Westclox 72001 Travel Alarm Clock with Nap Timer – Compact, Non-Foldable Design for Home, Office & Hotel Use

This is the review of the Westclox 72028 Fold-Up Travel Alarm Clock. The clock has some good things going for it. It is very compact but has a large screen. It has an option for military time. You can go forward and backwards while setting the time or the alarm. It has a bright blue light that is activated by pressing the snooze/light button on the top of the clock, and it has a calendar plus a date on the screen. It runs on a coin size battery (CR2032 in this case), which I prefer, as these coin batteries are very long lasting and allow for a very compact clock. The few days I that used this clock, it kept accurate time. The alarm on the clock is weak but is loud enough to wake me up on the first beep.Unfortunately, there are some issues with this clock and they were significant enough that I had to return it.The light/snooze button is placed on top of the clock, so even when you close the lid, the light button is still exposed and can get pressed. So, if you bought this clock for traveling, you cannot put this clock in your bag, as it will constantly trigger the light switch and drain the battery. In fact, when you close the lid, it is very difficult to open the lid again without triggering the light switch. The only way to travel with it is to take the battery out, but then in this situation, a coin battery becomes a disadvantage, as they are not meant to be removed regularly.Another issue with this clock is that the symbol to indicate whether an alarm is set or not is tiny, and very difficult to see. You literally have to stare at the screen to figure out whether the alarm is set or not. I don’t understand the logic of this design choice from Westclox. This is an alarm clock first, it needed to have its main function prioritized over the needless date and calendar that take up a large part of the screen real estate and serve no purpose. People who will buy this alarm clock will buy it for the alarm functionality, not to tell them the day and the date. Extra functions are nice as long as they don’t degrade the main function.Though the LCD used on this clock is large, it has a very limited viewing angle. The screen is out of focus if you look at it straight on or from below. The only way to see it clearly is to look downwards at it. I think they used a very cheap LCD, and thought that if the clock is on the table, most people will look at it downwards, so they made that angle clear. My side table is slightly higher than my bed, so the clock is out of focus and unreadable when looking upwards from my pillow.Due to these above-mentioned issues, I returned the clock. This is designed to be a good compact bedside clock, but it is definitely not a travel alarm clock.