I spoke to 12 parents and experts, including pediatric sleep consultants and a family doctor, to get their recommendations for baby sound machine - and then I began to test them out.

Or if you want a sound machine you can continue to use outside of the baby stage, you might want one that acts as a time-to-rise clock or has other downloadable content such as sleep stories for kids.Įven with those parameters, there are a lot of options with white noise machines, shushers, and machines that play heartbeat sounds or nature sounds, and it’s not always clear which one to buy. For instance, if you struggle to get your baby to nap while you’re out of the house, you’ll want a portable option. After that, the best baby sound machine is the one that suits your lifestyle. (When I tested our best overall product - the Hatch Baby Rest - it masked noise from the street even with the window open). So you want a sound machine that can comfortably mask ambient noise while positioned at least 30 centimeters away from your child. During my research I found a study stating that some baby sound machines can exceed a safe volume when used too close to a baby, which could result in hearing damage. The next thing to understand is what makes a baby sound machine great. Pink noise is akin to natural sounds like the ocean, while brown noise can be compared to “strong wind or low thunder.” “It is very high-pitched and sounds like static from an old TV,” plus it’s the “most effective at blocking out background noise.” Then, brown noise and pink noises are considered gentler and more relaxing by some.

“White noise is the most well known of all the options,” says pediatric sleep consultant Eva Klein of My Sleeping Baby. Do you opt for a rocket-shaped shusher or a teddy bear with a heartbeat? Do you choose white noise, brown noise, or pink noise? Can you just use the adult white-noise machine that you already own? The first thing to understand is the differences between the noises available.

And then you’ve probably despaired at the choices available to you. If you’re struggling with your baby’s sleep schedule, you’ve probably considered a baby sound machine.

Brown noise sound machine