Drift Off to Sleep Faster With Help From One of These Editor-Tested Sound Machines

The LectroFan Evo is easy to operate (even in a dark room), small enough to take with you when you travel, and has a wide volume range so you can find the perfect sound level. 

Compared to other “sound machines” that offer sounds like rushing water, thunder, or rain noises, this one mainly provides white noise and fan sounds. 

You get a choice of 10 white-noise settings — some sounds are at a low frequency, others higher. They sort of sound like rushing wind, static, or a "shhh" noise. Considering that the Evo has more built-in sounds than most, and especially since none seem like they are on a loop, makes this pick the best one you can buy.

Its 10 fan sounds include an “attic fan,” “box fan,” and “industrial fan,” among others. Additionally, this option includes two varieties of ocean sounds — calm and surf — sounds that are missing from Wirecutter's top pick, the LectroFan, which is the same price. This machine does an excellent job at blocking other noises, even when it’s on a low volume setting. It also has a sleep timer and a headphone jack. 

Whatever sound setting you choose, the comforting murmur that this speaker provides should drift you off to sleep.

Most white-noise machines are 100% electronic or digital and just reproduce sounds repeatedly with a large high-fidelity speaker. Marpac’s Dohm has a dual speed motor and fan to create unique, but soothing sounds, depending on how the air rushes through its acoustic housing. You can adjust the tone by twisting its cover or adjust the volume with a single switch. It sort of sounds similar to when you hold a shell over your ear or cup your hand to your ear. 

While the Dohm does provide a relaxing sound, it has a narrower volume range, and it doesn’t perform as strongly at masking noises. It still provides a loud sound — up to around 70 dBa — but others are slightly louder. It also takes up more space on your nightstand, and it isn’t suitable for travel. It’s a no-frills, easy-to-operate pick that sounds soothing and comes with a 1-year warranty.

LectroFan's newest sound machine is its most portable one to date. It’s just 2 inches tall, has a full day of battery life, and is capable of playing 11 built-in sounds to help you fall asleep faster. Sounds include five digital fan options, four variations of white, pink, and brown noise, plus two ocean-surf sounds.

Besides its portability, what we love most about it is that not only does it work as a sound machine, the LectroFan Micro2 even doubles as a Bluetooth speaker so you can listen to music with it. It's seriously the perfect hotel companion. 

During our tests with the Lectrofan Micro2, we were shocked at how loud and impressive the sound quality was. As you’d expect from a speaker this small, bass is lacking, but you'll be blown away at how loud it can get.

For those in search of the ultimate sound machine with the widest variety of sounds, we recommend the Sound+Sleep SE. It's basically a sound machine on steroids thanks to its 64 total sounds, dual-USB ports, and large size.

We met up with representatives from Adaptive Sound Technologies at the Sleep Show in Houston, Texas. They told us that the SE, and more affordable Sound+Sleep speaker, feature real sounds that were recorded on location. 

We tested the speaker for a month and weren't able to detect any loops. Whether you want white noise, the sound of a washing machine, a relaxing thunderstorm, or prefer to fall asleep to the sound of a beach, this speaker will almost certainly have the sound for you. You can find a full list of sounds here.

Pictek built upon the classic Dohm sound machine by adding a few additional features. For instance, this one has an optional timer that can be set for 30 minutes or an hour, so the unit will automatically turn itself off after the time is up. 

It's also equipped with dual USB charging ports, so you can charge your smartphone, wireless earbuds, tablets, or other devices. Unfortunately, the ports only offer 1 amp of power, so your devices will take slightly longer to charge than they would with your regular charger.

Added features aside, this noise machine’s motor and fan offer a soothing sound with a loud volume up to 85 dB. If that’s too loud for you, there’s a switch that allows for three other volume options. Like the Dohm, its housing can be twisted to adjust the tone of the noise. 

If you prefer an analog white-noise machine to an electric one, but you're still looking for a compact one with a built-in sleep timer, it’s definitely worth your consideration!

If your bedroom’s décor has a bit of a modern touch, you’ll love the aesthetic of this sound machine. It has a minimalist design, comes in black or white, and has a chrome kickstand. It’s packed with six sounds: white noises, fan, ocean, rain, stream, and summer night. There’s a knob on its front for adjusting volume, and a button to set a timer that automatically shuts it off after 15, 30, or 60 minutes. 

Our favorite feature is that on the speaker’s back you’ll find a USB port that you can use for recharging your smartphone or tablet. Our only complaint is that it’s easy to distinguish that the sounds on this one are on a loop.

If Pure Enrichment's sound machine is a bit too modern for your taste, we recommend this lovely wood-grain sound machine from Douni. It’s a portable, nice-looking, and easy-to-operate pick that’s less than 3 inches tall. Just press the power button and cycle through its 10 nature sounds, seven fan sounds, or seven white-noise sounds to begin playback.

There are two buttons for adjusting volume, plus a sleep timer, which will automatically power it down after 30, 60, or 90 minutes. We wish the timer had longer increments because the people shopping for machines like this occasionally toss and turn for a couple of hours before dozing off. 

We like that this white-noise machine has an integrated cable management system underneath it to keep its power cable organized — even better is its lack of an identifiable loop point!