What Is It?
A reissue of a classic Braun travel alarm clock, by design demigod Dieter Rams.
Who’s It For?
People who need to wake up to simple, well-designed alarm clocks before they face all the ugly out there in the rest of the world.
Design
Uhhh, that’s why you bought it, right?
Using It
So simple. A dial in the back sets the alarm, in 12-hour intervals. Smashing the top button turns it off. Or you can yell at it, but you need to scream like a banshee or practically swallow the clock for the voice-activated snooze to work. No other features or frills to speak of.
The Best Part
Looking at it. And the steady, subtle ticking, unless that kind of thing drives you insane.
Tragic Flaw
Genius German industrial design ruined by horribly cheap Chinese manufacturing.
This Is Weird…
It’s really tiny! And feels really cheap. Which is weird, because it looks — even as you’re about to pull it out of the box — like it’s constructed as well as it’s designed. And it’s not.
Test Notes
The shrill, piercing alarm successfully roused me from slumber two days in a row. Runs off a single double A battery.
Should You Buy It?
No, unless you like being sad.
Braun BNC004
Price: ~$US40
StevoTheDevo
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 1:17 PMWhat’s wrong with your phone that you need an old-school alarm clock ticking (and keeping you awake) by your ear all night?
awallafashagba
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 1:29 PMI hear ya ..
Sicarius123
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 3:23 PMWith all the issues phones have every year at daylight savings times I’ll stick to a bedside digital clock radio.
olearymo
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 5:10 PMwhat’s wrong with your phone that you need a computer? or television? or books?
Johno
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 8:46 PMWhat’s wrong with your brain that you’re obsessed with your phone?
Tinks
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 1:28 PMI had the original Braun ‘shout to snooze’ alarm clock and eventually worked out that I was grunting in my sleep when it went off and didn’t wake up when I was suppossed to..!
Then again, I was at Uni at the time so it didn’t matter that much…
Sylver
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 1:58 PMSleep as Android.
Best alarm clock ever. Not only does it gently wake you up with the sound of a distant thunderstorm that starts quiet then gets louder, it does it as you’re at your most awake.
I’m not sure whether it counts as gimmicky or not, but it works for me!