For a lot of people, going to sleep feels like a reward after a long and stressful day. However, some people experience difficulties falling asleep due to external noises like animals, vehicles, loud music, or noise from other houses and apartments. White noise has shown itself as an effective methodology to help babies and young children sleep. It can be found in home appliances like washing machines, refrigerators, and vacuum cleaners. Recently, they have become popular among adults too because of its soothing effects that help fall asleep.
However, the white noise machine’s soothing effects don’t only work on improving the sleep cycle. They’re extremely effective among people who work at home or study. A 2014 study has shown that white noise improves focus as well as our ability to memorize things. That said, it’s a welcome companion for students who prepare their exams.
Before we dig into the best white noise machines in 2021, let’s talk about white noise itself, and how it affects our neural system to relax us.
What is White Noise?
White noise is a special kind of noise that contains sounds of all frequencies and once emitted it can reduce the background noise to its peak sound. It can reduce even loud sounds like car honks, yelling, door slams, other roommates, or water droplets. It’s ideal for babies but oftentimes adults also refer to it to aid them through falling asleep.
A lot of people use it because it creates a consistent ambient sound that can disguise the loud sounds in other rooms, apartments, and finally, outside. White noise can be found in any of your home appliances, from washing machines, refrigerators, and vacuum cleaner, to radio and TV static, air conditioner, and humidifier. For a lot of people, it’s soothing, but some people prefer sleeping in a silent environment theoretically known as the black noise.
White noise can also be induced through specialized devices followed with a soothing melody or natural sound known as the white noise machine. That’s the core concept of this article, where we’ll review ten best white noise machines, but also highlight their benefits.
Features to Look Into When Shopping for White Noise Machine
There are a lot of features paramount to the shopping for a good white noise machine. Some of those features are displayed below.
Who is it for? – There are white noise machines suitable for different age groups. Given that adults use them now too, it’s important to be able to distinguish the right machine for both adults and infants.
Volume – Due to the described study and implications of white noise machines with poor frequency specter, it’s important to look for the machine with adjustable volume.
Size – If you travel, you’ll likely be looking for a more compact design. The same goes for offices and small spaces in general. Don’t worry, however. Most white noise machines don’t measure more than 10 inches.
Different sound options – With individual sleeping preferences, a good white noise machine should have an option for different sounds. Additionally, it should allow uploading of the sounds that you may prefer. Most of the good white noise machines boast both natural and ambient sounds.
Timer – Timer is one of the best and most efficient features because it allows you to save the battery and energy. It can also avoid unwanted waking up in the middle of the night. It can also be used for infants and toddlers until they fall asleep and then shut down.
Looping – A lot of white noise machines allow you to create the looping effect and have your machine produce consistent and stable sound.
Headphones – Some white noise machines come with a headphone jack so that you can attach your headphones. This is great for people who sleep with partners who aren’t fond of white noise machines.
Alarm – Some better models are also equipped with a programmable alarm that can wake you up in the morning in a soothing way.
5 Best White Noise Machine: Detailed Reviews
1. Best Overall: Yogasleep Dohm White Noise Machine
Key features:
- It is for everyone. Both adults and children, as well as people with conditions like tinnitus and ADHD, can use it. Interestingly, even your pets will love it.
- It provides a 101-night sleep trial that you can use to test the device.
- It is compact so you can take it everywhere with you.
- You can adjust the pace and volume of the machine so you can decide how much white noise you want.
- Easy to maintain and clean.
- It can also use pink noise sound variants to guide you through sleep.
The Dohm Classic has been on the market ever since 1962, since then it provides a quality sleep aid in soothing sounds, including white noise. It will help you reduce the external noise and focus on relaxing and sleeping soundly. This description is exactly what made us test the Yogasleep machine, determining it’s the best overall white noise machine on the market.
It offers customized sound experience, packed with two-speed options that helps you decide your pace. Of course, you can adjust the tone and volume, which is extremely important for the personalizing of the features. It easily isolates you from all the background noise. It works for everyone, adults, children, infants, and even the sound-sensitive dogs who have difficulties falling asleep.
The Dohm Classic white machine is also available in several settings. You can also get it in white, gray, tan, and black variants. It’s not too large so you’ll easily fit it even in the colder bedrooms. Needless to say, it can be used for absolutely every occasion. It’s a natural sleep aid that can be used for sleeping in the bedroom, sleep aid for babies, focus and productivity booster at work, aid tinnitus, and much more.
One of the best features is the sound neutrality. Some people are annoyed by the white noise sounds. The customization allows you to get the pace of music that you want.
Drawbacks:
- We didn’t like that this model doesn’t come with the timer which could pre-program the duration of white noise playing.
- Additionally, there’s no alarm clock that many models come with but it’s not a dealbreaker.
2. Runner Up: Dreamegg White Noise Machine
Key features:
- Compact, sleek, and easy to place in absolutely every room.
- It comes with a great variety of melodies and static noises.
- Memory Mode lets you remember what helped you and your child fall asleep the most. You can fetch the combination from the memory and use it again.
- It is equipped with a soothing night light.
- Great customer support.
- A great feature for babies includes a timer. That said you can preprogram the white noise machine.
- It offers a 60-day money return guarantee and a one year warranty.
Whether the Yogasleep option became unavailable or you’re looking for a different set of features, Dreamegg white noise machine will let you sleep soundly and restfully. It provides a choice of 24 soothing sounds which is ideal for everyone’s preference. That said, both adults and children can use it.
With 24 sounds and 7 white noise presets, as well as 7 fan sounds and 10 pink noise-like presets, you’ll be able to choose a different ambient sound for every night you sleep.
Another feature that we also found extremely helpful is the night light. It’s helpful particularly for children who are afraid of the dark. It comes with a night light. Mothers can especially enjoy this feature because it’ll help them with night nursing and everything else. There is also a lullaby mode that helps you take your little ones to sleep easier.
Another thing that we liked on Dreamegg is amazing customer support that is available to you in a short time after you contacted them. The model is available only in black color. While we wish there was a larger color selection, we’re satisfied with the sturdy and modern design that this model offers.
Lastly, the adjustable volume and pace are unavoidable aspects of this model. With adjustable volume, even people who suffer from tinnitus can use it because they can customize the level of noise they hear when they want to lay to sleep. Unlike our first model, this option also comes with a timer, which is a perfect feature for babies.
Drawbacks:
- Unfortunately, it’s available only in one color.
- You can’t turn the night light off without turning the sound machine off, which is slightly annoying.
3. Best Budget: Vanzon White Noise Machine
Key features:
- It has great value for the money. It’s also fairly affordable.
- Some of the best pre-programmed timers among the units we reviewed.
- It comes with a total of 36 modes, giving it a great edge in choosing the most soothing sound.
- Volumes are adjustable so you can set the volume you need to fall asleep easier.
- Suitable for both adults and children.
- Memory mode helps you pick up where you left it.
- It has a compact design which also makes it convenient for travel.
If you’re craving a good night’s rest for you or your family, but you’re restricted on budget, we found Vanzon white noise machine. The features it comes with are great for a budget machine, so you won’t have to empty your pocket to enjoy the soothing and relaxing humming that comes with white noise.
That said, this machine is equipped with 7 white noise presets, 11 fan sounds, and 18 relaxing pink noise like melodies like the chirping birds, ocean waves, stream, crickets, a lullaby for a baby, fetal tone, thunder, and others. There is also a mode for adults.
It is also equipped with a headphone jack, so if one of your dear ones or your sleep partner doesn’t like hearing white noise, you can plug your headphones and immerse into the plethora of soothing memories for sleep. If you’re worried about whether you can use the Venzon white noise machine with babies, you can. It comes with a lullaby melody that helps infants and toddlers sleep. It’s guaranteed to eliminate the excess background of disruptive noise and help your child sleep.
One of the most convenient settings is the timer. You can choose whether you want the white noise machine to shut down in 30, 60, or 90 minutes. It also has a memory mode that lets you get back where you were, both melody and volume like, even after the device shuts down automatically.
Drawbacks:
- Even though it’s a budget model, we hoped it’d come with a warranty or a sleep trial. Unfortunately, it doesn’t.
- The power button is inconvenient to reach.
4. Best for Traveling: Yogasleep Rohm Travel Sound Machine
Key Features:
- 5-inch of cuteness and portable design that lets you take it everywhere.
- Soothing white noise modes that comfort babies’ cry, sensitive dogs and help adults sleep or focus easier.
- It has a respectable battery life that lasts the whole night.
- It works with certain conditions like autism, ADHD, and tinnitus.
- You can personalize the volume and pace of work.
- One year warranty and 101-night sleep trial.
Another great white noise machine comes from Yogasleep. However, unlike the one we reviewed for all purposes, the Rohm model is specifically made for traveling. What more, it has a convenient handle, and cute as a button design that makes it easier to carry.
Feature-wise, Yogasleep Rohm Travel Sound Machine comes with all features of the Dohm machine. It boasts three soothing modes. You can pick bright white noise, deep white noise, or gentle surf. The volume is the same adjustable so you can adjust the level of white noise displayed to you. It is effective at masking the background noise, trains, planes, and other vehicles. It works both for sleep and productivity. It can even mask up a conversation to make your discussion private.
Being for travel doesn’t make it less effective with adults, children, and even sensitive dogs that are scared of fireworks or have recurrent nightmares. It measures 3.5 inches in diameter and weighs only 3.8 ounces, which makes it more portable than the other white noise machines. It also comes with a USB port which helps to charge it. The battery will last a whole nighttime, so it can be used for traveling conveniently.
Drawbacks:
- There is no timer.
- We expected to see a headphone jack or Bluetooth, given that it’s a travel noise machine.
5. Best for Babies: Hatch Rest Baby Night Light White Noise Machine
Key features:
- Soothing, programmable, and adjustable white noise programs to help your baby sleep.
- It is easy to use and can be programmed to use from a phone or tablet.
- One year warranty.
- A soothing night light that can change colors.
- Safety lock for toddlers who like to tinker.
- It also comes with an alarm.
Infants and toddlers need special nourishing and care. However, if you got tired of singing them to sleep and pushing them to bed past the bedtime, there is Hatch Rest baby machine which will help you monitor your child’s sleep remotely, using nothing but your Android or iOS phone.
It’s not only a white noise machine, but it also has a mode to help you rise and wake up in the morning. It’s nothing more than a one-tap device that is easy to use and boasts multiple functions that will make your baby’s night rest restorative and comfortable. It comes with a night light that you can use in case your little one is afraid of the dark. You can customize that light, by adjusting its brightness and color.
When it comes to the white noise machine, you can adjust the sound and volume. There is also a pre-programmable option that lets you create a sleep schedule and preset the programs to work in advance. You can start and stop it automatically.
There is a series of different sounds and noises it comes with. It is ideal for preparing your baby to sleep during the midnight feeding times, while also providing a soothing light option for your preschoolers. If you have a restless and adventurous toddler, this model comes with a safety toddler lock which keeps the light cool to touch.
Drawbacks:
- It doesn’t have an exact timer, it has to be controlled from the app.
- Not a large selection of melodies like with other machines.
Who are White Noise Machines For?
- For everyone who has trouble falling asleep due to some sleep disorder.
- For people who travel often.
- For infants, toddlers, and children.
- For people who want to enhance their productivity.
Benefits of White Noise Machines
We already mentioned that picking the right white noise machine can be of great effect for you or your infant. Let’s see some of the benefits.
It helps nourish your bedtime routine
Using a white noise machine can help you sleep at respectable times (10 pm to 6 am) and maintain restful sleep cycle. Even if you don’t have a bedtime routine, having a white noise machine will help you establish it.
It makes your bedroom quiet
As we said earlier, a white noise machine will keep the external noise at its peak level. That means the external sounds of car traffic, loud people talking, your roommates, and neighbors will be minimized, which aids night sleep. This study published in Noise and Health shows that loud noises can seriously disturb night’s rest.
It relaxes the mind
Overwhelmed by day-to-day stressful situations, we may often feel a bit anxious before sleep. Additionally, we also tend to overthink our problems and solutions. A lot of sleep experts recommend using a white noise machine to avoid such problems and thus, relax your brain.
It helps you stay asleep
White noise is known to help people stay asleep once they fall asleep because it promotes deep sleep that is restorative and helps us feel refreshed once we wake up.
It’s great for traveling
People who travel often may face difficulties dealing with noisy trains, buses or flights. When music is no longer an option to relax and you want to catch some sleep, using a white noise app or machine is a great way to doze off. Moreover, change of bed can often disrupt sleep which is why it’s important to carry a compact noise machine that’ll help you sleep.
It enhances productivity
White noise machines aren’t only made to help you sleep. They also help you focus according to a study that says that the use of white noise at offices can shut down the background sound-enhancing memory and other cognitive abilities and thus our productivity.
It helps the elderly fight dementia
White noise machines reduce anxiety, but they can also fight off the symptoms of dementia. A study from the Journal of Nursing Research examined 63 patients who suffered from dementia.
The 28 study participants listened to 20 minutes of white noise daily for four weeks while the others were cared for as usual. The final results showed that the patients who listened to white noise exhibited slightly better symptoms.
Potential Risks Of Using White Noise Machines
Using white noise machines is great, but just like everything, not entirely harmless. Those risks may be more dangerous for infants than adults, but let’s check them anyway.
- You may become too dependent on the use of the white noise machine.
- Some people simply don’t prefer hearing white noise.
- For infants, there may be some development problems like problems with hearing and speech, as described by a study.
- Some models exceed the 50 decibel limit for the sound spectrum, so it’s important to vary of specifications. If your white noise machine is too loud, either lower the volume or keep it away from your bed.
Other 5 Products We Also Consider
6. Best for Tinnitus: Sound Oasis Bluetooth Sound Therapy System
Key features:
- Two-in-one feature for the mixed experience.
- Portable design with great wireless charge.
- In speaker mode, it has amazing bass.
- It’s equipped with 20 built-in nature sounds.
- It can provide access to Sound Oasis Pro Apps.
- Amazing one-year warranty.
Tinnitus refers to a hearing disruption which leads to hearing a series of noises like hissing, buzzing, beeping inside your head. It doesn’t refer to anything psychotic but can be a result of hearing loss or damage to the eardrums and middle and inner ear. With that in mind, we reviewed Sound Oasis, a Bluetooth white noise machine ideal for people with tinnitus.
It’s a music speaker and a white noise machine. It has a strong bass, so people with tinnitus have a large selection of what they want to listen to.
Drawbacks:
- It lacks some key features like a timer or alarm clock.
- The sound is kind of hard to adjust.
7. Best for Snoring: AVANTEK White Noise Sound Machine
Key features:
- The neutral-sounding machine can cover up even the deepest snoring
- A great variety of sounds to choose from.
- Stellar speaker quality. No buzzing, no disruptive humming. The only humming you’ll hear is the white noise.
- It works for infants too.
- It comes with a timer and a memory function.
- Lightweight and compact, ideal for traveling too.
- 18-month warranty and 60 days of sleep trial.
Snoring can be extremely unnerving for you or your sleep partner. That said, if you want to cover up the sound of snoring, you can easily do it with a white noise machine. This FCC, CE, and RoHS-approved white noise machine come in blue-black and white color. It’s portable and features six types of white noise. There are also six fan sounds coupled with 8 of nature sounds. Aside from snorers, it works great for babies and pets.
Drawbacks:
- Controls and buttons can be a bit tricky.
8. Best With Alarm Clock: Homedics Recharged Alarm Clock & Sound Machine
Key Features:
- It’s a two-in-one product.
- It has a timer
- It has an alarm clock
- A plethora of natural sounds.
- Smartphone holder
Whether you choose to take the phone to the bedroom or not, a lot of people choose to have an independent alarm clock. With the Homedics alarm clock and sound machine in one, you can have both.
It is equipped with eight relaxation natural sounds which you can use to relax with ease. You can use it to read, study, relax, and sleep. The natural sounds feel soothing and relaxing so it’s suitable for both children and adults. There are five sleep modes so you can turn the timer on, deciding whether you want 30, 45 60 minute timer.
Lastly, there is a temperature sensor that helps you determine the ideal sleeping temperature and lets you know if the temperature in the room is too high for optimal sleep.
Drawbacks:
- There are certain problems with the customer service that isn’t prompt. Also, there are some problems with the warranty.
9. Best for Studying: hOmeLabs White Noise Sound Machine
- Eight amazing sounds which work for both studying and sleeping. There is also a lullaby option for babies.
- Auto shut-down timer.
- It works with a battery so it’s portable and you can take it with you to the office or library.
A lot of experts gave evidence that white noise works effectively for productivity, especially while studying or at work. Home Labs white noise machine is an affordable option for a lot of people who want to make the best out of their study sessions. Here are some of the best features.
Drawbacks:
- Low battery life
- No alarm clock.
10. Best for Adults: SNOOZ White Noise Sound Machine
Key features:
- Travel and study friendly.
- No unwanted cool air in the winter months
- 10 different volume settings.
- Impeccable performance
- Night light mode
- Bluetooth connectivity
Snooz boasts a fan inside its construction, creating the real-time white noise. You will sleep like an angel with all background and outer sounds blocked. There are 10 different volume settings and control via iOS and Android app. Finally, if you travel a lot, this machine will be an ideal companion.
Drawbacks:
- There are no speakers so there are no natural sounds to accompany you.
- It is a bit pricier
Conclusion
White noise machines are a great sleep aid for people who are sensitive to low pitch and high pitch sounds. The white noise machines we reviewed are equipped with some of the best features we could find and are durable to last you a long time.
While some models lack certain features, they’re rich in features that other models have. Usually, it’s a compromise between certain functionalities, and should they have all the features we underlined, they’d be much pricier.
All in all, white noise machines are a valuable investment, but not a permanent solution if you can’t fall asleep as a result of insomnia. While medical experts and doctors recommend white noise machine as a sleep aid, they may also prescribe you supplements like magnesium and melatonin, as well as a certain sleep medication.
