Circa by Bronwasser: the alarm clock that helps you sleep

‘Clean sleeping’ is the trend of 2017: at least seven to eight hours of good-quality sleep without interruption.

The new Circa alarm clock is fully in line with this zeitgeist and provides a great solution: a smart device that helps you sleep better and wake up feeling more rested. Dutch designer Robert Bronwasser has created a personal interior product with a friendly design that you’ll love having on your bedside table.

Experts have long suspected it: ‘just quickly checking’ your smartphone before you nod off can interfere with a good night’s sleep. Not only do 71% of people sleep with a smartphone under their pillow: research by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reveals that 58% of adult Dutch people scroll through their timeline or send apps while lying in bed in the evening. The blue light of mobile phone screens and other devices has a negative influence on sleep because your body experiences it as daylight. Electronics in a tailor-made design suit Following this sleep trend, there clearly is a niche for a dedicated alarm clock, or so believes ‘electronics veteran’ Hans Brouwer. He set up the new company Circa to develop the ‘perfect’ alarm clock. The CEO went in search of a design partner who could attractively package the cluster of functional technology in a tailor-made suit, and he found designer Robert Bronwasser. “Because form and function are in complete balance in all of his designs, I knew he was right for the task.”

Going to sleep and waking up with a smile In his design Bronwasser has translated the technology and function of the radio alarm clock into a unique all-in-one product: this is no impersonal electronics product but, on the contrary, an attractive domestic interior product that fits the intimacy of the bedroom.

An alarm clock that’s different to all others in terms of look and feel. The tactile and friendly design of the Circa bears the characteristic signature of its designer. “The proposition is a one-to-one match with the way I think about design: you go to sleep with Circa and wake up with a smile.

Bronwasser has chosen a modern, playful and friendly design in which the plastic housing is combined with a surprising choice of fabric from Kvadrat. The three different versions fit well into a warm classical, calm modern or fresh and young interior.

Circa has simple controls that involve a combination of touch screen and physical buttons. With clearly visible buttons at the base, basic functions such as volume and turning off the alarm can be carried out quite intuitively. The large rotating knob is a nod to the wristwatch. As such, Bronwasser has made the Circa into something of an iconic clock for in home.

Launched at Dutch Design Week via Kickstarter Circa was very well received by the public during this year's Dutch Design Week Eindhoven. The first prototypes of the clock were presented here as part of the exhibition '25 years of design by Robert Bronwasser'.

An alarm clock might not be the first thing you have in mind when you’re thinking about a smart product in 2017. But Circa, a stand-alone alarm clock that recently hit its funding goal of €100.000 on Kickstarter, shows that people are still interested in a product that does one thing well.

At night, Circa’s display is dark by default, only showing the time when you need it.

Circa features a thin sensor placed underneath your mattress that measures movement and respiration to understand your sleep cycles. Old-fashioned alarm clocks wake you up at a fixed time every day, whether you are in a deep or light sleep. In a timeframe of 30 minutes before your alarm is set, Circa’s smart alarm will find the best moment to wake you up naturally in light sleep, making you feel more refreshed in the morning.

To improve your sleep routine, Circa provides you with insights based on multiple nights. Instead of an arbitrary “sleep quality score”, it helps you to adjust your schedule to get the most out of your night. And don't worry about your sleep data, all information is stored and processed locally on the device.

Circa features a carefully designed audio system that makes your music sound rich and clear. Wake up with a wide selection of beautiful alarm sounds or listen to your favorite stations and playlists on Spotify or digital radio.

For a fully soothing wake-up experience you can connect Circa with your connected lights or thermostat to slowly light up your room or make your home comfortable before the alarm goes off. The only thing you have left to do is turning on your coffee maker.