I bought the Moonbeam alarm clock in the green color and I'm so pleased with it that I came back to purchase another one in the blue color. First of all, it's a very nice looking clock. The colors are soft and beautiful and I love the retro look of the clock. It looks classy! I also love that it is electric with battery back-up and it's super easy to set the time, the alarm and so forth. I also love that you have the option to light the dial. I always use this option when I go to bed because the light is subtle enough to not be obtrusive and yet, when I wake up in the night, I can easily see what time it is. It's perfect! I've been using the first one that I bought for a few weeks now and couldn't be happier. In regard to the alarm bell, I have it set on the lowest setting and using the moonbeam light, I have no trouble waking up. I've not used the high setting on the alarm bell so I can't offer an opinion on that. I'm not a morning person, so I was impressed that I'm waking up on the lower setting but it's great to have the two options. Also, some mornings, the flashing moonbeam light does wake me but most mornings, I need the extra jolt of the alarm bell. That's why I love that you can choose to use the light AND the alarm bell. I don't find it to be a brash or annoying bell but it's enough to get the job done. In summary, you know I must be happy with this alarm if I'm back to purchase another one. :)
I love this clock. Like the big face & the ambient light. When the alarm goes off, the ambient light flashes for 5 minutes before the alarm sound goes off, this is a nice feature of the clock. I hear no ticking sound at all, it is silent operation. Very pleased of my purchase, would recommend.
I like this clock. It's awesome. It just came in the mail today, so I'll report back if I have any issues.
You can put back-up batteries inside, but it's meant to be run with the cord. I don't think you're supposed to just run it on batteries; rather, use the batteries in case of a power outage.
The cord itself juts out an inch or so behind the clock, making it impossible to place the clock flush with the wall behind it.
The clock has a nighttime glow that you can flip on. It's not visible unless the room is dark. Batteries alone will not activate it--the clock needs to be plugged in, in order to glow.
My clock came with a sticker across the front that left a slight amount of sticky residue on the clockface. The sticker itself peeled right off, and I removed the residue with a small amount of peanut butter. (Old trick my granny taught me--peanut butter will remove sticky residue, such as from a label.)
I probably will not use it as an alarm clock, so I can't comment on those qualities. Personally, I prefer to wake up to radio, which this clock doesn't offer. I can tell you that there is a volume selection on the back with two options for how loud you will be awakened.
I really like this clock--it's adorable, retro, fun, colorful, bright, and cheery. I ordered it from a gift card, kind of as a birthday present to myself, and I think it's just darling!
I really need an alarm clock that will really snap me out of a deep sleep and this is perfect in that regard. I have it set to flash the light before the alarm goes off and the volume on the loud setting. Being a person who has slept through many alarms in the past, I have not had an issue with this clock since purchasing it a couple months ago. My girlfriend on the other hand, is a very light sleeper. She absolutely hated my phone alarm which was jarring and sudden. With this clock, the light starts to flash (at first dimly and working up to a brighter setting) and usually that is enough to start her waking up process. It's actually amazing that an alarm clock can work for both types of sleepers, but this one does just that.
As for the aesthetics, I think the clock looks really cool. I was unsure my girlfriend would like it, but she did immediately. The light blue one that I got actually looks a little (I mean a very little) lighter than what I thought the image looks like online, but it's pretty close. I love the back-light on the dial because it's not excessively bright but just enough where if I wake up in the middle of the night, I'm not struggling for a phone or something to see what time it is.
Some people seem to say that the second hand is loud. I never noticed it until about a week ago and my room was unusually quiet one night and still barely heard it. Did I mention it's about a foot away from my head as I sleep? I've had much much louder clocks and usually really hate the ticking sound, but all I did was roll over and I couldn't hear it any longer.
I'd recommend splurging for the USB version, as it can also take batteries and does not have to be plugged in to work. It's unsettling to me to think that if there's a power outage or something at night, my alarm is useless. With batteries in it, though, I know I won't miss a beat. Of course there's also the added bonus of being able to charge your phone directly from the clock to minimize plugs and wires around the bed.
If there is any downside, I'd say add a radio to the clock. Something about waking up to the news or radio show I miss from my childhood. Still, I don't think that's enough to warrant a loss of a star. Great alarm clock, I'd recommend it to all.
