MARATHON Travel and Desktop Alarm Clock, White - 12 or 24-Hour Format, Indoor Temperature, Calendar Display, One-Touch Backlight - includes One AAA Battery

I've been looking for awhile for just the right travel alarm and definitely found it with this Marathon CL030023 clock. It is the perfect solution for anyone looking for a compact well designed product that does its job - it will definitely wake you up. The alarm is not annoyingly loud at first, but progressively gets louder until you shut it off. It's a perfect size with a display that is easily read across the room and definitely very easily from bed. There is a button at the base you can press and the clock will illuminate so you can read it in the dark, and the light goes out immediately when you release the button. I don't care much about date and inside temp for a travel alarm, but it has that for those who like that.It is very easy to set up and really it isn't necessary to read the instructions to do so. I like that is uses an AAA battery which can be bought anywhere. I'm tired of electronics with goofy one off batteries that are harder to find. It folds up easily and is very compact. The only minor criticism I would have is you have to physically pick up the clock and slide a switch to the off position to turn off the alarm, vs there being a quick shut off button. But no biggie for me and I suppose the advantage of that is it kinda forces you to deal with getting up. It does however have a snooze alarm function, but you have to elect to use that function when you set the alarm, but moving the switch to the snooze position when you activate the alarm. Then you simply press the "light illumination button" at the base of the alarm to activate snooze and I believe it will allow you three snooze cycles. I personally don't use snooze since I actually need to get up or I wouldn't set the alarm in the first place.There are many reviews that mention another potential issue and that is the position of the light illumination button. When traveling and in a suitcase, the light could be activated with clothing or something in the suitcase constantly pressing on the button, thus draining the battery. That is a definite issue, but one I avoid by simply traveling with the clock in the box it came in which doesn't add much dimension to an already small device. Of course one could also remove the battery when traveling, but that would then require setting time, etc each day.Anyway, for me this is a great clock and without a doubt the best travel alarm I've every owned.

I've had more than a few of these over the years and this one functions very well. It packs well (4" L x 2.5" W x 5/8" D). In an open position, it stands 4.25" tall. The turn and twist, spring loaded, function to open/close operates as expected.Setting the clock, date, etc, is straight forward and fairly simple. The temperature is an added bonus. The view window is 1 5/8" x 1 3/8" with the clock numbers standing approx. 5/8" tall.The alarm sounds as a two-beep for approx 5 seconds and then to a constant continuous beep for one minute. Hitting the snooze button buys you four minutes. However, if, for some reason, you do not hear the alarm after one minute, it shuts off (i.e., you didn't touch the snooze button). This clock has an automatic built in "snooze" feature and this process will start again in four minutes (again...without ever touching the snooze button). In a small to mid size hotel room, it is fairly loud / annoying and woke me up no problems whatsoever.The spring load in a closed position works adequately but I put a small rubber band around it to keep in place. If the clock is set / running while in the suitcase, carry-on, etc., the snooze button is an issue and will drain the battery. My recommendation: don't put the battery in until you have arrived at your destination.Light feature: by hitting the snooze button, the view screen illuminates blue for a period of 4-5 seconds. There is a slight hum during this process and is only slightly noticeable.Overall...for the price, a very functional item for any traveler at generally half the price.

I love that it has the Military/European/24hr. clock set. This feature is very important to our family, but it also makes setting the alarm easier--no mistaking morning and evening!I love the way the face swivels so the clock can be turned while the base remains stable! Great innovation!I would have liked the beeping to get gradually louder, not just faster. I misunderstood some of the reviews and thought "ascending" meant faster AND louder.I feel that the display is too busy. I would have liked larger numbers with just the time, but I knew when I bought it that it the numbers were too small from the description. You just should offer a simpler version for those of us who want easier reading and don't need temp, day/date, etc. However, I bought the clock for it's other aforementioned features.One more thing is somewhat annoying, but not enough to lower the rating. The two little control knobs on the side need to be longer and easier to read. The settings are way too close together, making it difficult to find the "notches" for setting things. The bright side is that the final settings are in the top and bottom positions on the right, so I am getting used to pushing the alarm button all the way up or down, skipping the middle setting. This clock was a little hard for me to set because of that, but would be a disaster for people with arthritis or other mobility/dexterity issues.I use this alarm for dog crate training! I put her in a few times each day and correct her when she whines. She gets out when the alarm goes off. Our nights are quickly getting quieter because she is slowly catching on (6 y.o. rescue). She sleeps in the living room, and we are next door in the bedroom. That's why we wanted it a little louder. We now set our alarm for 10 minutes earlier so that we can hear hers go off. That also reinforces to her that other things can happen before we get her up, but she has to wait for her alarm!