Sleep can seem elusive as a new parent. Whether you’re dealing with routine night feedings, a sudden sleep regression or a newborn who still has her days and nights confused, you may find yourself wondering if you’ll ever enjoy a solid stretch of shut-eye again. That’s why plenty of parents, including this exhausted mom and author, invest in tools to create the coziest sleep environment possible, like swaddles and a white noise machine. But there’s a difference between any old device that makes sound and the best white noise machine for baby. Infants, after all, especially enjoy white noise, which better mimics their noisy former life in the womb.
The best white noise machine for baby is the one that helps them sleep soundly, blocking out noisy ... [+] siblings, guests and neighbors.
“A lot of babies really like white noise. It’s very soothing,” says Danelle Fisher, M.D., a pediatrician and chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. “I used one for my son for three years, so I’m a huge fan of using these.”
If you’re normally a sound sleeper, you’ve perhaps never needed a sound machine, but many adults enjoy the ambient noise provided by one. White noise machines are designed to block out other sounds, so that we can drift off to sleep—and stay asleep—without being bothered by outside noises, including noisy neighbors, siblings, guests and street commotion or traffic. Typically, these machine play white noise similar to that of a running fan, but that might include varying pitches and other calming sounds like running water, rain, forest noises or the ocean.
Our parenting editor recalls desperately running a white noise app from her phone underneath the crib to soothe her firstborn to sleep before realizing the necessity of a sound machine. Avoid her middle-of-the-night panic by registering for one of these best white noise machines for baby. You might also find that your toddlers and school-age kids enjoy one in their room to ward off nightmares or your teens suddenly want one to help them drown out early morning chatter. After you finish perusing this list, be sure to check out our best night lights for the nursery.
While plenty of white noise machines have cords or use up batteries, the LectroFan Kinder is different. It plugs directly into your outlet and is operated by an app on your phone. There are no cords or buttons to fiddle with to get baby to go down, just click on your app and enjoy. Choose from more than 70 lullabies, nature sounds and ambient noises to find one (or a few) that baby enjoys. Sounds are non-looping, so baby can snooze in constant peace, while a calm nightlight gives off a rainbow of color. And, while other sleep machines with this level of convenience cost much more, the LectroFan Kinder is just $40.
Not everybody needs a wealth of sound options—which often jack up the price—when it comes to a white noise machine. This machine from HoMedics is just $18 and gets the job done. It features six sounds, including white noise, thunder, ocean, rain, summer night and brook, and has an easy-to-use dial to turn the sound up, down or off. If you prefer the noise to turn off after a while, simply choose from 15-, 30-, and 60-minute timers. The whole thing plugs into a wall, or it can be powered by AA batteries on-the-go or when there’s no outlet nearby.
Whether you’re taking baby on a long walk through noisy streets at naptime or just want to ensure naps still happen on schedule when you’re on the road, a portable white noise machine is great to have. These portable options often clip right onto a car seat, stroller or diaper bag. This white noise machine from MyBaby offers four relaxing sound choices—heartbeat, white noise, ocean, or lullaby—and has an automatic shut-off at 15, 30, or 45 minutes to conserve batteries. It’s crafted from BPA-free plastic and is durable enough to survive accidental falls. This machine has an integrated clip to make it easy to attach to your car seat or stroller. It’s also small enough to hang in your diaper bag when it’s not in use or pack in your suitcase.
The Yogasleep Duet works as a sound machine, night light and wireless speaker, giving you plenty of options for use in the nursery. It has 30 sound options, including white noise, fan sounds, songs and nature sounds. It’s powered via USB. Tinker with the night light until you dim to the perfect soft lighting for baby or while nursing. The speaker comes in handy for times when you’re hanging out in baby’s nursery during wake times—you can pipe in lullabies or your favorite songs. Choose from three timer options: 45 or 90 minutes, or eight hours. The whole thing also looks sleek and won’t mess with your nursery decor.
Opinionated toddlers often appreciate cute things in their space, and this white noise machine from Infantino doesn’t disappoint. It features an adorable fox design that shows a mom and her cub, which glows at night to create a sweet scene. This machine plays 20 minutes of music or nature sounds and offers light projections of clouds and stars for a bedtime show. The baby fox can be removed and serve as a safe, clutchable night light. Keep in mind that 20 minutes is likely not enough run time for a newborn, but it may work to help your tot drift off.
The Hatch Rest has plenty of bells and whistles to make this an easy device for busy parents to use. It features a night light, sound machine and time-to-rise alarm (for when baby gets older) in one sleek package. Use the app to create custom colors, brightness, sounds and volume to craft a perfectly cozy sleep situation for your child. Choose from 11 sounds, including white noise, birds and wind, that you can program to turn off automatically. You can also adjust everything from your phone, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally waking baby if you want to adjust the volume in the night. There’s even a toddler lock feature for when your child gets older (and more curious).
To choose the best white noise machines for baby, we spoke to parents and looked at the top white noise machine brands. We then analyzed the machines for reviews, features, design and value. We’ve also used a number of these models in our own homes over the years and drew on our expertise in the sleep space.
It really comes down to preference for you and your baby, Fisher says. “Anything that is soft and soothing—and not blaring— is good,” she says. While white noise is a popular option, some prefer lullabies or water sounds.
While you don’t need to have a white noise machine for your baby, plenty of parents swear by it, especially during the newborn months. These devices are also handy if you can’t create a perfectly quiet space for baby at bedtime. “It can drown out sounds from other siblings or road noise,” Fisher says. “It can just help babies sleep a little better.”
There’s no problem in leaving a white noise machine on all night for your baby, as long as you’re not keeping the volume loud, Fisher says. “It can be anywhere in the room, but it shouldn’t be within six feet of baby’s head,” she says.
You can keep using a white noise machine as your child gets older, but you don’t necessarily want your child to use it every night, Fisher says. “If your child can’t sleep without it, that’s a problem,” she says.