Best for Most families with a toddler who needs a simple visual rule for bedtime and getting up.
Toddler
Best toddler sleep clocks in the UK (2026)
OK-to-wake clocks that show toddlers when to stay in bed and when they can get up, rated on clarity, set-up and value.
Quick picks
Best first
The shortlist
Best for Toddlers who respond better to a friendly face than to colours alone, and families who want battery power or a flexible nap timer.
Best for Parents who want one bedside gadget to handle white noise, a night light and the wake-up signal.
Best for Families who travel a lot, or want a clock that survives being knocked off the bedside table.
Best for Parents who want a rechargeable sleep trainer with sounds and an alarm without paying Mella money.
Affiliate link: if you buy, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the score. How this works
Side by side
Compare every toddler sleep clock
Tap a column to sort. Scores are out of 10.
| Product | Links | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tommee Tippee GroclockGold Star | 7.9 | 8.6 | 6.6 | 7.6 | 7.0 | 9.2 | £25 | Amazon |
| Zazu Sam the Lamb Sleep TrainerSplurge Star | 7.7 | 9.0 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 6.8 | £40 | Amazon |
| LittleHippo Mella | 7.5 | 8.4 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 6.6 | 6.6 | £40 | Amazon |
| Zeepy Sleep Trainer ClockBest for travel | 7.4 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 8.4 | 7.4 | £30 | Amazon |
| Mamas & Papas Sleep Trainer (Dog) | 7.3 | 7.6 | 6.6 | 7.4 | 7.0 | 7.6 | £28 | Amazon |
Head-to-heads
Before you buy
Buying guide
What an OK-to-wake clock actually does
Every clock here does the same basic job: it shows one thing at bedtime and something clearly different when it's OK to get up. The differences are in how obvious that signal is and what else the clock does.
The simplest, like the Groclock, change the picture and colour. Some add a 'nearly time' stage: Zazu's Sam counts down the last 30 minutes with disappearing stars, and Zeepy has a yellow 'patience' phase. Others, like the LittleHippo Mella and the new Mamas & Papas clock, add sounds, night lights and alarms.
Start with a wake time they can actually hit
The most common mistake is setting the time you'd like rather than the time your child can manage. Parents who've made these work tend to give the same advice: set it just after your child's usual waking time, make a fuss of them when they wait, then nudge it later gradually. Setting 7am for a child who wakes at 5 just teaches them to ignore the clock.
Consistency matters more than which clock you buy, and that includes weekends.
Mains, batteries or rechargeable?
Mains-powered clocks (the Groclock and Mella) never run flat but need a socket near the bed; John Lewis notes the Groclock's USB plug isn't included. Zeepy's rechargeable battery lasts up to five days per charge, which makes it the best traveller. Zazu's Sam can run on four AA batteries as well as USB, and the Mamas & Papas clock is rechargeable but quoted at 12 hours, so expect to charge it most days.
Keep it dim
A clock face glowing all night is brighter in a dark bedroom than it looks in the shop. Check you can dim the display right down or switch the night light off, and try it in your child's room for a few nights before deciding it's the right one.
Do you need one at all?
If you already have, or are about to buy, an audio player, check what it does first. The Yoto Player and Yoto Mini have OK-to-wake clocks built in, the Yoto Player adds a night light, and the Toniebox 2 has a sunrise alarm. See our kids' audio players guide.
Questions parents ask
What age should you start using an OK-to-wake clock?
Most families start between two and three. LittleHippo says its Mella sleep trainer works best from about two, when children begin to learn colours, and Zeepy aims its clock at two to six-year-olds. The Groclock is rated from 12 months, but younger toddlers may take a while to connect the picture with getting up.
Will a sleep clock stop my toddler waking at 5am?
Not on its own. It gives your child a clear signal, but they still have to learn the rule, and some early waking is just a phase. Start with a wake time they can achieve, praise them for waiting, and move it later slowly. If early waking comes with other sleep worries, speak to your health visitor.
Should the night light stay on all night?
That's up to you and your child. Most of the clocks here let you dim the display or switch the night light off, and Zazu's Sam can switch its light off automatically. If your child is happy in the dark, a dim display that only changes at wake-up time is the least disruptive.
Is a sunrise lamp like a Lumie Bodyclock a better idea?
For a toddler, probably not. Lumie's Bodyclocks are wake-up lights designed around adult sleep and start at around £99. Lumie's children's range is currently its Willow lamps (£119), which do a gentle 20-minute sunset at bedtime but don't give a wake-up signal. A clear change of picture or colour is simpler for a two-year-old to understand.
Can a Yoto or Toniebox do the same job?
Partly. The Yoto Player and Yoto Mini both have OK-to-wake clocks, the Yoto Player adds a night light, and the Toniebox 2 has a sunrise alarm. If you're buying an audio player anyway, try that first and see if it's enough.