This ESP32 alarm clock comes complete with a built-in night light and wake-up light

Credit: Bricoleering Published Aug 31, 2026, 12:25 AM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary This ESP32 alarm clock has a 3D-printed case, an e-ink display, and an LED strip as a night/wake-up light. Simple encoder knob to set alarm, button to toggle activation, and custom sounds via a local web server. Source code and 3D printing files likely to be posted after interest — original post hit ~1,100 upvotes. I think one of the best parts of checking out the ESP32 community is finding projects where people hand-make a device that's legitimately better than what you can buy in stores. Such is the case with this gorgeous alarm clock, which has an ESP32 in a 3D-printed shell and an e-ink display. Best of all, it comes with an LED strip that doubles as a night-light and a wake-up light. This ESP32 alarm clock is the best way to wake up in the morning Hopefully the creator posts the source material soon Over on the ESP32 subreddit, user Bricoleering had a problem. They were sick and tired of using their phone as an alarm clock, but they also needed something that would wake them up at the start of their day. So, like any good tinkerer, they made their own. Except, this particular alarm clock has some features I wish my store-bought one came with: I wanted to make something that is super simple to use: rotate the encoder knob to set the alarm time, and press the button behind it to activate/deactivate the alarm. You can also add custom alarm sounds through a small web server running on the local network. The base of the clock doubles as a wake-up light. Before the alarm goes off, it slowly transitions from a warm orange/red glow to full daylight. It can also be used as a night light. You can see all the technical details in the original post, but in short, it uses an Elecrow CrowPanel ESP32-S3 5.79” E-Paper HDMI display for the brains of the device, and an SK6812 LED strip for the light. Put it all into a bespoke 3D-printed shell, and you've got yourself the slickest alarm clock you can make. The original poster hasn't posted the GitHub link or the 3D printing files yet, but they did say they would if it garnered enough interest. Given how the post hit 1,100 upvotes at the time of publishing, I'd say there's enough interest to release the source files. Stay tuned to their post for possible more info.