I was actually about to give this a five-star review. Barring a few ease-of-use problems, and things I thought should be customizable but were not, I was immensely satisfied. It would not be an overstatement to say that this unit provided the best wake-ups I'd ever experienced, and in long, dark winters, that's incredibly valuable. A few days ago, that's the review I would have written.
Unfortunately, today, it did not turn on to wake me up. The birds were singing, but the light was off. I was confused. I fiddled with it all morning before the sad truth dawned on me. The built-in light bulb was dead, broken or defective. After a month of use, my wonderful new alarm clock no longer functioned.
As it stands, this is a soulbreaker. I realize these things happen, but, as a reviewer, I have to be honest about it. I don't know how frequently this occurs, but potential buyers should be aware, even if this scores me "unhelpful" votes. I was unable to ascertain how to replace the lighbulb, if it's even possible, or what the cost of such a replacement would be.
I'm saddened and dismayed to have to submit this. I thoroughly enjoyed waking up with this alarm clock, but if its longevity is so brief, I cannot recommend it, and unless that somehow changes, this review will remain, unfortunately, as is.
If I have any luck with Philips tech support and/or replacing the bulb, I will gladly change this review and go back to joyously using the product.
UPDATE: While I was hoping to return with a customer service success story, it's simply not the case. I used Philips appropriate website, described my issue in detail, and gave them all my information. I was told I'd receive a reply within a day, but it's been two, and I've received none. For a product at this pricepoint, bulbs that cease functioning after a month (which would be outside Amazon.com's return policy) and unresponsive customer service is unacceptable. If I'd purchased this outright, I would be extremely upset. As it stands, I'm rather displeased and now have to shop for a hopefully much more reliable replacement.
++++Unhappy Update: The bulb died. I called Philips. The rep sweet talked me; saying I would soon have a replacement lamp and prepaid labels to ship back the dead unit. As the audible alarm still worked, I continued to wake up on time. Sadly, although it is now several weeks later, Philips has not done a thing. Worse yet, the darn thing made me late for work when the audible alarm, without any warning, stopped working. It is disappointing that Philips seems not to stand behind this product.++++
++++Update on June 14, 2010: I've given up on getting a free replacement lamp or bulb. I have to believe Philips is not sending me a new lamp because I got mine through the Amazon Vine program. I really miss the lamp.+++++
The Philips HF3480 promises to wake one gently from a night's sleep. And that's exactly what it does for me. During the 30 minutes before the alarm's set wake-up time, the Philips' lamp gradually increases in brightness, to a user set level, until one simply wakes up with (or without) the help of a pleasing audible alarm.
Out of the box, the unit has a sleek appearance; most unlike a typical alarm clock. For now, the Philips has a home on top of a hard back book on my night stand. As per the instructions, it is about 16 inches from the center of my pillow. Set up was quick and intuitive. 3 function selectors control all lamp's setup functions. By pressing and moving the selectors, one can change light intensity, set the time, and choose one of the audible alarms. It took me less than five minutes to remove the HF3480 from the box, set its functions, and position it on my night stand. The test feature allows one to get a preview of the lamp intensity and alarm volume; allowing one to easily adjust those levels, if necessary.
With the lights off, the time is illuminated by a soft, pleasing pale orange glow. Unlike my inexpensive Sony Dream Machine (a great basic alarm clock) Sony ICF-C218 Automatic Time Set Clock Radio (Black) the Philips does not overly light the room. The real joy of the Philips, though, is in waking up to its warm light and relaxing preset sounds. So far, my favorite wakeup sound are the meditative, gently wakeful sounds of the wind chimes. The bird sounds are pleasant, as well. Although I enjoy the sound of the jungle drums (the Jungle Sounds setting) I am not eager to wake up to them; at least not yet. The radio functionality works well, especially with the lengthy antenna. However, I prefer not to wake up to radio sounds so I do not use it.
With the default brightness and volume settings, I wake up to a warmly bright room with the sounds of gentle chimes filling my mind. It is a near perfect waking up experience. My body took the entire 30 minutes until the actual set wake time to rouse itself from sleep. It feels incredibly easy and natural to wake up this way. The snooze function will give an additional 10 minutes of light (without the audible alarm). For me, however, the wakeup is so invigorating I rarely use the snooze function.
The Philips HF3480 is a great product. For those willing to spend the money, it will certainly deliver the promised wake-up experience.
*****For those who would like a wake-up light that works with an iPod, Amazon has this: Philips HF3490 Wake-up Light with Dock for iPod*****
Buy Philips HF3480 Wake-up Light Now
Like many others, my light bulb burnt out within a few months. Rather than send it back and get another one that will burn out just like my last one and wait a few months for the whole process, I took matters into my own hands and started taking it apart.
Here is how you replace the light bulb.
-Remove 4 rubber pads on feet and remove 4 screws.
-Try and not break plastic as you start prying the cover apart at the seams(I had to cut mine in one spot above the controls to get it to come off).
-Remove cover.
-Inside you'll see another white cover, remove the 4 screws and then the cover.
-Remove 4 small screws holding two white brackets that hold the cfl bulb down.
-Remove the two white brackets.
-Remove the metal jacket that covers the cfl bulb.
-Bend two black plastic clips back and start prying bulb off base.
-Use a flathead screwdriver to free the cfl bulb pins from the receptacles on the circuit board.
For installation just go in the reverse order.
The light bulb is a standard CFL 4 pin G24q-3 base, 26W/827.
I found one made by Sylvania at Lowe's for $7. Hopefully the Sylvania bulb lasts longer than the Philips.
From what I understand, CFL bulbs are not meant to be dimmed, they need to be full on or off to get the expected life out of them. I suspect the gradually brightning of the bulb by the alarm clock is what makes the bulb life so short.
The metal jacket that went around the bulb did not fit perfectly over my new bulb so I just clipped the wire and threw it away. The light still works with it removed. The CFL has mercury inside of it so dispose of it accordingly.
Hopefully this helps some other people bring their wake up lights back to life.
Read Best Reviews of Philips HF3480 Wake-up Light Here
***1-8-10 Update***
I really liked this device initially. I gave it five stars in my original review because it worked like a charm and it was such a wonderful alternative to traditional alarm clocks. Both my wife and I loved it. Unfortunately, like many other users, mine eventually malfunctioned prematurely. I got nearly four months of great use and reliable wake-ups, but the light failed to turn on this morning. It worked for my wife, however, when she reset the clock for my wake-up, the light dimmed for good (by the way, dual alarms might be a good idea for the next version, as well as obviously increasing reliability or making the light user-replaceable). Attempts to get the light working again were futile. Given the number of complaints about the light prematurely failing, there is obviously an issue with this device. I can no longer recommend this until/unless this issue is resolved. It's such a shame because it really is a great device when it works. Unfortunately, I would not invest in an unreliable device with so many complaints for the same issue. I have not yet called Philips, so their warranty repair service had no impact on this modified review. If I could rate it again, I'd give it one star. Although I don't "hate" the device, there is just no way I could recommend such an unreliable product, especially since the bulb is not user-replaceable. After being spoiled, I now have to retrieve my old irritatingly loud alarm clock until Philips resolves the issue. It's not worth the substantial risk to purchase this. It's not even simply the fact that the light is not user-replaceable. I have several devices with internal lighting that may or may not go south one day (laptops, LCD TV's, iPods, etc). The difference is, these items have been reliable for years. The wake-up light apparently has a problem merely lasting six-months for a lot of folks.
Original review left intact below, so you can see how I felt when it worked
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I've used an extra loud (literally the name of the device) alarm clock for the past four years. Even then, I still usually hit the snooze at least twice every morning. I also started using a Philips GoLite Blu light therapy device during the fall and winter months last year. I find it helps with my sleeping issues as well as seasonal affective disorder. I usually have little trouble waking early in the spring and summer, when days are longer and the sun rises earlier. Light is nature's alarm clock and it just happens to be the best there is. Fall and winter have always been my difficult seasons. While the GoLite Blu has helped tremendously, it's more like an energy boost after you use it. I still needed my ear-piercing alarm clock for mornings. I was very eager to give the Philips wake-up light a try. After receiving the device, I followed the quick setup instructions, adjusted the settings, and selected my desired wake tone. The menu was simple to use. There are four selectable tones you can wake to. I selected what the device specifies as "African Jungle", although it sounds more like a warm Caribbean steel drum tone. It seemed to have the best mix of loudness while still being relaxing. I set the volume at 15 (goes to max of 20). Afterward, I tested the device in demo mode and will admit, I initially had my concerns. It was three in the afternoon and the light was almost completely washed out by the afternoon sunlight. Also, even at 15, the drums sounded quiet and a little too soothing for me to believe they would be capable of waking me. Fearing it might not work, I set my old alarm clock to go off five minutes after the wake light (little did I know, I'd never need the old alarm again). The next morning, I actually woke after the light started glowing dimly, but before audible alarm of the wake up light. When I realized the audible alarm hadn't yet sounded, I looked at the time and saw I had an additional 15 minutes to sleep. As the light got brighter and brighter I could gradually feel myself awakening more until I heard the soft sound of the drums begin very quietly and gradually raise in volume until reaching my preset maximum loudness. The best part is, due to the gradual awakening instead of the abrupt snatch-you-out-of-your-sleep-like-a-baby-out-of-the-womb waking I'm used to, I had no lingering drowsiness and I did not feel the need to hit the snooze once. I merely flipped the alarm lever to "Off" and hopped out of bed, feeling surprisingly refreshed and well-rested instead of groggy. It was like waking naturally on a weekend.
I can happily report that I had the same result the remainder of the week. By the third day, I didn't get to bed until 2am. The wake-up light still managed to wake me at 5:30 with only one press of the snooze button. Not only did I only have to press it once, I woke on my own before the 9-minute snooze period was up. (By the way, the pre-determined snooze time is non-adjustable).
I see there are some concerns about the light being non-user replaceable. While I completely understand this very valid concern, it's also a chance we take with many things. We don't know if that $400 MP3 player or digital camera will function as long as we hope. The most popular (and expensive) line of MP3 players still come with non-user replaceable batteries (and backlights). LCD televisions and laptops all use backlights, so you're putting your trust in the life of a lamp at some point for many things. This light comes with a two-year manufacturer warranty, so you can take comfort in the fact that you will get at least two years of use out of it. If you're really worried, purchase it with a gold or platinum credit card and you can tack on a third year of warranty coverage free of charge. I'm not certain this is a deal breaker.
So far, I can't really find any negatives (other than maybe not being the most aesthetically pleasing device to some people. My wife says it looks like a humidifier with a dot matrix clock on the side). Philips light therapy products have really impressed me up to this point. You see so many rip-offs and health products promising results that usually don't deliver. Just like the GoLite Blu (which still impresses me after a year of ownership), this wake-up light does what it says it will do. Of course, everyone's chemistry is different and I can't predict it will necessarily work for everyone. I just know, after four years I'm glad I no longer feel like I want to shoot straight up out of bed and cling to the ceiling by my claws like a scared cat when my super-loud alarm clock goes off in the mornings.
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Be warned. I have gone through two of these in so many months and am now waiting to receive my third (under warranty for replacement but beyond the point for a cash refund). Both times the light has failed. I believe this product is inherently poorly designed and problem prone and would reinforce other reviews that say that controls are unnecessarily complicated. I enjoyed the wake up light function...while it worked (sarcasm). All I can do now is hope the third one works without problem. This product could be improved with the inclusion of a back-up battery in case of power outages, and of course correcting the electrical problem that causes the light to die prematurely.
Update: The third one malfunctioned in the same way. When Phillips Customer Service learned that it was my third malfunctioning unit they offered a replacement or a cash refund. They even admitted they were having problems with the product. I purchased the product with Amazon and it was still within the warranty period. I took the cash refund and am waiting for delivery of the check at this time.
My initial rating was based on sleeping with this mask for a few days, and based only on the fact that it blocked out light better than my previous grocery store purchased sleep mask. However, other than that this mask is horrible in the comfort area. It's made of hard plastic on the outside and uncovered foam on the inside. It does block out light if you're lying on your back, but if you're a side sleeper you'll have hard plastic pressing against the side of your face, which can be distracting and occasionally even painful. After a week or two I threw this out and went looking again. Although it's twice as much, I found the perfect sleep mask: the Escape Luxury Sleep Mask by Dream Essentials. I've been using that one for two years and it's still perfect. Check my other reviews for a full review of the same mask (that color is no longer offered, but it's still available on Amazon in other colors if you search) for full details. It's easily twice the price of this mask, but soooo worth it!
