Tags: Eulogize
Review: Dawn Simulator
August 26th, 2005, by Rich.
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The basic idea behind the Lumie Bodyclock is that it combines a timer, a dimmer switch and a Neodymium light-bulb; it can thus simulate a summer sunrise on the coldest darkest winter mornings, thereby giving a more gentle and holistic wakeup than that which is afforded by a shrieking buzzer in the dark. We’ve had one for about 12 months so we thought we’d give it the once over.
Lumie make several versions of the Bodyclock; we chose the Advanced model because we thought it looked nicer than the other models and the spec’s showed that it did all we needed.
Overall Performance
To be blunt, it’s a gem. It really does make waking up a better experience, akin to being gently welcomed by a nice warm day (even if it’s blowing a gale outside).
The first feature that’s worth a special mention (because its already proved it’s worth on more than one occasion) is that if you pull the power cable out, the time and alarm settings survive, so if there’s a power cut in the night you avoid waking up late for work. Never again will you see the flashing alarm clock displaying the exact time since power came back on. Top marks to Lumie for this.
During the summer months (and if you don’t have blackout curtains) the benefits of the Lumie are significantly reduced, because dawn often arrives long before you’d want to wake up, totally scuppering the dawn simulation. If you have blackout curtains, then this is the perfect clock for all seasons.
In Use
Lumie clocks tend to feature four controls: P, Up, Down and A. P is used to program the clock: pressing it cycles through a straightforward on-screen menu, whilst Up and Down can be used to adjust the values that are displayed for each menu item. A nice touch is that each button is a different shape, so they are easy to use in the dark.
A quirk of the interface is that the menu readout is set below the time display, and the surrounding plastic moulding conspires with this fact to render the display unreadable from a level position, so it’s not possible to adjust the Lumie whilst lying in bed, you have to sit up. This is a small issue but one which we’ve noticed surprisingly often.
The A button is a depressible toggle-switch (rather than simple button) and it is used to enable and disable the sunrise alarm. Contrary to common practice, depressing the button switches the alarm off. This can take a little getting used to depending on your mental model.
When you’ve left the P, Up & Down alone for five seconds it reverts to “clock mode”, during which time the Up and Down buttons make the light brighter and dimmer.
Room for Minor Improvement
The only real omission from the interface is short-cuts: for example, it’s not possible to instantly turn the light fully on or off, you have to hold the Up or Down buttons and wait for 3 seconds while the dimmer does its thing. If the software could recognize a double tap on the Up for full brightness and a double tap on Down for off, that would solve the apparent delay.
Another short-cut related improvement: Currently pressing and holding the Up or Down button when setting the time will accelerate the rate of change: a useful addition would be the inclusion of some two-button combinations. e.g. pressing and holding down a button change the time in increments of 5 minutes, but then also pressing the opposite direction button at the same time could accelerate the time shift to 15 minute segments. We’ve used such an arrangement on a Zeon travel clock before now and it was surprisingly intuitive.
Summary
Ultimately the Lumie Bodyclock is a fantastic bedside gadget. It’s a simple combination of basic features that just makes life better, and therefore, deserves it’s place in the Eulogize category.
May 13th, 2006 at 7:09 am
Lumie Bodyclock
When does the light extinguish after the sunrise cycle?
May 30th, 2006 at 11:54 pm
Hi Chris, I don’t know if there’s an auto off - it goes off when I wake up and switch it off.
Also, I’m not sure if this is an update in the firmware but the version we have now* has a very handy off shortcut - just hold the “up” button and tap the “down” and the light dims until it’s off - exactly what I mentioned earlier. Marvellous.
(* our unit stopped working and was very swiftly replaced, with no pastage to pay on our part)
October 2nd, 2006 at 4:28 pm
I tried using the Lumie model, however I had severe concerns about the amount of heat generated by the unit.
I switched to a product from morningsunrise called the SRS200 and found it much more feature packed as well as they have addressed the heat problem.
December 20th, 2006 at 7:18 pm
We’ve become accustomed to “cold” lights (such as LED’s and low-energy fluorescent bulbs) so finding a bulb that is warm to the touch can be disconcerting. Our unit certainly gives off some heat but when the bulb is off it’s a cold machine.
January 10th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
The Lumie Bodyclock (mid-priced version, the one below this one) was my first dawn simulator and made all the difference to waking up on a winter morning, which is not a life-affirming experience as far north as London. I now use blackout curtains and a dawn simulator year round.
My only caveat is that that particular model was overpriced and dubiously designed and made — it was prone to all sorts of erratic behavior like resetting its own alarm hand, coming on with a bright light and a piercing beep in the middle of the night, refusing to dim when the button was depressed etc. I sent it back and the company refurbished it, but problems persisted. I’ve since scrapped it and bought a different model altogether, but I’ll never go back to just a shrieking digital alarm.
January 12th, 2007 at 11:41 pm
I’ve been looking at the Lumie Bodyclock because I’m convinced it would be a better start to my day than having the radio shout at me at 6.30am each morning. My concern is that my partner doesn’t need to wake at the same time as me. How bright are these clocks; is it possible to use them without waking others in the room?
January 13th, 2007 at 12:22 am
Hi Sally, it’s certainly better than a shrieking alarm for not waking the other half. I often work until 4am and if Em has an alarm set for 7am then it barely stirs me.
February 26th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
It is better than an alarm, I couldnt say I have noticed any benefits from SAD, I get up at 7am, with this lamp I am comfortably awake at 6.50.
my only complait is that the light stays on for just 10 mins after the time you have set . so, if you dose off, you have had it. You are returned to a comfortable dark sleepy room !!
October 31st, 2007 at 8:05 pm
The comment from Ken Jewell - I think you’ll find he works for morningsunrise (I’m not certain but please do ask him and please beware slippery replies)
(and I, to be clear, am financially connected with Lumie, and these products are my babies)
Steve
January 12th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
sending back the second one to go wrong or be faulty, this time whaen it was dimming, it would ( occasionally ) flash like lightening, scaring the kids, then it just refused to come on in the morning, would turn on manually though.
I do not intend to go back to this model, when it works it is good.