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Best Baby Soothers

Updated February 2024
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Fisher Price Twinkle Cuddle Soother
Fisher Price
Twinkle Cuddle Soother
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Portable Convenience
Bottom Line

This cute stuffed cloud makes soothing sounds and glows, which helps earns it our baby expert's praise.

Pros

This soft cloud makes 5 sounds, plays the Ready, Settle, Sleep playlist, and syncs to the “nightlights” for a soft glow. Attaches to most cribs and toddler beds. Customizable settings; change the color of the lights, music, and nature sounds to your baby’s needs. Machine-washable.

Cons

Settings are hard to get to because they are underneath the fabric.

Best Bang for the Buck
SwaddleMe Mommies Melodies (Lamb)
SwaddleMe
Mommies Melodies (Lamb)
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Cry-activated
Bottom Line

An adorable plush lamb that responds to crying with soothing lullabies and doubles as a friendly favorite for little ones.

Pros

This cry-activated soother is made of soft polyester to help your baby snuggle themselves to sleep. It includes both lullabies and calming sounds, and it can be programmed to shut off after 20 minutes or to activate when your little one cries. You can attach the lamb to the railing of a crib.

Cons

Lacks extra features like vibration or lights that other soothers often have.

Skip Hop Sound Machine Soother
Skip Hop
Sound Machine Soother
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Great for Everyday Use
Bottom Line

This adorable owl complements any home and our expert recommends the projection for visual stimulation.

Pros

This product has an automatic shutoff, an adjustable lens, volume controls, and plugs into standard outlets. Other features include a dimmer nightlight, 4 nature sounds, moon and stars projection, and 4 songs. Great for on-the-go use. The design is fairly durable.

Cons

More expensive than other models. The same song plays unless you change it.

Baby Shusher Sleep Miracle Soother
Baby Shusher
Sleep Miracle Soother
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Compact & Portable
Bottom Line

Uses the tried and tested “shushing” technique, developed by Dr. Harvey Karp, who our expert personally vouches for.

Pros

Most babies instinctively respond to the rhythmic shushing sound. Good volume with 2 timer options. Compact, portable, and easy to use. Although the design is basic, most parents find the convincing sound works very well. Includes 2 AA batteries.

Cons

The 15-30 minute timer intervals are on the short side.

Baby Einstein Dreams Soother Sound Machine
Baby Einstein
Dreams Soother Sound Machine
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Fun Design
Bottom Line

This aquarium-themed soother provides calming lullabies and lights to help your little one drift to sleep.

Pros

This machine has lights, sound, and gentle motion features. Will fit on most cribs rails. Comes with a clam-shell remote control so a parent can control it from across the room. The Drift-Off feature will intermittently lessen the sounds and lights as the baby falls asleep.

Cons

There is a dinging sound when the battery level is low.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

30
Models
Considered
103
Consumers
Consulted
24
Hours
Researched
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Buying guide for Best baby soothers

Parents are sometimes surprised to learn that the womb is a noisy place, with rhythmic whooshing and shushing sounds as the heart pumps blood through the pregnant person's body. Baby soothers mimic this same type of rhythmic white noise to comfort and soothe your baby to sleep.

As with other baby products, you’ll find a dizzying array of baby soothers to choose from that vary in form, cost, sound quality, durability, sound options, portability, and timer options. These considerations can make a significant difference in whether or not a particular baby soother is compatible with your preferences, lifestyle, and baby’s personality. For instance, if yours is an active family that takes lots of road trips, a compact, portable baby soother is a must! If your baby is a light sleeper or needs constant white noise to stay in slumberland, a baby soother that allows for continuous play all night is ideal. 

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Baby soothers aren’t just for babies! They can also double as sound machines to block out noisy neighbors or household noise.

Key considerations

Your search for the perfect baby soother should start by considering three key factors: form, portability, and power source. 

Form

Some baby soothers resemble tiny smart speakers or boombox speakers, while others double as cuddly stuffed animals your baby can hold and play with. You have four basic options to choose from, each of which offers distinct advantages:

Stuffed animal: Sometimes, the speaker for a baby soothing device is hidden inside a stuffed animal, which has a couple of advantages. For one thing, if your baby doesn’t respond well to the noise, you at least get an adorable companion out of your purchase. Stuffed animals also appeal to décor-conscious parents, since some other soothers can appear out of place or clunky in a nursery. 

For safety reasons, these baby soothers should be placed beside the crib, not in it. Also, stuffed animals can become stinky after a while from drool, spit-up, and so forth, so be sure to choose a washable option. Keep in mind, too, that the on/off button for stuffed-animal soothers can sometimes be difficult to find in the dark or with one hand. 

Stand-alone speaker: If your nursery design is simple or modern, a sleek speaker may be just the ticket. Stand-alone speakers usually offer the best audio quality and the highest number of options for different sound types. They may connect with Bluetooth for additional versatility and can usually run on either batteries or a plug-in power source. These baby soothers also have straightforward buttons and controls that are easy to activate. 

Some stand-alone speakers are brightly colored and so may not match your nursery décor. And some parents complain of these soothers being a bit too loud for their baby, so read user feedback and search for a product with a range of volume options. 

Expert TIp
Start the soother at the lowest volume. You can increase the volume as needed, but less is usually more. The volume should be low enough that you can hear your baby’s whimpers or soft cries, but loud sounds can also overstimulate babies. Watch your baby’s cues. If they begin to fuss or startle or become irritable, turn off the sound machine.
BestReviews Baby and Child Expert

Night-light: Night-light baby soothers can be another clever way to disguise a speaker while adding value to your nursery. Night-light soothers create white noise while also emitting a soft glow that’s helpful when feeding or changing your baby at night because you don’t have to turn on a light. 

Since night-light baby soothers depend on a plug-in power source, there may be some logistical challenges in finding an outlet that’s the right distance from the crib to deliver the right volume. Most night-light soothers aren’t portable either.

Keychain: Keychain baby soothers easily clip onto a stroller, car seat, or crib. They offer plenty of versatility in terms of exactly how close the soother is to your baby (without putting it in reach of little hands or mouths) and are the ultimate in portability. These baby soothers often have fewer audio track options. 

Portability

Experienced parents can tell you that babies sleep all the time — in the car, on outings, at family get-togethers, and even at the grocery store — but some babies need a little help falling asleep, especially on the go. 

If your little one has a hard time sleeping away from home, a portable baby soother can be a lifesaver. Look for lightweight, compact baby soothers that have the option to run on batteries for maximum portability. Soothers that clip onto a car seat or stroller are even better. Keychain and stuffed animal soothers are often your best bet. Some parents choose to keep a plug-in stand-alone speaker in the nursery and use a portable keychain or stuffed animal for outings.

Power source

You’ll find baby soothers that run on batteries, plug into a wall outlet, or offer both battery and plug-in power options. Higher-end portable baby soothers may be rechargeable. The ideal baby soother typically has several options available. This is helpful in the event of a power outage or if you have to move the baby soother and don’t want to have to crawl under the crib to unplug it, for instance, if your baby is sick and needs to be moved closer to your bed in the middle of the night. 

Baby soothers that operate only by battery power are typically meant for on-the-go use. Be certain to keep extra batteries in your purse, car, or diaper bag, since batteries can die at inopportune moments, such as when your baby really needs to be soothed asleep for a nap.

Expert Tip
Machines should be used more to comfort your baby and remind baby of the sounds of the womb rather than to drown out other sounds because the volume should be low and babies need to get used to other sounds in their environment.
BestReviews Baby and Child Expert

Features

Controls

Volume: It usually takes some trial and error to figure out the magic volume to help your baby fall asleep easily. Be wary of baby soothers that don’t have a decent volume range. A baby soother that’s too loud or too quiet can be frustrating and ineffective for you and your baby. 

Timer: Some baby soothers have a built-in timer that stops after 15 to 45 minutes of play, saving battery life after your little one has nodded off to sleep. Others play continuously as long as they’re powered on. If you aren’t sure which you might like, choose a product that has both options.

Sounds

Options: If you aren’t sure which sound your baby will like best, or you simply want to have options for different situations, such as lullabies for getting your baby ready for bed and a low level of white noise while your baby sleeps, choose a baby soother that gives you plenty of options. Some have just one or two sounds, usually white noise or waves and a rhythmic heartbeat, while others give you lots of nature sounds, lullabies, and rhythms to choose from. 

Custom: Some babies aren’t very impressed by the sound of a shushing or whooshing device, but they love to hear the sound of your voice. A few baby soothers give you the option to create a custom recording of your voice singing a lullaby or simply speaking softly to your baby. 

Quality: If you have a sensitive baby or will be sharing a room with your baby or co-sleeping, superior sound quality can mean the difference between soothing nature sounds and a tinny reproduction that ultimately drives you crazy. Keep an eye out for user reviews that mention sound quality. Red flags are words like “tinny,” “scratchy,” or “staticky.”

Cord

Some baby soothers have strangely short cords, which can be a problem when trying to position the soother appropriately between the crib, power outlet, and dresser or changing table where the soother will be placed. Look for a soother with a 6-foot cord or longer.

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Expert Tip
The volume of your baby soother should be at the level of a soft shower.
BestReviews Baby and Child Expert

Baby soother prices

Inexpensive

You can find budget baby soothers that cost from $10 to $20. While the majority of these are smaller battery-operated keychain soothers that clip onto a crib or stroller, some are stand-alone speakers that can run on batteries or be plugged in. Budget baby soothers usually have few sound options and may not have the best audio quality, so read reviews carefully. 

Mid-range

For $20 to $30, you can find more stand-alone speakers and stuffed-animal baby soothers with more sound options, better sound quality, lots of volume control, versatile timers, as well as high-quality portable options that can run on batteries or be plugged in. Cord length is typically ideal on these soothers, and some give you the option to create custom sound recordings. 

Expensive

For a top-of-the-line baby soother, expect to pay $30 to $50. These high-end products are typically made by brand names and backed by the manufacturer. They contain higher-quality materials and provide the ultimate in audio quality and playback. If you’re seeking a baby soother that plays lullabies, or you’ll be keeping the baby soother where you can hear it at night, you may want to choose one of these. Most can run on batteries or be plugged in, and some are rechargeable. In this price range, you’ll find a number of adorable decorative baby soothers that are meant to complement nursery décor.

Tips

  • Don’t place the soother in the crib with your baby. Soft baby soothers can get wedged near your baby’s face and restrict breathing. Hard baby soothers can cause bumps or bruises when your baby rolls over, and your baby could get tangled in a cord.

  • Protect your baby’s hearing. Some pediatricians caution that using a baby soother over 85 decibels can damage hearing over time (OSHA requires hearing protection at that sound level). A level of 65 to 70 decibels is usually ideal. 

  • Add a baby soother to your bedtime routine. It can be especially helpful when your baby needs extra comfort and soothing, such as when weaning your child from a swaddle or during bouts of teething. 

  • Take advantage of the device if you’re a light sleeper. A baby soother can help you sleep as well by blocking out the noise of tiny shuffles and sighs your baby makes that can wake you.

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According to some pediatricians, lower-pitched rumbling noises are most soothing to young babies since they mimic sounds in the womb.

FAQ

Q. How long will the battery last in a portable baby soother?

A. Battery life depends on the product you choose, but as a general rule you can expect rechargeable baby soothers to run a couple hours continuously, while battery-operated baby soothers last much longer (several weeks or months) depending on battery type and usage. Since a number of baby soothers have built-in timer options of 15 to 45 minutes, you should be able to get numerous uses from your portable baby soother between charging or changing the batteries. 

Q. Are plush baby soothers washable?

A. Most, but not all, plush baby soothers are washable. When you wash your baby soother, be sure to remove the sound box and batteries first, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid mishaps or damage to the stuffed animal.

Q. What sounds does a typical baby soother play?

A. Sounds that are commonly included as audio tracks in a baby soother include heartbeats, whale songs, lullabies, rainfall, ocean waves, trickling streams, white noise (static), rhythmic whooshing sounds, and wind in the grass. If you aren’t sure what your baby might prefer, it’s a smart idea to choose a baby soother with several different audio tracks.