Top Alarm Clock Products Under $20

Recently, I had the opportunity to review the Magnavox Big Display Clock Radio MCR140_17 . The sleek design of this dual alarm clock radio makes it not only attractive and pleasing to the eye, but the modern look to of it adds a touch of charm to any room. Besides it attractive visual design, this large numbered clock is a great clock for many reasons.

First and foremost, the large display makes it wonderful for anyone who may have trouble seeing the numbers on an ordinary clock. I liked it because I could turn over in the middle of the night and easily read the numbers without my prescription glasses. This feature alone makes it a wonderful gift idea for the aging or anyone who has vision limitation. Numbers glow a soothing soft green color which is easy on sleepy eyes and does not produce overbearing brightness.

There are also two choices of brightness of the display that you can choose from. One of the best features of this Magnavox clock is the fact that it is a dual alarm clock. If you have a spouse or roommate who needs to wake up at a later time than you, you can simply set the alarm for you and then select the wake up time for alarm two. You can easily choose to turn on just alarm one, just alarm two, or both. There is a large snooze button that makes temporarily silencing the alarm a breeze.

One thing to note is that this model alternates its snooze times. If you hit the snooze once, it may snooze for nine minutes. The second time you hit the snooze it may snooze for only seven. It will continue alternating the snooze timer until you switch the alarm completely off. I found this feature very strange and am still, after six months, trying to get used to it.

As with most standard other models, you can select whether or not you want to wake up to a buzzer or the radio. You can choose to listen to am/fm radio at anytime by switching the radio on, and the channel dial is located in the back of the clock radio. A sleep button is available on the top of the clock radio. By pushing the sleep button, you are able to listen to the radio for a certain time while you may be falling asleep, and then the radio will shut itself off.

The only feature about this clock that I did not like was the fact that you cannot adjust the buzzer volume on the alarm. Waking up with this alarm clock is like being blasted out of bed by an air horn! The alarm buzzer is uncomfortably loud, and if you are sensitive to jolting sounds, you may not choose to go with this model. However, if you find that it is difficult for you to wake up due to the fact you sleep through normal alarm buzzers, then this clock may be just the ticket for you.

Magnavox has demystified the process of setting the time on this clock. There are easy to read “time set” buttons on the top of the clock to make setting the correct time a cinch.

I would recommend this product for anyone, although I believe it would be even more beneficial for working couples, roommates and the elderly.

If you are looking to check this wonderful item out for yourself, there are many large retailers that carry the Magnavox Big Display clock for less than $20. Some of those retailers include RadioShack, Walmart, Target and other stores.