1. Bedtimeeyes closed and a red light
  2. Before wake-uporange 30 minutes before, as 12 stars count down; eyes still closed
  3. Wake-up timeeyes open and green
What your child sees on ZAZU Sam the Sheep, drawn from ZAZU’s own description. A drawing, not a photo.

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ZAZU product page Compare with LittleHippo MELLA

The tradeoff: One wake-up time for every day (no separate weekend time), and the AA batteries (not included) last longest with low brightness and a short night-light timer.

From ZAZU’s own pages and manual: the sources.

2024 version · US, UK, EU · Sold now (checked on 7 September 2026)

Plan the times for this clock →Compare with another

Set this clock up

  1. Peel the foil off the display, then put in 4 AA alkaline batteries (not zinc-carbon: they cannot move the eyes) and/or plug in the USB cable.
  2. The menu walks you through the time, the bedtime and the OK-to-get-up time: set each with UP and DOWN and confirm with OK.
  3. A circle of stars means Sam is ready. Every night Sam closes his eyes at bedtime with 15 minutes of night light and opens them at the OK-to-get-up time, without a sound unless you switch the alarm on.
  4. To change a setting, hold OK for 3 seconds to unlock, press M and pick the item: night light brightness and how long it stays on (5, 15, 30 or 60 minutes or all night), the sound alarm, or a nap of 30 to 180 minutes. The demo in the same menu plays a whole night, bedtime to wake-up, in 20 seconds: a good way to show your child.
  5. Hold DOWN for 3 seconds to close the eyes and restart the night light by hand; hold UP for 3 seconds (unlocked) to open them. The lock comes back on by itself after 30 seconds.

ZAZU says Sam is not a toy and warns of a strangulation risk from the long cable: keep it out of reach of the bed. Only an adult should put in the batteries.

Check the age warning and whether your child is ready separately, and see how to set an OK-to-wake clock for other clocks.

Setup and everyday controls

You set it with the buttons on the clock. No app is needed, and no account.

How you set it
Set on the clock
Buttons on the clock
Yes
Change it from your phone
No
Account needed
No

When grandma, a sitter or the other parent sets it

Anyone can use the buttons on the clock; there is no app to share. Show the next grown-up how to change the times, how to switch the light on and how the lock works.

App or buttons: which suits your family?

Schedules, light and sound

Runs on its schedule, and you can also start it by hand.

What you can schedule on this clock

  • Bedtime light at a set timeYes
  • Wake-up light at a set timeYes
  • Nap timerYes
  • Different weekend timesNo
Wake-up light at a set time
Yes
Bedtime light at a set time
Yes
Nap timer
Yes
Weekday and weekend times
No
Several light or sound changes a night
No
Can also start it by hand
Yes
Silent wake-up light
Yes
Alarm sound
Yes
Sound machine
No
Dimmable light
Yes
Shows the time
Yes
Dimmable time display
Yes
Time display can turn off
Yes
Child lock
Yes
Nap timer length
30–180 minutes

Features the maker’s manual doesn’t mention aren’t listed here, so the clock matcher won’t suggest this clock for them.

An “almost time” light comes on 30 minutes before the wake-up time.

A nap timer and a nap wake-up time work differently. The planner keeps them separate.

Clocks changing, or an early riser? Move the wake-up light in small steps with the clock-change planner.

Without Wi-Fi or a phone

It has no app and needs no Wi-Fi: you set and change everything on the clock, and it runs by itself.

Power, and what happens in a power cut

Plugged in

When the plug comes out, it keeps running on its battery.

Runs on battery · USB cable or 4 AA batteries

Runs on battery?
Runs on battery
Power connection
USB cable or 4 AA batteries
Keeps its settings without power
Yes

See why a battery that keeps the settings is different from one that keeps the light on.

Subscription and included parts

No subscription: everything works on the clock.

In the box

  • Sam sleep trainer
  • USB cable

Do OK-to-wake clocks need a subscription?

When your child outgrows the light

ZAZU Sam the Sheep has a sound alarm you set apart from the wake-up light, so it can become your child’s alarm clock once school mornings start. When to move on to a kids’ alarm clock.

Check it in your home

While you can still return it, try the buttons you will actually use. These are checks for you to make; we have not tested this clock.

  • Find how to change the times and switch the wake-up light on, then check it shows the light and sound you chose.
  • Check the brightness, the volume and where the clock stands, using the maker’s placement advice. Check what the lock stops and which buttons still work.
  • Use the clock’s own preview or test, if it has one, rather than unplugging it or resetting it to see what happens.
  • Show the other parent, a grandparent or the sitter the buttons. Read what to do after a power cut before you need it.

Agree on what the light means and what to do if it does not come on, then keep the manual or the maker’s help page with your plan.

Show your child what this clock’s light means, and leave a note for the sitter.

If the light does not come on, check the time, the mode and the power before you reset the clock.

Questions about ZAZU Sam the Sheep

Does ZAZU Sam the Sheep need an app?

No. You set it with the buttons on the clock, and no account or Wi-Fi is needed. App or buttons? →

What does my child see on ZAZU Sam the Sheep?

Bedtime: eyes closed and a red light. Before wake-up: orange 30 minutes before, as 12 stars count down; eyes still closed. Wake-up time: eyes open and green. See the drawing →

What happens to ZAZU Sam the Sheep in a power cut?

Keeps running on its battery. Four AA batteries (not included) keep the clock running and keep its settings if the USB power stops. Battery or memory backup? →

Can ZAZU Sam the Sheep do naps?

Yes, it has a nap timer that you start at nap time, from 30 to 180 minutes. Nap timers vs nap wake-up times →

Can I set a different time for weekends?

No. It has one wake-up time for every day, so change it on Friday night if you want a later weekend. Plan a new wake-up time →

Does ZAZU Sam the Sheep have an alarm?

Yes, it has a sound alarm you set apart from the wake-up light, so it can become your child’s alarm clock later. Kids alarm clocks →

Can grandma or a sitter change it?

Yes, with the buttons on the clock; nobody needs an app or an account. Sharing a clock →

The maker’s pages

Details can differ between versions and countries. Dates show when we last checked something that changes, like stock or a recall. Every source we use