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Sleep is becoming a rare commodity, in our hyper-connected world – that’s why we determined the best white noise machine. If you are a delicate sleeper, or if you live around a lot of loud sounds – a white noise machine is the perfect purchase.
Of course, there are a ton of products on the market. It’s important to differentiate between junk models and the best picks out there, as you definitely don’t want to waste your hard-earned money.
So we aggregated tens of thousands of online reviews, tested many different models, and arrived at our top picks. Here are our favorite choices, for the best white noise machine.
Our Top Pick
Marpac Dohm Classic
With over 14,000 positive reviews, this is our top pick for white noise machine. It’s affordable, has all the functionality you might want, and has absolutely no issues. It provides soothing sound, and drowns out any hindrances. Highly recommended.
Adaptive Sound Technologies LectroFan High Fidelity White Noise Sound Machine
With over 5,800 great reviews, this white noise machine from Adaptive has a nice mix of soothing sounds. There are ten fan sounds, and an additional ten ambient sounds. A perfect purchase.
HoMedics Deep Sleep
Slightly pricier, but with over 200 glowing online reviews, this white noise machine from HoMedics is a great pick. It offers a soft rain sound – our office’s personal favorite. Definitely recommended.
Marpac Hushh
With over 2,500 glowing online reviews, this machine from Marpac is a great choice. We like the sleek design, as well as the 3 natural sounds. It’s also perfect for any baby’s room. Highly recommended.
Sleep Easy Sound Conditioner
With over 4,000 great reviews, this white noise machine from Sleep Easy is another great option. It offers a very affordable price, great sound, and is very easy to operate. Definitely recommended.
Marpac Dohm Classic
With over 14,000 glowing online reviews, this great white noise machine from Marpac Dohm is another excellent pick. It offers affordability, is only about 6 inches in diameter – and helped us sleep like we’d never slept before. Highly recommended.
Big Red Rooster White Noise Machine
Don’t be fooled by the name – this excellent white noise machine from Big Red Rooster has over 9,000 stellar online reviews, and offers great, soothing sound. We like the thunder storm sound, as well as the babbling brook option. Recommended.
Homedics White Noise Machine
With over 9,000 glowing reviews, this white noise machine from HoMedics is another great pick. It offers good sound, and it definitely cut down on how long it took for us to fall asleep. One staffer has a notoriously difficult time trying to get to sleep – and even he was out in just 15 minutes. Definitely recommended.
Vanzon White Noise Machine
With a great price, and over 700 glowing reviews, this white noise machine from Vanzon is a perfect budget option. We found it had every feature we needed, and if you ant to spend as little as possible, this is a perfect pick.
AVANTEK White Noise Sound Machine
With over 1,100 stellar online reviews, this white noise unit from Avantek is another solid pick. It is modesty priced as well, so it’s perfect for anyone on a tight budget. Highly recommended.
What Is A White Noise Machine?
A white noise machine is an electronic device that creates calming background noise for you. If you have trouble sleeping, a white noise machine is a bit of a godsend, as it will make the entire process of falling asleep much easier.
Amazon alone has thousands of different white noise machines, some with night lights, snooze functions, pink noise function, volume control, wake up settings, and even rechargeable batteries. Some make the sound of ocean waves, while other may have crickets, lullabies, or simple ambient noise.
Many of the best white noise machines use Bluetooth, and often have a headphone jack, along with many different sound options. There are usually volume settings, along with a long warranty, and long battery life.
If you live in a loud neighborhood (which may have barking dogs), the best sound machine will make your life a lot better. If you are dying for better sleep, a white noise machine is one possible way to get it.
If you have a normal Bluetooth speaker, you could simply play white noise in the background, but dedicated white noise machines usually offer better features. Classic white noise works well for most people, but you may prefer brown noise, or looping sounds.
If you have a fan, fan noise may work in place of a white noise machine in a pinch. If you’re after a good night’s sleep, customizable gadgets like a white noise machine are a great option, as are sleep sound machines.
Ear issues (like tinnitus) won’t stop you from using a white noise machine, and noise options (like ocean sounds) may actually be soothing for those who suffer from ear issues. Newborns are another group who may benefit from a portable noise machine, and the best portable options have lots of high-quality sounds.
Obviously white noise machines will not output a lot of decibels, but they do provide a wide range of sounds. Most white noise machines provide great sound quality, along with many different soundscapes.
We personally preferred the thunderstorm sounds, but there are many different types of sound. Models like the Homedics SoundSpa provide versatile sounds, along with great white noise apps.
Which White Noise Machine Is Best?
We don’t think that any one particular white noise machine is best. There are many great options out there, and any of the picks on our list should serve you very well.
Can White Noise Be Harmful?
While rare, it is possible that white noise could be harmful. It’s more likely to happen to babies than adults, as they have yet to be exposed to white noise, at their age.
What Is The Best White Noise To Sleep To?
White noise machines should provide the best noise possible, but if you’re looking for natural sounds, there are many different options. You can try television static, a radiator whirring, or any other natural, constant sounds.
How Good Are White Noise Machines?
White noise machines are very good at making sleeping easier. This is especially true if you live in a very loud area, like in the heart of a major city, or in a huge apartment complex.
Compared to not using any sound machines at all, those who have tried white noise machines have noted much greater satisfaction with sleep quality, as well as taking less time to fall asleep, compared to using nothing at all.
White noise machines are also great for traveling, as it is usually much harder to fall asleep in a new environment. Couple that with jetlag, and you’ll really be dying to get a good night’s sleep.
What Type Of Noise Is Best For Sleep?
We found that both white noise and pink noise were beneficial for our sleep. Studies show that pink noise may have more positive impacts on your sleep, but we liked white noise just as much.
Pink noise is very close to white noise, but it lacks the higher end frequencies that white noise have. We think that any noise machine will be better than using nothing at all, and the scientific data backs this up.
Is White Noise Healthy?
White noise is absolutely healthy, and it can help many people achieve a much better night’s sleep, as a matter of fact. Since white noise actually masks sounds that stimulate your brain, it is far healthier to use white noise, than to not.
What Are The Benefits Of White Noise?
White noise not only masks annoying street sounds, it helps train your body and brain to know when it’s time to sleep. If you want the best quality sleep, it’s very important to have a consistent, nightly ritual.
A white noise machine can help be a part of this routine. The worst quality sleep comes when you are exposed to blue light before before, have an inconsistent schedule, eat poorly, and have lots of erratic background noise.
Since white noise is literally made up of all the frequencies a human ear can understand, it blocks out any excessive or annoying background noise. These kinds of sounds cause us to wake up randomly, and can drastically impact our sleep quality, as well as quantity.
Children and babies can particularly benefit from white noise machines, since they may be light sleepers and will wake up from pretty much any erratic noises at all. We also love white noise machines for traveling, as sleeping on the road is one of the most difficult tasks imaginable.
White noise is also great because it helps our brains fall back into a relaxed state, blocking out any background stress or worries. If you are going through stress or big changes, having an auditory safety blanket can be incredibly useful.
Is White Noise Safe To Use?
White noise is absolutely safe to use. However, you should not play it at too high of a volume.
Babies and kids are also more sensitive to white noise, as they have never been exposed to it before. Start off with quiet white noise, for little toddlers and kids, before making it louder.
What About Pink Noise?
Some studies have shown that pink noise may be even more beneficial than white noise. This may be due to the fact that pink noise has fewer high frequencies, which may be slightly more stressful for our brain to process.
Pink noise has even been shown to be beneficial for hospital patients, which is particularly remarkable, given how noisy and unpleasant hospitals can be. We personally like both pink noise and white noise, so it comes down to personal preference, in seeing which variety of noise may help you sleep better.
Is It OK To Sleep With White Noise?
Yes, sleeping with white noise is not only okay, it’s very beneficial for your health. Studies have shown that subjects felt more relaxed, slept better, and had more restful sleep, when they used a white noise machine.
On top of that, if you live in a loud environment, a white noise machine is basically a necessity. As overpopulation continues to worsen, even previously quiet locations have become very loud.
Does White Noise Help Anxiety?
White noise has been shown to help those with anxiety. It can help your brain relax, and gives your mind something consistent to focus on.
If you tend to overthink things, white noise may be especially useful and helpful. Instead of chaos and street sounds, you can have calm ocean sounds, or quiet crickets.
Is White Noise Good For Depression?
Yes, white noise has been found to be beneficial for those with depression. However, it should be noted that you should not sleep too much if you suffer from depression – keep it to 8-9 hours, max.
Sleeping more than that can cause issues, or even worsen your depression. Staying active is one of the best things you can do for depression, as exercising helps both your brain and body feel better.
Can White Noise Cause Tinnitus?
While unlikely to cause tinnitus, if you already suffer from tinnitus, white noise at too high of a volume could be an issue. Make sure you keep the volume down, unless you want worse hearing issues.
Other Buying Factors For The Best White Noise Machine
No matter what price point you are coming in at, most white noise machines offer a USB port, multiple volume levels, and other important features. Models like the Hatch Restore offer many different features, and many portable white noise machines also offer alarm clocks.
Companies like Rohm also offer great options, and most white noise machines are compatible with Android, as well as Apple devices. The Hatch Baby Rest is another popular model, as is the Yogasleep Dohm Classic.
The Best White Noise Machine
There you have it – our top picks for the best white noise machine. There are lots of great options out there in the electronics world, so be sure and check out our other tech product reviews.