When you really need in need of a good night's sleep, there's nothing more irritating than lying awake noticing every little sound, from cars passing by to your neighbor's music to your pet's midnight zoomies. The best white noise machines play soothing sounds that mask these distractions, so you can get better rest.
These handy devices aren't intended to play so loudly that they overwhelm outside disruptions. Instead, they work with your brain's natural tendency to mostly notice new or variable sounds while tuning out steady, repetitious noise.
Our favorite white noise machine is the Sound+Sleep High Fidelity Sound Machine. It has all-analog controls to keep your nighttime routine phone-free but still has plenty of high-tech features for customization. If you're just looking to try out a white noise machine without making a big investment, the Big Red Rooster Sound Machine is a great budget option under $20.
Our picks for the best white noise machines
Best overall: Sound+Sleep High Fidelity Sound Machine - See at Amazon
Best budget: Big Red Rooster Sound Machine - See at Amazon
Best white noise only: LectroFan High Fidelity White Noise Machine - See at Amazon
Best for travel: Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Sound Machine - See at Amazon
Best smart: Hatch Restore 3 - See at Hatch
Best for babies: VTech Myla the Monkey Baby Sleep Soother - See at Amazon
What is white noise?
If you're old enough, you probably remember the sound of static after a television station went off the air for the night. That's the sound of true white noise. It's made up of all the frequencies audible to the human ear playing at once, and at the same intensity. With no variation entering your ears, your brain interprets the sound like a steady hiss.
But white isn't the only "color" of sound. There's also pink noise, which is white noise with the higher frequencies somewhat muted. If you've ever peacefully fallen asleep to the sound of steady rain, you've enjoyed pink noise.
Brown noise is another popular variation of multi-frequency sound, which is basically pink noise with even more muting of high frequencies. Think waves crashing on the shoreline or the sound of high winds.
Many sound machines incorporate several noise "colors" in the form of nature sounds, such as wind, waves, rain, or streams.
Best overall
The Sound+Sleep High Fidelity Sound Machine offers up just about every feature you could ask for in a sound machine.
What we like
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While there are plenty of "smart" sound machines on the market, we highly recommend a unit with analog controls. There's strong evidence that restricting phone use before bed improves sleep quality and duration and reduces the time it takes to fall asleep.
The Sound+Sleep High Fidelity Sound Machine has all analog and intuitive-to-use controls, but doesn't sacrifice high-tech features. The machine "listens" to the ambient noise in your bedroom and then adjusts its volume as necessary to help protect your sleep.
It has 10 basic sounds to choose from: fireplace, waterfall, white noise, meditation, brook, rainfall, train, city, meadow, and ocean. These aren't short, annoying loops or synthesized sounds. Naturally recorded, high-fidelity sounds are carefully mastered to relax you into sleep.
You can add two additional levels of "richness" to each of those basics. For example, "ocean" starts with the simple sound of water crashing against the shore. Two additional levels add in seagulls, barking seals, and even a fog horn.
If your bed partner doesn't want any sound at all, there's a headphone jack so you can enjoy the peaceful tones on your own. You can let the machine run all night or set the timer to shut off after 30, 60, 90, or 120 minutes.
Best budget
The Big Red Rooster Sound Machine will set your mind at ease with its quality nature sounds and low price.
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This straightforward device offers six sounds: summer night, white noise, rain, brook, ocean, and thunder. The sound quality is excellent and the loop is unobtrusive, so you won't feel like you're listening to a broken record. Priced at just over $15, this is a great option if you want to try out a white noise machine without breaking the bank.
The Big Red Rooster Sound Machine includes an AC adapter, or you can run it off batteries while traveling. If you don't want to let it run all night long, there are several timer options to turn the device off after 15, 30, or 60 minutes.
Best for white noise only
This white noise sound machine plays 20 non-looping fan and white noise sounds, can mask loud noises, and helps me fall and stay asleep.
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A common use for white noise machines is outside office doors to mask the conversation happening within. In those cases, nature sounds would be distracting and out of place. If you're looking for a sound machine that can drown out noise for privacy — or are simply a white noise purist — the LectroFan High Fidelity White Noise Machine is your best bet.
This machine doesn't have any nature sounds, but that doesn't mean your selection is limited. This high-fidelity device has 10 levels of fan sounds, including everything from industrial to an oscillating fan. It's also has 10 levels of white noise ranging from pure white to pink and brown.
The large top speaker produces excellent sound and does a great job of masking outside noise, including tough-to-sleep-through disrupters like snoring or barking dogs.
You can run the device all night long or set the timer in hour increments. The LectroFan High Fidelity White Noise Machine comes with a USB power cable and AC adapter, so you can power it up just about anywhere. It's available in black or white.
Best for travel
The Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Sound Machine is a fantastic entry-level sleep machine that is easy to use and effective, with six types of relaxing noise settings. It's smaller and more lightweight than most white noise machines, making it perfect for traveling.
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The Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Sound Machine plays six sounds, including steady white noise, summer night, ocean, thunder, brook, or rain. Instead of using a dial, it has buttons for each sound option.
What makes this machine stand out is its small footprint and lightweight, which make it great for travel. It clocks in at just 8 ounces, and can run either on AA batteries or plugged into a wall outlet for maximum versatility. Plus, priced at about $20, it won't be the end of the world if you accidentally leave it behind in a hotel room.
Insider Reviews contributor Maria Yagoda uses this machine nightly, including on trips across the globe. She's found that even her noise-sensitive chihuahua sleeps better when the machine is on.
Read our full Homedics White Noise Machine review.
Best smart
The Hatch Restore 3 now features phone-free controls and enhanced sound quality, offering you even more ways to personalize your sleep routine with over 50 sounds and 18 light colors, while minimizing screen time for a better night’s rest.
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We largely recommend white noise machines with analog controls — they're cheaper and screen-free, which is ideal before bedtime. That said, if you're looking for an all-in-one device that functions as a gentle sunrise alarm clocks and a sound machine, the Hatch Restore 3 is your best bet. It's also a good pick if you want more customizations than those offered by analog machines. Just keep in mind that your unit will have to be connected to WiFi in order to function.
The Hatch Restore comes with 28 preprogrammed sleep sounds, plus many more curated music playlists, dreamscapes, guided rest exercises, and sleep stories available through the Hatch+ subscription (which is optional but will cost $4.99 a month after a free 30-day trial). It has the most customizable timer of any product in this guide, with the option to set timers for anywhere between 1 minute and 23 hours and 59 minutes.
Perhaps the standout feature of the Hatch Restore 3 is the ability to wind down or wake up with a simulated sunset or sunrise. We also love its option to set multi-step sleep routines that include your personal sunset, meditations, reading time, and then white noise.
Read our full Hatch Restore 3 review.
Best for babies
This portable white noise machine doubles as a nightlight and can be easily hung on a crib, stroller, or car seat.
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The ability to create a calming, comfortable place for your baby or young child, even when you are away from home, is almost priceless. So, a $20 sound machine that can create a familiar and soothing environment just about anywhere is well worth the price. Not only is Myla the Monkey charming, but it's also easy to use and portable.
This compact sound maker features a built-in rechargeable battery and a large hook so it can easily be hung on the stroller, the car seat, the crib, or anywhere else you need to create a sleep environment. Myla has five ambient sounds (white noise, stream, crickets, vacuum cleaner, and heartbeat) and five lullabies (Hush Little Baby, Brahms' Lullaby, Rock a Bye Baby, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Minuet in G). It can either play continuously or on a 60 minute timer; there's no option for shorter timers or to play just one lullaby. You can also use Myla as a nightlight; its cheeks light up when you press its tummy, which is practical and adorable.
Myla is designed to be charged with a USB cable, which can be a bit of a pain. If you want a soother with more options and the ability to plug into a wall, VTech also makes Tommy the Turtle and Wyatt the Whale, though neither is as portable as Myla.
What to look for in a white noise machine
- Analog controls: Several studies have indicated that using your phone close to bedtime can negatively impact your sleep, increasing the time it takes to fall asleep, reducing sleep duration, and resulting in poorer overall sleep quality. We recommend looking for a white noise machine with analog controls rather than one reliant on a phone app. Analog machines can be turned on, adjusted, and turned the need to look at any screens, and are the best option if you're purchasing a sound machine to improve your sleep quality.
- Non-looping sound: If you prefer to fall asleep to nature sounds, you'll want to look for machines that play non-looping sounds. Hearing the same obvious noises several times — such as a distinct bird call or the same pattern of rain — can be distracting instead of relaxing. This isn't so much of an issue if you only listen to straight white noise, however.
- Portability: Once you've grown accustomed to a sound machine, it can be hard to fathom falling asleep without it. Many of our picks for the best white noise machine are easy to travel with. If you anticipate taking your machine on the road with you, look for options with a small footprint that can be operated using multiple power sources, such as battery, USB, or wall outlet.
- Automatic volume adjustment: Our pick for the best white noise sound machine automatically adjusts its volume in response to ambient noise. This is especially helpful if you live in a city where street noise can vary quite a bit throughout the night.
White noise machine FAQs
Does white noise help you sleep better?
Various studies are mixed about the effectiveness of whether white noise helps you sleep better. It does however help you fall asleep quicker. White noise can mask outside noises and jarring changes in your environment, essentially cuing your body it's time to fall asleep.
A 2021 Sleep Medicine Reviews study found little evidence that continuous white noise actually contributed to better sleep, such as deeper REM cycles. Though, white noise can mask outside noises, effectively cuing your body it's time to fall asleep. However, another study found that adding white noise was helpful for people who complained about falling asleep due to external noise in a city environment.
Is it ok to play white noise all night?
It depends on your preferences. If you just need the noise to fall asleep, use the timer to automatically turn off after you've fallen asleep. If the noise helps you stay asleep, there's no problem with leaving it on all night.
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