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By emitting a constant, monotonous hum, white noise machines have long helped to enhance relaxation, foster restful sleep, and improve focus.
A white noise machine can block unwelcome or distracting noises while you are trying to sleep, and it may even help to quiet a cacophony of anxiety-inducing thoughts in the middle of the night.
Since 2016, we’ve tested more than 30 popular devices and apps against an array of annoying noises, and we’ve interviewed sleep researchers and audio engineers.
LectroFan EVO – Top-notch noise masking
With its electronically generated sounds, this small but mighty machine masks a wider variety of noises than the other options in its price range. The LectroFan EVO works better than similarly priced machines at masking squalling cats, barking dogs, and snoring roommates thanks to its crisp, clear color-based sounds (such as white, pink, or brown noise). Its controls are easy to use, and its compact size is convenient for travel and won’t dominate your nightstand.
Yogasleep Dohm Nova – Real fan sounds
If you prefer the gentle whir of a fan while falling asleep, this machine is a reliable, time-tested choice. The Yogasleep Dohm Nova sounds earthy and natural—like a consistent whir (as you might expect from a fan), as opposed to electronically produced static. The Dohm Nova relies on a physical fan to produce sound, and it has easy-to-press buttons that make fine-tuning pitch and volume effortless. It also comes with a relaxing, dimmable amber night-light and a sleep timer.
Sound+Sleep SE – More layered, complex sounds
This easy-to-use machine provides not only white noise variations but also a mix of rich, customizable ambient sounds. With 64 total sound variations, including color-based noises, fan sounds, and other ambient, non-looping recordings, the Sound+Sleep SE has it all. The SE’s audio quality is rich and full, and its design is intuitive. You can layer noises to create a unique soundscape, such as by adding seagull cries on top of crashing ocean waves. The Sound+Sleep SE’s “adaptive technology” adjusts the volume automatically as your environment changes, so it more easily blocks out exterior noises like the rumble of a garbage truck passing by. These bells and whistles come at a steeper price, but this model’s ease of use and pleasant sounds are worth the investment.
Hatch Restore 2 – This One Has a Sunrise Alarm
We already like most of Hatch’s lineup, including the original Restore. This Restore 2 gets a pretty redesign, with a full-linen look that makes its sunrise and sunset simulations more serene, and two new speakers for better sound. There’s a digital clock face too, and you can set it to automatically turn off in a dark room. It’s no surprise it recently went viral on TikTok. The Restore 2 has physical buttons to start and stop sleep and wake cycles, but you’ll need to use the app to customize everything. There are a few nice free options, but you get a lot more variety when you subscribe. It offers great bedtime stories, lullabies, and meditations I absolutely adore. It’s not especially expensive at $5 a month (or $50 a year) but when you’re already spending $200 on something, it’s a shame none of that is included. Check out our Best Sunrise Alarms guide for other similar options.
Morphée – For Sleep Sounds and Meditations
Morphée’s meditation machine includes a range of sleep sounds—I particularly like the cat purring and fireplace sounds—but I love the meditations that are designed to relax you into a deep sleep. You can unplug it and take it with you, too. It looks like a little music box! There are eight themes—body scan, breathing, movement, visualizations, cardiac coherence, napping, relaxing music, and nature sounds—each theme has eight sessions all available in either eight or 20-minute lengths. The visualizations theme has different stories for the male and female voices. My only quibble is that I wish you could let the sleep sounds play continuously.