8 Best White Noise Machines

Possibly the most straightforward sound machine you can buy, this device generates sound with an actual internal whirring fan, not a digital recording. If you're highly sensitive and can hear when digital sound machines loop—a nearly inaudible break or click before the sound starts from the beginning again—this model prevents that. Even though it produces only one sound, our testers loved the simplicity of the product and were grateful for it when the room was dark and they were sleepy. If you want to fine-tune it further, you can adjust the volume by twisting the body of the machine. If you set that up once, you won't have to do it again.

For a similar version that features a built-in night light, our pros also recommend the Dohm Nova.

Tester notes: "This sound machine does the most effective job at blocking out noise in my apartment when I'm trying to sleep in. I'm obsessed with it," said one GH tech analyst. Others appreciate how straightforward it is to use. "There's no clicking past other sounds to find what you want," one tester said. "You either press the top of the button for low fan or the bottom of the button for high fan, and that's it."

Adult sleep is one of many ways to use this device. It's also great for babies' sleep, office privacy, and drowning out construction noise or barking dogs during the daytime. Its low profile fits on a nightstand or down on the floor in a classroom, home, or office setting. It works with a cord or batteries and has an optional timer, so you get lots of customization for a low price.

We noted that the six digital sounds that come out of this speaker aren't of the highest quality, but we feel that's an expected sacrifice for the low price. The features our experts wish the brand would fix are the glowing green indicator lights, which can be a bit distracting in the dark.

Tester notes: "This machine is refreshingly straightforward—no internet, no Bluetooth, just pure, high-quality sound to help you or your guests sleep better," said one online reviewer.

Ideally, babies sleep and nap in their cribs. In messy reality, you sometimes find yourself trying to put your baby down in a portable crib at Grandma's house or on the go. Our pros love that this Good Housekeeping Parenting Awards winner fits in the palm of your hand, and is so compact that it can be slipped into a diaper bag or attached to a stroller to travel along wherever your baby needs to be.

The battery recharges via USB, and then it's ready to go for some 33 hours on a single charge—i.e., it will make it through more than one night. If you want to plug it right into the wall, you'll need an extra USB adapter plug (not included). We also like that there's a child lock to discourage a kid from staying awake and playing with the sounds and volume.

Tester notes: "It was extra useful when we were trying to get a kid to sleep in a house that had a bunch of relatives talking in another room," one tester said. GH tech pros love that it features a gentle amber glow and that the buttons are backlit, so you can easily find it and use it in a pitch black room.

This sound, light, and audio monitor is a great choice for parents looking for more than just a sound machine for their baby's nursery. This Good Housekeeping Parenting Awards winner stood out among our Lab experts and testers alike for its 11 sound options (including white noise, wind, birds, rain, morning, and nighttime melodies) as well as its adjustable night light, which lets you adjust both the color and brightness.

Because it connects to Wi-Fi, that means you can change the machine's volume or sounds via an easy-to-use app, without having to walk into the nursery and risk waking up the baby. It also integrates seamlessly with the Nanit baby monitor, allowing you to connect routines and other features.

Tester notes: One GH Lab expert and mom of an infant claimed to use it every single night: "I love that I can set up a routine in the app so every evening a nighttime lullaby plays at 7 pm to help us wind down and then it changes to white noise at 7:30 pm for bedtime," she said.

Another favorite from Yogasleep, our pros like this option for babies in particular. It features 30 non-looping sounds (including the signature Dohm white noise sound), nature sounds, calming lullabies, and more. You can set a sleep timer to ensure the machine isn't running all night long, and if you have to come in to soothe your little one, just press a button on the top to turn on a warm amber night light.

Our pros love that it doubles as a Bluetooth speaker, so you can stream your baby's favorite tunes during playtime from your smartphone. We also appreciate its sleek design, which should fit nicely on a nursery dresser or stand. Just keep in mind that it must be plugged in at all times, so it's not the best option to bring on the go.

Tester notes: "It’s a reliable and effective way to help little ones sleep better," said one mom, who found the lullabies and gentle white noise especially soothing.

This smaller unit has 16 different sound choices clearly labeled in a ring around the speaker, from the Dohm brand's signature sounds to different fans, white noise variations and soundtracks, including nature recordings like chimes and rain, as well as soothing songs deliberately composed at 60 beats per minute for maximum relaxation.

Note, though, that this is another machine that runs via USB cord only; to plug this into a regular electrical outlet, you'll need to have a USB adapter plug (one of the little "bricks" we all seem to have so many of). Finally, it has a timer, but the timer is only for either six or eight hours, and not shorter increments.

Tester notes: Testers loved how easy it was to set up and the variety of sounds available. "This sound machine is crazy-easy to use and comes with a nice variety of soothing sounds to peruse," said one online reviewer.

By spending a little more money on this sophisticated sound machine, you'll get more sounds, a timer that gently lowers the volume as the time winds down, and instant volume adjustment if the machine senses loud noises in your environment. You can also fully turn off the display's lights.

Its sound library is robust, and includes 16 categories and 64 total choices, with high-quality aquatic sounds like the ocean and waterfalls, white, brown and pink noises (each of which has a different frequency or pitch), fan sounds, and other options, including city sounds, meditation melodies, and more. You can connect headphones to the machine with the built-in audio jack if others in your household would prefer not to listen along. The sound machine also includes two USB ports you can use to charge other devices.

Tester notes: "I love being able to choose among so many sound options, depending on my mood," said one GH product analyst. Our testers also liked that by pressing the "adaptive" button, the machine will scan the room for any extra noise, then adjust your chosen sound to be louder or richer to cancel the extra noise out.

Get extra use out of this petite machine: The LectroFan Micro2 has the ability to connect to Bluetooth and become a speaker that plays music or podcasts from your device, so you can use the sound machine for activities during waking hours too. You can charge it with a USB cord and take it with you or leave it plugged into a USB port on your desk or nightstand. It's truly tiny—only about two inches in diameter and just a few inches tall when stored. To use it, slide out the miniature speaker and angle it to your liking. It comes in a sleek all-black version as well.

Tester notes: When you're ready to go to sleep, "you have to cycle through other sounds to get to the one you like, which is annoying, unless of course you like the first sound," said one tester. But users of this device were able to get used to it.