Photograph: Molly Higgins
Flying Alarm Clock for $18: The idea behind this alarm is funny—when the alarm goes off, a propeller ejects from the top and the sleeper is forced to get up, find the propeller, and place it back on the top to get the alarm to stop beeping. However, during the week I used it, the alarm did not stop beeping when the propeller was placed back on the top, when the snooze button was pressed, or when the alarm button was switched off. The only way to get it to stop was to find a screwdriver and take out one of the five required AA batteries (not included). By the end of the week, I had my screwdriver handy in the mornings. At least it kept me up, but not for the right reasons.
Alarm Clock App (In-App Purchases): This is a puzzle-style alarm app similar to the Alarmy app, but it has fewer features and is buggier. The alarm lets you hit snooze three times before it forces you to actually complete a task, which wasn’t helpful for a chronic snoozer like me. The biggest issue, though, was that the alarm didn’t sound when my phone was in vibrate or silent mode. For this reason, I had to have a backup alarm throughout the majority of the week I tested. When I did remember to turn on the ringer, the app glitched almost every morning and either froze or shut down the app entirely.
EC Vision Lock N’ Load Gun Alarm Clock for $28: This is another gimmicky clock meant to be a fun, interactive alarm. You set it up across the room, the alarm sounds off, and a target springs up—the sleeper must then shoot the target with a toy gun to activate the snooze feature. However, shooting the alarm just controls the snooze; to turn off the alarm, the sleeper has to press an actual button on the alarm clock—making the whole shooting part ultimately unnecessary to the clock’s functionality. Even by placing the alarm on the other side of the room and using the aiming and shooting element, this clock didn’t really force me out of bed as effectively as some of the others on this list.
Which Extreme Alarm Is for You?
Well, that all depends on your problem with getting out of bed.
If you are a chronic snooze-pusher, opt for alarms that physically make you get out of bed. Many types incorporate movement to get your blood pumping and shake off some of that sleepy grogginess—like Clocky, the alarm on wheels, or an alarm clock that requires you to shoot a target to turn it off.
If you are hard of hearing, some of these alarms have adjustable pitch and volume, which are useful for hearing loss in certain ranges. Some of these alarms also have a vibration pad, which can be inserted between the mattress and box spring or under the top sheet, that wakes the sleeper via vibrational movement. There’s even a wrist clock that shocks the sleeper, which can be helpful for those sleeping with partners who don’t want to be disturbed by noises.
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