I used an Indiglo travel alarm as my main alarm for over ten years. Eventually, it stopped working. I have been on a quest to replace it ever since--about six years now. The main thing I've learned by trying so many other alarms is--it's hard to find a good, basic, no-frills, reliable alarm clock.
Some alarms lose time. Some snooze for 10 or 15 minutes, which defeats the awakening process. Some are loud and/or obnoxious while others are barely audible. One couldn't keep time, AND after it fell off my nightstand--for the first time--the numbers became unreadable. A LOT are not Indiglo, and the backlights are so bright they could double as airstrip lighting; I've had to make them covers to dull the light so I could go to sleep.
I finally gave up finding a suitable replacement at local stores, and started alarm clock shopping online. After comparing features, reading reviews, and checking carefully for 1) battery powered operation 2) no constant backlight and 3) regular old-fashioned only lights up when you push the button (Indiglo), I chose this Elgin travel alarm.
I've used it as my only alarm for several weeks now. It works better than the (many) others I've tried.
Pros
1) no cords (especially good, since it is sold as a travel alarm)
2) audible, obviously an alarm, but the sound isn't TOO grating
3) lightweight
4) the stand covers the button, so if you were traveling instead of using it as a regular alarm (like me) it wouldn't end up draining the batteries by being pressed down the whole time
5) it appears to keep time appropriately (so far, anyway)
6) the numbers are large enough to read without my glasses
7) red locator light is handy
8) low price
Cons
1) it only has a 4 minute "snooze" between alarms
2) required batteries (2 AAA) do not come with it
3) the stand seems flimsy and sticks out pretty far in the back
4) the buttons don't slide smoothly, but they aren't too bad
5) the Indiglo is slightly too bright--it does take a second or two to be able to see the numbers after hitting the snooze button
6) did I mention the 4 minute snooze?
I've dropped it off my nightstand a couple of times. I'm not a morning person, and the four minutes pass quickly--I tend to reach out without looking the first couple of times, and have misjudged its location and pushed it off the stand. So far, it remains intact (the stand hasn't even broken off or cracked yet).
Overall, it's the best replacement I've found during my years of searching. The four minute snooze is REALLY annoying though; the old Indiglo had a 8 (or 7, I don't remember for sure at this point, so many alarms later) minute snooze interval and that was just about perfect. While not a "perfect replacement," it is obvious they don't make what I'm looking for anymore. I will give up the search and use this Elgin. It is adequate, and certainly does its job. It's hard to sleep when the alarm goes off every time you get comfortable from snoozing it the last time. The alarm tone is loud enough to wake you, but not loud enough to make you cling to the ceiling with surprise. The red light helps locate it when it's ringing (although I have to wait a second for the blue light to go down after pushing snooze before I can look at the time).
If it had twice the snooze length (8 minutes), I would give it five stars, since the other flaws are so minor. I might even settle for a six minute snooze. Since it's only four minutes, though, that and all the minor flaws add up to only four stars. ELGIN TRAVEL ALARM CLOCK
I didn't see this anywhere before I bought this item, but it only snoozes for 4 minutes. It has an annoying alarm that is sure to wake and irritate you and when you press snooze (or turn on the night light) it emits a high pitch whine that is sure to drive away dogs. It has a single alarm that is easy to set. It is small and folds up for travel.
Because of the generally positive reviews and the really low price I decided to take a chance and try one of these. My initial opinion matched those of the best reviews. It is a cheap, simple alarm clock and a great package for travel. The display is large and clear, the controls are intuitive and easy to use, the night light and snooze alarm are easy to access, and the alarm is nice and loud. I was really starting to love it........and then the display pixels started to drop out. The display soon became unreadable.
The clock was just too cheap to bother sending back so I ordered another one. It worked great the first night. When it rang in the morning I hit the snooze alarm and, since then, if the alarm is enabled at all it rings every several minutes. I kept trying it periodically for a couple of days. I even took the batteries out for a while and then replaced them. No change. It is locked into perpetual snooze mode.
I finally gave up and, for an additional $2.50, ordered a Casio. It works just fine.'
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