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The best night lights for babies and children 2024
Looking to improve your baby or toddler’s bedtime routine? A night light can be a helpful addition to your child’s nursery or bedroom. Here's our guide to the best night lights of 2024.
By Poppy O'Neill | Last updated Jan 18, 2024
Whether you’re after a soft glow to help navigate around your baby’s crib at night, something to assist with the bedtime routine or a tool to help your child who’s scared of the dark, the best night lights will come to the rescue for babies, toddlers and older children alike.
Establishing an effective sleep routine for your child can be challenging. Even if your child has the best cot mattress money can buy, cosy bedding and a good routine, you may find that they struggle to sleep in a completely dark room, toddlers may experience separation anxiety and older children may find it hard to switch off and relax.
Night lights are a great way to create a gentle and soothing glow, take the edge off the darkness and help calm and settle your child before bed. From simple plug-in lights that offer a fixed, dim glow to projector lamps which cast a beautiful visual show across the ceiling and others which double as some of the best white noise machines, the best night light will make a real difference to bedtime. So which one should you pick for your child?
Luckily we’ve taken a look at and investigated the huge range of night lights available so you don’t have to, scouring the Mumsnet forums - the biggest online network of parents in the UK - to find the best night lights and those to avoid. We then did extensive research across the wider web, looking at which night lights had won accolades or been featured in expert ‘best buy’ lists across websites and print media, and what customers’ reviews said about them, noting the authentic and in-depth consumer feedback on retailer sites.
Here are the best night lights to buy in 2024.
Adapts to your child’s needs as they grow
Remote use via the app
Adjustable brightness and sounds
Costly
Price on writing: £70 | Power: Mains-powered | Timer: Yes | Sounds: Yes | Best for: Newborns, toddlers and beyond
This brilliant gadget from Hatch comes highly rated on both the Mumsnet forums and online reviews, so it’s no surprise that it earned the status of best overall.
With thousands of parents singing its praises across the world, it's set the bar high for other night lights and baby sleep aids, packed full of practical features that help your little one achieve that elusive good night's sleep.
It is a fully customisable night light which comes with the additional features of white noise sounds and a built-in timer. You can opt for a preset sound and colour combination recommended by sleep experts or play around with the configurations (adjusting the colour, brightness, sound and volume levels) to find the perfect sleep set-up for your baby. Once established, these settings can be locked in and repeated night after night as part of your bedtime routine.
Whilst it’s certainly not the cheapest night light available, it can easily adapt to your child’s needs as they grow. Starting as a white noise tool to help your newborn settle to sleep, Hatch also becomes a comforting night light and a ‘time-to-rise’ sleep training aid for toddlers and preschoolers.
Read next: Looking for more ways to encourage a good night's sleep for your little one? Check out our guides to the best cot bed, cot bed mattress and baby monitors.
Child can turn on and off themselves
Choice of seven colours
Limited features – no sounds or timer
Price on writing: £9 | Power: Mains-powered | Timer: No | Sounds: No | Best for: Toddlers and children
An incredibly cute and friendly otter character, Spiken is a budget-friendly night light that can provide comfort and reassurance for young children who may be scared of the dark or struggle to get back to sleep when they wake during the night.
This mains-powered mood light can change between seven different colours including white, purple and turquoise, filling the room with a comforting glow and helping children navigate their room during any overnight toilet trips. Coupled with an effective blackout blind, a night light like this one means you can customise the lighting in your child's bedroom so it's just right.
Incredibly easy to use, an older toddler can turn this night light on and off without assistance, alternating through the colours by simply pressing his tail.
Cute and cuddly
Replicates sounds from the womb
Has a soft, pink glow
Heavy on battery use
May not work for every baby
Price on writing: £40 | Power: Battery-powered | Timer: Yes | Sounds: Yes | Best for: Newborns and young babies
Ah, the famous Ewan. If you’re not a parent then you likely haven’t heard of this little fella but, trust us, you’re going to want to take a look. Unlike brighter projector lights, Ewan's soft pink night light glow is subtle, cleverly designed to mimic their experience in mum's tummy. This can help to settle your newborn or toddler into a peaceful slumber, thanks to the comfort and familiarity they will feel.
Almost a million Ewan the Sheep toys have been sold worldwide and it’s easy to see why. Super cute and cuddly, Ewan replicates the comfort of the womb with a selection of soothing sounds, making this an excellent choice for encouraging sleep. But you can choose the sounds if preferred - the options include white noise, rainfall and even a vacuum cleaner!
Be warned though - frequent use of Ewan will gobble up the battery power, so make sure you’re well-stocked with the AAAs. It’s also important to manage your expectations too – while it's a fantastic sleep aid (and an excellent baby gift if you're on the lookout) sadly Ewan is not a miracle cure for sleep deprivation!
Controlled remotely via the app
Customisable colours and brightness
Helps prevent early wake ups
More expensive than the original GroClock
Some found the app quite tricky to set up
Price on writing: £50 | Power: USB charged | Timer: Yes | Sounds: Yes - white noise and music | Best for: Toddlers and preschoolers
Recently taken over by Tommee Tippee, the GroClock has had quite a design overhaul, but still has the benefits of the original GroClock we know and love (with some additional new features too).
Using two different colours to represent sleep and wake times, children can quickly learn when they need to stay in bed and when it’s time to get up. Controllable from an app, parents can also set alarms, play lullabies, adjust the brightness and choose from a range of colours, all from the comfort of their phone.
Whilst some Mumsnet users were concerned that the blue light on the original GroClock would keep their child awake, the new version has colours that are completely adjustable on a scale, meaning you can select the sleep and wake colours that work best for you and your child.
Related: On the subject of sleep, don't miss our guides to the best bunk beds, best mattresses for kids and best baby blankets.
Subtle light for night feeds and nappy changes
Visual reminder of room temperature
No sounds or timer
Price on writing: £22 | Power: USB charged | Timer: No | Sounds: No | Best for: Newborns and babies
If you’ve ever tried to change a nappy in a dark nursery without fully waking your baby, you’ll know just how difficult it can be. The GroEgg2 Digital Changing Thermometer is a great solution, offering an adjustable brightness and warm glow that provides enough light to see your surroundings, whilst being subtle enough to keep them calm and content.
Changing colour depending on the temperature of the room, the GroEgg is a great visual reminder to ensure your baby is dressed appropriately, turning red if the room is too hot and blue when the room is too cold.
Stunning light show in a range of colours
Easy to use
Risk of overstimulating younger children
Price on writing: £18 | Power: Mains-powered | Timer: Yes | Sounds: Yes | Best for: Preschoolers and above
Some active little minds need more help than others to switch off and relax at bedtime. If your child is best soothed by a moving light show, then this is the best projector night light we’ve found. With a built-in white noise and Bluetooth speaker, you can also play music or calming sounds and control all the functions via remote control.
The Moredig Galaxy Projector Light comes with 15 colour shows and a choice of nine different solar system patterns to help create a calming mindful light show across your child’s walls and ceiling before bed. A great option for sleepovers and parties too, the ocean wave and star light can also be set to change according to the music rhythm, creating a magical disco effect.
The best night lights: our pick of the best of the rest
Good price, ideal for travel
I really like the very simple plug-in Lindam ones. They give off a soft blue light. It’s not very much but enough that you can move around the room without banging into stuff and see faces if close up. Kids have them and we have them on the stairs too.
Lindam by Munchkin Nursery Night Light Set
Buy now from JoJo Maman BebeDoubles as a white noise machine
We have Ollie the owl for DS and he settles well with it. We use the heartbeat on it and the tummy glow light, which acts like a night light. We use this for bedtime which works really well. When DS won't settle for naps during the day we put the hairdryer noise on you tube and he's asleep within minutes! Revelation!
Tommee Tippee Grofriend
£24
Very portable and includes thermometer
I have the Shnuggle moonlight and it's just right. Have it on parent mode then when baby is older can have as a night light.
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Shnuggle Moonlight Children's Night Light
Buy now from AmazonCan help with colds and congestion
Buy now from AmazonWe have one and it works really well for DS when he has a cold and a cough. The light doesn't bother him at all. I leave it on all night and he has the door most of the way closed.
Great for night feeding
Buy now from AmazonI had a Philips Hue lightbulb in my overhead lamp that I could dim on my phone, that was quite useful too.
Are night lights good for babies?
Conventional wisdom would have us believe that children should learn to sleep in a pitch-black, quiet room. Fortunately, times are changing and nowadays parents feel more confident in choosing routines and habits that suit themselves and their children.
In short, if a night light helps your child to sleep well or be less afraid of the dark, then it’s almost certainly a good idea. What’s more, a few strategically placed, gentle night lights can help parents to navigate the dark, assisting with night feeds and nappy changes, as well as check on your sleeping baby without disturbing them.
Just make sure the light is kept dim to ensure it doesn’t disrupt your or your child’s internal clock or overstimulate them at bedtime. Most night lights switch off after a short time so, once your child is asleep, the room becomes dark again.
What colour night light is best for babies?
A dim red light has been scientifically proven to be the least disruptive to the body, whereas blue lights can impact melatonin production and actually interfere with sleep patterns. Most night lights tend to offer a subtle gold or white glow, whereas others can alternate between a variety of colour options.
What should I look for in a night light?
Here are some features to consider when choosing the right night light for your child:
Age - Some night lights are targeted to soothe, comfort and calm a young baby, whereas others are more suitable for toddlers, preschoolers or older children. Look at the key features to consider which are most suitable for your child’s needs.
Power source - Does the night light require batteries? If so, it's worth remembering that you will need a supply of replacements if the nightlight proves to be popular with your child. Alternatively, mains-powered or USB chargeable night lights can be more cost-effective in the long term. If the night light is battery powered, how long can you expect batteries to last? Some night lights with sounds and white noise can drain batteries pretty quickly.
Sounds - Do you want a night light with sound options and if so, what kind? Some night lights have white noise and soothing sounds, whilst others include lullabies and classical music. Some even allow you to record your own voice and sounds.
Motion or cry sensor - Some night lights come with motion or noise sensors that trigger light or comforting sounds when your baby wakes in the night. These can be really useful to help get your baby back to sleep without parental intervention.
Timer - One really useful night light feature is a timer where the night light turns itself off after a defined time period. Others require you to manually turn them off - this can be a risky action if you aren't able to control it remotely.
Portability for travel - If you're planning to travel or visit family, how easy is the night light to take with you? Is it portable and small enough to fit in your case?
Appealing design - Will your child like the night light? Is it a friendly and appealing character design? Can it be cuddled? Will it soothe and calm your baby or is there a risk of it overstimulating and exciting them?
Adjustable settings - How bright is the night light and can you change the settings to dim it as required? Are there a choice of colours available or is the colour fixed?
Ease of use - Are the instructions easy to follow? Does it require any initial set up or apps to download? If you have creaky floorboards or haven't yet mastered the art of ninja creeping out of a sleeping child’s bedroom, a nightlight that can be controlled from the comfort of your phone is a big plus.
What age should a child stop using a night light?
There’s no definitive answer to this question, like most parenting conundrums. Your child will likely grow out of any attachment to a night light by the time they are four or five years old, but this largely depends on the child.
Some children struggle with nightmares or a fear of the dark throughout the primary years, and a night light can be a great help. What’s important is that the light is dim to keep any effect on the body’s natural rhythms to a minimum.
What’s the best night light for babies?
When it came to the best night light on our list, the Hatch Rest Baby Rest Night Light was certainly the most versatile choice. It offers a smart and adjustable night light solution to help families from the newborn days right up to early childhood. Whilst it’s quite a significant initial investment, the fact it isn't targeted simply at a particular age group means you’ll certainly get your money’s worth.
Can I leave a night light on all night?
There are a huge range of different night lights, so this will vary from one brand to the next. It isn’t recommended to keep a bright light or a projection show on all night long as this may affect the quality of your child’s sleep and even upset their entire body clock. But, generally speaking, a small light that gives off a dim glow can be used all night to no ill effect.
How we chose our recommendations
Because we know that there’s nothing like a recommendation from a real parent, we first headed to the Mumsnet forums to find out which night lights discerning Mumsnet users had bought and rated themselves. We thoroughly analysed these suggestions, noting the pros and cons of each.
We then did extensive research across the wider web, looking at which night lights had won accolades or been featured in expert ‘best buy’ lists across websites and print media, and what customers’ reviews said about them, noting the authentic and in-depth consumer feedback on retailer sites.
Having collated all that information, we picked the night lights we thought would make the best buys in several interest categories, helping solve some of the biggest sleep challenges with newborns and young children.
About the author
Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She's been researching and reviewing baby and child products for 2 years, with a particular focus on baby essentials, toys and books for toddlers and outdoor play equipment. From potties to paddling pools and bunk beds to bedtime stories, she loves to deep-dive into research and find the best products out there.
Poppy is also an award-winning, best-selling children's and parenting author of books such as Don't Worry, Be Happy, The Extraordinary Book That Makes You Feel Happy and Mother Power. She specialises in children's mental health and her books are used by therapists, teachers and SENCOs across the UK. She won a The Week Junior Book Award in 2023, her books have been translated into several languages and she's been featured in The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The Sun.
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