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TOP 5 Android Alarm clock docks

Alarm clocks are very useful and powerful tools that wake us up in the morning, tell time and can sometimes also play music and let us fall asleep easier. In our modern time every device needs at least two or three purposes and there are very few devices left at our home that does only one thing and this is also true for alarm clocks because now most of us have our smartphones with built in alarms, which can easily replace those old ugly sounding alarm-clocks. This is why android docking stations were paired together with alarm clocks to create a multifunctional docking station that allows you to charge your phone, see the cock at a relatively big screen and sometimes also play your phone music trough those loudspeakers.

A good alarm clock dock should include a built in loudspeaker, a screen for the clock and also should charge your smart phone and if your phone supports alarm sync then you should also be able to set your morning alarm from your phone or from this external device.

In my mind the ideal dock should also allow you to do everything without that phone and wake you up even if you haven’t docket your smart-phone. This ideal docking station should also have a built in battery that could allow you to wake up even if there have been a power outage but like we all know in real life nothing is perfect and we have to live with what we can get. This is why we need to compare multiple devices against each other and find the best one but because Android platform is now the most popular mobile phone operating system I will only include alarm docks that support Android smart devices.

(EDIT 2016: The table includes updated versions for multiple docks.)

Image
Name
Connection types
FM radio
Dual alarm
Price
iHome iBN97GCUSB / Bluetooth / Aux / NFCYesYes
Hale DreamerMicro USB / AuxNoYes
Philips AS111Micro USB / Bluetooth NoNo
iHome iC50BYMicro USB / AuxYesNo
iHome iHM50RUSB / Aux
YesNo
Philips AJT3300USB / Bluetooth
YesYes
RCA RC117V2 x USB / AuxNoYes
RCA RCD215USBNoYes
DOK CR346 x USB / AuxYesNo

iHome iC50BY

top5_alarmdocks_iHomeiC50BY multifunctional Android docking station is a great looking alarm clock dock that has great design / functionality and also is not too pricey so it can even be called affordable! This iHome dock is a great addition to your bedroom bedside-counter or any other spot where you need to constantly be able to see the time but also be able to conveniently charge your micro USB powered smart device. This docking station has great functionality with built in speakers, huge clock display, and many features for setting time, listening to radio, setting daylight savings time and many more. This iHome device is also a great standalone alarm clock and can work properly without your smartphone but it doesn’t have a backup internal power source so power outages can destroy your morning. iC50BY docking station also doesn’t integrate or sync with your mobile phone and to work properly you need to plug in both the micro USB and a 3.5 mm audio cables. Overall this is a great dock with some minor drawbacks and this dock is, in my mind, the one that most closely resembles a real alarm clock and that can be a feature or in some cases also a flaw.

Philips AS111

top5_alarmdocks_as111AS111 docking station is the only candidate from the Fidelio Android docking station line in our Top 5 list but I picked this device because it is small, it has an amazing design, cheap price and overall it is one of the best not only alarm but general docks out there. Because this docking station is made by Philips it has a great build quality, great built in loudspeakers and an amazing circular design. Because AS111 has this ingenious design Philips has fitted it with a one of a kind connector that can accommodate almost all Android devices and other micro USB powered phones, tablets and music players. This Android alarm clock also has a big built in clock display so you can use it not only by the bedside as an alarm clock but also on your work desk or other surfaces where it would be convenient to see the time and dock your phone. Philips has also included a sync feature so that when you dock your smartphone on this alarm clock both devices automatically connect and the dock’s clock is adjusted from your phones settings and your phones built in alarm will play trough those external loudspeakers. The only few disadvantages are the fact that this dock has no built in batteries and it can’t work as a completely stand-alone alarm clock. And despite these small drawbacks I think this is a really great candidate to be the best alarm clock dock.

RCA RC117V

top5_alarmdocks_rca c117vOur first candidate from RCA is the model 117V and this is a two device charging docking station with full alarm clock feature list and a big clock display for you to tell time. The Radio Corporation of America has made this alarm clock as convenient as possible in the sense that it has not one but two USB charger ports that will be a great feature for couples or people who have multiple phones or smart devices. Without those charging ports this RC117V device is also a stand-alone alarm clock that supports radio, gradu-wake and snooze options and has a low profile design to be stable and sleek. Because this device has two built in USB charging ports you will be able to charge Android, Apple and any other devices that can be powered from a USB 2.0 connector. All these functions are great and if it would be the end of the story then this could be one of the best alarm docks here, but this RCA device has some drawbacks as well. It is made entirely from plastic that feels cheep and that grey/black coloring is also not that great. The buttons have no backlight and at nigh-time you won’t be able to see them. Your smart devices have no way to sync or exchange any data with this alarm dock and there are also no charging cables included so you will need to buy separate secondary cables to use with this dock. These are some noticeable drawbacks but if they don’t bother you this can be a great bedside phone charger/alarm clock!

top5_alarmdocks_RCD215RCA RCD215

This second contender from RCA is the model RCD215 and overall this is a much better contender at being the best alarm clock dock out there. This device is smaller, has better design and overall look and feel is much better than that previous model, but it has only one charging port. Basically with this device you get a great looking alarm clock with built in LED clock display, loudspeakers and a USB charging port that allows you to charge almost all modern smart devices. Because of that simple cable operated docking mechanism you can sit almost any device in that phone-bed and even the biggest tablets or e-readers will sit comfortably on that back-rest and will be able to charge without any hassle. These all are great features, but to be honest I was unpleasantly surprised with the fact that there are no sync mechanism to link your phone and alarm clock but because the price is very low compared to other docks this is still a much better option than that other RCA alarm clock in this Top 5 list.

DOK CR34

top5_alarmdocks_dok-cr34The last contender in this comparison is the CR34 model by DOK or easy-dock company and it is the biggest and also has the most functionality compared to other alarm docks. This big device is made from the ground up to be the best multifunctional dock and because of that it can charge 6 different smart devices at the same time, you can put 3 devices on the dock itself and there is a huge LCD clock display. Basically if you have more than one USB powered smart device this is the dock for you because you will be able to securely charge them all at one convenient place in your home. This alarm dock has a bright LCD display and an alarm clock function that works without any smartphones or other devices but because you get a 3.5 mm AUX port you can listen to music trough those big external speakers. CR34 docking station has great design and great features but it is sad that you can’t sync your Android or Apple devices with it and there is also no internal power supply in the case when your electricity supply is cut off. If we would remove both of those last drawbacks then this would certainly be the best overall dock here. Overall if you have multiple smart devices or want a bigger and more resilient alarm dock, then DOK CR34 is for you, despite those minor flaws!

After looking at all 5 alarm docks it is not easy to announce the best dock and all of them have their weak and strong sides, but if I must pick one it is the Philips AS111 because it has all the features you could want in a docking station alarm clock and it is the only device that can be synced with your Android smartphone!

You can read full reviews of these docking stations here:

iHome iC50BY -> https://www.dockingstationhq.com/ihome-ic50by-android-docking-station-review/

RCA RCD215 -> https://www.dockingstationhq.com/rca-rcd215-multifunctional-dock-review/

DOK CR34 -> https://www.dockingstationhq.com/dok-cr34-6-port-smart-phone-charger/

Philips AS111 -> https://www.dockingstationhq.com/philips-as111-fidelio-android-speaker-dock/

RCA RC117V -> https://www.dockingstationhq.com/rca-rc117v-universal-two-smart-device-dock-review/

I have also made a presentation including each of top android alarm docks and their advantages

Erick Hodge

Erick Hodge

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