Best baby light projectors to help soothe them to sleep

Your baby will have a good night’s sleep with this sleep training programme. With a personal voice recording to allow your baby to hear your reassuring voice even if you aren’t there, this night light plays a range of soothing songs and beautiful sounds for your baby. Featuring a range of multi-coloured night lights & glow-on-the-ceiling, your little one will enjoy 50 bedtime stories, 100 classical music, 10 lullabies, and 10 natural sounds pre-set into the unit. Our mum tester Lucy loved how well this fit into her nursery. "This is a fantastic device that is an all in one, which has saved space and looks great!"

It’s charged using a rechargeable battery, which is ideal for you to use both at home and outside without any wires when required. The LED display on the projector clearly shows you the time and room temperature and even features a timer when needed. Mum Lucy said, "the automatic thermometer’s temperature display is brilliant and clear to see without creating too much light if your little one likes a dark room. The range of volume on the speaker, which is Bluetooth and can connect to pretty much any device, is surprisingly wide too."

It’s operated using the phone app, meaning if you hear your baby stir, you can alter the settings to help lull them back to sleep. Do check before purchasing, however, that your smartphone is compatible with the app, as it’s not compatible with every device. This connectivity however did prove an issue for mum tester Lucy. "As it is Bluetooth, every sound coming from you phone for example, is projected into your baby’s nursery. Candy crush sound effects and text typing have been two sounds that have been played mistakenly whilst using the Vtech Hush!" Lucy says. For this reason Lucy preferred to operate it manually. "It is particularly handy that you only need to touch the top of the hush with your palm to change settings. Different colour lighting such as red is also an option and you are able to dim or brighten the light to your baby’s liking using your palm again. The image projector is surprisingly clear and it isn’t too stimulating that it causes too much of a distraction before bed."

This Infantino Dream Buddies 3-in-1 all-action projector actually does much more than just light up your little one's bedroom; it's a three-in-one projector, mobile, and musical item. It's designed to grow with your baby; start off with it set up as a cot-side mobile, then when you're past the mobile stage, it can be a cot projector, and then on to a table-top projector as your toddler grows. Our mum reviewer, Ellie, said, Overall, I really like this projector and that it is great for each stage of my baby's life. It projects different coloured shapes onto the ceiling, which my baby loves looking at while we settle down with his bedtime bottle."

Easy to set up and use, it is battery powered, which is great as it means that I do not have to worry about any wires while it is attached to the cot, and it is easy to remove from the cot, so it is portable. It is made from sturdy plastic, and I like that the batteries are secure but are easily accessible if they need to be changed. It is a great size, not too bulky and could fit in your bag to be taken away on holiday etc. Our mum reviewer also loved the design, commenting, "It came in grey, white and green, which match my son’s safari-themed room perfectly and looks really smart in his room even when not in use."

The only negative our tester found with the projector function is that the room has to be very dark for the shapes to be seen. "It wouldn’t work very well for nap times during the day if you want to use it as the projector." She said.

It also plays different sounds, from musical tunes to a few different white noise options. "My baby enjoys listening to these" our tester commented, "however, the volume is quite low and doesn’t turn up as loud as other white noise/music machines I’ve got. I also find that when the mobile is on I can
hear it spinning around." She said.

This Pabobo Underwater Effects Projector Whale light projector takes on a whimsical underwater theme to help lull your little one to sleep. With musical starfish in the range, too, the soothing white noise of the ocean will have them asleep in no time. And when they finally nod off? The auto shut-off technology will mean the light projector isn't on all night – a very convenient feature for busy mums and dads. One mum tester said her daughter was "instantly transfixed by the waves, and the soothing music really calms her - particularly during those nighttime witching hours!"

Our Products Editor Lorna White loved the fun addition of sea creatures in the light display and the sweet and soft cuddly whale it sits in which makes it safer for little hands to hold. With three different light intensities, you can tailor the projector to your space and how bright you want to keep your baby's room at bedtime. You also don't need to worry about the plush toy getting dirty as it is easily removed from the projector for machine washing.

The main downside parent reviewers found was the sound quality wasn't quite as good as they'd hoped. Our tester also found that getting the batteries in there was a bit of a challenge as the instructions weren’t clear on what type of screwdriver was required so we struggled to find one to fit at first. Once we found the right one though after some trial and error it was very quick and easy to set up.

The V-Hush Mini sleep soother is ideal for an easy-to-set-up projector with a range of different colour and sound options. It is particularly useful if your little ones regularly travel or have sleepovers at relatives' houses and you need something portable.

Our mum tester, Carly, says this sleep soother is fantastic thanks to the easy set-up,. She didn't even need the instructions. "When you’re using it, you can do the basics through the speaker alone, but for ease, my preference is to connect via Bluetooth and use the app, " she says.

The clever app allows you to change both the colour and brightness using a sliding scale. "The speaker is also impressive, the stories aren’t perfect in terms of clarity, but everything else is. The
microphone-to-speaker option is great quality though!" Carly commented.

The soother is wireless and needs charging via a plug, which is included, but it can be transported without being plugged in and lasts longer nap times. Our tester, Carly, also found it very durable, commenting, "It’s also light and small enough to pick up in one hand, so if I need to take it upstairs to put my little one down, I can do so without any concerns. I’m pretty confident that if I knocked it off my bedside table during a night feed, it would simply roll to the floor and not come apart, which I think is partly down to its compact size!"

Its neutral design means it looks good on any bedside table or baby nursery, which is an added bonus. Carly's favourite feature is the projection: "I can put my baby down and keep them entertained with the stars and moon projector as I ease them into their nighttime routine. What’s even better is that the app allows me to set up my routine, too, so it will switch off when it’s no longer needed."

This lovely little Chicco Next2 Stars Night Light Projector is universally fit, meaning it can be attached to a number of different cribs. It's suitable from birth and comes complete with a removable, washable soft toy for extra cuddles. The night light features 30 minutes of music and projection, including classical, new age, and nature sounds, to soothe the baby to sleep.

Parents loved how it mesmerised their tots and also liked that it was activated by the sound of a baby crying. "It calms the baby down when she's sleepy, and the stars on the ceiling mesmerise her. I can turn the music volume up and down as needed, and it is activated by the baby crying. It fits next to me perfectly," one mum commented.

You can also alter the volume to suit your needs and the included toy is machine washable for your convenience. The main downside was how quickly it gets through batteries requiring many battery changes for nightly use.

Compact, lightweight and easy to travel with, the Benny Bunny night light impressed our dad tester Ryan when testing with his 4 month old. "We’ve used it as a projector when settling her before bedtime – giving a nice gentle light projection on the ceiling during bedtime and nighttime feeds. She clearly enjoys star-gazing at the projection and it certainly relaxes her."

The night light is very portable, and our tester found that being able to take it anywhere to provide a familiar environment for little one was great. Simple and easy to use, the battery life is impressive. "We haven’t needed to change/charge the 3x AAA batteries in the 2 months we have had the product." Says dad, Ryan.

Compared to other night light projectors we tested, the brightness is good although, our tester did find the room does need to be pitch black for full effect. It still works with a small amount of light in the room, but not particularly clearly and the colour richness is lost easily.

Compared to other night lights/projectors, our tester thought the Benny Bunny seemed fairly highly priced considering there are just 3 colour options to choose from. "This product also does not play any sounds, which is a drawback again compared to others available." Ryan continued.

We love the fun strawberry shaped soft toy night light, designed to help them so sleep more soundly. Featuring five soothing tunes and two white noises to calm baby, it also has automatic switch off after 30 minutes. Our mum tester Katherine said her 1 year old loved the design. "She loves pressing the buttons and likes holding the arms/legs and carrying it around. The sounds are really soothing and calming and the strawberry design of the teddy is cute."

With unique projections for a soft lighting effect, the cuddly toy can be removed and is machine washable. "The light is really bright and makes a lovely projection with the nice pattern. It would be great if it was red light as this would be better for nighttime, I never understand why night lights/lights for night time/sleep time are anything other than red light." Says our tester Katherine.

Our tester found the size ideal little ones and the light wasn't too heavy. "The batteries are really easy to fit and overall the electrical part seems really sturdy." Katherine said.

Our products editor Lorna White was very impressed with the CloudBox. From the four different projection options in four different colours to the 36 original stories and themes to choose from, your little one won’t get bored of this in a hurry.

"I love how parents also get the option to record their very own story personalised to their little one." Our tester commented. The design is also adorable, and we think it would look lovely in any nursery. It's also easy to set up and use despite all the different options.

The only downside is that it has to be sat pretty close to the wall to clearly see the projection, so it’s important to keep that in mind when deciding where to place it in baby’s room.

Another one for underwater fans, this adorable turtle friend is a great projector and very easy to set up with ease from first use. Acting as a gentle nightlight with underwater effects, two calming sounds and with a 45 minute shut off, it's ideal for helping little ones drop off.

Mother&Baby Products Editor, Lorna White found it particularly great for projecting onto larger rooms with higher ceilings, something which you can struggle to do with many nightlights. "It really did make the whole room feel like it’s in the ocean. You can either have the waves still or moving and you have the option of listening to calming music or sea sounds. We would have liked the addition of other sea creatures in the sea, but overall, we were very impressed by this nightlight." She commented.

This projector projects 24 colour PAW Patrol images onto your little one's ceiling with clear and precise images up to one metre wide. Our mum tester and Mother&Baby's Senior Digital Writer Hannah Carroll admits that getting her three sons to bed can be tricky at times. "My son Frank is terribly afraid of the dark, and we’ve tried everything, fairy lights around his bed, a lamp, even leaving the hallway light on. Nothing worked until we found this projector. Now, every night as part of our bedtime routine, he chooses a projection to display on the ceiling. He gets into bed, and while the light from the projector isn’t enough to brighten the whole room, it gives a gentle glow."

Hannah loved the soft light for bedtime. "This helps because it’s not bright enough to keep him awake but still soothing enough to reassure him that no monsters have snuck in. Even though he’s a bit past the Paw Patrol phase, he seems comforted knowing the Mighty Pups are watching over him. Overall, it's been a huge success."

This Tiny Love Magical Night Mobile boasts a three-in-one design that will soothe newborns to two-year-olds to sleep. It has an easily interchangeable image projection canopy (for younger babies), a music box with ceiling projection (for older babies), and a starry night lamp (for toddlers), giving you a night mobile that grows with your baby through the years. It was also awarded Gold in the best sleep product category in the Mother&Baby Awards 2015.

Another aspect parents loved is that you could turn the volume down, with one parent saying, "There are 9 sounds to choose from and, what is important, the volume can be turned quite low, unlike in other mobiles I came across." They also loved the versatility and different modes of this projector. One mum said, "There are also two other modes: one, where the canopy can be removed, and projection appears on the ceiling and another mode, where the actual mobile becomes a free-standing device with light and sounds. I found this very innovative and useful, especially with a very quickly growing child who can enjoy this mobile a lot longer than other similar devices."

The only major downside was the design, which some parents found pretty gaudy. It may not be to everyone's taste.

Read our full Tiny Love Magical Night Mobile review

This Skip Hop Moonlight & Melodies Nightlight Soother is a brilliant, flexible product with various sounds, from calming heartbeats to calming tunes and star projections for little eyes to follow. It looks great in the baby's room, too. It also won silver in the best sleep product category in the Mother&Awards 2017. One mum reviewer said, "for newborns, the white noise is perfect (and really works). The stars give them something to look at and for their eyes to follow - my little boy loves looking at it."

Not only is it great for newborns and young babies, but parents of older kids found it was a great addition to their bedrooms and sleep routine. One parent said, "For older children, the stars look fabulous in their bedrooms and help them drift off to sleep watching them. There is also music for older ones with different time settings."

Some of our testers would have liked the addition of a clock and temperature gauge to make this projector even more multi-functional.

Read our full Skip Hop Moonlight & Melodies Nightlight Soother review

The Tiny Love Tiny Dreamer in Boho Chic is an enchanting 3-in-1 musical projector that will soothe your little one. It is a music player, projector and nightlight, so it has everything you and your baby need for peaceful nights and also naptimes, as one mum found, commenting, “I found this product to be particularly helpful at nap time!! I have started putting my baby down in her cot for nap times, but she is going through a phase of crying when I leave the room. I used this to put on the star projector and the lullabies to distract her enough for me to be able to leave, and in turn, she put herself to sleep.”

Not only is the design a lot cooler than some of the other light projectors, but parents also love the fact that the volume can be easily adjusted. The fact that it's rechargeable is also a major selling point, with one parent saying, “It is rechargeable, which is very important when it’ll be left on up to twelve hours a night. It can also be played repeatedly overnight, whereas some noise machines stop after a while.”

The only downside some parents found was that the smaller size meant the projection wasn’t as strong as some other models, and it struggled in larger nurseries.