Alarmingly good value 0 of 0 Ciao Users found the following review helpful
Rating from gemreview (24/08/2012)
Advantages Good value

Disadvantages Reception
~Memories~
When I lived at home with my mum, I remember getting my first alarm clock for high school and I felt so grown up and responsible. I also adored being able to listen to the radio while in bed. This is how I got into music and discovered loads of new artists and likewise, heard songs of years gone by.
I remember that my old alarm clock seemed to be indestructable. It was covered in speckles of paint, had been dropped umptenn times yet lived on far after I moved out 8 years later.

Having my own house, I used my mobile phone as an alarm and never had any gripes but then I swapped rooms with my son and our king size bed blocked the plug sockets so anything that was going to get plugged in has to stay in so my husband suggested we get an alarm clock.
Now this isnt the prettiest of alarm clock radio's but I wanted black rather than silver and when I saw this in Tesco at just under £6, i thought i'd bite the bullet and buy.


~Jumping for joy~
So, I got home and plugged in my new clock radio and practically jumped for joy when the bright red numbers jumped up. I'D FORGOTTEN ABOUT THAT GLORIOUS RED DISPLAY!' It took me back years and I honestly felt quite emotional, remembering snuggling up in mums bed as a kid, watching the red numbers change and listening to the radio, this was the time when the Gulf War was on and I found something very comforting watching the red numbers as the time went on.
I also now find this easier than scrambling for my phone in the middle of the night to check the time. You cannot adjust the brightness of the red but there is no need to, its just perfect for day and night-time.

Another great feature that comes with most alarm clocks is the trustee snooze button, far easier to use that that on a mobile phone as its positioned on the top of the radio so any sleepy little dwarf can easily give it a whack and enjoy that extra 5 minutes....then 10 minutes...then 15 minutes! We all do it dont we? I even set mine too early so I can enjoy that snooze period. I do have this stupid onsession though, where when i set the alarm, all the numbers have to add up to 12 (so 6.42, 7.14 etc) and another where I get up when its rounded up to 5 minutes (so 6.55, 7am etc) anyway, this is daft i know but really important to me and this clock helps me to fulfill my little OCDs.
You can choose to be woken up to either the normal alarm clock tone or the radio, to be honest I find the radio to be unreliable for this as sometimes its fine and other times you cant hear it all all. It will probably have something to do with the reception but I cant take those risks when relying on an alarm and so I opt for the normal buzz which is loud and clear.

~Other features~
Well obviously, you have the radio which has both am and fm frequency. I find the radio to be quite good although again, quite tempramental and depends on the frequency and the reception. The ariel is a small thin wire at the back of the product and while the reception does not compare to our other stereos, for £6 I really cant grumble.

The alarm is set by using the shiny silver buttons on the top and is really easy to do.These silver buttons add a bit of glam to what would be a plain simple black plast ic device and make it look a little less 'cheap' The buttons have worn a little and are not as shiny as they were when bought but this can only be seen up close.

~Size doesnt matter, its what you do with it...~

Size-wise this is quite compact with the width and the depth being around 12cm so handy for a small bedside table or shelf. This size is perfect for me which is another reason why I was drawn to it.
It is quite a basic model but does what it says on the plain white value box and so I would definetly recommend it, it hasnt let us down yet.


A good price at £5.99 which will also bag you 5 clubpoints.


may also appear on ciao