Self-soothing is an important skill we all need to master, and teaching your baby how to fall asleep alone is essential for both you and them.
The best baby soother projectors are an excellent tool that can not only help a child learn to fall asleep alone but can also mask other distracting sounds that could keep your child awake.
- Varying lengths of auto shut-off
- Volume control
- Voice sensor
- Removable light unit
- Strap for crib attachment
- Heartbeat sound option
- Detachable mini-nightlight
- Adjustable light & sound settings
- Subdued lights
- Can run all night
- Has volume control
- Dimmable light options
- Three lighting options
- Has a sound timer
- Modern control system
- Comes with batteries & screwdriver
- Removable light & sound unit
- Washable unit
- Three stages for growing kids
- Babysafe mirror
- Includes cute animal mobile
- Cry sensor can be turned off
- 10 volume levels
- Removable light unit
- Multi-stage turn off
- Crib mounted or tabletop options
- Built-in nightlight
- Built-in rechargeable battery
- Good range of sounds
- Cry sensor
What Are Baby Soother Projectors?
A baby soother projector displays lights and images on the walls and/or the ceiling of a room. Some baby soother projectors also play music or sounds.
Benefits of Using Baby Soother Projectors
There are several benefits to using one of these projectors, including:
- It can provide a low level of light for nighttime feeds and diaper changes. That helps you reduce the chances of overstimulating your child by turning on a light.
- The relaxing environment that a baby’s soother projector creates can help babies who struggle to transition from waking to sleeping.
- Some babies and children become distressed if they wake up to a different environment than the one they fell asleep in. A baby soother projector creates and recreates the same feeling to the room, no matter when your child wakes (1).
- If you turn this projector on when you put your child down in their crib when they are awake but drowsy, it may help soothe them into sleep.
How to Choose the Best Baby Soother Projector
There are several factors to consider when choosing a soother projector for your baby.
Child’s Age
Always check that the projector you are considering is appropriate for your child’s current age. This is especially important if you are looking at a crib-mounted projector.
Safety
Toys manufactured or imported into the U.S. have to pass stringent safety standards before reaching the stores.
The best way to ensure that the toy you are considering is safe for your child is to check the packaging. This will tell you the age range for which the toy is recommended.
Sound Options
Decide whether you want a device that has sound and lights. Some baby soother projectors play music, some play ambient noises such as bird songs, and others offer white noise or a similar function.
Some sleep experts recommend white noise to help your child sleep through the night.
Power Source
A power cord limits portability, but it does mean you don’t have to worry about having spare batteries on hand or the batteries running out in the middle of the night.
Portability
Consider whether you want to use the projector in one location or whether you want one that is easy to pick up and take with you. If you have a portable one, you can use it on vacations so your baby has something to remind them of home.
Versatility
Some allow you to choose between a range of light patterns, sounds, and songs. Others double as a baby mobile or baby monitor.
Style
Plush projectors can double as a cuddly companion. However, they can be challenging to keep clean. You also need to remember never to leave the projector on the mattress in your baby’s crib as they sleep — your baby is safest when there is nothing in their crib (2).
Non-plush projectors are easy to keep clean, but hard surfaces or edges can give a nasty bump if your child falls against them.
Educational
Projectors that show different colors and shapes can add an educational component to your light show. However, these projectors are meant to ease your child gently off to sleep, so don’t choose something that is overly stimulating as it will defeat the purpose.
Ease of Use
We looked for projectors that were simple and convenient for parents to use and those that were easy to maintain.
Helpful Features
Look for additional features that will make your life easier.
- An automatic shutoff function means you do not have to tip-toe in and turn the projector off at night.
- Voice-activated projectors will respond to your child’s voice, so you do not have to get up and turn it on for them.
- A projector that allows you to adjust volume or light brightness will enable you to choose settings appropriate for your family’s needs. You can use a louder setting if you live somewhere with lots of traffic noise.
The Best Baby Soother Projectors of 2021
Here are our favorite baby soother projectors on the market.
1. V-Tech Baby Critters Soothing Starlight Hippo
The V-Tech Baby Critters Soothing Starlight Hippo lands firmly between plush and non-plush. The main body is firm plastic without hard edges or corners, and the head and limbs are firmly stuffed fabric.
Voice activation means the hippo will turn on if your little one cries in the night, and you can select between a 10-, 20-, or 30-minute light and sound duration. There is also a volume control to ensure the hippo does not wake the rest of the family.
The light display has static stars, arranged in spirals which cycle through three colors. This provides some gentle light, in multiple directions, without it becoming overly stimulating.
As the hippo is soft and light, it is easy to take along with you to family, daycare, or days out.
- Varying lengths of auto shut-off.
- Volume control.
- Voice sensor.
- Doesn’t affix to crib, so you’ll have to set it somewhere else like a dresser.
Additional Specs
Age range | Birth and older |
Sounds | 100+ nature sounds, tunes, and phrases |
Lights | Static stars in three colors |
Power | 2 x AA batteries |
2. Bubzi Co Soothing Sleep Elephant
This cute and cuddly elephant has a removable light and sound unit. That means you can throw the body into the washer if it becomes a little grubby or if your little one spits up some milk.
A small, soft, Velcro strap makes it easy to affix the elephant to your crib or to take it with you attached to the stroller.
The only small inconvenience is the position of the light unit. As the unit is set directly into the elephant’s belly, if you want the lights to project onto the ceiling, you have to attach the projector facing upward on the crib rail. That means your baby will be looking at the rear surface of their new stuffy friend.
- Removable light unit for safe washing.
- Strap for crib attachment.
- Heartbeat option.
- Odd projection angle.
Additional Specs
Age range | Birth and older |
Sounds | Heartbeat, nature sounds, and 10 songs |
Lights | Static stars in 3 colors |
Power | 3 x AAA batteries |
3. Infanto Musical Soother Night Projector
This cute and cheerful fox-shaped night light from Infanto is sure to give a pop of color to the nursery, and that’s before it even lights up.
Three tail panels fan out and pass slowly in front of each other, giving a gentle impression of movement without being overly stimulating. Meanwhile, the small fox cub that nestles in front of the adult can be removed and acts as a portable, independent nightlight.
None of the five songs the fox plays were familiar to us, but they were all pleasant, delicate musical pieces that were an excellent soothing choice for bedtime.
You can use the projector with either light alone, sounds alone, or a combination of the two. Whichever combination you choose, the projector will run for 20 minutes before turning itself off.
- Detachable mini-nightlight.
- Adjustable light and sound settings.
- Subdued lights.
- Not voice-activated.
Additional Specs
Age range | Birth to 36 months |
Sounds | 5 songs, 3 white noise sounds |
Lights | Stars in three colors with gentle movement |
Power | 4 x AA batteries |
4. Babyfeel Sleepy Me Soother
The styling of the Sleepy Me soother will work just as well in an older child’s room as it will in a baby’s nursery. A large, white “eggshell” sits atop a cute little yellow chick. The color scheme means it will also sit well within almost any decor.
You can choose between a 30- or 60-minute timer, or if you want to ensure your little one does not wake up in the dark, you can leave it running all night.
The Sleepy Me soother comes with a USB cable so you can run the projector from the power supply if you run out of batteries, or if you prefer not to be reliant on disposable energy. This power combo also makes it usable in a power outage.
- Can run all night.
- Has a volume control.
- Dimmable light options.
- Can be plugged in to an outlet.
- The top volume is still rather quiet.
Additional Specs
Age range | Birth and older |
Sounds | 10 tunes and 8 nature sounds |
Lights | Static stars in three colors |
Power | USB cable or 4 x AA batteries |
5. Fisher-Price SmartConnect Deluxe Soother Projector
This baby soother projector from Fisher-Price has a traditional style look with a modern control system.
There are three light modes — you can use each one alone or in combination with the others. Stars and moons of different colors can be projected upward, soft white animals can be projected outward, and a soft amber night light mode makes the base gently glow.
For sound, you can choose between music, nature sounds, or white noise, and both the lights and sounds can be set on a timer of your choice of duration or left on all night.
The one point that it fails on is that your phone must be within Bluetooth connectivity range to make adjustments to the settings. You can still use the light without your phone, but you cannot make changes to the lights or sounds from a distance.
- Three lighting options.
- Back-lit buttons on the control panel for easier use.
- It works as a projector and light.
- Cannot change settings if the phone is out of range.
- No battery power option.
Additional Specs
Age range | Birth and older |
Sounds | Three lullabies, three nature noises, white noise |
Lights | Multicolor, static stars, pale white animals, glowing amber nightlight base. |
Power | Power cord |
6. Bubzi Co Portable Woodland Owl Soother Projector
You can choose between 10 songs, a heartbeat, or a bird song, and each one will repeat, on a loop, for 30 minutes before shutting off.
The light unit projects stars up onto the ceiling, cycling through three colors and multiple color combinations. This provides more interest than the projection of a basic mono-color star pattern but is not so stimulating it will keep your baby excited and awake.
The downside is that the owl must lay on its back to project lights onto the ceiling. You’ll have to attach it to the upper crib rail, which means your child will be looking at the owl’s back.
Also, we found the velcro strap a little short for some crib rails, while on others, it did not hold the owl firmly in place, causing it to drop down and face the floor.
- Comes with batteries and a screwdriver.
- Removable light and sound unit.
- Washable.
- Short Velcro strap.
- Odd projection angle.
Additional Specs
Age range | Birth amd older |
Sounds | Heartbeat, bird song, and 10 tunes |
Lights | Static stars that cycle through three colors |
Power | 3 x AAA batteries |
7. Infantino Musical Projector Soother
This option from Infantino combines a traditional crib mobile and a soother projector that transforms into a table-top, toddler-friendly projecting night light.
We loved the idea of this three-stage baby soother projector, and it does deliver in most areas; however, there are a few points that let it down.
First, the fittings only allow it to be fitted to a crib where the top rail is 2.5 inches deep or smaller. If you have a deeper top rail, you cannot use it as a mobile.
Second, some babies may find the mobile animals too interesting, causing them to stay awake longer than they otherwise might. If this is an issue for you, the animals can be detached. There is also a built-in baby-safe mirror, which, again, might prove to be too much fun.
Finally, you cannot use the mobile and the projector at the same time.
- Three stages for growing kids, so they don’t outgrow this quickly.
- Babysafe mirror.
- Cute mobile animals.
- Could be overstimulating.
- Won’t fit all cribs.
Additional Specs
Age range | Birth and older |
Sounds | Six tunes, four nature sounds |
Lights | Static stars in 3 colors |
Power | 3 x AAA batteries |
8. Roccababy Sound-Activated Soother Projector
The jury is still out on whether to choose a baby soother projector with a sound sensor. Some users and their babies seem to adore them, while others find that having the soother turn on in response to a baby’s cries causes more disruption.
This particular sound-activated baby soother projector is a popular choice because you can change the settings to work with only the lights, just the sounds, both lights, and sounds together, or with both lights and sounds turned off.
Some users had issues with the brightness, volume, or lack of volume of the lights and the volume levels. However, we found those were all down to personal preference or circumstance, such as wanting to drown out traffic noise.
- Cry sensor can be turned off.
- 10 volume levels.
- Removable light unit.
- Falls over.
- It’s pretty large at 10 inches tall.
- Fixed 30-minute timer.
Additional Specs
Age range | Birth and older |
Sounds | 10 tunes and 10 sounds, including womb and heartbeat |
Lights | Static stars that cycle through five colors |
Power | 3 x AAA batteries |
9. Fisher-Price Settle & Sleep Projection Soother
This Fisher-Price projector has an excellent multi-stage turn-off feature that allows your child to slowly unwind. First, after 15 minutes, the animals slow down and stop moving. Then, after a further 10 minutes, the music fades, and the unit falls silent.
We were disappointed to find you can have the animals in the box light up and move or use the star projector, but you cannot use both at once. It would also be nice to have the option to use just the lights or just the sound and not be restricted to using both.
We do like that a large button on the projector allows your baby to start the unit on their own, but this is also a downside if you have a little one who turns it on throughout the night for entertainment when they should be asleep.
- Multi-stage turn-off.
- Crib mounted or tabletop options.
- Five-minute nightlight built-in.
- Can be child controlled.
- Can use projector or light, not both at once.
- Must have lights and music together.
Additional Specs
Age range | Birth and older |
Sounds | Six tunes, three nature noises, wave sound, and fan sound |
Lights | Static white stars |
Power | 4 x C batteries |
10. Apunol Rechargeable Baby Sleep Projector
This adorable little bunny comes with a detachable plush carrot, which we find is great fun for “Feed the rabbit” games. The projector’s soft body has plenty of cuddle appeal, plus you can remove the light unit to wash both rabbit and carrot.
To recharge, simply remove the light unit, plug in the USB cable, and attach the other end to a charging block. The cable is included with the rabbit, but the block is not. A full battery charge takes around 2.5 hours and will last between 15 and 20 hours.
You can use lights or sounds or both, and it will turn on in response to the sound of 80 decibels or more. The timer can be set to turn the bunny off after 15, 30, or 60 minutes.
Our one word of caution is that as this is a new product, we can’t tell how well it works long-term.
- Built-in rechargeable battery.
- Good range of sounds.
- Cry sensor.
- Battery life of 15 to 20 hours.
- Can’t turn off the cry sensor.
Additional Specs
Age range | Birth and older |
Sounds | 13 tunes, three white noise, heartbeat, “shh” sound |
Lights | Static stars in three colors |
Power | Built-in rechargeable lithium battery |
Product | Best | Age range | Sounds | Lights | Power |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
V-Tech Baby Critters Starlight | Battery-Powered | Birth & older | 100 tunes | Static stars in 3 colors | 2 x AA batteries |
Bubzi Co Soothing Sleep Elephant | Plush | Birth & older | 10 songs | Static stars in 3 colors | 3 x AAA batteries |
Infanto Musical Soother Projector | Non-Plush | Birth to 36 months | 5 songs | Stars in 3 colors | 4 x AA batteries |
Babyfeel Sleepy Me Soother | Older Children | Birth & older | 10 tunes | Static stars in 3 colors | USB cable or 4 x AA batteries |
Fisher-Price SmartConnect | Smart Projector | Birth & older | 3 tunes | Multicolor, static stars, pale white animals | Power cord |
Bubzi Co Woodland Owl Soother | Portable | Birth and older | 10 tunes | Static stars that cycle through 3 colors | 3 x AAA batteries |
Infantino Musical Projector | Versatile | Birth & older | 6 tunes | Static stars in 3 colors | 3 x AAA batteries |
Roccababy Sound Soother | Sound-Activated | Birth & older | 10 tunes | Static stars that cycle through 5 colors | 3 x AAA batteries |
Fisher-Price Settle & Sleep | Child-Controlled | Birth & older | 6 tunes | Static white stars | 4 x C batteries |
Apunol Baby Sleep Projector | Budget Pick | Birth & older | 13 tunes | Static stars in 3 colors | Built-in rechargeable battery |
The Joy Of Sleep
Baby soother projectors can help your child settle down and transition to sleep without relying on another person to be there. This is an essential skill for your child to master, and anything that helps them achieve this milestone is good.
However, while some children respond well and are helped by soother projectors, others are excited or disturbed by them, making such units counterproductive.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell which side of the fence your child falls on unless you try one, but the ten options above are great products that will give you a fighting chance.