The Best White-Noise Machines for a Blissful Night’s Sleep

We're always scoping out possible new products to add to our Best Sunrise Alarms guide, and best believe the Hatch 3 made the cut. It expands upon the previous Hatch models (which we also tested and really enjoyed), with added two more buttons for a total of four. This may not seem like a big deal, but when you're sleepy and want to make quick changes instead of relying on the app, this comes in clutch.

WIRED reviewer Nena Farrell found that the light wasn't as bright as previous iterations, and didn't really uphold the “Sunlight” function of the sound machine. Nevertheless, it still has an extensive sound collection to pick from if you sign up for the subscription. —Medea Giordano

The second-generation Hatch Rest combines a sound machine and night-light with two added features for children: time-to-rest and time-to-rise lights. These are called beacons, and they're helpful reminders for adults too. This version also includes a dimmable clock, and it's controllable via Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth. In the app, you can customize colors, adjust the volume, and pick from the sound library. Tapping the top of the Hatch Rest cycles through sounds and turns it on and off. (There's a child-lock function to prevent kids from messing with the settings, and it still gives them control of the night-light button on the back of the machine.)

Like with the Restore 2, you get more options if you choose to subscribe. We've also tested and like the Rest Plus for $90, which adds Amazon Alexa support and includes an audio monitor. We don't recommend the Rest Mini for $40 though, as one tester said it stopped turning on after several months. —Medea Giordano

The Babelio mini sound machine was indeed made for babies, but we're going to redirect your attention to fur babies. As it would turn out, white noise isn't just good for humans, but dogs as well. If you too have anxious “Velcro” dogs, having a white noise machine to use when you leave the house or need to create ambient noise can be incredibly helpful.

This machine has 30-, 60-, and 90-minute timers. The noises are non-looping but have a variety of nature sounds, white noise, pink noise, and brown noise. I find that it sounds a bit grainy the higher in volume you go, but it gets the job done for my dogs (and my sanity).

The Yogasleep Dohm (originally called the Sleep-Mate) was invented in 1962, and it’s still one of the most reliable white noise sound machines. At 4 inches tall and 5.5 inches wide, it's a little larger than the LectroFan, but it's much simpler. A rotating fan is set within the Dohm's acoustic housing, and it has just two settings. (The lower one is under 55 decibels.) If you've ever been to a therapist's office, you may have noticed these outside the doors. They conceal the conversation inside without being obtrusive—which could also be helpful for those who work from home.

If you normally sleep with a box fan running but don't want dust bunnies blown into your face all night, this is the pick for you. Don't be alarmed if you see “Marpac” on the packaging or Buy page—it's the same company. —Medea Giordano

This one is so easy to use, a child could figure it out! And while infants can't do so quite yet, Momcozy's portable sound machine will be ready when they are (though there's also a child lock in case you don't want that to be the case). As an adult with limited patience and attention span, I can report that it takes little to no time to get this machine up and running. One side is the speaker, and the other is a night-light. While the night-light isn't the brightest, it helps you navigate around a sleeping baby rather than using your phone's flashlight. The included clip isn't the most flexible, but it does create a tether option for attaching this to a stroller strap, diaper bag, purse, or backpack.

You can switch among a range of options aside from white noise, and the sound is pretty strong and crisp for such a little machine. Since it also has Bluetooth connectivity, you can stream your child's preferred noise options as well. Sometimes it can get “stuck” on a sound, so pause between scrolling through your options so the machine can keep up. You have the option to put it on one-, three-, and six-hour timers.

I particularly loved how pretty this one is; its neutral aesthetic reminds me of a pebble at a spa without going full beige. There are seven sound options ranging from colored noise to rain and shushing. A charge should last you a few nights, but I wish there was a timer option to conserve battery. The back has a light with three levels of brightness. I liked to carry this around my house pretending I was holding a candle in an old movie. It's just very cute. —Medea Giordano

The Restnature sound machine is tiny—it would easily fit into a pocket. Despite its size, this Amazon white noise machine has 16 sound options from birds, fire, and other nature noises to lullabies and different color noises. It gets very loud. Maybe even too loud, because the sound quality starts to suffer at the top. There are 30-, 60-, and 90-minute timer options. The other portable players on this list are nicer, but this is a solid option if you need a machine that's as small as possible. And if you are an Amazon Prime member, these teeny devices are on sale for $10. —Medea Giordano

Do you have a Google smart speaker—or any smart speaker for that matter? Congratulations, you already have a sound machine capable of noise and much more. A simple command like, “Hey, Google, help me relax” will trigger 12 hours of ambient noise (if you don't stop it). You can also ask for specific sounds like rain, a fireplace, country nights, or a babbling brook. Google speakers let you create a bedtime sleep routine, as well (learn more about routines). These features work on any Google speaker. —Medea Giordano

If you have an Amazon Alexa speaker, you can enable an Alexa skill called Ambient Noise to select sounds ranging from a whale to a dishwasher or washing machine. There are other Alexa sleep sounds, too. Alexa may even suggest some if you ask for white noise or sleep sounds. You can also search for white-noise playlists on Spotify or other music services, like Prime Music. —Medea Giordano