LARK Un-Alarm Clock and Sleep Sensor

• LARK review

  1.0 out of 5 stars

  I bought a LARK Sleep Sensor over one week ago because I really like the idea of tracking my sleep. The alarm component was also desirable. Unfortunately, this is a very disappointing realization of a good idea. Consider:
  1. The sleep tracking is not very accurate.
  2. The bluetooth does not always work, and when it is not working, there is no way to set the alarm. This has already resulted in one nights sleep not being registered, even after spending > 45 minutes (I should have been sleeping) trying to get it to work, following the instructions... the tech support...
  3. I can not access the LARK website from my iPhone, which means you can't access the online dashboard. When you log on from a computer, it does not have your sleep history, so no added value.
  4. After you buy the LARK, you learn that to get more than the alarm clock and sleep tracking, you have to pay $60 for an annual subscription, which is not at all clear on the sales literature. Based on the inaccurate tracking (assuming it works every night) how can the $60 analysis be correct?
  5. The warranty is only for 30 days - not a typo - only 30 days
  6. The stand does not "charge your iPhone" but only has a USB port in it
  In conclusion, I am taking my LARK back before the 14 day return period is over. The sleep tracking is not reliable. The basic sleep analysis is not available from an iPhone and when you log on with a computer the web site does not have your sleep data. When the bluetooth does not work, the alarm function does not work, which has already failed in the first 8 nights of use (last night). The $60 annual fee, the lack of technical support, and the 30 day warranty don't inspire any confidence. This is a product not ready for prime time. Save your $130 + $60, there must be a better product out there. I am certainly going to look for it. … More (Read full review)

  • Written by Gerald D from Oakland
  • Jul 5, 2011

  423 of 480 people found this useful

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• Hearing-impaired customer

  4.0 out of 5 stars

  I am hearing impaired and I've always look out for a new and improved alarm clock. This exceeds my expectation as I love its wirel ess so I can put my iPad/iPhone away from my nightstand. This device gets me up on time better than other vibrating alarm clocks. I don't know if you market the deaf community, but they would appreciate LARK greatly! Thanks. … More (Read full review)

  • Written by Derek W from Grand Rapids
  • Sep 6, 2011

  158 of 173 people found this useful

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• Finally! Stay asleep while your spouse gets up!

  5.0 out of 5 stars

  My husband coaches rowing, and gets up at the ungodly hour of 4:30am three days a week. I keep more "normal" hours. :) He is a he avy sleeper and needs a combination of NPR and loud buzzer to wake, neither of which I can sleep through. He was skeptical that Lark would wake him, but Lark has overcome his formidable sleep powers! We've only had Lark a week, but now I can sleep through him getting up... a few extra hours of uninterrupted sleep is huge!
  
  We haven't tried any of the sleep analysis, but just the alarm is worth it! Looking forward to software updates to allow you to set the alarm for different times on different days. … More (Read full review)

  • Written by MARIA R K from Seattle
  • Jun 22, 2011

  148 of 172 people found this useful

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• Everything as expected

  5.0 out of 5 stars

  So I've used this for over two years now. First of all that is really saying something - 2 years with the way products are made t hese days is pretty amazing. I originally bought it so I didn't wake my wife or my sleeping baby. Worked perfectly. I have used it since so I can wake up and it has yet to fail me. (over two years!)
  
  An added bonus was the sleep monitoring - good sleep really does wonders for your attitude and productivity. This has really helped me to understand good sleep patterns and a lot about what affects mine.
  
  Only downside is the size of the unit. I place it reversed so it is on the inside of my wrist and let it slide down my arm a little. Doesn't really bother me at all. I would highly recommend it even though I know some people would be bothered by it.
  
  For me - if I had any notion they were going to stop selling it - I'd buy one and keep it in reserve until they come up with a smaller one. … More (Read full review)

  • Written by Jeremy B from Honolulu
  • Mar 12, 2013

  11 of 17 people found this useful

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• Review

  2.0 out of 5 stars

  I saw this in the Apple store last fall and thought that it would be helpful as my sleep patterns are very erratic. So I was pret ty happy when I opened a Christmas present and found this.
  
  I used it for a three week trial and was given the same result each time. They did give suggestions on helping to improve my sleep patterns. You are only given one 7 day trial for free. So I registered my wife and she also did the 7 day trial, then my 18 year old daughter did as well. What was interesting is that all three of us pretty much received the same summary (other than a few word changes) and let me tell you my wife and daughter sleep far better than I do. … More (Read full review)

  • Written by Christopher F from Cambridge
  • Mar 12, 2013

  12 of 16 people found this useful

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• Interesting but limited

  2.0 out of 5 stars

  I've used my Lark for three months now. It was an interesting purchase, but the frustrations have now outweighed the novelty. I think I'll toss it and wait for the next generation of sleep monitors.
  
  Alarm: and snooze work reliably without waking anyone else.
  
  Stats: it's good for tracking my average amount of sleep, but the value of the other measures is questionable because it is based on movement. For example, if I lie awake for awhile but don't move, it counts that as falling asleep right away. Also, I'm not sure how reliable movement is as a proxy measure for how deep I'm sleeping - and that's really what I want to know.
  
  Upgrades: it would be great to be able to do more with it, but it seems that they are not putting any resources into further development at this stage. Maybe they're putting all their efforts into the Larklife product?
  
  Support: it's been a little glitchy, and I get the feeling that they are minimizing the resources on post-purchase support, to maximize the profits on a soon-to-be-obsolete product.
  
  Control: You can't download your stats, they have them all on their server. This is really irritating as I can't adjust incorrect stats, evaluate the numbers on my own, or delete their copy of my stats. Also, this morning it won't let me into my account, so I've essentially lost all my data for the last three months, and I'm at their mercy. … More (Read full review)

  • Written by Tricia S from Thornhill
  • Jan 5, 2013

  9 of 16 people found this useful

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