get up to turn it off.

What is the easiest alarm clock to read at night?

A digital clock with large LED digits, which stay lit all night. The 15cm Large LED Digital Alarm Clock is $64.50. Analogue clocks with a backlight light up when you press a button.

Does Clocks Central sell sunrise or radio alarm clocks?

Not at the moment. For a softer start to the day, the ROSIE alarm clock has a mood light and nature sounds.