Need White Noise but Hate White Noise Machines? I’m a Fan of This Alternative.

Every night, except for the coldest nights, I fall asleep with a fan whirring away on my dresser to block out the sounds of the neighborhood. It’s a sound machine, of a type. It doesn’t rely on digital audio tracks, like most sound machines, but it actually moves air and creates a pleasant white noise, not unlike the Yogasleep Dohm, which also generates noise from an internal fan.

If you just can’t relax to the sound of a proper sound machine but need something to help block out the noise and lull you to sleep at night, consider a fan. And more specifically, consider one of my favorite fans.

(opens in a new window)

Vornado 460 Circulator Fan (opens in a new window)

Available at Amazon

Buy Now (opens in a new window)

Available at Walmart

Buy Now (opens in a new window)

Available at Home Depot

Buy Now (opens in a new window)

a white noise machine, in a way

All right, we’re stretching the definition of sound machines (What’s next? Bottle rockets? Passing cars?), but during the summer months, I rely on this fan to lull me to sleep. I’m a big… admirer of Vornado fans (you thought I was going to say fan, didn’t you?) and have owned several over the years.

The Vornado 460 stands out as the best for nighttime use in the bedroom because the lowest two of its three settings bestow just the right amount of noise to cover up snoring and street sounds without being too loud, and it’s small enough to live on a dresser or large nightstand.

The Vornado 630 is excellent, but it can be overkill for some bedrooms. It’s also rather large to be placed on a dresser or desk. The Vornado VFAN Mini is awfully charming and small enough to tuck onto the tiniest of nightstands, but it has two fan speeds and thus two volume levels: too quiet and TOO FREAKING LOUD.

Like the unrepentant burglar Goldilocks, the Vornado 460 strikes the perfect balance for nighttime use. Downsides? Well, there’s just one type of noise—fan sounds—so if you want to fall asleep to the ambiance of your favorite cafe, you’re out of luck (unless said cafe is located in a wind tunnel).

And it has no sleep timer like most sound machines have, obviously, so it’ll be on until you wake up and turn it off. But it’s a very pleasant sound to fall asleep to, and you never have to worry about the distraction of looping digital audio tracks sounding too artificial.

(opens in a new window)