Munchkin Shhh Sound Machine with Light, White Noise Baby Soother, White/Grey

Why it's worth it

Three sounds — shushing, a heartbeat and white noise — in something roughly the size of a pear, plus a soft night light. It runs on two AA batteries, so it works in a stroller, a hotel room or the back seat without hunting for an outlet.

The case for this one is portability, not audio quality. Naps don't stay in the nursery. They happen at a grandparent's house, in a car seat in a parking lot, in a waiting room. Owners describe tucking this into a stroller or a bag and getting the same sound cue their baby already links with sleep. That familiarity does most of the work.

The shushing setting is the reason to pick this over a generic white noise box. Rhythmic shushing mimics what you're already doing at three in the morning while pacing the hallway. Plenty of babies settle to it faster than to a flat hiss, and the heartbeat track works on the same logic. Raised icons on the top let you find the controls in a dark room without groping around or waking anyone.

From our review of 6 munchkin baby products

What we like

• +The case for this one is portability, not audio quality
• +The shushing setting is the reason to pick this over a generic white noise box
• +The night light is genuinely soft

What to know

• –The thirty-minute maximum timer is the real limitation
• –Battery life and the battery door draw the most consistent complaints