This enabled me to create both a 'weekend' and 'weekday' alarm program so that I didn't have to remember to turn off or change an alarm on days when the kids didn't have to get up for school. I found the app intuitive and easy to use, and I loved (loved!) that parents are able to create separate schedules for different days of the week. The Hatch Rest+ integrates with a companion app, which is necessary to do anything with this clock other than control brightness and volume. This is the ultimate multi-functional gadget, in that it offers all of the same capabilities of the LittleHippo Mella-alarm, OK to wake clock, white noise, nightlight-but it can also be used as a two-way audio baby monitor. If you want an alarm clock that can take your child from infancy through college, the Hatch Rest+ is the way to go. That being said, it's incredibly easy to turn off with a quick push of the 'alarm' button, you just have to remember to do it on a set schedule. Once you set the alarm, it's active until you manually turn it off, which means we had a number of weekend mornings where my 7-year-old woke up before she had to because I forgot to disable the alarm. The one thing the LittleHippo Mella is lacking, however, is the ability to set an alarm schedule. The sound is a classic white noise-almost identical to the Marpac Dohm white noise machines-which makes the Mella a great option if you're looking to minimize gadgets. It didn't seem to be significantly louder, but something about the tone of the Mella's alarm made it the best choice for waking kids up and getting them out of bed in time for an early school drop off.Īnother feature that I really appreciated about the Mella is the built-in white noise machine that can be easily activated with the push of a button. While some of the other models worked from time to time, the Mella worked every time. One of the biggest reasons the Mella took the top spot is because it is the only alarm clock we tested that was consistently loud enough to wake kids out of a deep slumber.

As proven by my two kids, you can have a kid who gets up with the sun and one who would sleep the day away, and the Mella can serve both of their needs. While it can be tempting to buy a kids' clock that serves just one purpose-either to help them wake up or keep them in bed, depending on the sleep issue you're facing-having a multi-functional clock like the Mella is far more practical in the long run. It was simple to set up and easy to find the snooze button even when half asleep. It works as both a sleep trainer as well as a traditional alarm clock, has a built-in night light and a white noise machine. While that may not sound like a big deal, if you want your kids to use an alarm clock, you're going to need their buy-in, and-as we discovered with some other models we tested-they were far less inclined to put the clock in their room if they didn't like the way it looked.Īside from its cuteness quotient, the Mella has a lot going for it. Both my kids loved the cute face on the digital display-and even kids who came over for a playdate were intrigued by it. This is the clock that can take you from the toddler years through the big kid years. With a cute design that appealed to my kids, a built-in white noise machine, an alarm clock and an OK to wake clock, the LittleHippo Mella can help with a variety of sleep issues.įor an alarm clock that really can do it all, you can't beat the LittleHippo Mella. After weeks of early mornings-as well as a dreaded time change-we found that the LittleHippo Mella We tested six popular alarm clocks for kids to see if there really is an ideal alarm clock for early risers and sleepy heads alike.

Is it possible that there's a magical clock that would be effective at keeping an early bird in bed, while also serving up enough noise to wake a sleeping beauty? If you're a parent who is at their wit's end because your 9-year-old wakes up before the sun (hello, me) or your 7-year-old never wakes up in time for school (also me), you may be wondering if an alarm clock designed just for kids could be the answer to your problems. Whether it's a toddler getting up too early or a tweenager getting up too late, there's no end to the sleep related issues that keep parents constantly exhausted.

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