How to Choose the Right Portable Clock Radio

While most portable clock radios are a small investment, you should put some serious thought into what you need in a clock radio. After all, it is a decision you're going to be waking up to every morning!
This article will help you determine what features are most important to you, so that you can purchase the best portable clock radio for your needs.
First, you need to consider what features you need. There are 4 basic categories of features:
-          Basic features, like size, visibility, a snooze feature, and battery backup...
-          Travel features, like durability, which may or may not be important to you...
-          Audio features, like the type of speakers the radio uses, audio jacks, AM/FM/CD/MP3 capability...
-          And optional features, like telephones, multiple alarm times, Wi-Fi capability, iPod compatibility, and more...
Let's look at each one of these categories in a little bit more detail.
The basic features will eliminate some models for you right away. Do you have vision problems? Then eliminate any clocks that don't have large displays. Limited for space? Don't choose the travel-trunk sized alarm. Have frequent power outages? Make sure your alarm clock has a battery backup, so your alarm will still be set when the power comes back on.
Once you've chosen a few different models that suit your basic needs, you need to decide whether you'll be travelling with it, or not. Does it need to fit into a suitcase? Do you want MP3 capability, so you don't have to hunt for local radio stations while travelling? These are important features to think of.
No matter how you like waking up, you want to make sure your alarm has a buzzer function. But what if you prefer to wake up to music? Well, you need to consider the audio features of your clock radio. Does it contain good quality speakers? Does it have an audio jack, so you can plug in any device and set it to play in the morning? What about MP3 capability? Can it play songs from your MP3 player to wake you up?
There are also many options available in portable clock radios. For example, do you already have a telephone on your bedside table? Why not purchase a combination portable clock radio and telephone?
Do you wake up at different times, different days of the week? Then a clock that will allow you to set multiple waking times might come in handy!
Some newer models are even capable of logging into a Wi-Fi network to stream online radio for free!
Finally, take your budget into consideration. Portable clock radios can cost anywhere from under $10 all the way up to several hundred, so keep your budget in mind while you're shopping.

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