Best Atomic Travel Clock Reviews 2018

Waking up on time is immeasurably important when you’re travelling. Many people nowadays use their cellphones as alarm clocks, but the experience can never compare to the pleasure and feeling of security of using a real atomic clock. Some hotels provide alarm clocks for their guests, but you may not spend every night in the hotel room throughout your journey. To give you a smart alternative, we’ve reviewed five of the best atomic travel clock brands that can accompany you everywhere you go. Read on!

Overview

PROS

CONS

SPECS

Time Zones

Languages

Size/Weight

Color

Shape/Design

Our Top Choice

Marathon Atomic Travel Alarm Clock

Marathon watches incorporate Swiss craftsmanship with military durability to ensure the highest quality and accuracy during manufacturing.

Automatic/manual backlight display. In-built light sensor. Auto night light. AAA batteries included.

Its alarm isn’t that loud.

6 time zones

5 languages

2.8 x 3 x 0.5”/0.7 pound

White, Black, or Blue

Tabletop

Best Value

Ambient Weather Atomic Travel Clock

Ambient Weather has combined experience, premium service, and low prices to become a leading choice for all your weather stations and technology devices.

Backlight display. Small size. Color-changing night light for monitoring room temperature. Light turns on automatically in dim light conditions.

Radio control doesn’t work outside continental USA

4 time zones

5 languages

2.5 x 2.5 x 1’’/0.5 pound

White, Black, or with Night Light

Wall-mountable

Seiko Get Up and Glow Atomic Alarm Clock

Millions of people across the world rely on Seiko timepieces to keep them on schedule.

Uses the U.S Atomic Clock as reference. Big, easily readable numbers. Stable base. Stylish and modern design. Loud alarm.

You have to manually turn on the backlight

All US time zones

Not available

7 x 6 x 3”/0.77 pound

White

Tabletop

REIZEN Radio-Control Talking Atomic Clock

REIZEN’s aim is to make high-end products at the most competitive prices. Its products include telephones, scales, clocks, lamps, watches, headsets, calculators, and magnifiers.

Radio-controlled. Adjustable volume. Provides information verbally. Perfect for the blind and the visually impaired.

Does not reset automatically in Alaska or Hawaii

US time zones

English

4.5 x 4.7 x 2.75”/0.78 pound

White

Dual alarm, tabletop

AcuRite Timex Digital Atomic Clock

For more than 70 years, AcuRite has been delivering innovative solutions and precise data that you can trust. Its products range from clocks to weather stations and cooking thermometers.

Easy-to-read LCD screen. Displays both 12-hour and 24-hour time formats. Informs you of day, date, and indoor temperature (either Celsius or Fahrenheit).

It occasionally loses the radio signal

7 time zones

7 languages

8 x 9 x 2.8”/1 pound

Black

Tabletop/Wall-Mountable

(Updated August 6, 2017)

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Watch Our Atomic Travel Clock Review

How Do I Choose the Best Atomic Travel Clock?

When you’re on the road, you need an accurate and reliable way to mark the time and wake up as scheduled, regardless of your time zone. While most hotels offer alarm clocks, you may not spend every night of your trip in a hotel room, which is why you may benefit from a travel atomic clock to help you get ahead of your appointments. There are many different types and designs of atomic clocks on the market, which is why we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to help you narrow down your choices and find the best atomic travel clock that’ll never disappoint.

Think of it this way. You’ve booked into a nice hotel and you need to grab a sweet sleep and wake up early the next morning for a critical appointment. You set up an alarm on your smartphone and get to sleep. Since you travelled a long way and forgot to adjust your phone to the new time zone, your alarm clock rings two hours later than you expected. You dash to the breakfast area only to find the breakfast was served long ago. Worse yet, you missed your appointment and may have ruined a lifetime opportunity. Where did you go wrong? Avoid all these headaches by purchasing a decent travel clock that automatically adjusts to the prevailing time zone wherever you go.

Now, it’s a common practice that many people use built-in alarm clocks on their smartwatch since the traditional clocks are huge in size and looked more than awkward to carry along on your trip. However, smartwatches are known to sabotage a good sleep, something a good quality atomic travel clock will never do.

We obviously need clocks for every aspect of our lives, whether it’s to honor important appointments or to set a DVR. Atomic travel clocks provide the most accurate and precise means of scaling time that major line distributors, control television broadcast frequencies, and GPS systems can rely on. So, whenever you need precision, go for an atomic travel clock. But how do you choose the right model? This guide will dissect every detail you need to know before you make your final choice on the travel clock to purchase. Read on to understand the features to look out for when shopping for the best atomic travel clock.

Price

The best atomic travel clock shouldn’t cost a fortune. Depending on the features you choose, a good clock will cost anything between $20 and $70. Anything beyond that is for added luxury and functionality, and anything below could just be some cheap imitation that won’t give you value for your money. Generally, the price will depend on the features that the clock comes with, including automatic time zone adjustment, multilanguage support, weather change indication, and so on.

Features

Choosing the best atomic travel clock means whittling down from hundreds of options and narrowing down to the baseline features that matter most to you. It also depends on the kind of travels you do. We’ve done our homework right and highlighted the following features to look for:

Easy to set — You need either an auto-syncing time whenever you plug in or a manual setting mechanism that allows for acceleration or deceleration whenever you overshoot the mark. This way you don’t have to cycle all over again.
Brightness — You can also choose how vivid the time display glows while everything else appears pitch black.
Analog vs. Digital — You can easily find both analog and digital clocks, so it boils down to your personal preference. Analogue clocks are generally simple with minimal complications. They mostly run on batteries and are relatively affordable. However, if you’re a light sleeper, the ticking sound from analogue clocks could disturb your sleep. Digital displays are generally easy to read and interpret.
Noise Level — You want to ensure that the travel clock you purchase can wake you up, even if you’re a heavy sleeper. Some cheap models only come with one sound type and un-adjustable volume level, so it may not help if you need a loud bang to wake up. But again, consider models that begin softly and gradually increase the volume as opposed to those with a sharp blare of a horn.
Durability — A travel atomic clock should be more durable than your regular clock. It’s something you’ll pack in your travel bag and occasionally get crushed under the full weight of other bags at the airport. Go for sturdy materials like hard plastic or metal that don’t easily crash. Models that fold up are even better as they protect the screen from any breakage.

Construction and Design

So, what special design feature can you expect with an atomic travel clock? A good travel clock should do more than simply track time. There are several design features that make one clock stand out from the rest, but the fundamental features to look for include:

Dual Alarm — If you sometimes share a bed, dual alarms for every day of the week can be a great feature that alerts each of you at your various wake-up times. It’s also a nice feature if you have multiple activities scheduled for the day. You can set two different alarm times instead of just one. Other models allow for more than two alarm times that you can set once and get organized for the whole week.
Date and 24-Hour Display — This is especially important when you travel. It’s always possible to lose track of dates when you travel long distances. Many atomic alarm clocks will indicate the date as well as time. Some models even show the entire calendar, making it easy to schedule meetings and events during your travel. Generally, most travel clocks display in 12-hour system, but some models read in military time. It could be a nice alternative if you’re comfortable reading in that format.
Radio and Weather — After several hours of travelling, it could be soothing to relax and unwind the day with some soft music. If that matters to you, consider models with built-in radio as well. Technological advancements have seen travel clock designs incorporate USB ports to connect your smartphone or MP3 player to the clock and play your favorite music. Some high-end models also show the prevailing weather conditions in your location. This is a great feature if you’re in unfamiliar territories and you can’t access the local news.

Performance and Ease of Use

The last thing you want during your journey is to have to figure out how to set or operate your travel clock. While some models come with tons of whistles and bells, you want something that’s simple to use and store away. Ensure that the atomic travel clock you purchase is easy to set, so you won’t have to worry about missing an important wake-up call or a scheduled appointment.

High-quality alarm clocks can be read from various distances and come with a well-thought-out alarm functionality that works well. They should be sturdy and have long-lasting buttons and connecting wires that can withstand occasional knocks and bumps during travels.

On the other hand, a poorly-designed clock is complicated to operate and comes with unnecessary features that rarely add value. Such functionalities clutter the screen display making the travel clock look more complicated than it should.

Atomic travel cocks shouldn’t expose you to excessive light that’s common with various electronic gadgets such as smartphones. Standalone atomic alarm clocks are a great option that offer intuitive setups, useful features, and customizable settings to suit every kind of sleeper.

What is the Best Atomic Travel Clock?

Atomic travel clocks come in a variety of features and sizes. Some models don’t have ticking sounds while some incorporate night lights. High-end models even include functionalities like weather condition monitors, room temperature displays and much more. With such a fabulous list of atomic travel clocks, it’s time to dash out there and pick a model that best suits your travelling needs.

Our Top Choice

The Marathon Atomic Travel Alarm Clock comes with automatic and manual backlight display and the ability to set and adjust the time. Looking for a clock with an alarm that’ll be sure to wake you up? We recommend the Westclox Travelmate Folding Alarm Clock!

Marathon Atomic Travel Alarm Clock with Auto Night Light Feature — Available in 3 Colors

Marathon Atomic Travel Clock SYNCHKG124777 — White

Features

Founded in 1939 by Morris Wein, Marathon Watch began by distributing superior precision timepieces to marketers across North America. In 1941, the company started creating timing gadgets for the Allied armies in WWII — a tradition that continues to this day. Its fourth generation of operation still manufactures fine quality innovative devices for measuring distance, time, and temperature.

The Marathon Atomic Travel Alarm Clock is excellent for people who are always on the go. This is because of its compact size (3.25 x 0.5 x 2.75 inches) and portability that make it easy to carry during travel, including all your camping adventures.

Other incredible features that come with this clock include:

5 different language displays (English, German, Spanish, Italian, and French)
Automatic backlight that turns on when the clock is put in the dark; the light can also be manually turned on
Self-adjusting/self-setting display; simply choose your desired time zone and you’re ready to go!
6 time zones to choose from (Central, Eastern, Pacific, Atlantic, Mountain, and Newfoundland)
Both 12 and 24-hour time display formats
Comes with indoor temperature display, one loud alarm, and one-touch glow display

This atomic travel clock comes in 3 different colors to choose from!

If you’d like to see more before buying, Marathon manufactures other atomic travel clocks that you can check out!

Best Value

The Ambient Weather RC-8300 Atomic Travel Compact Alarm Clock comes with a backlight display that activates automatically in low light settings, making it an ideal bedside and camping clock. Willing to spend more and get other exciting features such as a wireless 3-channel sensor? Then go for the Ambient Weather WS-8460 Projection Clock!

Ambient Weather Atomic Travel Compact Alarm Clock with Auto Night Light Feature, Color Charging Temperature — Available in 3 Colors

Ambient Weather WS-01-RC-8300-WHITE — White with Night Light

Features

As a market leader in the weather station and environmental tracking devices, Ambient Weather has been in business since 1998. The company sells numerous products on its website including personal safety equipment, consumer electronics, media devices, and home improvement, and is among the fastest growing private businesses in America.

Even with its compact size (2.5 x 2.5 x 1.0 inches), the Ambient Weather RC-8300 Atomic Travel Compact Alarm Clock is generous on features. For instance, this alarm clock comes with an automatic backlight display that activates itself in dim light conditions. You can even use this clock as an accurate synchronization reference for your other clocks!

Other features that come with this clock include:

The screen displaying indoor temperature, time, time zone, alarm time, month, day of the week, date, and radio-managed clock reception strength icon
Snooze button, alarm switch, and the switch for the temperature units of measure
Signal strength indicator
Time automatically set via radio
Temperature readings can be in Fahrenheit or Celsius
Color-changing LED Backlight provides instant feedback on the coldness or hotness of a room
Uses 2 AAA batteries (not included)
Automatically adjusts/sets for daylight savings time
The time coincides with that of the U.S. atomic clock to give you the utmost accuracy
Time displays in either 12 or 24-hour formats
Four time zones (Central, Eastern, Pacific, and Mountain)
5 language displays (English, German, Spanish, French, and Italian)

The Ambient Weather RC-8300 Atomic Travel Compact Alarm Clock comes in 3 color variations.

If you’re impressed by these features, check out other atomic travel clocks by Ambient Weather!

The Seiko Get Up and Glow Atomic Alarm Clock sets automatically to all U.S time zones and uses the U.S Atomic Clock as reference, making it one of the most error-free alarm clocks around. If you’d like an ordinary clock with longer battery life and a not-so-loud alarm, check out the Seiko Bedside Alarm Get Up and Glow Clock

Seiko Get Up and Glow Advanced Technology Bedside Alarm Clock

Seiko Atomic Alarm Clock QHR015SLH

Features

With over 120 years of making fine timepieces, Seiko has grown to become synonymous with constant innovation and refinement, cutting edge technology, and ultra-precision.

With its slim, contemporary design, the Seiko Get Up and Glow Atomic Alarm Clock is as artistic as it is functional. The clock has a large, illuminating digital-gray face that showcases the alarm time and the pictorial depiction of your time zone. Since it sets its time as per the U.S Atomic Clock, you’re assured of accurate timing at all times.

Other features that come with this clock include:

Illuminated face to allow easy viewing
Uses 2 AA batteries (included)
Has snooze and calendar functions
Comes with a silver metallic base
Alarm begins with 2 beeps then increases in repetition
Sets automatically to all US time zones
Automatically fine-tunes to daylight saving time, then back to standard time

Looking for a different design? Check out the other exciting atomic clocks by Seiko!

The REIZEN Radio-Controlled Talking Atomic Clock gives you the date and time in a smooth and reassuring voice. Willing to spend a little bit more for extra features? Get the Reizen Atomic Talking Clock that comes with an indoor-outdoor thermometer and a remote sensor.

REIZEN Radio-Controlled Talking Atomic Alarm Clock with Split-Second

REIZEN Atomic Travel Clock TKC101U

Features

REIZEN strives to make high-quality products at affordable prices. Its range of products include Braille aids, magnifiers, hearing amplifiers, travel alarm clocks, wall clocks, desk & shelf clocks, office labeling tapes, cordless telephone batteries, thermometers & timers, badge holders, label makers, and handheld flashlights.

Do you or someone close to you have visual impairment? Or, do you just want to be able to tell the time without the need to lift your head or put on your glasses? The REIZEN Talking Atomic Clock comes with split-second error-free atomic time and a full-range female voice to give you the date and time announcement with a natural and smooth sound quality. You simply need to touch the button once to receive the time announcement and twice for date and day announcement.

This clock is radio-controlled and uses the US Atomic Clock as its reference to give you accurate time readings at any time.

Other features that come with this clock include:

Easy-to-see LCD showing date, day of the week, and month
Ability to set hourly time declaration from 8am to 10pm
Low/high volume switch, excellent for the hearing impaired
5-minute snooze function
Runs on batteries (2AA, not included)

If you still haven’t found what you’re looking for, REIZEN has other atomic travel clocks that you can sample today!

The AcuRite Timex Digital Atomic Clock incorporates a self-setting atomic alarm clock, calendar, and reliable temperature readings. Willing to invest a little bit more to get a clock that uses either electricity or batteries? The AcuRite 13024 Atomic Dual Alarm Clock will be a good fit for you.

AcuRite Timex Atomic Clock with Date, Day of the Week and Indoor Temperature

AcuRite Atomic Travel Clock 75322T

Features

As a brand with top-selling weather products, AcuRite’s products are known for their reliable quality, ease of use, and precision accuracy. The company’s weather products provide reliable weather forecasts and accurate measurements of both indoor and outdoor environmental conditions. Other products by this brand include cooking thermometers and clocks.

The AcuRite Timex Digital Atomic Clock comes with a self-adjusting atomic clock, reliable temperature readings, and a calendar. The clock uses the split-second precision to correctly set itself! Its large, easy-to-see LCD screen displays time (hour/min), indoor temperature (with ºF/ ºC options), and a calendar (with month/date/day). With its glossy, stylish, piano-black stand, this clock can either be wall-mounted or placed upright for tabletop use.

The AcuRite Timex Digital Atomic Clock uses the US Atomic Clock as reference and refreshes several times a day by referring to it. The clock utilizes 2 AA batteries, which however are not included in the package.

If you’re looking for a grand atomic clock, AcuRite has something for you!

Get the Best Atomic Travel Clock of 2018!

When you need to know the absolutely accurate time to the level of microseconds, you need to have an atomic travel watch because it can provide you with unmatched chronological accuracy wherever you are in the world. You can find pint-sized models that can easily fit in your backpack or hand luggage, making them perfect for travelling. Hopefully we helped you find the best atomic travel clock you’ve been looking for. If we didn’t manage that, feel free to sample alternative models by these trusted brands.

Our Top Choice

Marathon Atomic Travel Alarm Clock

Best Value

Ambient Weather Atomic Travel Clock

Seiko Get Up and Glow Atomic Alarm Clock

REIZEN Radio-Control Talking Atomic Clock

AcuRite Timex Digital Atomic Clock