As a night owl who seriously struggles to get out of bed some days, I love the idea of waking up early…but making it happen is easier said than done. In order to get up and at ’em, I need a new episode from one of my favorite podcasts, an ice cold glass of water on my nightstand, and my Hatch Restore 3 ($170, hatch.co).
The brand launched the latest version of its TikTok-viral alarm clock earlier this year, and if you’ve seen it on social media, you might be a little skeptical. The half-moon-shaped device is designed to help you unwind in the evenings and wake up gently using a combination of soothing lights and sounds.
It’s cute, and it looks nice on an influencer’s nightstand—but is it worth it? I felt the same way, so I tracked down a sample of the new Restore 3 and tried it myself. One month later, here’s my take (including who should—and shouldn’t—buy one).
Setting it up
Unboxing the Restore 3 is super straightforward: It comes with a cord and a short, simple instruction manual (that’s it).
To start the setup process, you’ll need to download the Hatch Sleep app onto your phone and follow the prompts. Even though the app walks you through the motions, getting the Restore 3 hooked up to Wi-Fi and my phone’s Bluetooth was time-consuming. It took me about an hour from start to finish, although most of that time was spent waiting for the clock to connect while I puttered around my apartment.
The design
One major pro: It’s sleek and subtle. The Restore 3 comes in three neutral colors (Putty, an ivory; Greige, a light beige; and Cocoa, a brown shade) and doesn’t stick out on my nightstand.
It’s also pretty minimalist, as far as gadgets go. There’s a knob on top of the clock that you can use to turn it on, change the volume, and snooze your alarm phone-free. It’s large and easy to find in the dark, even when you’re half-awake. Another button offers a shortcut to the Restore 3’s night light function, which comes in handy for 2 a.m. trips to the bathroom or water runs. And although it has to be plugged in, the cord matches the clock, so it blends into my bedroom better (a nice touch).
Hatch in action
Once my Restore 3 was ready to go, I opened the Hatch Sleep app to start creating my personalized morning and evening routines. The brand’s content library is divided into five sections.
- Cue: sound and light combos that’ll remind you when it’s time to start relaxing every evening
- Unwind: podcasts, meditations, and music to listen to as you climb into bed
- Sleep: soothing background noise to help you drift off (the singing bowls are my favorite!)
- Alarms: energizing sounds and light that gradually gets brighter to wake you up in the morning
- Wake: motivational mantras, meditations, and music to help you start your day
The Hatch works best when you fully commit to its Unwind, Sleep, and Wake system, so I recommend spending some time finding your favorite content in each category. It’s a little overwhelming at first, but the Restore 3 lets you preview every sound, light, and custom combo, so you can test it all out at your own pace.
If you really want to get specific, you can create different routines to switch between on certain days using the clock’s swap button. I made a few tweaks on the weekends to make those mornings feel a little more special (and help combat Sunday scaries), like giving myself an extra hour to sleep in and swapping alarm sounds.
One drawback: The app isn’t the most user-friendly and did crash twice for about a day during my month of testing. When that happens, you’ll need a backup alarm, as the clock doesn’t work unless it’s connected to your phone. Obviously, this isn’t ideal, so I reached out to Hatch to see if they’re aware of the bug (and to find out if a potential fix is coming)—they’re looking into it.
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