I didn’t *get* white noise machines — until the Homedics SoundSleep changed my sleep routine forever

As a girl who has lived in and around the same city for five years, I’ve grown used to sleeping with distractions. Even though I live on the outskirts of the center now, my street gets real noisy, which makes going to sleep a total nightmare sometimes. I hate wearing headphones to sleep in, and my boyf hates listening to podcasts. What’s a girl to do? Well, this girl has found the perfect solution: a great white noise machine.

NGL — white noise machines just never occurred to me as an option. I just didn’t see the point of listening to fuzzy sounds or jungle noises. I’d seen them all over my TikTok feed, with people totally swearing by them, but I didn’t understand how they could be so life-changing.

Then, I tried one for myself.

Quick Menu:
1. TLDR
2. Important stuff
3. What I love
4. What I didn’t love
5. How to use
6. Where to buy
7. How we review

With over 44,000 five-star reviews on Amazon and coming in at under $25, the Homedics machine was the perfect choice for dipping my toes in the white noise waters. I didn’t want anything overly complicated — I just wanted a range of sounds, adjustable volume, and an easy on-and-off switch. And boy, I was impressed. Even when it was super noisy outside, I was able to fall into a deep sleep quickly, finding myself to be instantly soothed by the white noise sounds.

Here’s what happened after a full month of testing…

What I thought of the Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine

When it came to improving my sleep, I thought I’d tried everything. From cozy pillows to soft sheets, I’ve pretty much given my bed a whole makeover at this point. Unfortunately, neither of those things can block out sound, so I was super excited to try the Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine.

If you’re looking for a white noise machine that’s no frills, all function, this is the one for you. It’s super easy to use, and doesn’t require an overcomplicated app or anything — simply press one of six buttons to turn on your desired sound, and twist the volume knob to turn it on and adjust the sound. All the settings are totally dreamy, but the summer nights and rain sounds are my go-tos. In terms of setting it up, you just put in batteries and switch it on. It hardly took up any space when I put it next to my nightstand, and it was easy to work even in my groggiest state. It’s also really light and compact, meaning that you can take it on the go.

My one complaint with this is the bright green LED "on" light that can’t be turned off. It was so bright and illuminated my whole room, which wasn’t great to find out when I was too tired to get out of bed and find a solution. After a few nights of forgetting and re-remembering this problem, I finally fixed it with just a little ball of Blu Tack. If you prefer a dark room, this is def worth keeping in mind.

Eve Smallman

I tested this white noise machine for a month in my bedroom, trying out all the different sounds to see which helped us drift off the best. I also used it in my home office a couple of times to see if it would help with productivity, but for me it worked best in the bedroom. This is my first white noise machine review, and the first time I’ve ever used one, so I chose this model as an introduction to white noise machines. That being said, I did make sure to compare it to other models in terms of functionality and price.

Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine info

• Size (in.): H2 x W6 x L6.5
• Weight: 0.5 lbs. 
• Color: Silver 
• Power: Battery, DC
• Sounds: 5 relaxing, 1 white noise
• Timer settings: 15 mins, 30 mins, and 60 mins
• Price: $23.88

What I love about the Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine

It’s simple to use — Truly, it’s just a case of twisting the volume knob and pressing whichever sound button you want to use. I love smart tech, but when I’m ready to catch some Zs, I don’t want to have to do anything complicated. Even if I’m struggling to sleep and turn it on in the night, full zombie mode, I’m able to get it to work.

You can set timers — Don’t want to wake up in the morning and wonder why it’s raining when it’s sunny? Luckily there are three timers —15 minutes, 30 minutes, and 60 minutes, which should all be enough time for you to go to sleep.

The sounds are seriously realistic — Each sound is super atmospheric, which makes listening to it so relaxing. I actually walked into the bedroom once during the day, having accidentally turned it on, and thought it was raining. My boyfriend even got itchy during the night because of the realistic bug sounds, which I thought was quite funny.

My partner loves it too — This is random, but he usually hates going to sleep with noise on. I used to have podcasts on before I slept and had to wean myself off. Thankfully, we both love this white noise machine, so there are no squabbles in this household anymore (well, about sleep sounds anyway!).

It doesn’t take up a lot of space — I have a small nightstand that holds a trinket tray, flowers, and a lamp. I didn’t think I’d have enough room for a white noise machine as well, but this Homedics one fits just right and leaves plenty of room for everything else.

It’s light and portable — I’m one of those people who love home comforts when they’re away, so I’m 100% going to be packing this on my next trip. If you’re going for an overnight stay, you could slip this in your handbag or tote bag and it would fit perfectly.

It’s very affordable — I’ve seen a lot of spendy white noise machines, but this one is just $23.88, which is such a bargain considering how many different sounds it has. It’s also one of the most highly-rated white noise machines on Amazon, where you can get free delivery and fast shipping. 

What I didn't love about the Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine

The LED "on" light — This may seem like a minor problem, and it is unless you love sleeping in the dark, like me. The LED light can honestly illuminate the whole room. I can imagine this is useful for anyone using a white noise machine for babies, but for me, this wasn’t great — in fact, I had to stick Blu Tack on it to solve the issue.

It doesn’t come with a remote — For those of you who really don’t want to move when you’re going to sleep (hey, I don’t blame you!), this could be an issue. Luckily, it is super easy to turn on and to pick the right sound setting (just press a button), so this isn’t a big problem.

It doesn’t have smart connectivity — I know some people love having everything connected to their phones, and I totally get that this is convenient. This white noise machine can’t connect to your phone, but this wasn’t a big deal to me.

It’s not the most aesthetic — Don’t get me wrong, I love how functional it is. But I do wish it didn’t look quite so much like a li’l spaceship. 

How to use this Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine

I can’t stress enough how simple this is to use, but just in case you need a run-through, I’ve listed everything right here:

Volume knob —This turns on the machine, and you can adjust the volume with this too.

Timer — Press the button to reach the time you want to turn it on for. You’ll be able to see what you’ve selected with the LED light.

Sound buttons — Just click on the labeled button to pick the sound you want. There are five natural environment sounds (thunder, ocean, rain, brook, and summer night), as well as the traditional white noise.

Where to buy this Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine

You can buy this Homedics white noise machine at Amazon.

How we reviewed this Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Machine

I used this white noise machine for one month before writing this review. This is my first white noise machine review, and the first time I’ve ever used one, so I chose this model as an introduction to white noise machines. That being said, I did make sure to compare it to other models in terms of functionality and price.

As with everything we review, we make sure to pair our reviewer and the product we need to review to ensure these two will work well together.