For more ways to find peace and quiet, see our guides to the best earplugs for sleeping, the best noise-cancelling headphones, and the best sleep headphones. We also have guidance on using a white noise machine for a baby.
To learn what features to look for in white noise machines, we spoke with Michael Perlis, PhD, director of the behavioral sleep medicine program at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine whose work includes studying the use of white noise machines in treating insomnia. We also interviewed UPenn scientist Mathias Basner, MD, PhD, a professor of sleep and chronobiology in the department of psychiatry who co-authored a clinical review of studies on the use of white noise as a sleep aid, as well as Stanford University sleep researcher Rafael Pelayo, MD, author of How to Sleep: The New Science-Based Solutions for Sleeping Through the Night and a medical consultant to Adaptive Sound Technologies Inc. (ASTI), the maker of two of our picks, the LectroFan EVO and the Sound+Sleep. To understand how noises mask each other, we spent hours talking on the phone and emailing with Stphane Pigeon, PhD, a sound engineer specializing in white noise and the creator of myNoise, our favorite white noise app.
White Noise Machine
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We first tested white noise machines in 2016. After considering nine devices, supervising editor Courtney Schley zeroed in on six for further evaluation, including three white noise machines made by Yogasleep (formerly Marpac): the Dohm Classic (then called the Dohm DS), the Rohm, and the Hushh. She also tested the ASTI LectroFan Classic, the HoMedics Deep Sleep II, and the Sleep Easy Sound Conditioner.
I started by testing the control buttons both in broad daylight and at bedtime, identifying the machines that were the most intuitive to use and the easiest to handle, even in the dark. I also considered the array of masking sounds each machine offered, the acoustic quality of the sound, and whether the sound itself was pleasant (not all babbling brooks are created equal; some sounded like a leaky toilet).
As is expected with white noise machines that generate sounds from a single physical fan, the Dohm is more limited in its masking capabilities compared with its digital counterparts. While it masked softer noises like the freeway traffic as well as the LectroFan EVO when behind a closed door, sounds such as barking dogs or talking people required higher volume just to blur the noise, let alone completely mask it.
Despite costing $10 less than the Dohm, the Yogasleep Whish seemed like it would be a logical upgrade. It offers a wide range of sounds, including six fans, two white noise options, and eight nature noises. Each is clearly marked and easy to access with the press of a button. However, the response is delayed and the buttons are crowded, making it a challenge to find what you need in the dark. The noises also sound harsh and synthetic, particularly compared with the Dohm.
Note: If you're buying for a child, the American Academy of Pediatrics warns parents to keep sound machines to around 50 decibels and farther than 200 centimeters (6.5 feet) from where your baby sleeps.
Yogasleep's Dohm (originally called the Sleep-Mate) was invented in 1962, and it's still one of the most reliable sound machines you can buy. 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.
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 nightlight button on the back of the machine.)
Raptbaby's sound machine is cute and has four sound categories, each with two options. I particularly loved the classical music tracks, which put me right at ease. It's designed for babies, so there are also womb sounds that might comfort them. You can play sounds continuously or choose 30- 60- or 90-minute timers.
The ErgoPouch costs more than the Dreamegg above, but I think you'd be happy with either, whether you need portability or not. 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.
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.
You might not need to buy anything at all if you have a Bluetooth speaker lying around. I used to blast Good Charlotte from a Walkman under my pillow to fall asleep as an angsty preteen. Eventually, I graduated to an app that lulled me to sleep via the sound of a clothes dryer tumbling. There are tons of noises to help you relax, but if you need some inspiration, we compiled our favorite apps and Spotify playlists here. A Bluetooth speaker will step it up a notch.
Dreamegg D1 for $36: This one plays a lot of the same sounds as the D11 portable machine, with a handful more fans and a spectrum of noises. The control panel is matte and soft to the touch, and you can set it to play continuously or for 30, 60, or 90 minutes. I tried the white version, but you can get a few other nice colors on the Dreamegg site. The rim also lights up.
The Marpac Go is a portable, rechargeable sound machine that we liked for helping our kids sleep while traveling, but it was recalled in 2019 because the internal battery can leak, making it a burn hazard. It's been long enough that you probably won't be able to find it anymore, but just in case you see it second-hand, it's best to avoid it. The company makes another sound machine. Like most of Marpac's sleep products, it's now sold under the Yogasleep brand, which we recommend above.
Never again worry about getting stuck next to the elevator, or the ice machine, or the side of the hotel that faces the freeway. SNOOZ is lightweight and portable so you can always be prepared for whatever noises are generously included with your stay.
A white noise machine (also known as a sleep machine) produces peaceful, soothing background noise that helps mask disturbances in your sleep environment and serves as an environmental cue for your brain that it is time to sleep. The SNOOZ White Noise Machine contains a mechanical fan that spins to generate calming white noise.
But it can do much more than help you go to sleep at home in your own room. It can also help with meditation, insomnia, and difficulty sleeping in a hotel room.
The SNOOZ portable sound machine can produce sounds that range from a light fan sound (similar to an oscillating stand fan) to a deep fan sound (that you might associate with an airplane cabin).
Rather than rely on looping recordings of background noise or nature sounds, your SNOOZ White Noise Machine generates its sound in real-time so it never repeats and is truly random.
A white noise machine is a device that produces a noise that calms the listener, which in many cases sounds like a rushing waterfall or wind blowing through trees, and other serene or nature-like sounds. Often such devices do not produce actual white noise, which has a harsh sound, but pink noise, whose power rolls off at higher frequencies, or other colors of noise.
Manufacturers of sound-masking devices recommend that the volume of white noise machines be initially set at a comfortable level, even if it does not provide the desired level of privacy. As the ear becomes accustomed to the new sound and learns to tune it out, the volume can be gradually increased to increase privacy. Manufacturers of sleeping aids and power-napping devices recommend that the volume level be set slightly louder than normal music listening level, but always in a comfortable listening range.
White noise machines are used to diminish the potential for recording or overhearing conversations. Republican Glen Casada had a white noise machine installed in his office to prevent against eavesdropping.[5]
Smart speaker blockers have been developed. For example, Bracelet of Silence is a bracelet that outputs white noise to protect privacy against digital recording from smart speakers.[6] Bracelet of Silence is portable and not attached to smart speakers, thus it is possible that this device can be used to prevent eavesdropping of other devices as well, for example smartphones and laptops.
Most modern white noise generators are electronic, usually generating the sound in real-time with audio test equipment, or via electronic playback of a digital audio recording. Simple mechanical machines consist of a very basic setup, involving an enclosed fan and, optionally, a speed switch. This fan drives air through small slots in the machine's casing, producing the desired sound. The first fan-based white noise machine was the Marpac Dohm,[8] which was invented in 1962 and is frequently credited as the original domestic use white noise machine. e24fc04721
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