Getting your toddler on a solid bedtime routine can be difficult. Clinical studies stress the importance of having a bedtime routine to improve your small child’s wellbeing and development. One of the best ways to help calm and reassure your toddler at night is to have a nightlight.
The best nightlights for toddlers create a soothing environment for sleeping. With so many nightlights on the market, determining which nightlight will be best for your toddler can be tricky. That’s where we can help by recommending five of the most top-rated nightlights and answering any questions you might have about these kid-friendly devices.
Quick Summary: Best Night Light For Toddler
 | Our Top Choice Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine, Night Light and Time-to-Rise | Check on Amazon → |
| No products found. | VAVA Home VA-CL006 Night Light | Check on Amazon → |
 | Moredig Night Light Projector | Check on Amazon → |
 | Aurora Night Light, Projector Nightlight Sound Machine | Check on Amazon → |
| No products found. | Star Lights for Bedroom, Night Projector Light | Check on Amazon → |
Table of Contents
Top 5 Picks for the Best Nightlight for Toddlers
Here are our top five picks for the best nightlight for toddlers. We highlight only the best-rated nightlights.
1 – Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine, Night Light and Time-to-Rise
- Note that new, updated 2nd Gen Wi-Fi version of this product is also available, with additional features.
- Sound Machine. Includes soothing sounds like white noise, ocean, wind, birds and rain.
- Night Light. Fun, bedside lamp with infinite custom color hues. Illuminate the crib and changing table to ease nighttime infant feedings.
The Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine, Night Light, and Time-to-Rise is a multi-functional nightlight that small children love. The sound machine, night light, and time-to-rise alert can be controlled and customized from your phone.
The Hatch Baby Rest Nightlight has settings so that it can grow with your child. And you customize the settings to meet the needs of your child, depending on their development. It also comes with a tamper-resistant lock.
Things We Like:
- Customizable and easy to program settings that you can control from your phone.
- Never heats up, so you can rest easy that your child is safe.
- Sleek, tamper-proof design that won’t harm your child.
Things We Don’t:
- Must have an Apple or Android smartphone to run the app.
2 – VAVA Home VA-CL006 Night Light
No products found.
The most affordable nightlight on our list, The Vava Home Night Light, comes with a charging pad that comes in three colors: blue, white, or pink, depending on if you want to be gender-specific. It is also made from toy-grade ABS and PC materials, so it won’t harm your toddler if they grab it.
The Vava Home Night Light has a cool touch sensor at the top to turn it on, dim, or set the timer. You can customize the brightness to find your child’s perfect nightlight brightness. A button on the bottom can disable the touch control and increase the brightness.
Because of its rechargeable battery, the nightlight can be used indoors or out when you’re camping or sleeping at grandma’s house. The batter can last for 200 hours on its dimmest setting and six hours on its brightest.
Things We Like:
- It has a very affordable price for the quality, so you don’t break the bank.
- The rechargeable battery is excellent for portability.
- The touch sensor for customizing the brightness is convenient for late-night feedings.
- Comes with a USB charging cord for when you’re on the go.
Things We Don’t:
- The timer only automatically shuts off when the light is on its brightest setting.
- The USB cord doesn’t come with an outlet plug.
3 – Moredig Night Light Projector
- Fun Kids Gift - With this star night light projector's remote function, whether you're snuggled up in bed or by your little one's side, the remote control lets you turn the baby night light...
- Bring 2 Magical Worlds into Bedroom - The projector night light for kids featuring 18 projection effects. After removing the stacked shades, you can create 2 different themes - a cosmic...
- Timer function - Say goodbye to endless trips to turn off the night light projector for kids with this functional timer feature! Set it for anywhere between 5-500 minutes (8.3 hours), and it...
The Moredig Night Light Projector is a whimsical nightlight that will entertain your child with its adorable jungle animal light projections, songs, and rotating lights. You can customize how long the night light will run with the auto-off timer.
The night light projector creates a nighttime musical by projecting a starry-jungle theme while playing twelve classic children’s songs. The calming music is also completely customizable from volume to playlist.
Things We Like:
- It has a remote and touches controls to complement your nighttime routine.
- The eight-light color modes hold your children’s attention.
- The timer can be set for five-plus minutes, an hour, or even 3 hours to accommodate your nighttime routine.
- The music soothes children to sleep.
Things We Don’t:
- The rotating lights can sometimes have a jerky motion.
- Not all the songs are lullabies, so you will want to customize your playlist.
4 – Aurora Night Light, Projector Nightlight Sound Machine
- ◆7 Types Aurora Projector lights: ◆built-in 7 mix northern lights, Comes with beautiful free flow effect, you can feel the romantic Norwegian Northern Lights at home. Let the Aurora...
- ◆6 Types of White Noise Sleeping Machine: ●white noise●ocean waves●summer night●thunder●stream ●rain. Accompanied by white noise and aurora, it can let babies or adults sleep...
- ◆Remote Control: ◆You can use the remote control to turn on/off the machine, rotate or not, you can also adjust the brightness and volume level, switch the natural sound, switch the...
The SOAIY Aurora Night Light is jam-packed with features that will help your child relax and fall asleep. It projects a seven-light color display to mimic the Northern Lights on your ceiling or wall. It has four timers and adjustable brightness settings. It plays six soothing white noises to help your child stay asleep.
The SOAIY Aurora Night Light has some great tech. Utilizing a Bluetooth speaker, the night light can connect to your phone, where you can play your playlist if you don’t want white noise. And it comes with a remote for easy, multi-functional use. It also has four timers to accommodate your toddler’s schedule and sleep routine.
Things We Like:
- Projects cool patterns on the ceiling and wall to settle your child and hold their attention.
- Lots of customizable options such as the lights, sound/music, brightness, and auto timer.
- Its compact design makes it easy to keep it out of reach to children.
Things We Don’t:
- Speaker could have better sound quality, but it’s decent for a nightlight.
- The rotation can get sticky with heavy use, but they have an excellent customer service department.
5 – Star Lights for Bedroom, Night Projector Light
No products found.
Another light projector, The Agedate Star Lights, illuminates your child’s ceiling with the night sky. It has three nebula settings, six colors, and twenty-one light scenes to mesmerize your little ones and help them get to sleep faster.
Including a one-year guarantee, the Agedate Star Lights is built for durability and daily use. You can adjust your settings through an app or touch-sensitive buttons. The voice sensor changes the projection when sound changes, which is pretty cool.
Things We Like:
- The projection is soothing to watch with lots of colors and starry night patterns.
- It has a speaker that can connect to your music through Bluetooth to set your favorite nighttime lullabies.
- It’s compact and light design makes it easy to take for traveling.
- It comes with a one-year warranty and reliable customer service if any of the parts are faulty.
Things We Don’t:
- Batteries don’t last long, you’ll need to charge often.
Buyer’s Guide for The Best Nightlights for Toddlers
Creating a low light environment is a helpful way to create a positive sleep environment. We’ll examine the benefits and risks, common nightlight features, and answer any questions you might have about nightlights.
Benefits of Having a Nightlight for Toddlers
Having a nightlight in your toddler’s room has significant benefits that contribute to their wellbeing and help establish healthy sleeping habits:
Minimal Sleep Disruption
The best nightlights for toddlers create soothing visual stimulation or rather lack thereof. You’ll want the nightlight on it’s lowest setting to stimulate melatonin production and help your child to realize it is time for sleeping.
Nightlights minimize sleep disruption by creating a low light environment even when you need to wake them for diaper changes. It keeps the child in a restful light so they can quickly return to sleep.
Better Visibility
The best nightlights give off just enough light for you to check on your child at night. By illuminating the room enough for you to see, you can check on your child or change diapers without exposing them to bright room lights.
Relieves Stress
Children often become afraid of the dark because of active imagination and the inability to distinguish reality from fantasy. To relieve this stress, a nightlight provides comfort by allowing the child to see more of their environment and know that it is safe.
Nightlight Safety Risks
There are a few safety risks associated with nightlights that you’ll want to take into consideration before you buy a nightlight. The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors cites that nightlights can cause burns, fires, and electrocutions. But don’t be alarmed; there are ways to minimize these risks.
Light Exposure
Numerous studies address the issue of light exposure when you sleep. Too much light can harm your child’s melatonin levels, which helps them get to sleep.
And the color of your night light also matters. A Harvard study found that blue light suppresses melatonin production more than other light colors and can hinder your child’s ability to sleep.
To minimize light exposure:
- Don’t buy a blue light nightlight.
- Set the nightlight to the dimmest setting.
- If your child is still scared, then up the brightness but gradually reduce the light each night until it is on the lowest setting.
Overheating and Fires
Luckily, only ten fires from a nightlight are reported each year. But a nightlight can cause a fire if it overheats and melts. Usually, the leading cause is if the nightlight comes into contact with flammable materials.
To prevent overheating and fires:
- Ensure that the light is not touching the bed, curtains, carpet, or other combustible surfaces.
- Never cover the nightlight to reduce brightness.
- Use low-watt bulbs or LED lights that won’t overheat.
Electric Shock
Nightlights can pose a shock risk if they become wet or in damp environments like garages and patios. Extension cords and power strips also increase the risk of electrocution.
To minimize the chances of electric shock:
- Never plug your night light into an extension cord or power strip.
- Make sure the outlet is well ventilated.
- Never allow your child to touch or play with the nightlight.
If you follow these tips for reducing the safety risks, you should be completely safe to use a nightlight in your toddler’s bedroom.
Common Features of Nightlights for Toddlers
Nightlights for toddlers often have many standard features:
Adjustable Brightness
Many nightlights have adjustable brightness settings, which allow you to control how much light it projects. You’ll want to set it to the lowest setting possible to enable melatonin production.
Different Light Colors
Nightlights with different color settings allow you to customize which light is most soothing for your child. Warm or red-toned lights are the most beneficial for helping your child get to sleep.
Timers and Automatic Sensors
Because dark is best for promoting healthy sleep habits, nightlights with timers or automatic sensors are an excellent solution after your child falls asleep. This will keep the room dark unless it senses motion.
Projections
Several nightlights for toddlers offer soothing projection light shows for mild stimulation like a bedtime story. However, projections need to have a timer because you don’t want them to play all night.
Sound
More technical nightlights offer sound or Bluetooth capabilities, so you can select healthy white noise or lullabies to help your child get to sleep. Sound can be a powerful trigger in promoting a healthy sleep routine for your child.
Now that we have covered nightlight designs and safety concerns, let’s look at some essential factors to keep in mind when comparing different brands and models.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nightlights for Toddlers
We’ll answer a few of the most common questions about nightlights.
How much does a nightlight cost?
Nightlights are relatively affordable. Most nightlights are between $10-$50. The more expensive nightlights generally come with more features like sounds, projections, or customizable settings.
What kind of light bulb does the nightlight use?
Most nightlights use LED lights because they are efficient and safe to run all night.
How long will a nightlight last?
Most nightlights will run for seven to ten years.
Do I need an outlet for my nightlight?
This depends on the nightlight that you buy. Some require an outlet while others use rechargeable batteries.
What kind of sensor (if any) does the nightlight have?
Nightlights can have daylight sensors that automatically turn on when the sun goes down. And some night lights have motion sensors that will turn on when you enter the room.
Can my child sleep with the nightlight in their bed?
Toys with a nightlight feature are safe, but you should not have a nightlight near a child’s bed for safety.
How long does the product warranty last?
Most nightlight warranties are usually only for one-year to cover any faulty parts.
Our Final Word on the Best Nightlights for Toddlers
Nightlights are an excellent choice for reassuring and comforting your child at night. They promote healthy bedtime routines and provide security for your child. The Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine Night Light is our overall best pick for nightlights for toddlers because of its multi-functional features that promote healthy sleep habits.
The Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine Night Light has customizable light settings, an alarm clock, and white noise. It is also tamper-proof and never heats up, so you never have to worry about the safety of your child.
You can buy the Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine Night Light on Amazon now.
