Amazon Halo Rise review: Sleep tracking could replace your clumsy wearable

advantages and disadvantages

pros

• Contactless sleep monitoring
• Doubles as a sunrise alarm clock
• Consolidate complex sleep data into digestible sleep scores
• No Halo member required

Defect

• Voice control can only be used when paired with an Alexa or Echo Show device
• Do not monitor snoring or coughing

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Back in September, Amazon introduced latest sleep monitoring device for the ever-growing health and fitness market: aura rose. At the time, I was surprised to learn that Halo Rise is not another game. clock, headbandor pair of headphones that can judge my health. Instead, Halo Rise is a bedside sleep monitor that uses low-power sensors to analyze your breathing patterns, movements, and room environment to provide insights into possible sleep. measurable.

But wait, there’s more: This device acts as a smart alarm, simulating the sun that can be paired with Display echo or Alexa device(s) to enhance your morning routine. While an Amazon Halo membership makes it easier to integrate the tracker with multiple devices, the membership is not required to use or implement any specialized tracking features.

Also: These sound machines can really help you fall asleep faster

If you’re wondering if contactless sleep trackers really work, you’re not alone. I’ve been asking myself the same question for months, eager to put Halo Rise to the test. Now, for the past few weeks, Halo Rise has been my only sleep tracker and alarm tool, and I’m happy to report that it has made my mornings brighter in so many ways.

specifications

A smart device with a smart design

Wearing tech to bed, no matter how slick, can interfere with sleep rather than help with relaxation, making anyone’s sleep worse before it actually gets better. Halo Rise sits comfortably on my nightstand, eliminating any friction and contact with my wrists, head, or ears. By default, the 6.7-inch white disc displays the time and is held by a stainless steel stand, adding to the peaceful bedtime aesthetic in my room.

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The Halo Rise setup process is as seamless as it looks. I place the device by my bed and make sure it is at my head level so it can accurately track my sleeping behaviors. The rest of the setup takes place in the Halo app.

Thanks to low-power sensors and Amazon’s claims of “hours of training on sleep lab-tested polymorphic data,” Halo Rise doesn’t require a camera or microphone to read your sleep patterns. Friend.

It is comparison with competitors Google Nest Hub, which works on add-ons and tracks your snoring, coughing, and movement. That can be both good and bad, depending on which stats you value and how much privacy you want to keep… private.

The top of the Halo Rise has two buttons — a larger snooze/reading light button and a smaller button to control standby/simulate sunset. You can also connect Halo Rise to your Echo Show or Alexa-enabled device to voice commands your alarm for a smarter experience.

An alarm clock worth waking up

Speaking of sunset/sunrise simulation, this is arguably my favorite feature in Halo Rise. The Rise has an LED strip that produces natural-looking sunlight to wake you up.

The light gradually gets brighter to simulate the warm tones of the sun, making even the gloomiest winter days a little brighter. For those deep sleepers worried that light alone won’t be enough to wake you up, the wake-up alarm with brightness — with five sounds to choose from in the Halo app — makes for an easy Tough yet effective to get you out of bed.

Also: 4 best sunrise alarm clocks: Wake up smarter

However, how do you set the alarm, I would recommend setting the time a little later than the time you normally wake up, provided that the sunrise simulation starts 15 minutes before your desired time and increased rapidly.

From stats to better sleep

While Halo Rise is a “probable” device as opposed to a wearable, its approach to data tracking is more or less the same: Hypnotic graphs in the Halo app represent how long you spend on for each sleep state (light, deep, REM).

Also: 8 best sleep trackers you can buy

The difference is that you can also see how long it takes you to fall asleep and environmental factors like the light level in the room (lux), humidity percentage and temperature. Halo Rise aggregates these different sleep data points into a digestible sleep score from 0 to 100.

As a “type A” personality, I fear that the score-based approach will only increase sleep stress and be completely counterproductive, but Halo Rise’s actionable insights have do the opposite. In addition to the environmental factors, Amazon gave me recommendations and ideal levels for each, encouraging me to make practical adjustments. To my surprise, my stress levels and general mood continued to improve while I was testing Halo Rise.

The app also prompts you to try different meditation and sleep programs to fall asleep faster, sleep longer, and help you feel more comfortable throughout the day. I love having these recommendations on the core functions of Halo Rise.

Also: Apple Watch vs Fitbit: Which Sleep Tracking Is Better?

In terms of accuracy, the Halo app’s data more or less matched the data from my Apple Watch, which I wore to control my test. Just know that if you’re a pet owner, Amazon warns that furry friends getting between you and your sleep tracker can cause minor data disruptions.

bottom line

If you’re hesitant about wearing tech while sleeping but still want access to your sleep data, I’d say $139.99 Rising Aura is worthy of its price tag. In a word, it is only 10$ above the viral level Hatch Restore Alarm Clock, does not include sleep tracking and requires more space on your nightstand. It is also not backed by a multinational corporation.

Is Halo Rise perfect? Not quite, but it’s almost there. I hope that future iterations of the device will incorporate snoring and cough tracking as well as use some Amazon Echo Show 5features, such as independent voice control or news story display.

However, you can color me impressions. The Rise’s environmental recommendations have changed my sleeping habits for the better on their own, and along with your approach to dawn in your room, have made me more awake when I need to.

Open alternative sleep trackers or smart alarms? Here are some worthy alternatives for you to consider: