Top 6 compared
The best white noise machines
Steady, soothing sound that helps little ones settle, and masks the doorbell, the dog and the neighbours.
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The top 6 at a glance
A white noise machine plays a steady, even sound, all night or on a timer, so sudden noises stand out less. It isn’t only for babies: plenty of adults use one to sleep through traffic or a snoring partner. Alongside the classic hiss, most add fan sounds, rain and sea waves, and many let you set how long they play.
Every machine here is made for a shelf or bedside table and has a night light, handy for feeds and nappy changes. Keep the volume moderate and the machine a little way from the cot rather than by the baby’s head; Zello’s advice for its own machine is around 65dB for overnight use.
What matters
- Pink and brown noise, deeper and less hissy than white.
- A volume range that goes low as well as loud.
- A memory for your usual sound and volume.
- A child lock, if little hands can reach it.
#1Dreamegg D1 White Noise Machine with Night Light
£20–£30
- Remembers sound, volume, light, timer
- 30, 60 or 90-minute timer
- 18-month warranty
A plug-in machine for the nursery or your own bedside, with 24 sounds split between white noise, fan noise and nature tracks, and a soft warm light that glows steadily or pulses slowly. It remembers your last sound, volume, light and timer, so bedtime is one press.
What owners say: Owners say it has them drifting off within minutes, and like the spread of sounds, fan noises included, and a volume that turns down properly quiet as well as up loud. The night light gets a mention too.
A closer look: Stand it on a shelf or chest of drawers across the room rather than beside the cot, and start with the volume low. The fan sounds are worth a try for anyone used to sleeping with a fan running, and as it runs from a USB lead, a spare phone charger will power it on holiday.
Best for: Pulsing night light
- Power
- Plug-in (USB lead)
- Sounds
- 24
- Night light
- Warm, steady or pulsing
- Timer
- 30, 60 or 90 min, or all night
#2Kipcush K8 White Noise Machine with Night Light
£10–£20
- Sounds play without looping
- Remembers sound, light and volume
- Dimmable warm night light
A small machine that runs from a USB lead rather than a battery, with 20 sounds from white noise and fan to rain, waves and lullabies. The warm night light dims, and it remembers your sound, brightness and volume each time it’s switched on.
What owners say: Owners say children settle better with it on, and like the choice of sounds, a volume that stays low enough for background noise, the dimmable light and how little room it takes up.
A closer look: There’s no battery, so it stays plugged in, which suits a fixed spot on a shelf or bedside table. The sounds are non-looping, so there’s no repeating hiccup to notice in the small hours, and it’s small enough to squeeze onto a crowded bedside table beside a lamp and a glass of water.
Best for: Cost friendly
- Power
- Plug-in (USB lead)
- Sounds
- 20
- Night light
- Warm, dimmable
- Timer
- –
#3Zello Original White Noise Machine
£20–£30
- Up to 20 hours on battery
- Goes as quiet as 48dB
- 30, 60 or 90-minute timer
A little bedside machine from independent UK brand Zello, with a warm, colour-changing night light and 30 sounds, including womb and heartbeat sounds for the newborn weeks. It runs up to 20 hours on a charge or plugged in, so it moves easily from the nursery to a holiday cot.
What owners say: Owners say it helps everyone drop off, with plenty of sounds, simple controls and a battery that lasts the night. Reliability and sound are mixed: some report it stopping overnight, and a few find the sounds tinny.
A closer look: It runs continuously on its USB-C lead, the simplest way to use it overnight, which leaves the battery for prams and daytime naps in another room. A small light shows which timer is set, so a glance at bedtime confirms whether it will play through the night.
Best for: Running on its battery
- Power
- Rechargeable, up to 20 hrs
- Sounds
- 30
- Night light
- 7 colours, 5 levels
- Timer
- 30, 60 or 90 min, or all night
#4Color Noise 25-Sound White Noise Machine with Night Light
£10–£20
- Sound fades out at timer end
- Remembers all your settings
- 10-colour dimmable night light
Rain, sea waves, four white noises and four fans are among the 25 sounds on this plug-in bedside machine, and its night light in 10 colours with adjustable brightness also works without the sound. Timers run from one to four hours, and the sound fades out at the end.
What owners say: Owners say babies sleep through with it running, and like the light colours and the long list of sounds. Opinions split on the sound quality, some finding it lovely and others not, and on what it costs.
A closer look: Large buttons change the track, the light colour and the timer in a few seconds, and they’re easy to find in a dim room at night. It needs to stay plugged in, so give it a spot within reach of a socket before the first bedtime.
Best for: Big buttons
- Power
- Plug-in (USB lead)
- Sounds
- 25
- Night light
- 10 colours, dimmable
- Timer
- 1–4 hrs or all night
#5BrownNoise White Noise Machine with 30 Sounds and Night Light
£20–£30
- Three brown noises, plus pink
- Remembers last sound and volume
- Timer of 1 to 4 hours
Thirty sounds from a plug-in machine: three brown noises, white and pink noise, a loud and a soft fan, eight lullabies and 15 nature tracks. The light runs through 12 colours at 10 brightness levels, and timers run one to four hours or all night.
What owners say: Owners say children are asleep almost straight away once it’s running, and rate the range of sounds, the simple buttons and the red light. Some units stop working early, the speaker could be better, and opinions split on value.
A closer look: Brown noise is deeper and rounder than white, so try it first if white noise sounds too hissy; there are three versions to choose between. It comes back on with your last sound and volume, and the light has its own button, so it can be dimmed or switched off without touching the sound.
Best for: Brown noise
- Power
- Plug-in (mains)
- Sounds
- 30
- Night light
- 12 colours, 10 levels
- Timer
- 1–4 hrs or all night
#6Easysleep White Noise Machine with Night Light (25 sounds)
£10–£20
- Restores sound, volume, timer and light
- Timer of 1 to 4 hours
- Light works on its own
A simple plug-in machine with 25 sounds, four white noises, four fans and 17 nature tracks and lullabies, plus 32 volume steps. The warm night light has four brightness levels.
What owners say: Owners say it’s simple to operate, with a good spread of sounds from lullabies to ocean waves, and say it drowns out low-level noise. Some report it stopping working properly, and others think the sounds are poor.
A closer look: Its speaker faces upwards, so stand it in the open rather than tucked under a shelf or behind a lamp. It brings back the last sound, volume, timer and light settings each time it’s switched on, so once it’s set up, bedtime is a single press of the power button.
Best for: Speaker facing up
- Power
- Plug-in (mains)
- Sounds
- 25
- Night light
- Warm, 4 levels
- Timer
- 1–4 hrs or all night
Side by side
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1Dreamegg D1 | #2Kipcush K8 | #3Zello Original | #4Color Noise 25-sound | #5BrownNoise 30-sound | #6Easysleep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | |||||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.1 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 8.4 |
| Price | £20–£30 | £10–£20 | £20–£30 | £10–£20 | £20–£30 | £10–£20 |
| Power | Plug-in (USB lead) | Plug-in (USB lead) | Rechargeable, up to 20 hrs | Plug-in (USB lead) | Plug-in (mains) | Plug-in (mains) |
| Sounds | 24 | 20 | 30 | 25 | 30 | 25 |
| Night light | Warm, steady or pulsing | Warm, dimmable | 7 colours, 5 levels | 10 colours, dimmable | 12 colours, 10 levels | Warm, 4 levels |
| Timer | 30, 60 or 90 min, or all night | – | 30, 60 or 90 min, or all night | 1–4 hrs or all night | 1–4 hrs or all night | 1–4 hrs or all night |
| Best for | Pulsing night light | Cost friendly | Running on its battery | Big buttons | Brown noise | Speaker facing up |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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