The 8 Best White Noise Machines To Drown Disruptions And Enhance Sleep

Number of sounds: 60-plus (more with membership) | Noise type: Nature sounds, music, home appliance sounds and white, brown, pink and green noise | Nightlight: Yes

The Hatch Restore 3 is an elegant-looking sound machine (currently offered in four colors) with an integrated clock display and the ability to wake you in the morning—but as far as its capabilities go, that barely scratches the surface. The device’s signature feature is its personalized sleep routine; using an app on your phone, you can curate your sleep ritual by customizing sounds, lighting and time frames. “Any time I’m struggling to fall asleep, I play the ‘sleep beats’ on my Hatch Restore 3 and am typically out within minutes," says senior mattress and sleep editor Bridget Chapman. “I’m continually amazed by everything it offers, and after six months of use, I’ve only tapped into a fraction of its capabilities."

For instance, you can start with some bedtime reading—yes, the Hatch Restore 3 can provide a reading light—then switch to meditation and finally drift off to some white noise. In the morning, Hatch can gently wake you with a sunrise alarm and nature sounds. You can even choose the color of the Restore’s nightlight. The app comes with a large library of sound options including meditations, sleep stories and background sounds, but you can pay for a premium subscription ($50 per year) to access even more content, like comedy podcasts and immersive ASMR.

Number of sounds: 20 | Noise type: White, brown, pink and blue noise, fan and nature sounds | Nightlight: No

You don’t have to spend a lot to get a great white noise machine. Magicteam’s white noise generator has 20 different non-looping sounds to choose from—something unusual in a device at this price—with options including rain, ocean, birds, a brook, plus traditional white, brown and pink noise. It can plug into a standard wall outlet or get its power from USB, making it pretty versatile, and the understated gadget has a row of simple controls up front to manage the sounds ands volume. 

It also comes in three colors: white (pictured), wood and black, so you can pick the one that best matches your room’s aesthetic. It doesn’t have as many features as some of the more robust “smart” models in this list, but what it does, it does well, and at a price that’s hard to beat. Plus, about three-quarters of its more than 2,000 reviews on Amazon are 5 stars, with customers raving about its size, design and function. 

Number of sounds: 2 | Noise type: Fan | Nightlight: No

The Yogasleep Dohm Classic White Noise Machine is notable for being incredibly simple to operate. Just turn it on, choose either a high or low volume and spin the cap and side of the device to dial in the quality of white noise you’re looking for. Under the hood, you can find a true mechanical fan creating an analog soundscape, working the same way it has since it was invented in 1962.

Of course, this means the scope of sounds it can produce is pretty narrow. There are no rainfalls or birds chirping in the Yogasleep Dohm, nor is there a nightlight, timer or wake alarm. Nonetheless, many people find the non-looping white noise it generates and overall simplicity to be perfect for their needs. Chapman says she’s used this white noise machine for years and notes it’s “durable, consistent and very effective at blocking out other sounds.”

Number of sounds: 1 with adjustable tone | Noise type: Fan | Nightlight: No

The Snooz White Noise Machine has a sleek build that makes it largely inconspicuous among your room’s décor. “I appreciate its curved design and how chic it looks on my desk,” says managing editor Emmy Favilla, adding that it’s also lightweight. Its functionality is straightforward, but undeniably effective. This sound machine uses real fan noise (without moving air) for non-looping sound that helps lull you to sleep or block out distractions while you work, and both tone and volume are entirely adjustable—all using the touchpad on top of the machine.

Ten volume settings mean you can mask ambient sounds big and small. Favilla says she uses the fifth or sixth setting to drown out noise on the busy block she lives on in New York. It’s also 98% more energy efficient than a typical box fan—and of course, it’s a lot smaller, too, so it’s travel-friendly. Designed for adults and babies (and even pets), the Snooz offers both dark and light modes. You can schedule features on the accompanying app, but this white noise machine works without it as well.

Number of sounds: 30 | Noise type: White, pink and brown noise, fan, nature sounds, lullaby | Nightlight: Yes

This compact white noise machine packs a lot of features into a pretty tidy size. It plays 30 different sound options, including eight lullaby tracks for kids, and it connects to Bluetooth for streaming music directly from your smartphone. That’s a handy feature for parents who want to manage their child’s bedtime playlist from afar. The Duet runs all night, but there are three timer options for 45 and 90 minutes and eight hours. 

Kids and adults alike can appreciate the amber nightlight, which you can dim to your liking. All of these features are controlled on top of the device via a simple and intuitive interface that small kids can also manage. One note: Each Duet comes with a USB cable, but a power adapter isn’t included.

Number of sounds: 30 | Noise type: White noise, meditation and nature sounds | Nightlight: No

The control panel on the Sound+Sleep might feel a little cramped and crowded, but that’s because you get such a wide variety of sound options without the complexity of needing to connect your phone and use a mobile app. The dial gives you direct access to 30 sounds including rainfall, babbling brook, ocean surf, waterfall, crowd sounds and more, plus traditional white, pink and brown noise. Unlike some electronic sound machines, these are all non-looping for no distracting audio glitches. Assistant editor Jordan Thomas has used this machine nightly for years and said she “wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

She appreciates the wide array of sounds it features and how they all have three different “richness levels,” which she says effectively add more ambiance to the soundscapes. (Think: a periodic whistling kettle in the background of the fireplace setting.) This sound machine also has a feature you don’t see often: an adaptive mode that adjusts the volume of its background sounds in response to ambient noise. If a truck rumbles by outdoors, the Sound+Sleep ramps up its volume in response and then returns to normal when the distraction is gone. It also features a volume control (naturally) and a sleep timer you can set to 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes.

Number of sounds: 6 | Noise type: White noise and nature sounds | Nightlight: No

If you’re looking for a small sound machine that you can take on the road, the Homedics Portable Sleep Therapy sound machine fits the bill. It’s among the smallest sleep machines around (it measures about 7 x 6 inches) and can run on AC power or four AA batteries. Audience development director Spencer Dukoff says he’s been using it for about three years and enjoys that it’s “compact, reliable and no-frills.” And we’d be remiss not to point out that it’s among the least expensive sound machines you can buy, priced at or under $25.

You get a choice of a half-dozen sounds (white noise, thunder, ocean, rain, summer night and brook) that are rhythmic, designed to create a feeling of comfort that lulls you to sleep, and you can trigger them with a 15-, 30- or 60-minute sleep timer. The Homedics Soundsleep has over 57,000 reviews, the majority of which are 5 stars. If you want an even smaller white noise machine for travel, Chapman recommends checking out the extra-compact Yogasleep Rohm+ Travel Sound Machine; it features more sounds and includes a strap, but comes with a higher price and 20-hour battery life.

Number of sounds: 22 | Noise type: White noise, fan, nature sounds | Nightlight: No

The Lectrofan is a straightforward sound machine with 22 sound options, including a great variety of classic sleep sounds. There are 20 different white noise and fan variations, plus two ocean wave options, and they’re all dynamically generated for continuous, non-looping sound. That means no disruptive pause while the recording stops and starts again. Our testers say the sound quality of the Lectrofan is excellent, and the wide volume range means you can muffle all kinds of external noise. It’s also user-friendly, with automatic off timers and a compact size that makes it useful for travel. 

The Lectrofan is not only highly rated on Amazon with over 4,400 reviews and 4.5 stars, but multiple Forbes Vetted staffers love it, too. Staff writer Steve John says it’s so easy to use that he’s "never come close to cracking open its instruction manual, thanks to the intuitive buttons.” He adds that it’s a great addition for hotel stays with the family, as it creates a buffer of white noise "that lets everyone sleep and even lets the adults get a little chatting in first."