If you have stumbled across this page then chances are you already know what white noise machines are. If you don’t then don’t worry about it, we have got you covered. In this article we will be covering everything you need to know about these handy little devices.
The 4 Best White Noise Machines for Your Office Space
We know how hard it can be to find the best product sometimes. That’s why we have taken away the guess work and compiled a nice little list of the best white noise machines around for use in your office space.
Hopefully you can use this list to find out which product fits your needs the best.
So without further ado, let’s get straight to it!
1. Adaptive Sound Technologies LectroFan
- Digital white noise machine
- 10 unique fan sounds
- 10 unique white noises (including pink and brown noise variations)
- Built-in timer
- Optional USB cable for charging
For people who are already familiar with white noise machines, it should come as no surprise that the LectroFan takes the number one spot on our list. Let’s go ahead and check out what makes this device so special.
When you receive the product you’ll be welcomed with three different things: the LectroFan unit, an AC power adapter, and a USB cable. The USB cable is only used to power the device, as the LectroFan does not support USB audio. These are just the bare essentials you need to get the machine up and running.
Once the LectroFan is out of the box you can start charging it with either the power adapter or USB cable that was included with the product. The size of the unit is 4.4” x 4.4” x 2.2”, which is small enough to fit on any sized office desk you have.
I personally think the look of the LectroFan is amazing. The device comes in two basic colors for you to choose from: white, and black. As you can see from the image the LectroFan has a rather unique heptagonal shape, which makes it stand out incredibly well in an office environment.
Interface
The LectroFan is incredibly simplistic and easy to use. Looking at the front of the device there are 3 buttons for POWER, VOLUME, and NOISE.
FAN SOUNDS: Pressing this button will cause the device to play fan sounds. Pressing it again will toggle the next fan sound to play.
WHITE NOISES: Pressing this button will cause the device to play white noise. Pressing it again will toggle the next white noise to play.
| NO. | FAN SOUNDS | WHITE NOISES |
1 | Large Fan | Lowest Pitch White Noise |
2 | Industrial Fan | |
3 | Mellow Fan – LO | |
4 | Mellow Fan – HI | |
5 | Exhaust Fan | |
6 | Attic Fan | |
7 | Circular Fan | |
8 | Vent Fan | |
9 | Box Fan | |
10 | Oscillating Fan | Highest Pitch White Noise |
Timer
The LectroFan has the option to be powered on for only a specific amount of time using the timer function. The minimum amount of time you can choose from is 1 hour, but additional hours can be added by pressing the timer button down again. Once the specified time has been met the device will then gradually shut down.
You will hear a short ‘dip’ in the sound when the timer is activated, so you can be sure that it has been pressed.
The timer function is great for when you sleep at night and you don’t want the device to continue playing while you are sleeping. This helps save on power consumption, and ultimately saves you money on your next power bill.
2. Marpac Dohm Classic
- Fan-based analog white noise machine
- Twist cap or collar to adjust tone and volume
The Marpac Dohm Classic is another great white noise machine that deserves its spot on our list. While it only came in at second place, it could easily rank as first depending on the person judging the two.
You may think I’m joking when I say that the Dohm has been around for many years. The Dohm was actually known as the Sleep-Mate back in 1962 when it was first designed, and now there are several iterations of the unit around today. There’s the Dohm Classic, Dohm Uno, and even the Dohm for Baby, which is specifically designed for babies.
The Dohm Classic is a little bit bigger than the LectroFan, coming in at 5.8” x 5.8” x 3.2”. The unit comes in a variety of colors for you to choose from (depending on your own personal preference). There is white, black, tan, and grey.
To turn the machine on all you have to do is press the small power button located on the side of the unit. From here you can easily twist the cap or collar of the Dohm to allow different amounts of air to enter the device. The sound coming from the Dohm will change depending on how many holes are exposed to the air.
Just note that when using the Dohm Classic you should make sure that the unit is positioned away from you. This will allow the sound from the device to fill up the room much better.
3. HoMedics SoundSpa
- Digital white noise machine
- 6 unique sounds (white noise, ocean, summer night, thunder, rain, and brook)
- Built-in timer (15, 30, or 60 minutes)
The first thing you’ll notice about the SoundSpa is its unique appearance – you will either love it or hate it in my opinion. Regardless though, this machine is capable of producing some amazing white noise, along with a bunch of other natural sounds that you can choose from. This is what we are ultimately looking for from a white noise machine anyway.
The SoundSpa comes equipped with 6 sensational sounds for you to choose from. Different sounds can be toggled on by pressing one of the corresponding buttons located on the front panel of the machine. The sounds that you can choose from are: white noise, ocean, summer night, thunder, rain, and brook. All of which sound very authentic and natural to provide the best listening experience to the user.
You can power the machine using 4x AA batteries or a power adapter, which is perfect for those of you who want to keep it wireless. Furthermore, the unit is also very small (6.5” x 5.5”) and compact, so you can transport the device around easily if needed.
Much like the LectroFan, the SoundSpa has the ability to turn itself off after a certain period of time. You can choose between 15, 30, or 60 minutes.
4. Sound+Sleep
- Digital white noise machine
- 10 SoundStories to choose from
- Innovative adaptive mode
- Richness functionality
- Built-in timer
When you receive the Sound+Sleep you will be welcomed with a power supply and a simple user manual for you to have a read though. Out of all of the white noise machines on the list, I feel like the Sound+Sleep is the best looking one by far. The sleek design of the Sound+Sleep machine is sure to make a great addition to any environment it is put in.
Powering on the unit is easy – all you have to do is plug the power supply into the jack located underneath the device. Once you have done that you can simply just press the power button down and start using the machine.
The big dial located at the front of the Sound+Sleep will be your best friend when playing around with the device. This dial is used to select a sound (also known as a SoundStory) that you would like use. There are a total of 10 different SoundStories for you to choose from: train, city, meadow, rainfall, brook, ocean, fireplace, waterfall, meditation, and of course white noise!
One thing that makes the Sound+Sleep stand out from the rest is that it features a unique adaptive mode. This mode allows the unit to respond to any noise heard in its surrounding environment and then adjust its volume accordingly. If Adaptive mode is off then the unit will not change its volume.
The richness button adds character to whatever SoundStory is currently selected. This feature is honestly amazing, and is something I have not seen many times before. It will dynamically add sounds to the mix to keep things fresh and interesting, and to avoid any boring repetitiveness.
When the richness is turned up there is a higher amount of complexity added to the SoundStory. For example, when the ocean setting is activated you will able to hear the sound of a fog horn or barking sea line from time-to-time.
If you don’t want to disturb your co-workers then you have the option to plug in your headphones. Simply locate the 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack located at the side of the unit and plug in your headphones. It’s really quite simple.
The last thing I want to mention is the in-built sleep timer, which is a feature that can be used to automatically turn the unit off after a certain amount of time. There are 4 different time intervals for you to choose from: 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes. You can use the timer button to select how much time you want (as indicated by the red lights).
What Is a White Noise Machine?
You may be asking yourself, “What is a noise machine?”
Well… White noise machines are devices that are capable of producing sounds that can block out unwanted noise in your surrounding environment. These machines are great if you are working in a noisy location, as they can help to minimise any sound distractions.
White noise is a combination of many frequencies playing together at once. This is how white noise machines are capable of blocking out unwanted noise.
Should You Use a White Noise Machine?
White noise machines are great if you are someone who is working in a noisy environment.
There is nothing more distracting than hearing obnoxious noises throughout the day while you’re trying to get your work done. If you’re someone who is trying to maximise their productivity then trying out a white noise machine could be a good idea for you.
It comes as no surprise that it is much easier to get work done without having any distractions bothering you.
Other people who could also benefit from the use of a white noise machine include: light sleepers, parents, or people who suffer from ringing in their ears (known as tinnitus).
Types of White Noise Machines
There are two different types of white noise machines: analog, and digital.
Analog machines produce sounds from an actual fan. What makes analog machines so great is that they are generally much quieter and more natural sounding compared to digital machines.
In contrast, digital machines are much more versatile compared to analog machines. They are able to create an infinite amount of sounds at a higher range of volumes.
Those are the main key differences between the two types of machines.