Travel Alarm Clocks: What to Pack So You Wake Up on Time

A travel alarm clock used to be a small folding clock in every suitcase. Phones replaced it, until the morning the phone is flat, on the wrong time zone, or blaring in an eight-bed dorm. This guide covers what to look for in a travel alarm clock, the options, and how to make sure you wake up on time when you're away from home.

The short answer: the best travel alarm is small, lasts the whole trip on one charge or battery, doesn't depend on signal or Wi-Fi, and doesn't wake the people around you. A phone works as a backup, but for shared rooms, camping and early flights, a vibrating alarm wristband or a simple battery clock is more dependable.

Why not just use your phone?

Often you can. iPhone alarms still sound when the phone is on silent or Do Not Disturb, according to Apple. But travel adds ways for a phone alarm to fail:

• Battery. A day of maps, photos and boarding passes can leave the phone flat by morning, and the power point may be across the room or the wrong shape.
• Time zones. Phones normally update the time automatically, but that relies on location services or a network connection. Check the clock when you land.
• Noise. A phone alarm wakes everyone in a hostel dorm, a tent or a shared hotel room.
• Volume and settings. An alarm set to no sound, or a volume turned down for the flight, is easy to miss.

What to look for in a travel alarm

Feature	Why it matters when travelling
Long battery life	You may not have a power point or the right adaptor
Small and light	It has to earn its place in your bag
No signal or app needed	It should work on a plane, at a campsite or overseas
Silent option	For shared rooms, dorms and sleeping partners
More than one alarm	A main alarm and a backup
Easy to change the time	You'll do it every time you cross a time zone

Travel alarm clock options

• Phone. You already carry it. Best as one of two alarms, not the only one.
• Battery travel clock. Cheap and reliable. It's loud, so it's fine in your own hotel room and less welcome in a dorm.
• Smartwatch. A silent wrist alarm, but many need charging every day or two, with their own charger.
• Vibrating alarm wristband. Silent, long battery life and no phone needed. You wear it, so it can't be left across the room.
• Hotel wake-up call. A reasonable backup, but don't rely on it alone.

The right alarm for your trip

• Early flights. Use two alarms and work back from the airport's advice. Sydney Airport recommends arriving as close as possible to two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight (source). See how to wake up for an early flight.
• Hostels and shared rooms. Use something silent. See how to set an alarm in a hostel dorm.
• Camping. Battery life and no signal are the main issues. See silent alarms for camping.
• Long-haul trips. Your body will want to sleep through the morning. See jet lag tips for Australians.
• Work trips. If you're sharing a room, or on a different schedule to your family at home, a silent alarm avoids waking anyone.

Flying with rechargeable devices

Most alarms, watches and wristbands have small lithium batteries. Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) recommends taking devices with lithium batteries with you in the cabin. Spare batteries and power banks must always go in your carry-on, never in checked luggage (source). Airlines can set their own limits, so check with yours before you fly.

Tips for waking up on time when travelling

1. Check the time zone on every device when you land.
2. Set two alarms on two different devices.
3. Charge everything before you leave, and pack the cables in your carry-on.
4. Set your alarms before you go to sleep, not before you go out.
5. Pack the night before an early start.
6. Wear earplugs and an eye mask if you need them. A wristband alarm still wakes you with them in. See how to wake up with earplugs in.

Where the Sovune Nudge fits

We make the Sovune Nudge, a silent alarm wristband, so we're not neutral. As a travel alarm:

• Up to 14 days per charge, enough for most trips without the charger.
• Light, at under 20 grams, and you wear it, so it takes no room in your bag.
• Set on the band, with no phone, app or signal needed. Change the time on the band when you change time zones.
• Silent, so it won't wake a dorm, a tent or the person next to you.
• Three separate alarms, each vibrating for a full minute and building through three intensity levels.
• Rechargeable via USB, so there's no bulky dock to pack.

It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Quick answers

What is the best travel alarm clock? One that's small, lasts your whole trip, works without signal and doesn't wake other people. For shared rooms, a vibrating alarm wristband suits best.

Do phone alarms work in a different time zone? Yes, if the phone has updated to local time. Check the clock after you land, because the update relies on location services or a network connection.

Can I take an alarm clock on a plane? Yes. Carry devices with lithium batteries in the cabin, and keep spare batteries and power banks in your carry-on.

How do I wake up on time in a hostel without waking others? Use a silent alarm you wear, such as a vibrating wristband.

For every type of silent alarm compared, see our complete guide to vibrating alarms in Australia.

See the Sovune Nudge →