The 8 Best White Noise Machines for a Restful Night

Best Overall

Pure Enrichment Wave Premium Sleep Therapy Sound Machine

4.5

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Drown out the world and tune into deep relaxation with the Wave Sleep Therapy Sound Machine. With all the essential features and an easy-to-use interface, this model is our top pick for a white noise machine.

The Wave Sleep Therapy Sound Machine features a half dozen different tones to lull you to sleep–including a fan, nature, and white noise sounds that mask outside noise and internal distractions. An optional 15-, 30-, or 60-minute timer lets you decide whether you want the machine to play all night or call it quits after a set amount of time.

As for the quality of white noise produced by this machine, opinions are mostly favorable–though a few people complain of it lacking bass or mid-tones, and a few others noticed a distracting loop in the audio playback. It will largely depend on how keen your ear is to repetition, since many other users of this device are impressed by the lack of repetition in the noises.

Aside from fulfilling its most basic function as a white noise machine, people appreciate that the Wave Sleep Therapy Sound Machine also has a USB port to charge your phone. This model from Pure Enrichment is a good value, and it's both reliable and easy to use.

Price at time of purchase: $50 

_{Type: Digital | Number of Settings: 6 | Power Source: Electric | Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.5 x 3.3 inches | Weight: 1.23 pounds}

Best High-End

Adaptive Sound Technologies Sound+Sleep High Fidelity Sleep Sound Machine

4.2

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A sound night of sleep can be worth a lot and may definitely make it worth investing in a high-end white noise machine. The Sound+Sleep High Fidelity Sleep Sound Machine is a splurge-worthy choice that offers expanded audio options, adaptive volume control, and the ability to playback through headphones or an external speaker.

According to users, the complex sound stories available in the Sound+Sleep white noise machine make repetition and looping nearly non-existent. Choose from ten sound profiles featuring nature noises, a light city buzz, or standard white noise and then add up to three layers of complexity for a sound environment that is just right for you. To ensure that you can hear your white noise machine in all conditions, the machine is equipped with adaptive volume control that raises or lowers the decibels according to ambient noise in your surroundings.

Let this high-end white noise machine pay for itself by playing all night long, or choose to set a sleep timer of 30, 60, 90, or 120 minutes. When the timer runs out, users appreciate that it gradually reduces sound volume before shutting off completely.

People that have tried the Sound+Sleep High Fidelity White Noise machine report sleeping better and waking up more refreshed than they have in years. While a few customers reported software issues that caused certain sound stories to lose complexity or become static-filled, a hard reset or new memory card (courtesy of the manufacturer) seemed to solve the problem. If you must have all the options in a white noise machine, it’s tough to beat the high-quality audio and features of the Sound+Sleep High Fidelity White Noise Machine.

Price at time of purchase: $100

_{Type: Digital | Number of Settings: 30 | Power Source: Battery | Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 4.5 inches | Weight: 2.6 pounds}

Best Budget

Homedics SoundSpa Sound Machine

4.2

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Snooze better while spending less with a budget white noise machine, like this popular model from Homedics. A simple dome-shaped speaker with simple buttons and easy-to-understand knobs will let you choose from six soft sounds to induce sleep quicker.

The Homedics White Noise Sound Machine can be plugged into a standard wall outlet, or you can power it up with four AA batteries. Some users like to leave batteries in the unit so that in the event of a power failure, the machine will continue making sounds without interruption. That is especially useful for babies who are easily woken if their sound environment is altered. You can also set the machine to turn off after 15, 30, or 60 minutes.

One big plus for most people that buy this budget white noise machine is that the sound level is quite loud in comparison with other popular products. The biggest negative frequently reported is that the volume knob seems to fail after about a year of use. However, people love this Homedics Sleep Machine so much that they either replace the unit, only turn it on and off with the wall switch that controls the outlet the unit is plugged into, or remove the volume knob and use contact cleaner to get rid of dust and build-up that may be hampering the operation of the knob.

This budget sleep machine offers loud, clear white noise that’s effective for babies, children, and adults alike, according to real-world users.

Price at time of purchase: $24

Type: Digital | Number of Settings: 6 | Power Source: Electric and battery | Dimensions: 6.5 x 6 x 2 inches | Weight: 0.5 pounds

Best for Offices

Marpac Yogasleep Dohm Classic White Noise Machine

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Keep things confidential or enjoy a little cubicle quiet time with a white noise machine for offices. The Marpac Dohm Classic is a popular, long-standing model of white noise machine that has been widely used in offices, cubicles, suites, and more. Considered to be among the first of the modern white noise machines, the Marpac Dohm is a mechanical model, which means that an actual fan inside the unit produces its natural-sounding white noise.

With more than 4 stars from well over 16,000 people, the Dohm white noise machine has been drowning out people and distractions for a long time. Users suggest placing it outside the office if you don’t want others to hear your private conversations, or place it inside your space if you need to tune out distractions.

While this mechanical white noise machine lacks the variety in tones that digital machines offer, it’s a great, natural-sounding device that won’t be a hassle for your colleagues to listen to or make you feel like you’re on the beach when you’re really participating in a boring webinar (not that it would be a bad thing to have some beach vibes). Perhaps the most unique thing about the Marpac Dohm is that you can manually adjust the tone by twisting the top of the device. This changes the size of the air intakes, altering the sound produced.

This device lacks fancy features but makes up for it in reliability and simple, straightforward noise-canceling ability. In recent years, a few people have pointed out that a persistent rattle has become a problem in their Dohm. Some have remedied this problem by opening the unit, cleaning out accumulated dust, and adding a product like WD-40.

Price at time of purchase: $48 

_{Type: Mechanical | Number of Settings: 2 | Power Source: Electric | Dimensions: 6 x 6 x 4 inches | Weight: 1.6 pounds}

Best for Babies

Jack & Rose White Noise Machine

4.7

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While you could use any white noise machine for babies, the Jack & Rose White Noise Machine offers some specific features that make this our go-to product for lulling little ones to sleep. When using the Jack & Rose White Noise Machine, you can choose from an impressive 16 sounds, including six white noises, four lullabies, and six nature sounds. The model even offers a fetal heartbeat sound, which mimics the sound of a mother’s womb to promote a restful sleep. 

We love that the white noise machine has a built-in nightlight with seven different colors, which can be especially helpful for young ones. The night light can be used with or without the white noise function. This machine offers five different timer settings so you won’t have to worry about turning it off once your baby’s asleep. While some reviewers note that the lowest volume may be too loud for some, you can always place the unit further away from the bed, or even in the hallway if that is an issue. And although many of the sound settings are geared toward babies, there are still plenty of options that are suitable for all ages. If you’re looking for a white noise machine for babies that can easily transition into the toddler years, then the Jack & Rose White Noise Machine is the way to go.

Price at time of purchase: $40

_{Type: Digital | Number of Settings: 16 | Power Source: Electric | Dimensions: 4.65 x 4.65 x 2.46 inches | Weight: 1 pound}

Best Connective

Tuft & Needle White Noise Machine

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While most mechanical white noise machines don’t offer a ton of customization, the Tuft & Needle White Noise Machine allows you to program just about everything through the convenient app. So while this machine only offers one sound setting, just about every aspect of it can be tailored to your preferences. In contrast to digital machines, we love that this model uses a real fan, which provides a full and natural sound. Through the user-friendly app, you can control the volume, tone, and timer settings. You can even program a gentle fade in and out to wake up naturally and gradually. While you don’t have to use the app to control the white noise machine, we definitely recommend it. 

This is also a great option for nurseries and kids’ rooms, as the machine comes with a built-in light. You can even set volume limits to protect your child’s ears while still promoting a good night’s sleep. We appreciate that Tuft & Needle offers a 100-night sleep trial, free shipping and returns, and a hassle-free warranty so you can rest easy knowing that you’re covered.

Price at time of purchase: $110

_{Type: Mechanical | Number of Settings: 1 | Power Source: Electric | Dimensions: 5.6 x 5.6 x 3.2 inches | Weight: 2 pounds}

Best for Dogs

Pet Acoustics Pet Tunes Bluetooth Speaker

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Pets need soothing sounds, too, and there are a variety of white noise machines for dogs on the market. The Pet Tunes Bluetooth Speaker is worth trying if your pooch suffers from separation anxiety, spends long hours at home alone, or entertains himself with excessive barking.

This white noise machine for pets comes pre-loaded with 90 minutes of music specifically intended to be calming for dogs. Unlike generalized white noise machines for human ears, a canine behaviorist developed the audio tracks to reduce stress in our four-legged friends. If you frequently turn on the TV or radio for your pet, consider this option for background noise that is more tailored to the needs of a dog.

Despite the fact that the audio is limited to just an hour and a half, you can set the device to play on repeat mode all-day—we doubt your furry friend will notice. Keep in mind that the battery lasts for about eight hours, so if you want the unit to play past your average workday, you’ll need to plug it in.

While this white noise machine for dogs doesn’t claim to fix separation anxiety, it does seem to noticeably relax dogs. Many pet parents reported less barking, marking, or other destructive behaviors. 

Price at time of purchase: $60

_{Type: Digital | Number of Settings: 1 | Power Source: Battery and charger | Dimensions: 2 x 2 x 2 inches | Weight: Not listed}