In our household, it’s not uncommon for little ones to wake up in the wee hours of the morning, run to our room, and pry our eyes open while jumping on the bed. If being woken up against your will—at an ungodly hour, nonetheless—sounds familiar, then maybe a toddler alarm clock can make a difference in your morning routine. Devices like the Mirari OK To Wake! Alarm Clock and Nightlight will not only wake your kiddos up with a soft light, but they also function as a form of entertainment while they wait for you to get them dressed or prep breakfast. We tested one out in our home to see how a toddler and preschooler would respond. Read on to see how we fared.
Design: Simple and modern
While a toddler won’t care much about what an alarm clock looks like in their room, enjoying the aesthetic sure doesn’t hurt. Depending on your child’s imagination, Mirari’s smooth plastic device can take on the likeness of an alien, monster, or robot. Two interchangeable faceplates—a green creature and purple flower—also mean they can switch things up when the mood strikes. The alarm clock weighs just 8 ounces and measures 5 x 5 x 4.3 inches, so it’s easy for little hands to tote around. Once batteries are installed (or you charge it up with the included micro USB), the push of a button is all it takes to turn the plastic orb into a winking creature. You can program the clock to turn on the green-light-go feature—which casts a pleasant greenish glow—in the morning and at nap times for a visual indicator that tells your child it’s OK to get out of bed. The Mirari also has an audible alarm which projects a soft yet effective beeping sound. Once heard, it can be turned off with the push of a button located on the creature’s foot. The instructions for setting all these timers is printed right on the door of the clock, so you don’t have to worry about using and losing the manual. While littles ones will all respond differently to the clock, it did prove helpful in keeping our toddler from popping out of his room 20 times an hour to see if quiet time was over.
Age Range: Any age will actually do
The Mirari is touted as a toddler alarm clock, but we could see most youngsters having fun using it. Since it has a simple and durable design that can run cord-free (charge it up like you do a cell phone and keep batteries in it as a backup), the clock proves perfect for the under 5 crowd. In fact, our preschooler frequently tries to steal the clock from his toddler brother by tucking it into bed with him.
Ease of Cleaning: Super slick
A baby wipe, dry towel, or spritz of all purpose cleaner is all it takes to get this alarm clock shiny and fingerprint free. You definitely don’t want to wash it in the sink since it’s electronic and has batteries, but unless there’s a big disaster involving peanut butter and jelly, you won’t have the urge to anyways. As a bonus, the orb part of the device has a pale gray sheen, so it doesn’t show smudges as easily as an all-white gadget.
Price: A sound steal
To be honest, we’d likely pay more for this darling device than the $25 asking price. It’s sturdy, easy-to-use, and cute—all things one looks for in an alarm clock for a little kid. Our son loves toting it around, pushing the buttons, and watching it flash green, so we’d say it’s well worth the price.
Competition: Plenty of options
Toddler alarm clocks aren’t hard to find. A quick search surfaces a bunch of $30 to $50 models which are pretty comparable to the Mirari, if not a little more feature rich. The My Tot Clock and LittleHippo Mella Ready to Rise both include built-in white noise machines which can be helpful for particularly light sleepers. Between the two, additional features also include changing lights, story-telling and song modes, and a variety of audible alarm noises. If all you’re looking for is a simple alarm, light setting, and cute design, though, the Mirari performs just as well, and for half the price. If you want an easy-to-use alarm clock that your toddler can handle on their own, the Mirari is a great option. The fact that it’s affordable and fashioned like an alien creature are just added bonuses.
