The Best White noise machine isn't a complex device, even as companies constantly add more bells and whistles. Nowadays, they come in all shapes and sizes, outfitted with the capacity to play other noise frequencies and nature sounds while at home or in a more portable, on-the-go form. They're not just for kids anymore—if you are like us, trying to drown out your internal monologue so that you can finally drift off, this is the article for you.
But if you're building up your arsenal of sleep gadgets, with a white noise machine among them, we've tried out everything from the best sleep trackers, best sunrise alarm clocks, the best mattresses, and the best extreme alarm clocks. We've got a directory where you can find all of our Sleep content.
Note: If you're buying for a child, keep sound machines to no more than 50 decibels and farther than 200 centimeters (6.5 feet) from where your baby sleeps.
Updated August 2025: We’ve added two new recently tested products, the Snooz and Babellio mini sound machine.
A Note on “White Noise”
Before we start on this white noise machine review, we need to review what white noise is in association to these sound machines we've tested. “White noise machines” and “sound machines” are used pretty interchangeably, but you need to actually dig into the details to know what you're actually hearing. You may be hearing a different “color” entirely.
The “colors” of noise are measured similarly to light. Pure white noise is a mix of all the frequencies humans can hear, so it can be a little agitating (think of the static on your TV). Pink and brown noise are at the lower end of the spectrum. They aren't as grating and have been found to help people sleep a little more deeply. If you've seen pink noise, brown noise, and green noise amid all the white noise machine chatter, it's because more often than not, you'll find those options available to you wrapped up into one little machine. If you think of sound waves as being loosely analogous to light waves, then the different colors of noise refer to different parts of the sound spectrum. And, the fun thing about using a sound machine for sleep is that you get to experiment with noise frequencies.