4 Best White Noise Machines, Tested and Reviewed

To find out whether white noise machines actually contribute to better sleep, a few Consumer Reports staffers and I—all light sleepers—tried out some of the most popular models. The other testers were Ginger Cowles, a managing editor; Kevin Doyle, a former enterprise editor; Tanya Christian, a home sleep 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 the devices were to use. We also tried the Loftie Clock, which once had a viral moment on social media.

Below, we present the best sleep machine overall based on our tests. We also share thoughts on whether the most basic model is effective and whether the pricey and luxurious models are worth the added cost. To help make sense of the science-y bits, we asked three clinical sleep experts about white noise machines and their benefits. They also shared plenty of golden sleep advice, so stick around for that after the picks.