Product review: iLuv SmartShaker 2 alarm clock

The iLuv SmartShaker 2 is a wireless vibrating pad that links via Bluetooth to a free-of-charge app. Install the app on a smartphone and set the alarm in the app. The SmartShaker is rechargeable, so great for nights away and holidays.

Available to buy from Sarabec.
Ages: 0 to 25

Reviewed by Kathryn who is mum to Aidan (5) who is profoundly deaf and wears cochlear implants.

Aidan

"We borrowed the iLuv SmartShaker 2 alarm clock from the Technology Test Drive for our son Aidan. He’s recently started primary school and we wanted to encourage his sense of independence and also save ourselves a few minutes in the morning by not having to wake him up!

I had seen other alarm clocks with attached shaker devices but was a bit worried. Small children tend to fiddle with buttons and switches so the whole house could be woken up by a very loud alarm at an ungodly hour! I liked that the iLuv SmartShaker 2 was operated by an app so I could control the timings and settings too. Also it can just shake and doesn’t have to be accompanied by an audible alarm that would be no help to Aidan with his implants off at night.

You don’t receive any instructions with the device but when you download the associated app, this takes you through the set-up very clearly. There are three different vibration settings and you can set multiple alarms, so it was very flexible. The only problem we encountered was that we found it hard to know if the app had updated when we made a change to the settings, so, once or twice, the alarm didn’t go off as intended. We’ve fed this back to the developers of the app.

Aidan felt really independent using it. If he came to our bed for a cuddle, he brought it with him. At the end of the trial, he asked if we could get him one so we all thought it was a success!"