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A baby sound machine plays steady white noise or gentle nature sounds to smooth over the household clatter that wakes a sleeping baby. It will not work magic, but a constant background hush can help a newborn settle and stop every creaky floorboard from undoing a hard-won nap. It suits anyone whose baby stirs at the smallest sound, and most are just as handy in a hotel room or on a long car journey.
What to look for
- Continuous play. Some machines cut off after 20 or 30 minutes, so check it can run all night if your baby tends to wake in the small hours.
- Volume control and a timer. You want to keep it gentle, around quiet-conversation level, and a couple of feet from the cot rather than right beside the head.
- Power and portability. A rechargeable battery means it travels with you and keeps going through a power cut, which a mains-only unit cannot.
Our pick
Our pick is a compact, rechargeable sound machine with a generous spread of sounds, including white, pink and brown noise alongside rain, ocean and lullaby options. The battery runs for several hours, so it covers a full night, and it offers both timer and continuous modes. A soft night light, a child lock and a volume dial round it off, and it is small enough to drop in a changing bag. It suits newborns through to toddlers, and plenty of grown-ups borrow it too.
One honest note: the priciest plush or sensor-laden models are not necessarily better at the actual job. A simple, reliable machine that plays steady sound all night is what most tired parents really need.