White Noise Machines Worthy of Your Nightstand in 2026: Snooz, Hatch, and More

Best White Noise Machine Overall

The Snooz white noise machine focuses on one thing and one thing only: white noise. Its sound is generated by a real fan, not just fan sounds. There's no need to push extra buttons or fidget when you'd rather be falling asleep. Its design is simple, and there's no overthinking this device—it's got ease of use down pat. Simply plug it in, press the power button, then twist the mesh sleeve to increase or decrease the volume. It's also meant to be placed away from the bed, in a more central position in the bedroom, rather than on a nightstand. This helps project the sound more evenly. —Julia Forbes

Best White Noise Machine With Sleep Tracking

WIRED’s resident wearable tester, Boutayna Chokrane, tested this clock for her sleep trackers guide. (Read her full review here.) This brand-new white noise machine also doubles as a sunrise alarm clock and a passive sleep tracker. It uses motion-based tracking to monitor your sleep from your nightstand. The data focuses on the essentials—sleep duration and stages—and appears in interactive visuals. There are no cameras or microphones monitoring you as you sleep, and best of all, your data isn’t locked behind a Hatch+ membership. The machine also features adjustable volume, fade-out timers, customizable full-color light scenes, a gradual sunrise light to wake you gently, and a sunset wind-down light to help you prepare for bed. For sleep-inducing sounds, it offers white noise, nature sounds, sleep stories, and guided meditations. With a Hatch+ subscription, you'll also get access to more than 2,500 sounds, stories, and meditations to help lull you to sleep. Although it's the priciest option in this guide, it's a triple threat: a sunrise clock, a dimmable bedside light, and a sound machine.

Best White Noise Machine With Sunrise Clock

We're always on the lookout for new products to add to our Best Sunrise Alarms guide, and the Hatch 3 definitely earned its place. It builds on earlier Hatch models—which we also tested and really enjoyed—with two additional buttons, bringing the total to four. That might not sound like a major change, but when you're sleepy and want to make a quick adjustment without reaching for the app, those extra buttons come in handy. During her testing, WIRED reviewer Nena Farrell found that the light wasn't as bright as in previous iterations and didn't quite deliver on the sound machine's “Sunlight” function. Still, it offers an extensive sound collection to choose from when you sign up for the subscription.

Best White Noise Machine for Kids

As Hatch phases out the older Hatch Rest, this kids' sound machine takes its place with a fresh look and an updated app interface, making it easier than ever to create routines for your kids. Reviewer Nena Farrell uses it with her son, who loves it—especially the easy-to-use nightlight button he can press himself. Unlike other Hatch sunrise clock models, this one doesn't offer gradual sunrises, but it does glow in fun colors and play music. You'll also get a three-month subscription to Hatch+ content.

Best White Noise Machine for Infants

This compact, portable sound machine is specifically designed for parents to take on the go. One side is the speaker, and the other is a night light. The night light isn't super bright, but it will help you navigate around a sleeping baby rather than using your phone’s flashlight. During testing, former WIRED reviewer Julia Forbes found that the included clip isn't the most flexible, but it allows for attachment to a stroller strap, diaper bag, purse, or backpack. You can choose from several options beyond white noise, and the sound is surprisingly strong and crisp for such a small machine. With Bluetooth connectivity, you can also stream your child's preferred sounds.

A Super Portable White Noise Machine

The Restnature sound machine is tiny—it would easily fit into a pocket. Despite its size, this Amazon white noise machine has 16 sound options, from birds, fire, and other nature noises to lullabies and different color noises. It gets very loud. Maybe even too loud, because the sound quality starts to suffer at the top. There are 30-, 60-, and 90-minute timer options. The other portable players on this list are nicer, but this is a solid option if you need a machine that's as small as possible. —Medea Giordano

A Tried-and-True White Noise Machine

I've had this basic white-noise machine for over a decade, and it still works well. It has a DC power jack, but it can also be used cord-free with four AA batteries for portability. It's pretty basic, but it has everything most people are looking for in a sound machine. There's a knob to control volume and a button for 15-, 30-, or 60-minute timers (after which the machine will turn off). You can also choose between thunder, ocean waves, brook (which sounds like a bubbling river and running water), summer night (which sounds like wind, owl hoots, and chirping), rain, and classic white noise. The volume knob has worn a bit over a decade of use and needs to be set high to sound loud. It can also be finicky when used only on batteries and may suddenly die. However, since this thing is only $25 and has worked well for over a decade, I'm not too mad that it's showing some signs of age.