Magicteam Sleep Sound White Noise Machine with 40 Natural Soothing Sounds and Memory Function 32 Levels of Volume Powered by AC or USB and Sleep Timer Sound Therapy for Baby Kids Adults (B-White)

The Magicteam 40-sound machine is what most people buy when they want white noise without spending $50. It costs about $24 and has 4.5 stars from roughly 12,000 Amazon reviews. That rating sits close to machines that cost twice as much.

What you get for $24

Forty sounds, which Magicteam says are non-looping. They include white noise, fan, rain, waves, a brook, birds, a bonfire, a train, crickets, frogs, piano and lullabies. Volume has 32 steps, so you can set it quiet enough for a nursery or loud enough to cover a busy street.

The timer has four settings: 1, 2 or 3 hours, or continuous. A memory function brings back your last sound, volume and timer setting when you switch it on again, which saves fumbling in the dark.

It runs on AC power or USB. At 3.9 x 3.9 x 2.3 inches it fits on a crowded nightstand or in a carry-on. Magicteam gives it an 18-month warranty.

Where it falls short

There's no battery, so it's always tethered to a cable. And with 40 sounds on a budget machine, quality varies from sound to sound. The white noise and fan tracks are the reason to buy it. Treat the piano and frogs as extras.

Who it's for

• First-time buyers who aren't sure white noise will work for them
• A second machine for a guest room, the office or a kid's room
• People who like switching between sounds

Who should skip it

Light sleepers who are bothered by digital sound may prefer the Yogasleep Dohm Classic, which uses a real fan. If you need to run it without an outlet, the Dreamegg D3 Pro has a 12-hour battery.

For an infant's room, the AAP advises keeping sound machines away from the crib and the volume low.

Alternatives

The Magicteam 20-sound machine costs about the same and adds brown, pink and blue noise, but check its power setup first.

For the full comparison, see best white noise machines. Brown vs white vs pink noise helps you pick which of the 40 to start with. A machine covers noise rather than stopping it, so pair it with the cheap fixes in soundproofing a bedroom on a budget if sound is coming in under the door.