Best Baby Soother Projectors of 2025

The V-Tech Starlight Hippo strikes a great balance between a durable electronic device and a soft nursery accessory. The body is sturdy plastic, projecting a clear light show, while the head and legs are soft fabric, making it look friendly rather than industrial.

We love the voice activation feature. If your baby wakes up crying, the hippo detects the sound and automatically restarts the soothing program. You can set the timer for 10, 20, or 30 minutes, which is plenty of time for most babies to drift off. The volume control is also a lifesaver, ensuring the lullabies do not overpower the room.

The light display projects four different colored stars in a spiral pattern. It is interesting enough to catch a baby’s eye but slow enough to be relaxing. Since it is battery-operated and compact, it is easy to toss in the diaper bag for grandma’s house.

If you want a projector that feels more like a friend, the Bubzi Co Elephant is a top pick. The best feature here is hygiene: you can pop the electronic light and sound unit out of the belly and throw the plush body into the washing machine. This is crucial when dealing with spit-up or drool.

It comes with a soft Velcro strap, so you can attach it to a crib rail or stroller handle easily. The sound machine includes a heartbeat setting, which mimics the womb environment and comforts newborns effectively.

One design quirk to note is the light placement. The stars project directly out of the elephant’s tummy. If you strap it to the side of the crib, the lights hit the opposite side of the mattress rather than the ceiling, unless you angle it carefully.

The Infanto Fox is a clever 3-in-1 device that grows with your child. It acts as a crib projector, a tabletop light, and a portable nightlight. The colorful design adds a nice pop to modern nursery decor.

The projection is unique; instead of just shining on the ceiling, the fox’s tail has panels that fan out and move gently. It creates a layered visual effect that is mesmerizing without being chaotic. The smaller baby fox detaches from the main unit to become a handheld nightlight, perfect for toddlers who need to navigate to the potty in the dark.

While the five melodies are not famous pop songs, they are gentle and unobtrusive. The 20-minute auto-shutoff applies to both lights and sound, which is standard for battery life preservation.

The Tumama soother looks like a modern egg or hand drum, fitting well in both a baby nursery and an older child’s room. It projects warm, colorful hues and offers significant volume control, which is helpful if you live on a busy street.

It has extended timer options of 30 or 60 minutes, giving your child longer to settle than most competitors. The standout feature, however, is the recording function. You can record your own voice shushing or singing a song. For a baby with separation anxiety, hearing mom or dad’s actual voice can be the magic key to sleep.

It doubles as a Bluetooth speaker, so as your child grows, they can play their own audiobooks or music through it.

If you love tech, the Fisher-Price SmartConnect is the way to go. This unit plugs into the wall, no batteries needed, and allows you to control everything from your smartphone app. You can change the colors, switch sounds, or turn the unit off without cracking the nursery door and risking a wake-up.

It offers three distinct lighting modes: ceiling projection of stars/moons, animal projections, and a soft amber nightlight glow. The audio options are robust, featuring nature sounds, white noise, and lullabies.

The only limitation is the range. It uses Bluetooth, not Wi-Fi, so you need to be relatively close (like in the next room) to adjust the settings. However, the ability to create a custom sleep schedule through the app makes up for the connectivity limits.

The Woodland Owl is a fantastic travel companion. It offers 10 different lullabies, a heartbeat sound, and bird songs, all of which run on a 30-minute loop. The star projection cycles through three colors, providing just enough variety to keep a baby interested without overstimulating them.

Like the elephant model, this owl has a removable electronic core, making the plush body fully washable. It comes with a strap for attachment, but since the projector is on the owl’s belly, positioning it to hit the ceiling can be tricky if you attach it to the side of a crib.

The Velcro strap is a bit short for thicker crib rails, so you might end up placing it on a dresser or shelf instead.

This Infantino model is a true multitasker: it starts as a musical mobile, converts to a crib-side projector, and eventually becomes a tabletop lamp for toddlers. This longevity makes it a great value purchase.

As a mobile, it features cute hanging animals and a baby-safe mirror. However, note that the clamp fits crib rails up to 2.5 inches wide, so check your crib dimensions first. Once your baby is old enough to stand (and potentially pull the mobile down), you remove the arm and leave the projector unit attached to the rail.

A minor downside is that you generally cannot use the mobile motion and the ceiling projection simultaneously; you usually toggle between modes. Also, for some sensitive sleepers, the spinning mirror might be too exciting for bedtime.

The Roccababy projector is built for parents who want automation. The cry sensor is the star feature here; if your baby fusses, the unit kicks back on to settle them. While some parents find this disruptive, many swear it saves them from getting out of bed for minor whimpers.

This model is highly customizable. You can run lights only, sound only, or both. It offers 10 different volume levels, which is superior to many toys that only have “loud” and “louder.”

It is a fairly large unit (about 10 inches tall), and because it is plush and soft, it can be a bit top-heavy. You will need to position it securely so it does not tip over on a dresser.

This Fisher-Price classic combines a rotating mobile with a canopy projection system. The images are projected onto the mobile’s canopy itself, so they are close to the baby’s face and easy to see, rather than being lost on a high ceiling.

The standout feature is the remote control. You can restart the mobile from the doorway without entering the room and risking eye contact with your baby. It plays up to 20 minutes of music, including classical tunes like Bach and Mozart, nature sounds, and heartbeats.

Be prepared to stock up on batteries; the main unit requires four D batteries, and they add significant weight to the unit. Ensure your crib rail is sturdy enough to hold it.

The One Fire Bunny is versatile and adorable. It comes with seven swappable films, so you can project stars, sea worlds, or even “Happy Birthday” messages. This variety keeps the device relevant as your child grows into a toddler.

It is USB rechargeable, which saves a fortune on disposable batteries. A full charge lasts 6 to 8 hours, easily covering a full night’s sleep if used intermittently, or several bedtimes. The timer settings (15, 30, or 60 minutes) are handy for different nap lengths.

While it does have Bluetooth, the connection voice prompts can be loud, so we recommend setting it up before the baby falls asleep. It also includes a remote control for easy adjustments from across the room.