You may know that I love alarm clocks. I have an entire blog about them.
Usually, there is no information about who designed an alarm clock, or how. But these six clocks from IKEA are all credited to one designer, Su Liu.
Who is Su Liu? I don’t know, except that they also designed a desk for IKEA. Was Su Liu tasked with making six different clocks, or did they do it for the love of the game? I don’t know.
But I do know that these clocks are delightful. All but one are digital. All but one run on batteries. All but two have alarms. They have simple, endearing shapes and bright colors. Some have clever hidden features.
These clocks are not designed to replace a fancy stereo system, nor are they designed to be your all-in-one sleep wellness solution, nor are they designed to be “smart” and connect to your phone. They are inexpensive, no-nonsense clocks, designed to let you check the time and set an alarm without needing apps and menus and extra screens.
Four of these six clocks display the ambient temperature and humidity. I personally wouldn’t use this feature, but I could see it being useful if you wanted to check that the temperature is consistent across rooms. Or if you wanted to check that your humidifier or dehumidifier is working, or if you even need one.
Five of these six clocks support 12- or 24-hour time, which makes sense. Like many IKEA products, these clocks are sold globally.
Let’s talk about these clocks.
RÖDSTRÄFSE
This clock is sold in the United States. It comes in yellow and beige. It has a capsule-shaped design.
This clock has two alarms and a snooze feature.
This clock displays the temperature and humidity. It also displays the date and weekday.
This clock runs on batteries. But unlike many battery-powered clocks, you can set the display to stay constantly lit during the night.
This clock has several brightness settings, including completely dark. It also has a sensor that optionally brightens the display when the room dims.
RÖDBENA
This clock is sold in the United States. It comes in white. It has a wedge-shaped design.
This clock has a nifty transparent display.
This clock has one alarm and no snooze feature.
This clock displays the temperature and humidity. It also displays the date and weekday.
This clock runs on batteries.
This clock has no lighting for the display, as far as I can tell. So it’s probably not the best clock for your bedroom. It would look nice in an office, though.
LJUNGPIPARE
This clock is sold in the United States. It comes in green and white. It has a speech-bubble-shaped design.
This clock has no alarm. But it does have a timer and stopwatch. It’s intended for kitchens and living spaces.
This clock has a magnet so you can stick it on a kitchen appliance. It also has a notch so it can hang from a nail. I don’t think it can stand up on a flat surface.
This clock runs on batteries.
This clock has no lighting for the display, as far as I can tell.
KORTLINJE
This clock is not sold in the United States. It comes in red, with a pixelated gold display. It has a boxy design with round feet. Its aesthetic reminds me of Mario.
This clock has two alarms and a snooze feature.
This clock displays the temperature and humidity. It also displays the date and weekday. Rather than displaying all of these at once, it shows them one at a time, full-screen. You can also set it to cycle through them automatically.
The pixelated display allows the clock to say hello to you in Swedish when you plug it in.
This clock plugs into an outlet, but it also takes batteries to use as a backup when the power goes out.
This clock has several brightness settings, including completely dark.
ÖRNVRÅK
This clock is not sold in the United States. It comes in white. It has a round design.
This clock is water-resistant. The buttons and batteries are locked behind a screw-on panel on the back to keep water out. This clock is intended for bathrooms.
This clock has no alarm.
This clock displays the temperature and humidity. It does not display the date or weekday.
This clock has a hook so you can hang it on your shower rack. The hook swivels and doubles as a kickstand so you can set the clock anywhere. The clock also has a magnet so you can stick the clock right on the wall.
When you prop up the clock with the kickstand, it is upside-down compared to when you hang it with the hook. But the clock has an orientation sensor, so the digits on the display rotate automatically to stay right-side-up.
GIF from Instagram @watchandmore.india
This clock runs on batteries.
This clock has no lighting for the display, as far as I can tell.
KÄRRSÅNGARE
This clock is not sold in the United States. It comes in powder blue and black. IKEA says the design “resembles a tall hat with a rounded brim.”
Unlike the other clocks, this one is analog. It has one alarm and no snooze feature.
When the alarm goes off, this clock whimsically rocks from side to side.
This clock runs on batteries.
This clock has hands that are designed to reflect light and be visible in the dark.
Bright colors, transparent displays, speech-bubble shapes, pixel-art hearts, orientation sensors, and wobbling clocks. There is so much fun to be had with these six little guys. Thank you, Su Liu, for making them.
Which of these clocks is your favorite? Let me know in the comments. And don’t forget to subscribe:
See you next time.
All photos and GIFs from IKEA except where noted