Projection Clocks

What a projection clock is for

The appeal is specific and it is worth being clear about it. If you wake in the night and want to know the time, a projection clock is the only format that tells you without requiring you to move, focus on a small display or wake yourself up properly with a phone screen. Once people have owned one they tend to replace it with another rather than going back to a conventional clock.

The secondary benefit is the outdoor temperature. A projected reading of the temperature outside, visible from bed, is genuinely useful on a winter morning before you decide what to wear or whether the car will need scraping.

Our current model

The Technoline WT549 projection alarm clock is the model we stock. It projects the time, includes indoor and outdoor temperature from a wireless sensor, and adds a weather forecast display. It is also radio controlled, so it sets itself from the MSF time signal and stays correct through both annual clock changes without any intervention.

For a projection display within a fuller weather station, the Bresser 7004405 projection radio-controlled weather station is worth a look. It projects the time and temperature while giving you a proper forecast station on the unit itself, which suits anyone who wants one device rather than a bedside clock and a separate station.

What to check before buying

Three things determine whether a projection clock works well in your bedroom.

Throw distance and ceiling height come first. Projection clocks are designed for a normal domestic ceiling at roughly two and a half metres from a bedside table. A high ceiling, a loft conversion with a sloping roof, or a clock placed across the room will give you a large, dim and soft-edged display. Most units offer a focus adjustment and a rotating projector head, which covers moderate variation but not a five-metre ceiling.

Brightness is the second. A projection bright enough to read easily is also bright enough to notice with your eyes shut, which is why an adjustable brightness or a dimming mode matters. Look for at least a two-level setting, and expect to use the lower one.

Power is the third. Projection draws far more current than a display, so almost every projection clock runs from a mains adaptor with batteries only as a backup for the timekeeping. Plan for a socket near the bed, and do not expect continuous projection from batteries alone.

Radio controlled projection

Most projection clocks, including the WT549, are radio controlled. The clock receives the MSF signal broadcast from Anthorn in Cumbria and corrects itself, so the projected time is accurate to the second and adjusts itself in spring and autumn.

Reception is usually best overnight, which is convenient. If your bedroom is in a basement, behind thick stone, or in a steel-framed building, the signal may not reach — in which case the clock falls back to normal quartz timekeeping, which is perfectly accurate but needs the twice-yearly adjustment. See radio controlled clocks for more detail on reception.

Alternatives worth considering

If it is really the outdoor temperature at a glance that you want rather than a projected time, a bedside weather clock may suit you better and costs less. The weather clock range covers displays with wireless outdoor sensors, forecast icons and barometric pressure from around £10 upwards.

If you want a large clock readable from across a dark room without projection, the extra-large digital displays in the wall clock range are an alternative approach. For every clock we stock, see the full clock range.

Stock and availability

Projection clock models change frequently and stock moves quickly, so this page is smaller at some times of year than others. If you are after a particular feature — a specific projection colour, a dual alarm, a larger outdoor sensor range — call 01243 558280 and we will tell you what is available or expected.