This tiny alarm clock is giving my smartphone a run for its money
5/9/2026
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Natalie Hemengül
In the future, I want to be woken up by an ordinary alarm clock. I believe I have made a decent choice with the 'Flip Mini' from Lexon ...
The Lexon «Flip Mini» is tiny. The digital flip alarm clock barely fits in the palm of my hand and takes up almost no space on my cluttered nightstand. This green block, costing just under 30 francs, is now supposed to beep me awake in the morning and replace my smartphone in its role as an alarm clock. I have been wanting to banish the latter from my bedroom for a long time.
I have few demands – but the look has to be right
When choosing my alarm clock, I took the lazy route. It had to have a digital display. The next exclusion criterion: appearance. Who would have thought there were so many ugly models?
Lexon's colorful «bricks» look quite decent – and are available in many colors. It's easy to find a suitable one. Does the Flip Mini set off fireworks in me? Certainly not. But I want to remain pragmatic. After all, I'm looking for a means to an end. The verdict from community member Pawa65, «Super simple and easy to use», further cements my choice.
The Flip Mini at a glance
- Can be flipped on two sides (more on that below)
- LCD display with 3 brightness levels
- Touch sensor
- Rechargeable, comes with a USB-C cable (which I have already misplaced, oops!)
- 4 hours charging time
- Battery life of up to 6 months
- ABS plastic housing
- Dimensions: 8 x 4.9 x 2.3 cm, weight: 68 g
By the way, this model is the small travel version of the Lexon Flip Classic and was provided to me by Galaxus for testing purposes. It feels fragile in the hand – almost like a cheap child's toy. However, the look hides this well.
How to flip with the Mini
Setting
The Flip is a manual digital clock. This means I enter the date and time myself – and very quickly. To set the alarm, there are two rows of buttons, each marked with an arrow pointing up and one pointing down. Like a volume control. I can read which button row is for the hour (H) and which is for the minute (M) at the top of the alarm clock. At first, I thought: Wow, this is going to be tedious, pressing once for every hour and minute. But it isn't.
What's the deal with ON & OFF?
Somehow I had assumed that the alarm could be turned off by flipping it like a pancake. It turns out that the respective labels ON and OFF on the two sides just indicate whether the alarm is set or not. If the ON is facing up, the alarm will go off at the set time. If I turn the OFF side up, I deactivate the alarm function and can sleep in.
Snooze function
But how do you turn off the persistent standard beep-beep-beep sound? By pressing any button on the back. If I tap the ON side with my hand instead, the alarm goes into snooze mode and goes off again after six minutes. I can also recognize the mode on the display by the ZZZ symbol. Had enough snoozing? Then just flip it once so that OFF is on top again.
Alarm sound
I'm getting used to my green friend quickly. I can even live well with its unchangeable alarm sound. It gets gradually louder (only up to a certain point) and faster. However, for those who prefer to be accompanied into the day by gentle sounds, the tone might quickly get on their nerves.
Screen
Depending on the angle from which I look at the screen, the image is more or less sharp. The cover image above demonstrates this effect particularly well. That's why I place my alarm clock so that I can look at it head-on.
Light
If I tap the Mini at night, the display lights up for ten seconds. That's enough to read the time or briefly illuminate my nightstand when I'm looking for my water bottle. I've even used the Flip Mini as a flashlight to ghost through my dark apartment late at night. I only noticed one thing: the touch sensor rarely reacts to one finger. I have to pat its back with at least two fingers.
Where did the smartphone go?
It hasn't left my bedroom yet, I have to admit. In the evening, I still watch the occasional YouTube video. But: Since it no longer wakes me up, it's no longer the first thing I pick up. As a result, I often even forget that it's lying somewhere next to me and start the day without looking at the screen at all – just as it should be.
In a nutshell
Perfect for anyone looking for the bare essentials
I wanted a simple alarm clock and that’s exactly what I got. The Lexon Flip Mini is compact, straightforward, looks quite decent and wakes you up reliably. I think the price is fine too. Whether you’ll be happy with this flip clock depends entirely on your expectations. Because what I appreciate about the Mini, you might quite understandably see as a drawback.
Pro
- compact, lightweight design, making it ideal for travelling
- easy to use
- long battery life
Contra
- few customisation options (which, for me personally, is an advantage)
- Touch sensor fails when only one finger is used
Header image: Natalie Hemengül
Natalie Hemengül
Senior Editor
Natalie.Hemenguel@digitecgalaxus.chAs a massive Disney fan, I see the world through rose-tinted glasses. I worship series from the 90s and consider mermaids a religion. When I’m not dancing in glitter rain, I’m either hanging out at pyjama parties or sitting at my make-up table. P.S. I love you, bacon, garlic and onions.
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