This article is a part of?CNN Underscored’s Guide to Sleep,?a weeklong focus on everything you need to sleep better. We’ll be featuring new products, tips and exclusive deals all week, so check in every morning to see what’s new.
The best white noise machines we tested:
Best splurge white noise machine: Hatch Restore 2
Best white noise app: White Noise
Best splurge white noise app: Calm
Noise?can affect?sleep for better or worse. White noise machines that emit consistent noise fall squarely in the?“better” category. Constant white noise, has been shown?to improve sleep quality because it helps mask sudden bursts of noise that may?help some?people more easily fall and stay asleep.
“White noise machine” is a blanket term that consists of basic machines that do the bare minimum (that is, emit white noise at varying volumes) to high-end pieces of tech that feature lights, automations and more. We tested eight white noise machines and four white noise apps to find solutions that provide the best variety of sounds and great volume control. After testing, one white noise machine and two apps stood above the rest, which we recommend for a good night’s sleep for heavy and light sleepers alike.
Editor’s Note: Since our initial testing, the Sound+Sleep Mini, our pick for best overall white noise machine, has been discontinued. We’re undergoing a new round of testing to find updated picks for this story.
The Hatch Restore 2 white noise machine is an all-encompassing sleep machine that uses light and sound to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Its app gives you access to a library full of colored lights, white noise, sleep stories and guided meditation, though you'll need a paid subscription to the Hatch Sleep Membership to unlock its full potential.
We liked the White Noise app for its ease of use, handy timers and alarms, and large selection of various types of sounds. You can download additional white noise sounds in its marketplaces.
The Calm app offers white noise and other sounds, and also meditation and breathing exercises, daily movement videos, music, motivational talks and tons of sleep options. The app offers a free trial period (up to 14 days) so you try it out before committing the full year.
Best splurge white noise machine: Hatch Restore 2
$200 at Hatch
While the Hatch Restore 2 white noise machine also has a great sunrise feature to calmly wake you from your slumber, the Unwind feature, which you will find in the Rest cycle, helps get you settled for a restful night. Call it a sundown, if you will.
You can pick from themed light and sound combinations like Moonrise Horizon paired with Drowsy Piano, Campfire Haze with Ambient Overlook or Marine Midnight with Island Getaway — or choose from a collection of Sleep Stories as your audio component, which are short, snoozy tales you can rotate nightly. And if its meditation you’re after, you can try the Guided Rest Exercises, which are spoken tools, available for you to add to your Unwind playlist.
The Hatch?Restore 2?can be as simple as a common white noise machine or you can kick it up a notch and add a colored light. Under the Sleep tab in the app’s Library, we found 24 different sounds that are as varied as basic Pink and White Noise to Forest Wind, Evening Crickets, Dishwasher and even Vacuum.
The Hatch Restore 2 follows the lead of the earlier Hatch Restore, earning top marks for performance but now with an even more aesthetically pleasing design. Though the Restore 2 does not include an always-on clock face out of the box (forcing you to tap the face if you want to see the time), you can turn this feature off and personalize it further depending on exactly when you want the time displayed.
As our splurge pick, the Hatch Restore 2 does come with some added expenses if you want a fully immersive experience. The Hatch Sleep Membership subscription gives you access to Channels, an extra cabal of playlists that includes music, meditation, dreamscape sounds and spoken stories. Whether or not you need to invest in the membership depends on what you want to get out of the Restore 2, though considering its extravagant $200 price tag, you may not want to miss out on everything the device has to offer. However, if you’re just a fan of the Hatch 2’s innovative Sunrise Alarm and basic sounds, you can easily skip the extra charges.
Best white noise app: White Noise
$1 at Apple App Store and $1 at Google Play Store
If you’re looking for an app that has a large selection of sounds and is easy to use, we liked the White Noise app. It has a variety of different color noises, including white, pink and brown. It also has varying water sounds, from light rain to extreme rain, campfires and different fans like box, oscillating or bathroom. We also liked that we couldn’t tell where the loop is in the sounds we tried, so there’s no sound disruption.
The app also lets you set timers to stop sounds and set alarms to wake up in the morning. While it doesn’t include meditation features like some of the other apps we tried, it does offer quite a bit for a white noise app that costs $.99. It has over 50 sounds that you can listen to individually or mix together, and if that isn’t enough, you can also download additional sounds in its marketplaces.
Best splurge white noise app: Calm
$70 per year Apple App Store and Google Play Store
Unlike some other white noise apps, the Calm app offers more than just white noise and soundscapes. According to Calm, its goal is to “help you improve your health and happiness.” The app offers meditation, breathing exercises, daily movement videos, music for work, motivational and mindset talks, a section for kids and a ton of sleep options.
The options for color noises are limited to white and pink noise, but there are numerous other sleep options, including sleep stories, nature sounds, sleep soundscapes, relaxing music and sleep meditations. There are also celebrities narrating sleep stories, including Harry Styles, Black Pink’s Rosé, Matthew McConaughey, LeBron James and more.
Calm and Headspace are extremely similar, both in terms of offerings and price. However, Calm edged out Headspace since Calm was the only one that had white and pink noise. It also worked equally well on an iPhone and Samsung phone, whereas Headspace had trouble on the Samsung.
What to know when buying a white noise machine
White noise is a type of noise that contains noise of all frequencies equally and sounds similar to static. Because it contains all frequencies, it is said that it will mask out other sounds, which is where white noise machines come in.
Here is how white noise machines work. Rather than being woken up by a noisy neighbor or partner snoring, white noise machines are able to mask sudden noises with its continuous sound so you’re not suddenly jolted awake and you stay asleep. If you’ve ever had a friend who swears they can only sleep with a fan on, it’s the same concept as white noise: that the continuous sound of the fan can mask other sounds. This lull of constant noise may also help you fall asleep.
That being said, white noise machines may not work for everyone. Some may find the sound of white noise irritating, which is why you’ll often find other sound options with white noise machines. Also keep in mind, some may find white noise machines work well, some may prefer other soundscapes and some may need total silence. It varies person to person and may take some experimenting to find which noises, if any, work for you.
For some, white noise may sound irritating rather than soothing. If that’s the case, then you may want to experiment and try different color noises, such as pink or brown, which sound deeper than white noise. It may take some experimenting to find which color noise works best for you.
If you already know your preferred sleeping sound, then you may want to purchase a machine that has only that specific sound or just a few sounds. This way, you’re not scrolling through endless options to get to your favorite sound.
However, if you’re new to sleeping with white noise, then consider purchasing a device that offers a variety of sound options so you can figure out which works best for you. While white noise is a popular option but not everyone finds they can sleep with it; you may want to try different soundscapes instead.
Finally, if you’re unsure about sleeping with white noise or don’t want to invest in a machine just yet, then white noise apps are a good place to start. We tested four of these apps for this review. Many offer an assortment of sounds and are low cost compared to white noise machines. Just keep in mind that the sound quality is only as good as your phone’s speaker, and you may need to keep your phone charging at night since it will drain the battery.
How we tested
To really get a grip on the capabilities of each machine and app, we took notes on setup, listened to every soundtrack, pressed every button and control, examined the overall design, noted and tested additional features and researched warranties. We then compared and contrasted these features to find the best of the best. We tested the apps on both an iPhone and a Samsung Ultra 21 phone.
Setup
- Ease of setup: Naturally, our first step was setup. Out of the box, we wanted to know just how easy or hard it was to get each machine and app up and running.
- Cable management: We noted how long the cable was, how well made and how easy it was to find where to insert it into the machine.
- Battery insertion: We inserted the battery, noting whether the compartment was easy and intuitive to open.
Sound options
- Variety: We noted how many unique sounds each sound machine could make and how many categories the machine offered.
- Quality: As we listened, we also noted sound quality. Did the sound come out fuzzy or clear? And how much tonal range did each device have? Realistic-sounding bird calls, for example, require a lot of higher pitches, whereas a thunderstorm takes deep notes to reproduce.
- Volume control: How many volume options were available was a big factor for us. The more volume options, the better.
Design and controls
- Buttons or touch sensors: It’s important for a sound machine to have understandable controls, especially if you may be drowsy during a lot of its use. We noted that most devices we tested had buttons or touch sensors.
- Layout of controls: We looked at these controls — where they were placed, how they were labeled and how numerous they were — to determine whether they were intuitive or cluttered and hard to understand.
- Visuals and aesthetics: Design wasn’t a huge category in our assessment, but we still considered the visual aesthetic and size of each sound machine. In general, a sleeker, more modern design caught our eye, which most of the devices fulfilled.
- ?Size: The real kicker was size — a big, clunky sound machine that will hardly fit on your nightstand scored fewer points in our mind here.
Additional features
- Snooze timer: On top of sound quality, a lot of the devices we tested had additional features. A standard we looked for was a snooze timer so you can set your device to eventually turn off.
- Lights, fans or headphone jacks: Any functional extra features like lights, fans or headphone jacks were deemed to enhance the user experience and thus improved a device’s standing in our testing.
- Length and what it includes: Last but not least, we researched the warranty of each device, be it on an included pamphlet or from the respective company’s website. We noted how long the warranty is for and what it covers.
Warranty
- Length and scope: Last but not least, we researched the warranty of each device, be it on an included pamphlet or from the respective company’s website. We noted how long the warranty is for and what it covers.
Other white noise machines we tested
Honeywell Dreamweaver
$56 at Amazon
The Honeywell Dreamweaver white noise machine isn’t strictly a sound machine; instead, it’s a fan. Still, we included it because many sound machines feature tracks meant to simulate fans. The Dreamweaver is a cylinder with a vent on the side; it’s about the size of a gallon of milk.
The device has three fan strengths, a timer and an oscillating mode. Naturally, since it doesn’t have to simulate a fan, it’s great for people who enjoy that sound. If you’re not interested in the breeze that comes from the vent on the side, then you can close it. It’s a nice machine, but it doesn’t feature as many sounds as other devices we tried.
Lectrofan Micro 2
$35?at Amazon
The Lectrofan Micro 2 white noise machine is a fan-themed device but with a twist. The cylindrical Micro 2 fits in the palm of your hand and comes with colored noise, fan sounds and ocean audio, totaling 11 built-in sounds. It also has a nifty swiveling speaker on the top that can be turned to point in any direction. Then there’s the twist: The Micro 2 doubles as a Bluetooth speaker. Thus, it has the potential to play any sound or music you can find.
That being said, you’d have to track those down on your own and keep your phone on all night for the speaker to function that way. Though the sound quality is great and the Micro 2 is the most compact device out of those we tested, it doesn’t functionally compare to our winner.
Homedics SoundSpa Portable
$24 $22 at Amazon
The Homedics SoundSpa Portable white noise machine is the definition of a basic sound machine. It’s about the size of a clock radio but more circular and recumbent in shape. In a ring around the central speaker are six sound options: summer night, thunder, brook, ocean, white noise and rain.
Fortunately, the SoundSpa at least has a few timer settings and a precise volume knob. There really isn’t much more to say about it. It’s definitely one of the cheapest options out there if you are going for a bare-bones sound machine.
Hatch Baby Rest
$60 at Hatch
The Hatch Baby Rest white noise machine comes from the same family as the Hatch Restore. This sound machine is a tapered cylinder that primarily serves as a light and uses the Hatch Sleep app for control. This lets you change the color of the light as well as the sound that’s playing. You can also schedule alarms and bedtimes with it. Though it’s advertised toward babies and toddlers, adults can certainly get use out of it, too, save for the fact that several of the 11 sounds on the app are gentle music and lullabies. Like the Restore, you can operate it by touch, except it has button controls hidden on the bottom too.
Yogasleep Dohm Classic
$50 at?Amazon
The Yogasleep Dohm Classic white noise machine was our least favorite sound machine. It has a plain cylindrical shape and a switch on the back that controls its internal fan. The fan has two power settings and the actual sound comes from a series of slots on the side and top of the machine. By twisting the body of the device (an admittedly cool control scheme), you can open more of these slots and can change the volume of the sound. However, that’s all there is to this machine. If you like fan sounds, then it’s a decent choice. But it doesn’t provide as strong of a breeze or as many strength options as the Honeywell Dreamweaver.
Yogasleep Dreamcenter Multi-Sound
$30 $24 at Amazon
We found the Yogasleep Dreamcenter Multi-Sound white noise machine easy to use, with intuitive illustrated buttons and almost no need to read the instruction manual to learn how to use it. It has 26 sleep tracks, including nine white noise options, 10 sleep songs and seven nature sounds and fan sounds. The sleep songs also include lullabies, plus the device has a night light, so this would work well for a kid’s room. However, it also has a headphone jack for those who sleep with a partner who doesn’t want to listen to the sleep sounds.
We found the sound quality muffled compared to some other machines, but it may be preferable for those who like a low pitch to their sound. But it was so muffled that it was a deal breaker for us. At its current price, it’s one of the better deals on this list for the variety of noises available and its 25-setting volume range. It also has a sleep timer with 45- or 90-minute shutoff as well as an eight-hour option. This timer feature is handy for those who do not like to sleep with noise all night or who want it to shut off after a full eight hours.
iHome Sunrise Bedside Sleep Therapy Machine
$60 at Ulta
With the Home Sunrise Bedside Sleep Therapy Machine, you get a white noise machine and a sunrise alarm clock in one. We found it was easy to set up and program different functions such as “Wake to Sunrise,” but we did need to refer to the instruction manual in order to program it, which was clear and easy to follow.
It comes with 15 soundtracks, including nature sounds like ocean waves and storms as well as relaxing music. It’s confusing which sound is white noise since the brand gives its sounds names like “Zen,” “Air,” “Drive,” etc., and it’s not listed in the instruction manual if any are white noise. We found the “Quiet” sound was most similar to white noise.
We liked that the clock has an auto-dim feature that changes with the brightness of the room so it’s not glaring in your face while you’re trying to get to sleep. The brightness level is also adjustable and there’s an option to turn the clock off altogether. You can program the device to wake to sunrise and wake to sound.
The one downside, for those who like to leave sound on all night, was that the Wake to Sunrise feature turns the sound off when it starts, which can be jarring if you’re still sleeping.
Other white noise apps we tested
Headspace app
$70 per year (or 13 per month, billed monthly) at Apple App Store
Headspace is equally geared toward meditation and sleep to help you relax during the day and sleep better at night. It has abundant choices for both sleep and meditation, so if you like variety, it will be hard to run out of choices with this app.
It has four main categories: meditation, sleep, focus and move, which includes guided yoga, dance and cardio workouts. Within the sleep category, there are plenty of options for sleep sounds, such as music, stories, “sleepcasts” (think sleep music and podcast in one) and typical soundscapes like jungle, forest and water sounds. There are even sleepcast options with celebrities like John Legend who’ll tell you a bedtime story.
There isn’t a plain white noise sound; when we searched for it in the app, other soundscapes came up like “warm engine” and “static with strings,” which have some white noise but are not solely white noise. If you’re looking for a white noise substitute in the app, then it may take some time to find one you like.
This app costs $70per year or $13 per month, so it’s best for someone who will take advantage of all the features the app has to offer. If you’re unsure, it also offers a free seven-day or 14-day offer depending on which plan you choose. Samsung phone users may want to avoid this app, as we found it did not work well, taking a long time to buffer each sound on our Samsung Ultra 21 phone. However, it worked well on our iPhone.
MyNoise app
$20 at Apple App Store
The MyNoise app offers the most sound customization of the white noise apps we tested. It comes with a set of eight noises, including white noise. Within each sound, there are sliding buttons to adjust the sound to your liking. Some soundtracks also have the ability to adjust the frequency and “color” of the sound, both of which can make the sound higher or lower pitched, depending on the option chosen. The app also offers different scenarios for some sounds like rain, which lets you choose options such as “distant storm,” “under porch” and more.
There are additional free sounds available and some that cost $1 to download. There are also sounds that are only included in the monthly “all you can hear” option, which costs $4 per month and includes all sounds. Unfortunately, we found that this app is not as intuitive or straightforward to use as the others. Also, unlike most apps, swiping out of the app does not close it; it requires you to manually pause the soundtrack and then close out.
