HoMedics Deep Sleep II

homedics.com

HoMedics sells sound machines through pharmacies and supermarkets everywhere, and the Deep Sleep line is the reason the brand is familiar: a compact box with eight or so programmes, a sleep timer, adjustable volume and a price that rarely passes forty dollars. Some models add a projection lamp or an alarm clock. Build quality is plain plastic, but the machines are easy to replace and easy to find on a shelf the same evening.

A reasonable first purchase for a student room, a guest bedroom or a desk in a shared office, and an easy gift because nothing needs setting up. Audiophiles and very light sleepers will hear the loops, particularly on the rain and ocean tracks, and the small driver cannot fill a large room. Batteries are not part of most models, so a socket near the bed is required.