The Pure Siesta Charge is a DAB radio alarm clock from one of the UK's most popular brands. It comes packed with features- but does it deliver on sound quality and reliability? We put it to the test in another of our in-depth reviews. Read on to find out what our experts thought of it!
Related: Top 10 Best DAB Radio Alarm Clocks
Design & build
Choosing the right radio alarm clock is an important choice. After all, you'll rely on for more than just music. It also serves a practical purpose- and when you rely on it to get you up on time in the mornings, the wrong choice could be a costly mistake. Thankfully, the Pure Siesta charge is perfectly designed to suit its purpose. It comes with a large matte screen that takes up the entire front of the radio, so you can easily tell the time at a glance. What's more, special CrystalVue+ technology means the display is visible from any angle. The screen even automatically dims based on light conditions, so you won't be kept awake by a bright screen in the dark.
The top of the radio houses all of the necessary controls. Not only are these large and clearly labelled, but they are also well spread-out. This makes the Siesta Charge that little bit easier to use first thing in the morning when you're still half-asleep! Everything you need is right at your fingertips, without the radio being unnecessarily complicated.
Style-wise, the Siesta Charge is a sleek, modern radio that looks and feels well-made. The speaker system and internal features give it a reasonable amount of weight, and feet on the bottom keep it held firmly in place on your nightstand.
Sound performance
When it comes to bedside radios, sound performance isn't usually people's top priority. These models don't need to have the same kind of room-filling power as a proper hi-fi. They just need to be good enough to not feel too harsh on the ears when you first wake up. As such, many brands skimp on this side of things when creating radio alarm clocks.
That's not the case with the Siesta Charge, though. Pure have clearly put a lot of thought into crafting this model, giving it a sound profile that's warm and welcoming. Somewhat unusually for an alarm clock radio, it boasts full stereo sound, with speakers located on either side to help it fill a bit more space from a relatively compact body. This also ensures that the sound isn't muffled by your mobile when utilising wireless charging.
Features
That wireless charging feature is the key selling point of the Pure Siesta Charge over other bedside DAB radios. Simply pop a compatible mobile on top of the radio, and it will automatically start to power up. This only works with newer smartphones, and not all models support this feature. That being said, this feature is fast becoming the standard, with all new iPhones being Qi-compatible. If your mobile doesn't support wireless charging, then not to worry- there's also a USB charging port on the back of the radio, too!
As for alarms, the Siesta Charge lets you set up to three separate ones, with each having its own dedicated button. There's also the option to set the snooze duration, a feature lacking in most of the radio alarm clocks we've tested. Again, the large buttons make it simple to hit snooze if you need a little longer to wake up, and you can choose between a buzzer or the radio to wake you up.
The Pure Siesta Charge also lets you save your favourite stations as presets. While most modern DAB radios allow you to do this, few of them feature instant-access preset buttons. The Siesta Charge has two of these buttons, so you can quickly switch between stations depending on what mood you wake up in. A separate presets menu lets you save up to 40 stations in total.
Lastly, the Siesta Charge is more than just a radio. It also includes Bluetooth 5.0 streaming capabilities, so you can use it to play music and podcasts from your smartphone or tablet. This is quick to connect, and we found it held the connection well during our testing process.
Pure Siesta Charge: The Verdict
The Pure Siesta Charge is one of the best DAB radio alarm clocks we've tested. Built specifically for this use, and with more features than you can shake a radio antenna at, it includes everything you could want from a bedside companion.
