Best White Noise Machines
Five of Consumer Reports’ lightest sleepers tried popular sleep machines to see if they’re worth it
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Light sleepers understand how noises—the din of a city street, the hum of a radiator, or simply the sound of another human quietly existing next to you—can get in the way of quality sleep. That’s where white noise machines can help. They serve the same core function of emitting constant, brain-pleasing sounds to help you fall asleep, but they can range widely in cost, from less than $20 to more than $130.
To find out whether higher-end white noise machines actually contribute to better sleep, a few Consumer Reports staffers who are light sleepers (including me) tried out some of the most popular models. The other testers were Ginger Cowles, a managing editor; Kevin Doyle, enterprise editor; Tanya Christian, a home and appliance reporter; and Mike Visconti, deputy director of lab operations. We judged the machines on several factors, like the range of sound options and how easy they were to use. We also tried the Loftie Clock, which once had a viral moment on social media.
