Listen up, deep sleepers, because I’m about to show you an alarm clock from Sonic Alert that’s designed specifically for those who need extra help waking up in the morning. It’s called the Sonic Bomb, and it’s tricked out with a flashing LCD light display, customizable alarm tones, and a vibrating component that quite literally shakes you awake.
Intrigued? Well keep reading because in this Sonic Bomb alarm clock review, I’ll show you how to set it up, how it works, and detail my own experience snoozing with it. Let’s get started!
Sonic Alert Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock
Essentially, the Sonic Bomb is designed to alert you in a variety of ways that don’t only rely upon sound. Yes, the beeping is incredibly loud, but some may find that the bed shaker and flashing lights are all that’s needed to wake up in the morning.
Sleepopolis Score
4.80 / 5
Read Full Review
Brand Snapshot
Sonic Alert is internationally recognized as a leader in the field of electronics, with its popular household products sold in over 21 countries. But it wasn’t always the well-known brand it is now, and the inspiration behind it dates back to 1972 when founder Adam Kollin sought to improve his deaf grandmother’s home security.
The story goes that Kollin was concerned for his grandma’s safety, so he created a device that would trigger flashing lights whenever someone tried to enter her home. And it must have worked well because he founded Sonic Alert a few years later, and made that device its flagship product! Now, Sonic Alert makes dozens of electronic devices, most of which are geared toward those who are deaf, hard to wake, or elderly.
Of course, we’re only focusing on one alert system today — the Sonic Bomb alarm clock. So without further ado, let’s get into the Sonic Bomb alarm clock review!
Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock: Set Up & Features
Let’s run through set up and take a quick look at this alarm clock’s features. Note that every purchase comes with the clock itself as well as something called “the bed shaker,” which is an external vibrating device that works in tandem with the alarm sounds. We’ll talk more about how everything works in a moment, but before you start setting up, make sure you’ve got the alarm clock and the bed shaker on hand.
Okay, I don’t know about you but I’m very eager to see what this alarm clock can do (and how loud it is!), so let’s get into it.
- First thing’s first — Plug everything in. The bed shaker gets plugged into the back of the clock, and the clock’s power cord is plugged into an outlet.
- Now set the time by holding the “time” button, and adjust it by using the “fast” and “slow” buttons. In my experience, it’s best to use the “fast” button to get to the hour quickly, and then use the “slow” button to set the minutes one by one.
- Set an alarm by holding down the “al.set” button, and use the fast/slow buttons to set the alarm time.
- The Sonic Bomb gives you the option to set two alarms at once, just in case you sleep through the first one. To set only one alarm, keep the toggle on top of the clock at “AL1.” To set a primary alarm and a back-up alarm, switch the toggle to “Al 1+2.” To set only your secondary alarm, keep the toggle at “AL2.”
- No matter how many alarms you choose to set, make sure they’re set for the correct time of day or night by paying attention to the little red light next to the “PM” indicator. If the red dot is illuminated, that means you’ve set it for the evening.
- Now decide how you’d like the alarm to wake you up! You have three options: “BUZZ,” which is for sound only, “VIB” which will trigger only the vibrating bed shaker, or a combination of both which is set by the “VIB/BUZZ” button. Regardless of which you choose, keep in mind that flashing LCD lights will activate when your alarm goes off.
- As its name suggests, this alarm can get very loud. However, you can adjust the tone and volume of the beeping by turning the “tone” and “volume” dials on the side of the clock.
- If your alarm goes off but you’re not quite ready to wake, hit the snooze button on the top of the clock. The snooze timer is automatically set for 9 minutes, but if you want to increase that time, you can set it for up to 30 minutes. Simply hold the snooze button down for 4 seconds, and then adjust the time by pressing the “slow” button.
- And finally, if you ever want to disable your alarm(s) completely, press the “al. off” button.
Now that we know how to set everything up and have taken a look at its features, let’s dive deeper into how everything works!
More: Check out my roundup of the best alarm clocks on the market!
Sonic Alert Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock
Essentially, the Sonic Bomb is designed to alert you in a variety of ways that don’t only rely upon sound. Yes, the beeping is incredibly loud, but some may find that the bed shaker and flashing lights are all that’s needed to wake up in the morning.
Sleepopolis Score
4.80 / 5
Read Full Review
How Does The Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock Work?
While we’ve already gotten a general sense of how this alarm clock works, allow me to detail my own experience testing it. In this section, we’ll take a closer look at the three main functions of the Sonic Bomb, and talk about how each one serves to rouse you from slumber.
Before we start, I’ll admit that I’m a very light sleeper (so not exactly the target audience), but this device is unlike any alarm clock I’ve seen. Therefore, I think it might be very beneficial to those who are hard to wake.
“Sonically” Loud Alarm Sounds & Adjustable Tones
Perhaps the biggest draw to this alarm clock is how loud the beeping is… And when I say loud, I mean 113 decibels. For context, that’s about as loud as a train or an aircraft takeoff. Remember: the Sonic Bomb was made specifically for deep sleepers and those who are hard of hearing, so these alarm sounds are probably much louder than what you’re used to.
That said, sleepers do have to option to adjust both the volume and the tone of the alarm’s beeping. If you can snooze through just about anything, I suggest turning the volume all the way up. Similarly, take some time to adjust the tone until you find the frequency that gets you up and running (for me, it was the highest pitch tone).
Personally, I appreciate that you can customize the volume and tone of this alarm because it really lets you tailor the sounds to meet your individual needs. Oh, and did I mention that the alarm will go on for an hour if you don’t shut it off? So if it doesn’t wake you up right away, it’ll just keep going until it does.
The Bed Shaker
The super loud alarm sounds may be this clock’s primary feature, but the bed shaker is definitely the most interesting, if you ask me.
So here’s how it works: Place the disc-shaped bed shaker beneath your pillow, your fitted sheet, or your mattress itself. When your alarm goes off, the bed shaker will vibrate intensely until you snooze or disable the alarm. And believe me when I tell you that, no matter where you put it, this device literally shakes the bed.
Rest assured that the vibration doesn’t actually lift your bed off the ground in any way, but I have to say that when I first tested it, I was pretty surprised by how powerful it is! If you’re not sure whether or not a loud alarm is enough to wake you, I suggest you use the bed shaker with the beeping.
That said, it’s important to note that the intensity/sound of the bed shaker changes depending on where you put it. For example, putting it directly beneath my pillow created a less intense vibration, but made the buzzing a lot louder in my ear.
Meanwhile, slipping it beneath my mattress made for a duller, less noisy buzzing, but made the entire bed vibrate. In my experience, putting the bed shaker under the fitted sheet offered a happy medium wherein the buzzing wasn’t directly in my ear, and the vibration was still quite strong.
Ultimately, I think this feature is going to be most beneficial to those who are deaf or hearing impaired, as the vibration alerts you in a way that doesn’t need to be heard. Keep in mind, though, that there is no way to adjust the intensity of the vibration, and it can be quite jarring if you don’t know what to expect. So I suggest testing it before bedtime to get a sense of what you’re dealing with!
Red Flashing Lights
We know it’s loud, we know it shakes the bed, but don’t forget about the flashing display of lights! Every time your alarm goes off, three beams on the face of the clock flash on and off until you disable the alarm.
Essentially, the Sonic Bomb is designed to alert you in a variety of ways that don’t only rely upon sound. Yes, the beeping is incredibly loud, but some may find that the bed shaker and flashing lights are all that’s needed to wake up in the morning.
In my experience, these lights are not blindingly bright, and it doesn’t hurt to look directly at them. For me, it was the flashing aspect that really roused me from my slumber, as the lights go on and off repeatedly until you hit the snooze or off button.
The Bottom Line
As I said, I’m a light sleeper who doesn’t need much help getting up in the morning, but I can see how the Sonic Bomb would come in handy for those who do. With the super loud sounds, vibrating bed shaker, and flashing red lights, this alarm clock really covers all its bases.
More: Trouble sleeping? Check our guide to understanding 11 types of insomnia.
Should I Buy The Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock?
Now that we’ve taken a close look at this alarm clock, let’s recap the highlights so you can better determine if it’s the best fit for you:
- Hard to Wake – Even the deepest of sleepers would probably have a tough time snoozing through the Sonic Bomb’s super loud alarm. And if the noise isn’t enough to rouse you, the flashing lights and vibrating “bed shaker” ought to! Those who are hard of hearing or hard to wake in general should definitely give the Sonic Bomb a try.
- Snooze Button – I appreciate that the snooze button is large, right on top of the clock, and easily accessible. Not to mention, you can set the snooze timer for up to 30 minutes, which might be particularly useful for those who need a little extra time getting up in the morning.
- Adjustable Tones – Keep in mind that you can adjust both the volume and tone of the alarm sound, allowing you to customize it to your personal preferences. If you respond more quickly to higher pitched tones, for example, just adjust the “tone” dial until you reach the frequency that’s sure you wake you up.
- Shipping & Returns – The Sonic Bomb comes with free shipping, a 30-day return policy, and is backed and one year warranty. Personally, I feel that generous return policies and warranties inspire confidence that the company proudly stands by its product.
Sonic Alert Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock
Essentially, the Sonic Bomb is designed to alert you in a variety of ways that don’t only rely upon sound. Yes, the beeping is incredibly loud, but some may find that the bed shaker and flashing lights are all that’s needed to wake up in the morning.
Sleepopolis Score
4.80 / 5
Read Full Review
Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock Complaints
- Light Sleepers – As a light sleeper, I can tell you this is not something I’d use. Between the super loud alarm, vibrating bed shaker, and flashing red lights, the Sonic Bomb is definitely not ideal for those who wake easily.
- Lots of Buttons – Those looking for a straightforward alarm clock with a 3-button design might feel overwhelmed by all the bells and whistles going on here. You’ve got the vibrating bed shaker, customizable timers and alarms, and dials that control the tone and sound, just to name a few features. There are a lot of moving parts to this alarm, and I’ll admit that even I was a little confused by it all!
Anything Else I Should Know?
- Battery backup included
- One-year warranty
- Free Shipping – within the U.S.
- 30-Day Return Policy
- Pricing – $56.99
Well, we’ve reached the end of my Sonic Bomb alarm clock review and you’re that much closer to deciding if it’s the right fit for you. And while you carefully consider every last detail, don’t forget to like and subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the answers to all your sleep needs!
FAQs
How loud is the Sonic Bomb alarm clock?
The Sonic Bomb alarm clock reaches 113 dB (or decibels) which is considered extremely loud. For context, Aircraft takeoffs and very loud concerts typically fall within the 101-125 dB range.
How do you set the time on a Sonic Bomb alarm clock?
Setting the time on the Sonic Bomb alarm clock is simple! Just press and hold the “time” button, and use the “fast” and “slow” buttons to adjust the hours and minutes.
What is the loudest alarm clock?
In my experience, the Sonic Bomb is the loudest alarm clock I’ve ever heard. It can reach 113 decibels, which is loud enough to mask pretty much any other noise going on in your bedroom.
How do you use the Sonic Bomb alarm clock?
Setting up the Sonic Bomb alarm clock is fairly simple, and every purchase comes with detailed assembly instructions. Once it’s all set up, sleepers can use it in a variety of ways, and customize the alarm volume to their liking. The Sonic Bomb also features a vibrating bed shaker, a flashing LCD light display, adjustable alarm tones, and more.