Yogasleep Dohm Classic (White) The Original White Noise Sound Machine, Soothing Natural Sounds from a Real Fan, Sleep Therapy for Adults & Baby, Noise Cancelling for Office Privacy & Meditation

The Dohm Classic is the oldest design in this category. Yogasleep says the Dohm has been around since 1962 and calls it the first white noise machine. It costs about $50 and holds 4.6 stars from roughly 41,000 Amazon reviews, which is one of the largest review counts of any sleep product we track.

How it makes sound

There's no speaker and no recording. A small fan spins inside the housing, and the sound comes from air moving through the vents. You don't feel a breeze. What you hear is a steady whoosh with no loop point, because nothing is being played back.

Controls are minimal. A switch picks one of two fan speeds, and Yogasleep says that's how you tune the tone and volume. It's less precise than the 30-odd volume steps on a digital machine, but most people set it once and leave it.

It plugs into a standard 120V outlet with a 7-foot cord. Yogasleep says each unit is assembled by hand in the USA. White is the default color, and black, gray, pink, tan and camo are also sold.

Who it's for

• People who already sleep with a fan running and want the sound without the draft
• Light sleepers bothered by traffic, a TV next door or a snoring partner
• Anyone who has tried a phone app or cheap machine and could hear the track repeat

Who should skip it

If you want rain, waves or brown noise, look elsewhere. The Dohm makes one kind of sound. It also has no timer and no battery, so it's a bedside machine, not a travel one.

For a baby's room, keep it well away from the crib and the volume low. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises caution with sound machines near infants.

Alternatives

The LectroFan Classic costs about $5 more and gives you 20 digital fan and white noise sounds with precise volume steps and a sleep timer. If you're unsure whether you want a mechanical fan or a digital one, our best white noise machines guide puts them side by side.

On a tight budget, the Magicteam 40-sound machine costs about half as much and adds nature sounds.

Not sure what color of noise you like? Brown vs white vs pink noise explains the difference. A sound machine covers noise but doesn't block it, so if the problem is a gap under the door or a thin window, start with soundproofing a bedroom on a budget.