As a new parent, it’s normal to struggle with getting your little one to sleep soundly through the night. That’s why many parents and caregivers turn to swaddles and white noise machines as a solution to help their babies sleep peacefully. The best white noise machines for babies can help block out external noise, including siblings, visitors, and neighborhood sounds, while also providing a calming environment that reminds babies of the womb.
White noise machines offer a range of sounds, including fan noises, ocean waves, and gentle melodies. If you’re looking for a portable option, consider smaller, more compact machines that are battery-operated and easy to move from room to room or to take on vacation.
When choosing a white noise machine, consider features such as parental locks, app-enabled controls, and timers for automatic or remote shut-offs. In this guide, we took into account the quality, mobility, and features of various white noise machines to bring you the best options for your baby’s sleep.
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall White Noise Machine For Baby: LectroFan Kinder Baby Sleep Machine
- Best Night Light And White Noise Machine: Hatch Rest 1st Gen Baby Sound Machine
- Best Value White Noise Machine For Baby: Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Sound Machine
- Easiest To Use White Noise Machine For Baby: Big Red Rooster White Noise Machine
- Most Versatile White Noise Machine For Baby: Munchkin Sound Machine
- Best Smart White Noise Machine For Baby: Fisher-Price Smart Connect Deluxe Soother
- Best Portable White Noise Machine For Baby: MyBaby Baby Sound Machine
- Best Design White Noise Machine For Baby: Momcozy Baby White Noise Machine
- Best Rain White Noise Machine For Baby: MyBaby SoundSpa Lullaby
- Best Shusher White Noise Machine For Baby: Baby Shusher The Sleep Miracle Sound Machine
In This Article
HappyBabyHub’s Best White Noise Machines For Baby Picks
LectroFan Kinder Baby Sleep Machine – Best Overall White Noise Machine For Baby
- 10 various fan sounds, 10 white noise (static like TV or Radio static) sounds
- Small and very sturdy
- If it stays plugged in, remembers sound and volume settings when you turn it back on
- The white noise is consistent, without any gaps in noise at all
- The power cord is a bit short
The Kinder uses high-fidelity, non-looping sounds to mask any disruptive noises and create a quiet environment. Plus, it also features a calming nightlight that displays a rainbow of colors. You can easily control everything with the user-friendly smartphone app. Best of all, you don’t need a WiFi or internet connection to use it, making it perfect for use at home.
Hatch Rest 1st Gen Baby Sound Machine – Best Night Light And White Noise Machine
- Can change the programs outside the room (this is important if you know your toddler got a late start on the nap and you want to let them keep sleeping)
- Fully programmable with many program options
- No wifi needed
- Brightness is adjustable for all programs and colors
- There are not a lot of sounds to choose
This device functions as a night light and sound machine, making it a dream come true for many parents. You can adjust the light intensity, choose from 10 different colors, and select from 11 different soothing sounds to create a peaceful atmosphere for your child to sleep in.
In addition to its customizable features, the gadget also offers one-touch routines for bedtime, nap time, and wake-up to help establish a healthy sleep schedule for your child. Plus, the Time-to-Rise feature uses colors to teach children when it’s time to wake up and start the day or when they should stay in bed and play quietly for a little longer.
Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Sound Machine – Best Value White Noise Machine For Baby
- Good selection of sounds
- Lightweight and small, easy to travel with
- There is a timer to turn off the machine if you don’t want it to play all night
- It can play continuously all night without stopping
- No nightlight, which many sound machines also offer
Featuring six digitally produced calming sounds that mimic the sounds of nature, such as White Noise, Thunder, Ocean, Rain, Summer Night, and Brook. This portable white noise machine is lightweight and small, making it easy to carry in a bag, pocketbook, or luggage.
By using these rhythmic noises, you can improve your baby’s sleep pattern and promote easier and deeper slumber. It’s an ideal baby sound machine that should be included in any baby registry. You have two options to choose from with this ambient sound machine: continuous play or the auto-off timer. Additionally, the timer has three settings: 15, 30, or 60 minutes.
Big Red Rooster White Noise Machine – Easiest To Use White Noise Machine For Baby
- Easy to use
- Decent sounds and sound quality for a cheaper unit
- A small unit that can easily fit on a shelf or elsewhere
- Fairly good quality construction
- Buttons make a loud clicking when you push them
This machine includes six different calming sounds, such as Rain, Brook, and Thunder, and is designed to block out external noise to promote better sleep for your little one.
But the benefits don’t stop there. This white noise machine can also be used by adults seeking a peaceful work environment or a relaxing yoga or meditation session. And with its optional timer feature, you can set it for a specific time or leave it on all night to ensure uninterrupted sleep for your child.
Munchkin Sound Machine – Most Versatile White Noise Machine For Baby
- The projector image can be still or rotated and has three discs to change out the image
- Good volume control can be loud and quiet (good range)
- Night light – can rotate through colors or pick one color
- Various music and sounds to choose from
- Not the best sound quality
When traditional methods such as constant rocking, bouncing, and driving don’t work, the Munchkin Sound Machine can come to the rescue and help your baby get more zzz’s.
Meet your new best friend, a multicolored nightlight that can spin across the whole rainbow spectrum or show the color of your choice. She not only plays calming noises and lullabies but also projects charming pictures into the wall and plays peaceful music.
The flexible system includes three sleep timer settings (15, 30, and 60 minutes) and can also be programmed to play continuously, as long as it is not used for more than 8 hours at a time. Choose the soothing mixture that works best for you and your baby, and get ready for more peaceful moments throughout the day.
Fisher-Price Smart Connect Deluxe Soother – Best Smart White Noise Machine For Baby
- You can change settings through Bluetooth, set a timer,
- Different sounds and music
- Sleep stages to help the baby settle down,
- Able to Adjust the brightness projections
- Can only have one routine set a day
The Smart Connect Deluxe Soother comes with all the essential features to soothe and calm your little ones, such as relaxing light projections and a range of calming music and sounds. Plus, there’s no need for batteries—all-night comfort can be provided by plugging it into an outlet.
The best part is that the Smart Connect app allows you to customize and manage everything from your smart device. You can switch up the music and lighting effects in your home without disturbing your baby’s rest.
You can also create a unique bedtime routine for your child with the Sleep Stages feature in the app. The gentle nightlight, customizable projection, and calming sounds help soothe your baby and establish a sleep routine. The adjustable projection and calming music and sounds also aid in stimulating your baby’s growing auditory and visual senses.
MyBaby Baby Sound Machine – Best Portable White Noise Machine For Baby
- Clips on to backpacks, strollers, etc.
- Very compact and easy to use with a handful of practical ambient sounds
- The white noise sound is smooth and not caustic
- Volume control is good
- Not the best battery life
The SoundSpa Portable Sound Machine features four distinct peaceful sound options, including lullaby, heartbeat, white noise, and ocean, or any combination of them, to help your child relax and sleep soundly.
The cord-free, battery-powered design makes it ideal for creating a restful sleeping atmosphere anywhere, and the energy-saving auto-off timer with intervals of 15, 30, or 45 minutes ensures safety and saves battery life.
In addition, this portable sound machine is designed with safety in mind, made of sturdy BPA-free plastic that can handle most knocks and jolts. It is also compact and lightweight, with direct access to sound options and volume controls, and an integrated clip for easy attachment to strollers, luggage, and car seats.
Momcozy Baby White Noise Machine – Best Design White Noise Machine For Baby
- Different songs/sounds to choose from
- Different light patterns that project to the ceiling/walls
- The tail is a velcro strap
- Can take the sound/light component out
- You can hear the sound loop where it breaks
With 15 different calming noises to choose from, such as 11 lullabies, rain, birdsong, and shush, it makes it easy to fall asleep for your baby.
The galaxy light projector is also a great feature. With three brightness settings, the revolving galaxy lights are accompanied by soothing melodies, creating a magical environment for sleeping. You can also set the timer for 15, 30, or 60 minutes, or play a loop continuously.
The volume control feature allows you to adjust the noise level from seven different degrees of adjustability. Mounting the device to a crib, stroller, or car seat is easy with the strong Velcro strap on the rear of the device. And if it gets dirty, the sound box can be easily removed for cleaning.
MyBaby SoundSpa Lullaby – Best Rain White Noise Machine For Baby
- You can leave the sound on for a limited or unlimited amount of time
- There is white noise with rain or ocean or lullabies
- Works with a wall adapter, not batteries
- The projection pictures are cute
- There are three different sets of pictures you can choose to project (ocean, farm, night sky), and each set has only 3 pictures
With this white noise machine, you have access to a variety of soothing sounds and songs, such as Heartbeat, Gentle Rain, Ocean Waves, Twinkle Twinkle, Rock-A-Bye Baby, and Cradle Song, to help your baby sleep peacefully. To customize your baby’s sleep experience, you can easily adjust the volume to the desired level.
In addition, the MyBaby SoundSpa Lullaby Sounds and Projection comes with a CD that contains three pictures, which can be projected onto a wall or ceiling for added comfort. Even without music, the projector’s gentle light can serve as a nightlight to soothe your baby.
To conserve energy, the projector can be set to turn off automatically after 15, 30, or 60 minutes. Furthermore, the MyBaby SoundSpa Lullaby Sounds and Projection is compact and made of sturdy plastic.
Baby Shusher The Sleep Miracle Sound Machine – Best Shusher White Noise Machine For Baby
- The sound itself is great to help get the baby to sleep
- The volume level is good, is able to get nice and loud
- It’s on a gradient rather than set levels so you can make it as loud as it will go to just above a whisper.
- Helps calm the baby
- Only has a timer for 15 and 30 minutes
The Baby Shusher is a must-have accessory for your nursery, offering a real human voice that can lull your baby into a peaceful slumber. As per the AAP, infants prefer a real human voice (1).
With 15- to 30-minute timers, you can rest assured that even the most resistant babies can be coaxed into sleep with the soothing shushing sound. Plus, the adjustable volume control allows you to find the perfect level to help your baby drift off without disturbing the rest of the family.
This is a portable and easy-to-use device that can be carried with you wherever you go, thanks to its removable wrist strap. This means you can continue to soothe your baby even when you’re on the move. And with 2 AA batteries included, you can start using your sleep aid right away.
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How To Choose The Best White Noise Machine?
- Sound: You should think about the kind of noise a machine makes, how loud it is, and how the level may be adjusted because not all white noise is created equal. Some devices perform other noises besides white noise, such as lullabies and natural sounds.
- Portability: You might prefer a tiny, portable version if you want to carry your noisemaker with you when you travel or move it from room to room regularly.
- Battery: How much time passes between charges? If you intend to use it all night, this is crucial.
- Timer: Depending on what is ideal for your infant, automatic shut-off timers or continuous play are essential.
- Additional Features: There are a number of cutting-edge features that you might find handy, like parental locks and nightlights. Some types feature physical buttons, while others are operated by a remote, your voice, or a phone.
Types Of Baby Sound Machines
- All-Purpose: These common white noise generators are designed to be used in any environment where one wants to block out external noise, including adult or child bedrooms. They often include a timer and a number of sound and volume options, but they don’t have any features designed specifically for infants or young children.
- Baby Specific: These provide a similar purpose to regular white noise generators, but are presented in a more kid-friendly manner. The devices may emit noises that are intended to simulate those a baby would have heard while still in the womb or provide calming lights that project onto your baby’s wall or ceiling.
- Smart: Smart machines may be connected to your phone so you can remotely control them. They can be an excellent substitute for sneaking into your baby’s room while he or she is asleep to adjust the machine’s sound or volume settings.
- Portable: These portable, battery-operated devices may, on occasion, assist your child in dozing off in the stroller or automobile.
Are White Noise Machines Good For Babies?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, white noise can help newborns sleep better, just make sure to follow some safety recommendations (2). Additionally, it greatly shortens the amount of time that newborns fall sleep (3). Simply maintaining a safe level of noise for adults and babies is crucial. Never play white noise at full volume near your baby’s head all night long.
Should You Keep White Noise On All Night For Baby?
Although it’s tempting, it’s not a good idea to keep the white noise on all night. It is advised to use the baby sound machine for a brief period of time. If you’re still awake, you may set a timer or turn it off after your child falls asleep (4).
Does White Noise Reduce SIDS?
According to very well-known research, newborns who had fans in their rooms had a much lower chance of SIDS. Although many people think it has to do with the white noise the fan creates, no one is sure why the fan helps. It may be through circulating the air. White noise does, in fact, impair active sleep, the stage of sleep where SIDS is most prone to occur.
When Should You Stop Using White Noise?
The timeframe to stop using white noise to put your child to sleep is not something that has defined time boundaries. Instead, it is up to the parents, or in some situations, the child, to decide when to cease playing white noise for the infant. Some parents want to quit using white noise by the time their child becomes two years old, while others use it until the child is 3 or 4 years old and able to make their own decisions about whether they want to play during sleep time.
