Although it might seem odd, I have fond memories of my childhood alarm clocks. My favorite one was a massive clock that doubled as a CD player and a radio. I set it to play my music as my morning wake-up call. Eventually, I had to trash that old clock (I wish I could’ve kept it forever). When Loftie entered the scene, I immediately knew this was my chance to have a beloved alarm clock once more.
The (many) features of Loftie
I quickly have realized that Loftie is much more than a simple alarm clock. The Loftie team is constantly adding more content to this clock. When I got my alarm clock up and running, I excitedly explored all of the options. It had some features that I have seen and loved in my previous clocks. These features included white noise, calming nature sounds, and a backup battery in case there was a power outage. Yet there was so much more than just these.
First off, I discovered that there is more than white noise. Apparently, there are a variety of noise colors such as pink noise, blue noise, and several others. I explored a few of those options, but personally, I preferred the multiple different nature sounds. There were Redwood Forest sounds, Lakeside sounds, Campfire noises, and more. As a side note, if you have a parakeet or other bird, I quickly discovered that they love the noises. My parakeet had the time of his life as he listened and chirped along to the Distant Valley sound.
The next item that I explored was the breathwork. Basically, a professional walks us through breathing exercises in an uploaded recording. I listened to the intro to breathwork a bit, and I have to say that I will definitely be using this feature when I can. Breathwork is very beneficial to the body, and I’m excited to be guided through it with a professional recorded in the Loftie.
The Loftie also has a relaxing night light mode as well as a blackout option for when you want total darkness. We all know how pesky those alarm clocks can be at night with their blaring red (why are they always red?) numbers lighting up the entire room.
Now apparently, there are some additional features of Loftie that I just couldn’t figure out. My best guess is that they are adding these to the content list in the future (again, Loftie is continually upgrading). The Loftie team is adding stories to the content. According to Matthew Hasset, the CEO of Loftie, they are working on creating content specifically for kids for this clock. They recently updated the Loftie app, and my experience was that the Loftie updates similarly to a computer update. Just power it off for a moment and when it turns back on it will automatically update.
One final thing was that Loftie could double as a Bluetooth speaker. Now, I tried to figure out how to access this, but I just couldn’t find a way to make it work. At first, I was confused until I discovered that it isn’t currently a feature, and that the Loftie team is adding it onto their software soon.
How to use your Loftie
I know that this clock may seem complicated, but I found the setup to be easy. All I had to do was download the Loftie app, plug in my Loftie, and connect via Bluetooth. Once I was connected, I didn’t even have to set the time (remember how long that used to take when we had to scroll through every hour and minute on our clock to get the current time correct?).
My Loftie came with multiple charging heads for any streamlined outlet globally, which I thought was super unique. It also came with instructions and an illustration showing the “anatomy” of the Loftie. It is pretty easy for me to figure out how each button is meant to be used.
Why choose Loftie?
The creators of Loftie didn’t set out to create an alarm clock. In the beginning, they were brainstorming ways to cleanse people from their phones. In my interview with Matthew Hasset, he states that he noticed various people deleting social media for a time to improve their lives, which spurred his idea of Loftie into what it is today.
It is true. We are all reliant on technology. If we are not careful, it all too easily begins to take over our lives. The creators of Loftie made it in order to break those habits (or prevent them).
With Loftie, I can leave my phone in another room for the night. It is no longer my alarm clock. I can lay in bed peacefully and read a book until I get tired. I don’t have a million notifications calling for me. I can reduce my worry a lot by simply allowing for downtime. I also like this because it gives me the ability to turn my phone off at night, helping the phone’s useful life last longer.
In the morning, I wake up peacefully to a soothing alarm noise. Loftie gives me time to slowly awaken with bird song and peaceful music. Finally, no loud beeping or buzzing. I also appreciate it because now, when I hear iPhone alarm noises randomly through the day, I don’t get flashbacks to anxious mornings where I scramble out of bed after being jolted awake by that ugly noise.
Due to the nature of this alarm sound, I would recommend setting it about ten minutes ahead of the time that you planned to set it. The alarm sounds twice, and the initial sound is quite subtle. Maybe I can change the settings, but I have yet to figure that out. In fact, there are so many features that I don’t know if I’ll ever master this clock in all of its features.
Altogether, Loftie is more than just an alarm clock. It is a constantly evolving therapeutic device. For me, it brings back the childhood nostalgia and fond memories of my giant clock CD player. In a hectic world, Loftie gives me a chance to relax.
