Let’s be real: most of us have a complicated relationship with our alarm clocks. When I say most of us, I mean me. It’s my least favorite necessary thing even though it’s just basically on my phone . I get jolted awake with aggressive beeps, sometimes it glows too brightly in the dark, and honestly, they’re not exactly objects we want to look at or hear first thing in the morning.
But what if your alarm clock could actually make waking up feel less like a punishment and more like a gentle invitation to start your day? That’s exactly what The Real Objects, a Milan-based design studio, seems to be thinking with their latest concept, Alarm O’clock. And yes, that apostrophe is intentional, giving it a playful Irish lilt that already makes it more charming than your phone’s default alarm.
Designer: The Real Objects
The design is described as “a bedside companion designed to bring calm, clarity, and personality to the way we wake up,” and I’m here for it. Because let’s face it, we spend way too much time thinking about productivity hacks and morning routines while completely ignoring the object that literally defines how our day begins.
From what I can see, Alarm O’clock isn’t trying to be smart or connected or packed with features you’ll never use. Instead, it looks like it’s going back to basics, but with a thoughtful, contemporary twist. The Real Objects describes it as blending “light, sound, and simplicity into one object,” which honestly sounds like exactly what we need in a world where everything is trying to do a million things at once.
There’s something refreshingly analog about this approach. While everyone else is using their phones as alarm clocks (guilty), we’re also scrolling before bed and checking notifications the second our eyes open. Having a dedicated alarm clock means you can actually leave your phone in another room, which sleep experts have been begging us to do for years.
The Real Objects was co-founded in Milan in 2024 by designers who are “dedicated to pushing the boundaries of product design.” But pushing boundaries doesn’t always mean adding more tech or making things more complicated. Sometimes it means rethinking everyday objects and asking why they’ve been designed the way they have.
What strikes me about Alarm O’clock is that it seems to prioritize the experience over the function. Yes, it needs to wake you up, but how it wakes you up matters. The emphasis on “calm” and “clarity” suggests this isn’t going to be one of those alarms that sounds like a fire drill. And the mention of light integration hints at something closer to a sunrise alarm, which studies have shown can make waking up feel more natural.
The design itself appears minimal and sculptural, the kind of object that could sit on your nightstand without feeling like a piece of electronics invading your bedroom. In an era where we’re all trying to make our spaces feel more intentional and less cluttered with gadgets, that matters more than you might think. I love that they’re calling it a “bedside companion” rather than just an alarm clock. It’s a small word choice, but it signals a different philosophy. Your bedside table is intimate space. It’s the last thing you see before sleep and the first thing you see when you wake up. The objects there should feel like they belong, not like they’re just functional necessities you tolerate.
There’s also something to be said for designers who focus on the rituals of daily life. We get excited about revolutionary new products, but the truth is, the objects that actually improve our lives are usually the ones that make ordinary moments a little bit better. Waking up is one of those moments we experience every single day, and yet most of us haven’t thought critically about how we could make it better. Will Alarm O’clock change your life? Probably not. But could it make your mornings feel a little more human, a little less jarring? Absolutely. And in a world where we’re all trying to figure out how to have healthier relationships with technology, that feels like a step in the right direction.
The post Why This Alarm Clock Might Actually Make You a Morning Person first appeared on Yanko Design.