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Coffee Break: HeimVision Sunrise Alarm Clock


After last year's post on how to wake up more easily when it's dark out, I bought this affordable version of a sunrise alarm clock and thought I'd give a mini review. In short, I like it! It did take a bit of time to set up, though, and I never managed to get it connected to my WiFi. But basically there are multiple light modes, so you can have it go from dark to light (like a sunrise) or start you out and sustain a stronger light.

Similarly, it comes with numerous options for noises to wake you up, from white noise like waves to happy little chimes to traditional annoying beeps (or a radio!). It's designed to have multiple alarm modes, so your first alarm could be just light, and your second alarm could be a combination of light and sound, or just have sound.

At the moment I personally just have an alarm set with the lights; this usually isn't enough to wake me up (or wake my husband), but it helps me gauge what time it is if my youngest comes barreling into the room shouting that it's time to get up. (It is sometimes 3 or 4 AM when he does this, so having an artificial light come on automatically at 6:30 is helpful and kind of comforting.) 

The one I bought (HeimVision Sunrise Alarm Clock) is $40, and when I bought it I knew it was a more affordable version of the Philips Smart Sleep Wake-Up Therapy Clock, which is currently $112 at Amazon. I can't compare the two because I have the budget version, but if you really prefer easy set up I'd encourage you to look at the Philips one instead.

That said, I like the one I bought and am happy to use it daily; I do think it helps me wake up more easily when it's dark out. 

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89 Comments

  1. In the bay area and just won Hamilton lottery tickets, but second guessing because of Covid-19. Thoughts?

    1. Are you age 60+ or a caregiver for someone who is? If not, I would go. Enjoy! Hamilton is amazing.

      1. I just got tickets for the show at the Kennedy Center on my birthday. I’m so excited! (and I’m not even really a Hamilton fan) It was $$$, but I’m really hoping it will be worth it.

    2. How could you say no to this? Do not throw away your shot, you know you wanna be in the room where it happens.

      1. I would have a really hard time saying no. I’m not even a musical theatre fan and it was so incredible that we almost cried.

        1. It’s true. (I’ve seen it before and cried three times, if that makes a difference.) I guess what I’m struggling with is that the city of San Francisco announced that all city-wide large gatherings have been cancelled. Shouldn’t this be cancelled as well?

          1. Ha, I just realized your name is also (probably) a Hamilton reference. If you’ve seen it before then eh, maybe skip it.

          2. This is not true. Only events being held in specific city-owned buildings have been cancelled. Not city-wide events.

      1. I would brave just about anything to see Hamilton (have already seen it multiple times). I would not hesitate.

      1. If I had listened to your advice I would be stuck in Italy right now. “Go for it” is not always the right answer.

    5. Ummmmm. Dad saw it and just did not care for it. He does not think getting Corona Virus is worth this play (or any play, he says, but particularly this one). As a result, stay home so that you do NOT become a carrier! FOOEY!

  2. Might post this tomorrow but I had some multi-city travel planned for next week on two different airlines (I was flying one airline to City A and another airline back home from City B). The airline home from city B cancelled my flight with no explanation and there are no alternatives on the same day (it’s a small, rural airport). I’m changing my plans and going to an entirely different city by car now, but I don’t believe I can cancel my still-scheduled flight to City A without a penalty (it was booked well before the coronavirus situation and does not appear to be eligible for no change fees). I can just no-show the flight, right? I’m fine losing the (fortunately small) amount of money I paid for it – I just don’t want to pay a cancellation on top of it. I’ve never missed a flight before and I have no idea what happens when you do. The airline is United.  Would appreciate insight from our more frequent flyers!

    1. I don’t think you get charged to cancel, they just take that fee out of whatever you would have been refunded, or add it on to the cost to re-book. Of course you could just also not show up for your flight, they’re not going to track you down or anything.

    2. Yeah, you can just not show up. I’ve done that on United before and all they do is cancel any later flights that are part of the same itinerary, which won’t affect you. But it might also be worth calling them to tell them you’re canceling – they might be making exceptions in light of corona, regardless of when it was booked.

    3. United is waiving some of its usual change or cancel fees. Check their site for info.

    4. You might as well call and tell them your cancelling your trip because they cancelled your return trip — Maybe they’ll refund you since it was their decision to cancel and obviously you can’t just go and flap your wings to get home.

        1. Did you book it as a round-trip ticket that’s being serviced by different airlines or as separate trips? Either way, it doesn’t hurt to ask. If they won’t give you a full refund, they might at least give you credit towards your next trip or something. Even if you eat the cost, it would still be a courtesy to notify them that you aren’t coming so that they can make that seat available to someone else (who you would be helping).

    5. Call and ask. If you cancel a non refundable flight, you can rebook the trip using that fare within a year, but you have to pay a $200 fee to rebook. Unless they’re waiving rebooking fees, which United is only currently doing for travel that was originally booked this month. (Booking date, not travel date.)

      If your fare is less than the $200 fee, you just never re-book.

      But it’s best to call them and tell them what you’re doing.

  3. Philips also has a much cheaper version for $40 – Philips SmartSleep HF3500/60 Wake-Up Light Therapy Alarm Clock with Sunrise Simulation, White. I’ve had mine going on at lease 4 yrs and still love it.

    1. I got a slightly more expensive version this month -Philips SmartSleep HF3520/60 Wake-Up Light – because it was so highly rated. I am fighting cancer-related fatigue, which has no cure but light therapy is said to help. May be placebo effect, but energy has been much better.

  4. My kids’ nanny is 62. Am I supposed to tell her she does not have to come in to work? If she told me that she was not comfortable coming in, then I would deal with it. But am I supposed to proactively tell her to stay home? FWIW, I live in NYC and DH and I are employed in biglaw and finance. Nanny, DH and I all commute via public trans. Show of hands, anyone?

    1. Only if there is a general quarantine of the city, so you and hubs will be home. There is no reason that your 62 yr old nanny should stop coming to work. Workplaces have shut down because of the potential to spread to coworkers. She works in a home setting with children, there are no coworkers to spread and, assuming kids are not of school age, they aren’t really catching it from anywhere either.

    3. Askamanager has some links with information for employers with CDC guidance/legal questions/etc that you might visit before you talk to her (for example, you want to avoid asking her personal questions about her health).

      You could have a conversation with her to make sure she feels comfortable talking to you (and able to stay home if she does get sick) and will do you the courtesy of notifying you ASAP if she can’t come for whatever reason. I think you can trust her to make her own decisions, but you should also let her know that you are expecting her to exercise her best judgement.

  5. My FIL works in finance – fwiw, he’s a bit of a kook so we generally don’t take him that seriously, but he does appear to earn a decent living giving financial advice to other people – told my husband today that he thinks this will be much worse than ’08, and he’s pulled all his personal investments from the market. DH and I are so far from retirement that we’re not touching our 401(k)s, but I’m starting to get scared about the economic effects of this. We graduated into the Great Recession and it took us a really long time to get “established” and on our feet, and honestly it’s only in the last couple of years that we’ve been feeling secure financially and doing the things we need to be doing to set ourselves up for a good future, like maxing out retirement contributions. I can’t imagine what another round of mass layoffs and the resulting financial setback will do to our finances. :/

    1. His advice sounds awful and you shouldn’t follow it, but I’m nervous and upset too as a fellow Great Recession graduate.

      1. Just to be clear, he didn’t tell us to pull our money out of the market. His situation is different because he’s 70ish and probably won’t be working for much longer due to health concerns. I have no idea if what he did was the right decision for him (shouldn’t your money mostly be in bonds at that age?), but it wasn’t advice to us.

        1. This. The calculus is much different if you are at retirement age or older. Although by that age, his stocks should be in government bonds and various other low risk, low volatility places.

        2. He’s at a point where he would be shifting his asset mix in any event. I would not pull if you are Gen X or after.

    2. Working in finance doesn’t mean he’s capable of predicting a recession. I wouldn’t read too much into it.

      1. I don’t think it’s just “kooks” who think a recession is likely, but that also doesn’t mean pull out all your investments.

    3. No one knows if this will be worse, better, or completely different from 2008. Everyone should have a diverse fund portfolio of domestic and international stocks and bonds, The mix should depend on your age and risk tolerance, and of course understand the tax implications of the type of account you have the fund in. For example, I keep my bond fund in a taxable account because the fund is exempt from Federal taxes. You should re-balance twice a year, keeping tax implications in mind.

      That’s it. If anyone could predict what would happen, they’d be super rich. If you remember when the internet imploded in 2000 – 2001, all the oracles said internet stocks were over and everyone needed to sell. I bought Amazon at $4 – $5 and it’s trading at $1820 today. I wasn’t any smarter than them, but I thought Amazon had a good product and it was money I could afford to lose. No one knows, but history has shown a steady course will serve you well.

    4. A recession has been predicted for the past year as a market correction. This situation is just speeding it up. If you are young and have a decade + to gain on retirement, you will get the money back and then some eventually.
      And honestly, if you don’t have much in the market right now, it might be a good time to do some modest buying of stocks at a discount – keep and hold.

    5. We are overdue for a recession and I would not be surprised if this will be the turning point that starts one. But I just don’t see how it will be bigger than the great recession. There were so many additional factors then, like all the bad mortgage debt and the drastic drop in home places that made so many people underwater on their mortgage. Unless this lasts for a significant time (like a year plus), I just don’t see it. (And I don’t believe that working in finance gives a person some great insight to predicting these things).

      1. I agree on this point. Once an effective medicine treatment and vaccine are (hopefully) announced as available to the public, stocks will rally. Not all the way, but they’ll be better. The bigger impact is on those who lose jobs due to this and if a one year contraction in spending from a double digit percentage of poor to upper middle class people will topple the economy.

        1. I work in public health. A vaccine is a minimum of a year away, more likely two. You can’t vaccinate healthy people unless you’re 100.00% sure it’s completely safe and that kind of testing can’t be rushed through. Treatments – which can be used on critically ill people without being proven safe – might come faster (and there’s already some evidence that the anti-virals developed to fight Ebola are effective against this), but we don’t have the hospital beds to have 10% or even 2% of the US population hospitalized on ventilators. So you’re still looking at a pretty big healthcare crisis, even if we develop effective anti-viral treatments.

    6. First and foremost, I’m in finance and invest millions daily. That said, I still hire out for my personal financial advice because it’s just different. Trust me. “Finance” is a big catch all and working in a niche of it hardly makes one qualified to advise on personal finances, let alone retirement strategy.

      That said, I think we’re going to have a recession. I think 30 D LIBOR will go negative. But keep in mind this disruption/correction is not due to credit weakness or anything from within the financial markets. There is so much liquidity; investors want to be investing. That is a big, giant difference from the Great Recession to today. We’ve been begging for a correction for some time and this is the straw that broke the back. Again, I’m a self-proclaimed non-expert in personal finance (real estate and capital markets, I got ‘chu), but this 35-year-old plans on riding it out and recognizing that 8-12 year cycles are standard and I’m due to endure another 1-2x of these before retirement (at least!) so buckle up — this is equal parts uncomfortable as it is characteristic of a healthy and normal financial market.

      1. ….and another thing: my personal thesis on this current situation and it’s path to stabilization is one thing and one thing alone: supply chain. How long will it take to resupply the retail stores? How long will it take to get the light fixtures for the construction project that is nearing completion out of China where they’ve been held up for 60 days already (< — true story). How long will it take to rehire people who are being temporarily laid off or put on "freeze" at hotels, who are otherwise responsible for supply-related functions. Factors like that are likely to take months, not weeks, to rightsize, potentially long after this thing is contained.

  6. How long do you expect nail polish to last? I bought some Chanel 4-5 years ago and it’s separating and going funky.

    2. 2-3 years. I have nail polish that does last longer, but that is a bonus, not the expectation, even for pricier brands.

  7. I have a sunrise alarm clock and honestly I use it as an adult gro-clock – when I wake up in the middle of the night I know whether I have to get up yet or not based on whether it’s started to light up.

  8. Does anyone have an app they like for tracking perimenopause? I just found Carria but am underwhelmed.

  9. I am so surprised that Harris threw her support behind Biden. Her going after him on busing was one of the things that I remember from those first debates. You come at the king and you best not miss . . . and yet here we are. The world is a crazy place.

    1. I’m not. She’s well to the right of Sanders and wants Biden to win. Why would this be surprising?

    2. I’m not. She attacked him because she was trying to carve out a path for herself in the moderate lane and he was the front runner in that lane. They’ve always had a good relationship personally and professionally (she worked with Beau before she was in the Senate) and generally agree on policy. Also any Dem who wants a job in the administration will be well-served by endorsing the eventual primary winner, and at this point most people seem to think that will be Biden.

    3. Harris, Buttigieg, Booker, etc. are endorsing Biden because they believe that’s what’s best for the party. They are falling in line behind who they believe is the most electable candidate because they want the greater good – a non-Trump President. Honestly, it’s about time. Democrats for years have been failing to do what is one of the Republican’s greatest strengths – falling into the party line and not varying, even if their personal beliefs are not perfectly in line with the candidate they are backing. Trying to split the party by backing Biden is a sure fire way of Trump 2020.

      1. I saw something on CNN a few weeks ago, some pundit was talking and said that the difference between Republicans and Democrats is that Democrats need to fall in love with a candidate to vote for him or her. Republicans fall in line and vote for the person the party tells them is the correct choice based on the party’s goals. I thought that was interesting.

        1. Yup. It’s very true. Democrats need to be “enthusiastic” about a candidate. Rs just need to see the “R” next to their name.

        1. I think she’d be an excellent AG, too. But, if it were up to me, she’d be the VP pick and Doug Jones would be AG, if he loses his re-election bid.

      2. I thought that too until today when someone mentioned Gretchen Whitmer to me. I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it. She would be perfect, and a perfect candidate in 2024.

        1. Harris? She’s a talented debater and skilled orator. Former prosecutor, experience in the senate, and if he keels over, the country is in good hands (ie, definitely not a Sarah Palin). She can be the bad guy, freeing up Joe to be Mr. Rogers to Trump’s Darth Vader.

  10. I am obsessing about this dress but I am obviously having a hard time justifying the price. Has anyone seen something similar for less? I like the architectural look.

    https://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/chiara-boni-la-petite-robe-v-neck-3-4-sleeve-bow-peplum-gown-prod226290224?childItemId=NMT0048_60&navpath=cat000000_cat000001_cat44670744_cat47520731&page=0&position=6&uuid=PDP_PAGINATION_433f79813cd73681b273b9624da4c697_CDkNOKNm7k4NailOGF_ER6SBTjIjYsNsmhW5710G.jsession#TurnToReviewsContent

    2. I feel like Kay Unger is the only brand where the dresses have similar structure and interesting details. I am somewhat obsessed with them, but have no place to where them. I’m going to a wedding on Saturday and already have three options and can’t decide!

    3. Love the Chiara Boni one.
      This one’s $725, so a couple hundred cheaper. https://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/sachin-babi-chelsea-v-neck-3-4-mutton-sleeve-bow-front-gown-prod227020335?utm_source=google_shopping&adpos=&scid=scplpsku190641156&sc_intid=sku190641156&ecid=NMCS__GooglePLA&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItaCm5bCO6AIVRL7ACh26twYTEAQYAiABEgIiXPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
      This one’s only $198 and is kinda similar-ish. https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/eliza-j-strapless-peplum-waist-mermaid-gown/5513442/lite?country=US&currency=USD&&mrkgcl=760&mrkgadid=3333187835&utm_content=9382602593&utm_term=aud-814275476834:pla-489690540460&utm_channel=low_nd_shopping_standard&sp_source=google&sp_campaign=645528200&rkg_id=0&adpos=&creative=57181589273&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItaCm5bCO6AIVRL7ACh26twYTEAQYEyABEgIMY_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

  11. Does anybody have any good bean recipes or dish ideas that are NOT soups or stews? I’ve got a lot of beans on my hands and I like eating them, I’m just so sick of stew.

    1. I love breakfast nachos for dinner. Lots of beans and eggs to pump up the nutrition, with avocado, salsa, and a little cheese.

      1. I have a bean subscription from Rancho Gordo, so I have all kinds of beans. Enchiladas sound good!

        1. Are you not looking at the FB group, the RG blog, or the newsletters? I feel like I am overwhelmed with bean recipes from those sources every single day.

          1. No, I didn’t know about the FB group, I’ve had hit and miss luck with the blog, and I have made the newsletter recipes that look interesting to me.

          2. And I lost somewhere the 2019 fourth quarter newsletter, which I’m kicking myself about.

          3. Join the FB group. Members only. And you can get the newsletters there if you lose one. It is incredibly active.

          4. Yep, join the private Facebook group. Enjoy the enthusiasm and stay for the tips and recipes. As a side note, I haven’t made it yet, but the Gorgonzola lima bean recipe is getting rave reviews and isn’t a stew.

    4. Nothing specific, but check out recipes by Joe Yonan. He writes the Washington Post “weeknight vegetarian” column and recently published a cookbook called “Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking With the World’s Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein, with 125 Recipes.” I heard an interview with him, and he’s really passionate about beans, lol.

      1. Agree with this. I recently tried one of his recipes that was basically pasta with beans and greens, and it was pretty good.

    5. Assuming you eat meat, cut the meat in your recipes in half and sub beans for the other half.

    6. I’m a long time vegetable eater. Bean burgers, bean tacos/burritos, white bean pasta, and bean dip.

    7. What about Smitten Kitchen’s Pizza Beans? Franks and beans? Some sort of tomato, kale and bean skillet dish (lots of variations out there)?

    9. Smitten Kitchen pizza beans is very popular.
      Marcus Samuelsson’s recipe for black-eyed peas and coconut milk and Ethiopian spices works with other beans.
      Allison Roman’s white beans with lemon and parmesan is delicious.

    11. Bean salads can be really good! There are a lot of black-eyed pea versions, but I’m sure you could find others easily.

    12. Yes! Smitten Kitchen has a theory that you can sub pasta out for beans in lots of recipes and it still tastes amazing. Check out her pizza beans as a starting point.

  12. Best recommendations for online custom made suits and blazers? I am tall, thin and have very long arms so finding jackets that fit is difficult. I get tired of the black, gray, navy options offered in tall sizes. I’m looking to add a few colors to my rotation.

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