Hatch Restore 2 review: TikTok made me try it

I love the “Get Ready with me” (GRWM) video on TikTok. They are right. You see complete strangers going about their daily lives. Sometimes it supports chaotic ideas about all issues in American society. Some are narrated, others are set to lo-fi beats and layered with text. They are a surrogate ambitious and joyful window into another way of life.

Watch enough GRWM videos and you’ll eventually come across the $199.99 Hatch Restore 2.

At its core, Restore 2 is a smart alarm clock, sunrise lamp and sound machine all rolled into one. It mimics sunrise to gently wake you up, and mimics sunset to create a cozy night atmosphere. But unlike most sleep tech, it’s not a sleep tracker. The goal is to live your best #thatgirl life by creating morning and night routines to improve your sleep habits.

I’m a sleepy girl trying to be a morning person. Sadly, TikTok made me try a lot – and most of them were misses rather than hits. T. You never know. Sometimes influencers get obsessed with something.

Imagine this. You’re a tired human shell, doom-scrolling through a TikTok For You page. Conventionally attractive woman with shiny skin and luscious hair taps Restore 2 before brushing her teeth, performing her 10-step skin care routine, and crawling into bed. Soothing rain sounds emanates from the device and she falls into a restful sleep. The next morning, before making a matcha latte in a mason jar, she reaches out her perfectly manicured hand to turn off Restore 2’s alarm. (Never mind how ridiculous it looks to shoot this kind of video.)

I have seen dozens I already saw dozens of videos like this before Restore 2 arrived on my doorstep. in the meantime I am reviewing this. So trust me when I say that while reality isn’t all that glamorous, it’s not too far from the truth.

A day with Restore 2.

I set my alarm for 6:30 am, but I wake up at 6:15 am. This is because my curvy cat Pablo perched on my head and meowed loudly for my morning kibble. Instead, I’m awake due to the bright but non-dazzling white light from Restore 2 shining into my face. For a little while, I was very happy that I woke up before my alarm went off, and I’m a little surprised that this has continued. Happening. Seeing you wake up now Pablo meows. I reach out (with my nail polish scraped off) and press the right button to turn off the alarm.

I was pressing the same button again to start a guided morning stretch in bed. However, I was married to a night person and complained of waking up many times. There’s no way to pair headphones to the Restore 2, so I can only do guided stretches when they’re away at work. I’m reluctantly awake, my spouse is snoring, and Pablo is still begging to eat. I remind Bandit that he has a fancy automatic feeder that showers him with kibble at 6:25 am.

I brush my teeth, take my meds, do a pre-workout, another product that TikTok persuaded me to buy. pressed I didn’t actually turn the alarm off by holding down the left button. I am amazed at how vivid it sounds until my thoughts are interrupted by my spouse’s moans. husband. I’m sorry, but I promise to turn it off properly tomorrow. I work out for 30-60 minutes, shower, drink a protein shake, and sit for work for the next 8-10 hours.

After blindly shoveling dinner into Gob, I don’t know how I spent the time from 7pm to 9pm. At this point, I get dressed for the next day’s workout, brush my teeth, and apply skincare to combat time wasting. If I’m bad, I’ll doomscroll on TikTok. With droopy eyes, tapping the left button above Restore 2 triggers the nightly routine you set in the app. The light turns orange-red and you hear a sizzling noise. Some women told me stories about trains. (I don’t remember much about the story, other than her begging an imaginary passenger for a lot of tickets.) Cats become cats, so when Pablo wakes me up at 3 a.m. Restore 2 makes soothing rain sounds. i fall asleep Rinse and repeat.

Yes, Restore 2 works fine for me. Always waking up with light before my alarm and getting knocked out at night by the sound of sleep stories/white noise. I’m taking too many.

Restore 2 does more than just work. This is a nice-looking device that fades into the background, but in an aesthetically pleasing way. I mean, look at this. The rest of my bedroom comes from IKEA or Wayfair bargain bins, but it feels like it was plucked straight out of the West Elm catalog.

The front is covered with natural linen fabric, giving it a modern and Japanese feel. The fabric also helps diffuse the light like a lampshade compared to a traditional sunrise lamp (as you can see in the photo above). Available in three colors: slate, latte, and putty. My review unit is latte, but others are neutral tones that blend in with whatever your bedroom’s color theme or aesthetic is.

But while the Restore 2 is so pretty, I was skeptical when I first took it out of the box. I’ve been stuck with many devices that prioritize design over function. My biggest concern with Restore 2 was the fact that it has no obvious controls when viewed head-on. The controls take a few days to master, but are generally intuitive to use.

At the top are two tactile buttons. The left side is for nighttime routines and is designed with eyes closed, while the right side is designed with eyes open for morning wake-ups and moments. What I like the most is that the night button is recessed and the morning button is slightly protruding. .

There is a small toggle to the left of Restore 2. This allows you to turn the alarm on and off without looking at the app. Most of the time I forgot it was there so I didn’t really use it that much. There are invisible volume controls on the front of the device, either side of the time display. Tap the left side to decrease the volume and tap the right side to increase the volume. If you feel that the clock is too bright, you can always tap the entire screen to dim it.

Restore 2 is an upgrade over its predecessor in every sense of the word. Compared to the original Restore one, it has a more attractive design, more colors, and three speakers. It also features several remastered sounds, 10 new sunrise alarms, new light and sound combinations for sunset, 21 new sleep sounds, and a new Morning Moments option. The latter is a series of affirmations, stretches, or morning motivational content (if you don’t have a sleep partner with a different schedule).

The Hatch app is very easy to use once you get used to it and I appreciate being able to preview how it will look and sound before I add it to my routine. That said, once you find one that works for you, there’s not much reason to use the app unless you want to switch.In about a month since testing Restore 2, I’ve only changed content twice , it was mainly for review purposes. Had I left it to my own device, I probably wouldn’t have bothered to switch things up for another few months.

But if you’re someone who likes to change things up more often, there’s more than enough content to keep you satisfied. There is a curated playlist of sleep stories for exercises, both night and morning routines. Each channel has multiple tracks, and Hatch says he regularly updates his library of content.

You don’t have to worry about getting tired of the light. Not only does it have a pre-programmed color palette to match your content, but you can also choose from 18 individual colors spanning the entire rainbow. I mostly stuck with soft whites and peachy oranges, but if you like the idea of ​​a mint green morning alarm, go for it.

The only problem is that if you want access to content channels, you have to pay for a membership. You can choose between a 1-month trial and $49.99 annual membership, or a 1-week trial and $4.99 monthly membership.but you don’t need bombard. If you just want the sunrise alarm sound and white noise option, it’s available for free.

Buy what you see on TikTok is a roulette game. On the one hand, I found my favorite sunscreens, protein powders, and backpacks on the app. But generally speaking, I’ve found that most “Tiktok made me buy it” products don’t live up to the hype.

For Hatch Restore 2, I was pretty skeptical. I enjoy #GRWM videos, but they can be the most insidious ads. You’re a genius, really. Hatch sticks its products into the routines and habits of popular influencers, subtly teaching millions that the device is the key to a good night’s rest. This is how Febreze became a household item.)

Knowing all this, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked Restore 2. The only thing I really don’t like is the $200 price tag and subscription. But if the price isn’t off and you’re struggling to build a good night and morning routine, this is one of the most effective sleep gadgets I’ve used in a long time. I don’t regret letting you try it.