Braun BC20B digital alarm clock

Some bedside clocks tell you the time. The Braun BC20B tells you the time, the date and the temperature in the room, all at a glance, before you have even properly opened your eyes. That large white LCD display is hard to miss, and the automatic brightness adjustment means it dims itself at night so it does not light up the room like a torch. This is a clock for anyone who wants clear information without fuss, whether you keep it on a nightstand, a desk or a shelf in the bedroom.

Braun built the BC20B with that familiar minimalist approach the brand has stuck to for decades. The body is a rounded rectangle in black plastic, 140 mm wide and 40 mm deep, which gives it a solid presence without taking over the space beside your bed. The touch snooze is genuinely convenient: you just press your hand down on the top of the clock and you get a few more minutes, no fumbling around in the dark for a tiny button. A green alarm indicator on the display makes it easy to see at a glance whether the alarm is actually set before you fall asleep, which is one of those small things that turns out to matter. Perhaps the most practical addition is the two USB-C ports on the back. Your phone, your earbuds or whatever else needs charging overnight can draw power directly from the clock, freeing up a socket elsewhere. Braun also included a CR2032 battery backup, so a brief power cut will not wipe your settings.

Details

• Model: Braun BC20B
• Display: LCD with white backlight and automatic brightness adjustment
• Shows: time, date, room temperature and alarm indicator
• Width: 140 mm, depth: 40 mm
• Case material: black plastic
• Charging: 2 x USB-C ports
• Snooze: touch-activated
• Battery backup: CR2032

Set it up once and it handles itself from there. The USB-C ports alone make it more useful than a standard alarm clock, and if you have ever knocked a regular clock off the nightstand while searching for the snooze button at 6 a.m., the touch function will feel like a genuine upgrade. It fits neatly into a bedroom without demanding attention, which is exactly the point.