Best Baby White Noise Machines 2023: Review and Buying Guide
For the few lucky parents, getting their babies to sleep is an easy task.
But for most parents, their babies take hours to get to sleep, and even when they do, they hardly go for a few minutes before they are up and wailing once more.
This can be frustrating, especially if your baby keeps you awake most of the night.
Since you and your little munchkin need the sleep so as to rest, a white noise machine could be just what the doctor ordered for you!
The white noise sound from the machine is incredibly soothing and will have your baby sleeping in a couple of minutes.
What's more, white noise machines ensure your baby has a long uninterrupted sleep. This means uninterrupted sleep for you too.
Product | Specs | Price |
|---|---|---|
 | Marpac Dohm Classic White Noise Machine | |
 | Baby Shusher Sleep Miracle Soother | |
 | Cloud B Sleep Sheep Sound Soother | |
  | Sleep Easy Sound Conditioner | |
 | Hushh Compact Sound Machine | |
  | Silverflye White Noise Machine | |
  | SkipHop Nightlife Soother | |
  | Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother |
What is White Noise Sound?
You have probably heard of white light, which in simple terms, is a combination of all the frequencies of color.
In the same way, white noise is a combination of the all the frequencies of sound that the human ear can perceive.
Don’t get it wrong though. It is not a combination of all the possible sounds.
White noise refers to the frequency created when different frequencies of audible sound that the ear and brain can perceive are put together at a similar level.
Babies find white noise sound very calming and soothing. This is because white noise is in a lot of ways similar to the whooshing sounds in the womb.
A popular wrong belief is that babies need the quiet to sleep.
In fact, they tend to find the world too quiet for them, given that they have spent months in a noisy environment. So for them, loud is normal.
Thanks to modern technology, white noises can easily be generated.
A white noise machine is a machine that produces a series of sound (white noise) that helps your baby sleep.
Babies have immature reflex systems. This makes the particularly jumpy when they hear any noise, especially in the dead of the night.
These machines produce a familiar sound that drowns all other sounds, enabling your baby to sleep peacefully.
Benefits of Using a White Noise Machine as a Sleep Aid
Having a white noise machine as a sleep aid has several benefits to your baby:
1. It blocks out other noises
If your baby nursery is not soundproof, there are chances that noises from other rooms get to the nursery. These noises can keep your baby awake.
A white noise machine will generally drown out all these noises.
2. It helps your baby sleep longer
Babies usually have ‘sleep arousals' that last about 20-45 minutes after which they are unable to fall deeper into sleep. They, therefore, wake up after short periods.
These machines allow your baby to navigate through these arousals, thus remaining asleep for longer periods.
3. It reduces stress in babies
You are probably wondering, ‘What could babies possible be stressed about?’
Well, everything. The new faces, the excitement around them, the baby rest night light, all these are much more than they could handle.
A white noise machine blocks out the simulation and by so doing reduces their stress.
4. It helps babies cry less
We have already mentioned that white noise sound resembles the whooshing sounds in the womb.
Whenever your baby is crying, the white noise has a calming effect and will have them quiet in a couple of minutes.
5. It reduces the risk of SIDS
SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) is the sudden and unexplained death of an infant less than a year old and usually occurs in their sleep.
Although it is not sure why white noise sound helps in the reduction of SIDS. Perhaps it is because white noises reduce active sleep which is the state in which SIDS mostly occurs.
6. It helps you sleep
Of course, we cannot leave this out. Whenever your baby wakes up in the middle of the night, you will also have to wake up.
With a white noise machine, your baby will sleep through the night allowing you to have a good night’s rest.
What to Look for When Buying a White Noise Machine
Whenever you decide to buy anything in your home, there are certain factors you need to consider.
The white noise machine is not an exception. The fact that there are different types out there doesn’t make it any easier.
Types of White Noise Machines
These are the most common machines available. Just as the name suggests, they need to be plugged into an electrical outlet to work.
With this type of machine, you do not have to worry about conserving power.
Unlike the other machines, these particular ones come with a variety of options.
If you are constantly hitting the road with your baby, the portable white noise machine is a great option. Batteries are the power source, allowing you to use them anywhere you go.
The newer models of portable white noise machines have rechargeable batteries and can be charged using a USB cable.
This type of machine is a favorite among many parents, and for a good reason too. The actual white noise machine is encased in the stuffed animal.
With this machine, you can have a toy for your baby as well. For most of these, you can remove the sound machine allowing you to wash the stuffed animal.
The combination machine is usually a white noise machine with an extra feature. Most common features are usually an alarm clock, a baby monitor, and a baby rest night light projector.
Once you have decided on the best type of machine to go for, you also need to be on the lookout for other features. Let’s take a look at some of them.
The Appearance
Although most parents will not consider this factor important, the appearance of your baby white noise machine matters.
Some machines are downright ugly. If you have the option of going for something that looks remotely better, I suggest going for that.
You can even do a little more looking and try to get something that matches the décor of your nursery.
The Sound Made
A baby white noise machine produce a variety of sounds. Common sounds are animal sounds, ambient nature sounds, and a fuzzy static white noise and lullabies.
Before settling on a particular machine, get to know what kind of sound quality it produces and decide if it is the best to soothe your baby.
Power Source
A baby white noise machine can be powered by being connected to an electrical outlet, batteries or a USB plug. Battery powered machines give you the advantage of being portable.
However, such machines are usually more expensive. You can, therefore, decide to buy a rechargeable machine and its charger. This will save on costs in the long run.
Is a Remote Control Available?
Not all sound machines come with a remote control.
Remote controls are advantageous in that they allow you to turn off the machine once your baby falls asleep without going into the room.
Does It Have a Sleep Timer?
With a sleep timer, you can set a timer which starts a countdown (15, 30 or 60 minutes) when the machine is switched on. When it gets to zero, the white noise machine is switched off.
Most portable machines come with a sleep timer. Some machines come with an automatic sleep timer. This means that you will not be able to play the white noise machine all through the night.
Best White Noise Machines for Babies 2021
Now that you know what to look for when buying a white noise machine, it could help having a headstart on what to check out.
These eight machines here are amongst the best there are.
If you are considering buying one for your baby, take a look at these first and see if there are any that you like.
Marpac has been a household name for many years, considering they have been on the market since 1962. It is, therefore, a favorite among many parents.
The Marpac Dohm white noise machine comes with dual speed settings allowing you to choose between high and low settings with the flip of a switch.
You can also fine tune the sound quality to your preferred tone and volume.
This machine is actually a fan. It produces the soothing sound of rushing air without the disturbance of the actual air.
It is a great choice if you live in a cold area or during winter, seeing as it won't blow air directly to your baby.
If you are looking for something that has a visual appeal, this is not the machine for you. It also does not come with a timer. It continues producing the sound as long as it is turned on.
The good thing about this machine is that once your baby does not need it anymore, you can use it yourself, thanks to its ‘mature’ appearance.
The shushing sound is probably the best example of white noise that parents use to calm their babies. It can be quite tiring, especially if you have to do it for a long time or if your baby just won't calm down.
With the baby shusher sleep miracle soother, you need not worry about tiring anymore. The machine produces the shushing sound all by itself.
The baby shusher comes with two timer options of either 15 minutes or 30 minutes allowing you to set it to your preference.
It also has built-in volume control allowing it to be louder than the baby's cries which is important to calm the baby down.
This white noise machine runs on batteries with a battery life of 10 hours.
The downside of this machine is that the only flat surface is the bottom, which also doubles up as the speaker. This means that setting it down on the bottom will mask the sound produced.
The Cloud B sleep sheep sound soother is stuffed animal sound machine. And while it is not necessarily a white noise machine, it works wonders in soothing and calming your baby.
The machine comes with 8 soothing sounds and melodies.
The sound machine is removable from the sheep allowing you to wash the stuffed animal.
It comes with a velcro loop which you can easily attach to your baby’s crib or stroller. It also has two sleep timer options, 23 minutes and 45 minutes.
With these, all you have to do is push the button turn it on and go about your other duties.
As much as this is a great sound machine, the fact that it does not produce actual white noise and sound is quite a disappointment. The rain sound, however, comes closest to this.
This sound machine produces the soothing sound of moving air blocks creating an environment that is ideal for restful sleep.
The tone and volume of the sound produced are fully adjustable to your own preference. The white noise and sound produced is great for your baby.
This white noise machine, however, has very low volume settings. The white noises produced are too quiet to mask any surrounding noises.
If you live in a particularly noisy home, this machine may not be the best option for your baby.
If you are constantly taking your baby with you on walks and outings, then the Hushh compact sound machine might be great for you.
It is designed to take it with you anywhere as it is easy to clip to objects, such as a stroller or car seat.
It comes with an adjustable volume controller and allows you to choose between three different sounds including ocean noise. The fact that it is made of durable plastic makes it quite easy to wipe off any dirt on it.
Hushh can operate all night long with a single charge, and comes with a USB for charging. It plays the sounds continuously unlike other portable sound machines.
This works great to keep your baby asleep faster continuously for longer periods.
This machine is quite cheap and would be a great option if you are working on a tight budget.
One great thing about this machine is that it comes with a remote. This is a relief as you will not have to keep going to the nursery to turn the machine off once your baby falls asleep.
It has 6 soothing tracks and a sleep timer that allows you two options; 45 minutes or 60 minutes of continuous play.
You can also charge this machine in two ways. You can either use batteries or use a USB micro adapter.
If you are very considerate about the looks, the Silverflye white noise machine may not appeal to you.
However, the fact that it comes with a remote could be a deciding factor for you.
This is the only machine on our list here so far that comes with a beautiful streamlined light and sound machine. It has a dimmable nightlife that emits a warm glow.
You will therefore not have to turn on bright lights at night.
The owl-like machine can project a starry nightscape onto any surface distracting and amusing your baby to sleep.
With eight calming sounds and sounds, you can choose the best combination of lights and sounds that your baby loves.
You may even decide to turn on the nightlife without the melodies if you so wish.
Another thing I like about this white noise machine is the variety of options when it comes to the sleep timer.
Timer can be set to off for 15, 30 and 60 minutes and the continuous play.
A great addition to this machine is if it were portable. It is a plug-in white noise machine meaning you cannot carry it around with you.
The décor of your nursery should be bright and cheerful.
If this is the case then, the baby einstein sea dreams soother could be a great addition to the nursery.
Just like the Skiphop nightlife soother, this is a light and sound machine.
It runs on batteries, meaning that you can carry it with you while traveling and comes with a remote as well.
It plays real-life imagery with motions and lights effects that keep your baby occupied while in his crib.
The machine comes with a universal crib attachment that fits most cribs.
Rather than have it in the crib with your baby, you can simply hook it to a suitable position on the crib’s railings.
A really useful feature for this white noise machine is the drift off feature. The machine does not turn off abruptly which could wake up your baby. Instead, it will drift off to sleep - like your baby.
At 10 minutes, the sea motion stops and the volume decreases. 10 minutes later, the lights turn off and the volume decreases even further.
At 25 minutes, the machine turns off and goes into standby mode.
Alternative to White Noise Machines
If you do not have the money to spend on a white noise machine, do not worry.
The good news is that there are so many other alternatives that you can use. The whole idea is to produce white noise. You can use old things lying around in your house.
If you have an old radio in the house, then it is time to bring it out to play. Turn the dial until it is between stations and you will have a static white noise.
You can also use a white noise fan. The sound produced by moving air blocks is a great example of white noise.
While using the fan in the nursery, ensure the fan faces away from your baby’s crib. You do not want to be blowing cold air onto them. A fan may, however, not be a good option to use during winter.
Another uncommon option is a humidifier. Using a humidifier in your nursery room could also double up as a white noise machine for your baby.
The other thing you could use is your washing machine. You may try to relocate the washing machine to a room near the nursery.
When the little one is drifting off to sleep, turn the machine on for an empty cycle.
Check out our list of the quietest washing machines here.
If you are up for it, you can even try to make your own sound machine.
The advantage of doing this is that you get to choose what sounds to go for, depending on what works best for your baby. You even get to play around with colors and match the nursery’s décor.
| Product | Type of Sounds | |
|---|---|---|
| Marpac Dohm Classic White Noise Machine | sound of rushing air | See More |
| Baby Shusher Sleep Miracle Soother | sounds of the womb | See More |
| Cloud B Sleep Sheep Sound Soother | sounds of the womb | See More |
| Sleep Easy Sound Conditioner | sound of moving air | See More |
| HoMedics SoundSpa On-The-Go | heartbeat, white noise, ocean, lullaby | See More |
| Silverflye White Noise Machine | soothing nature sounds | See More |
| SkipHop Nightlife Soother | gentle melodies and calming nature sounds | See More |
| Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother | classical melodies and soothe and glow light effects | See More |
Potential Risks Associated With The Machine
Hearing problems are perhaps the scariest risks associated with white noise machines. Other than that, your baby could have delayed speech development.
The recommended white noise level is 50 decibels. You, therefore, need to make sure that the white noise machine you use is either below or at 50 decibels.
You should also make sure the white noise machine is at least 7 feet away from your baby. Be sure to reduce the volume too.
To reduce the impact of the white noise sounds, you can also turn the machine off once your baby falls asleep.
You might also like: How Loud is Too Loud for a Baby?
Over-Dependence On The White Noise Machine
Some parents swear by the white noise machine. It is the only thing they can fully rely on to keep their babies asleep.
Other parents, on the other hand, are concerned that their babies may grow to be too dependent on the white noise machine.
While this may not be an actual problem, the problem arises when the baby has to sleep away from home.
Given that they are used to the white noise sounds, it may be a challenge to get baby to sleep.
However, white noise machines are easy to wean off. Once your baby is about 1 year old, you can regulate their sleep and develop a set sleeping pattern for them.
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