With Some Clocks, Rude Awakenings

The good: Compact size, easy to use, large LCD. The headphone jack is a nice touch. Of the six sounds, "storm" sounded most realistic and restful. "Wind" made us feel cold, but if you happen to be traveling in a particularly humid location, that could be a good thing.

The bad: Four of the six "soothing" sounds aren't soothing at all. "Babbling brook" sounds uncomfortably like you've left a tub running somewhere, and "white noise" reminded us of the grating static on a TV that wakes you up after you've fallen asleep and a station goes off the air. Four AAA batteries not included.

Grade: C

· Super-Loud Travel Alarm Clock from Magellan's

($19.85, http://www.magellans.com)

Weight: 7.5 ounces with batteries.

Special features: Not many. Four-minute snooze function, backlight and "super-loud" alarm sound -- a good option for heavy sleepers. (Note: When they say super-loud, they mean it -- 100 decibels loud, to be exact. During the testing, the alarm didn't wake us up as much as it gave us a good scare. Fortunately, there's a high/low alarm switch.)

The good: Easy to operate and set up, and (thank goodness) that high/low alarm switch.

The bad: Not the lightest of the bunch, and we think it's overpriced. At this price the four AA batteries should be included, but they aren't.

Grade: C+

· iHome2Go Folding iPod Travel Alarm Clock from Brookstone

($99, http://www.brookstone.com)

Weight: 1 pound 14.6 ounces with batteries.

Special features: Nine-minute snooze function, remote control, folding speakers, programmable sleep timer, backup battery system, charges and plays all docking iPods. Gentle Sleep and Gentle Waking features gradually decrease and increase the sound of the iPod or buzzer alarm as you are falling asleep or waking up. Padded carrying case, remote control and AC adapter included.

The good: Surprisingly decent speaker sound for the size, and it's nicely priced for a portable iPod speaker system. And waking up to a favorite tune is an awfully nice way to start the day. Lithium batteries for the remote and clock included.

The bad: The largest, heaviest and most involved setup of the alarms we tested (though iPod addicts most likely won't mind the extra weight or time). An AM/FM radio feature would have been a welcome addition. The four AA speaker batteries aren't included.

Grade: B+