If you’ve ever sat in the dark rocking your toddler to sleep or stumbled through a dimly lit diaper change, you know how useful it is to have a good night light handy. The best night lights for kids’ rooms and nurseries are equipped with helpful features like adjustable dimness, white noise, portability and more. For instance, we love the Hatch Rest: It emits a gentle but powerful light and includes extras like white noise and app control. The portable and mom-approved Munchkin Light My Way night light is our top pick for bigger kids, particularly those who want the freedom to turn it off and on themselves.
The best night lights helpfully illuminate kids' rooms and aid with healthier sleep. Night Lights Plug Into Wall
“Using a night light for you baby or toddler can be an essential ingredient in establishing and maintaining consistent nighttime sleep,” says Ann Marks, sleep consultant and founder of Full Feedings. In addition to being comfort objects for kids, night lights are beneficial for parents. “It can also help navigate any middle of the night care without further stimulating or fully waking your baby up,” Marks says. That said—and based on our extensive research and personal experience as parents—we gathered the best night lights to help restore order to your family’s sleep routine, whether you have a baby, toddler or big kid.
Dimmable: Yes | Power source: Plug-in, rechargeable battery | Extra features: Sound machine, sleep timer, audio monitor, app control, sleep trainer
There’s a reason this is the top favorite among parents interviewed for this story (co-author of this story Lex Goodman included). In addition to providing a soothing glow in a rainbow of colors, The Hatch Rest is also a sound machine, an okay-to-wake sleep trainer and an audio monitor, eliminating the need for extra gear in the nursery. It’s all easy to control via an app or manual touch controls. You can activate features on a schedule to create a routine and choose to plug it in or use it untethered and on the go. There’s also a toddler lock option so curious little hands can’t mess with the manual settings.
What parents say: “I love the Hatch light,” mom Lauren Kauffman says. “It offers a dim light (of any color) as well as various sounds, and I can control everything from my phone. I give it a 10 out of 10.”
Dimmable: No | Power source: 3 AAA batteries | Extra features: Kid-sized carry handle, auto-shutoff timer, soft LED light
Not only is this cute little owl night light a great price at less than $20, but it’s also a wonderful option for kids who’ve worked hard to develop some autonomy, because they can independently turn it on and off. It also has an easy-to-use handle so your child can take it to the restroom for middle of the night potty trips.
Keep in mind that this portable little light shuts off automatically after 20 minutes. It also requires batteries to run, though parent testers told us the batteries seem to last for quite some time, perhaps because of the auto-shutoff.
What parents say: One mom tells us that her daughter turns this light on by herself when she wakes up early and reads books in bed. Rose Gordon Sala, Forbes Vetted’s senior kids and gear editor, shares that her kids use this nightlight more for playtime, given its limited runtime. That said, they can easily use it themselves.
Dimmable: Yes | Power source: Plug-in | Extra features: Rechargeable, tap on, toggle to warm hue, 8 light colors, 1-hour timer
The Vava night light brings some ease to a not-so-easy portion of parenthood. Ideal for newborns, infants and babies, this portable night light provides eight color options and 100 hours of long-lasting battery life to make night wakings so much easier. The Vava also includes a one-hour timer so you don’t have to worry about leaving it on and losing the battery if you fall asleep.
What the parents say: “I used to tap this little egg night light on with a toe or an elbow as I raced in to feed my babies in the middle of the night,” shares Sala. “I love the warm light option, too, as I felt it was bright enough for nursing and a diaper change but wouldn’t wake the baby too much. And it has continued working well as the kids have gotten older but still want a little night light to chase away bad dreams.” Goodman, co-author of this piece, says, “I vividly remember this light being a huge help during the early days with my son when he slept in a bassinet next to the bed but would feed and have his diaper changed in another room.”
Dimmable: No | Power source: Plug-in | Extra features: Rechargeable, sound machine, ready-to-rise clock, timer, child lock
Many parents swear by ready-to-rise (or okay-to-wake) clockes for toddlers. They help some toddlers understand when it’s okay to get out of bed with the help of a big smiling visual, including a dim glow of red, green or yellow light. While this clock also serves as a standard night light during bedtime hours, it’s most helpful in aiding with impulse control, especially if your little one is sleeping in a toddler bed and not a crib. You set the time, and the clock glows to indicate that it’s alright for your tyke to get out of bed. The one downside is that you have to rely on the four pre-set brightness and volume levels instead of being able to adjust them yourself.
What the parents say: “All three of my kids have used this toddler clock as I tried to keep them in bed a bit longer,” says Sala. “It’s lasted us nearly a decade now and is currently sitting on my preschooler’s bedside. The night light gives off a just-right dim glow that you can also face away from them to make it darker if you like. I can’t promise your tot will follow the ‘okay to wake’ settings, but it has worked for us to get them back on track, and I like that it introduces the concept of time in a friendly way, too. I do find it a pain to reset the clock and the alarm settings.”
Dimmable: Yes | Power source: Plug-in, rechargeable batteries | Extra features: Touch control, rechargeable, dimmable, brightness memory setting, hanging hook
If the $70 Hatch isn’t in your budget but you’re a fan of the aesthetic, you’re in luck. The G Keni has a similar shape and portability with a much smaller price tag, making it our best value night light pick. This baby-friendly night light offers touch activation, a dimmable light, a brightness memory setting and a hanging hook design. Plus, it’s easily rechargeable and can glow for up to 50 hours (depending on the brightness level) when fully charged.
Looks aside, it’s worth noting that unlike the Hatch, the G Keni does not have a built-in sound machine, multicolored light options or smart features. However, its rechargeable design should be preferable to parents wanting to avoid cords, and at around $20, you can snag a few for multiple rooms.
Dimmable: Yes | Power source: Plug-in | Extra features: White noise, HEPA-grade air purifier, four light hues, auto-shutoff timer, three fan speeds
While several products on this list include a sound machine and night light, this option from Fridababy includes the addition of a HEPA-grade air purifier, a major plus when thinking about setting up your nursery. The combination of three products in one frees up space in your child’s room and means less items to purchase, too. The night light on this gadget includes four light hues. There are also two white noise options, three air purifier fan speeds and an auto-shutoff timer with options of 2, 4 or 8 hours.
What parents say: Writer Goodman says, “I used this nifty night light, sound machine and air purifier combo while out of town one weekend and was very pleasantly surprised. The one downside that I, and most reviewers, point out is that it isn’t portable or rechargeable, which isn’t a deal-breaker but would make it even more convenient.”
Dimmable: Yes | Power source: Plug-in | Extra features: Remote control, nine color options, 10 character options, timer, rechargeable
These adorable night lights are a hit with kids. They’re available in a wide array of popular animals and characters (think: dinosaurs, unicorns, astronauts and bunny rabbits) so no matter what your child is interested in, they’ll be able to pick something that fits their taste and interest. This pick is made from high-quality silicone so it’s soft to the touch. It’s also portable and rechargeable, making it great for travel or sleepovers at Grandma’s house. Each LumiPet night light offers a rainbow of nine changing colors and is just over 5 inches tall.
Dimmable: Yes (motion-activated) | Power source: Plug-in | Extra features: Motion sensor technology, backlit design, Night Owl and Sleep modes
For an option that works equally well in your kid’s room as it does in the bathroom, hallway and guest room, sleep brand Casper delivers with this clever night light. It features a unique backlit design (in the default Sleep mode) so that the soft, indirect glow won’t keep you or your tyke up at night. When you set it to Night Owl mode, the gadget gradually brightens just enough when it senses nearby movement, but not so much that you wake baby while you’re changing their diaper. Having two modes makes this night light quite versatile: Keep one in the calming glow of Sleep mode in the bedroom, and put another in Night Owl mode in the hallway or bathroom so it brightens whenever someone is navigating in the dark.
Dimmable: Yes | Power source: Plug-in | Extra features: Alexa-compatible, rainbow countdown timer, wake-up setting, routine-setting feature, dozens of color options
If you live in an Echo-equipped home, the Echo Glow offers endless uses beyond just being a nightlight. Compatible with all Alexa-enabled devices like the Echo Dot and Echo Dot Kids, you can choose to adjust the smart lamp’s color and brightness using either voice control or with a tap. It also has a useful and fun color-changing Rainbow Timer that offers a visual countdown to help kids with various activities, like their bedtime routine, getting ready in the morning, putting toys away and more. And speaking of sleep, it even has a wake-up setting that gradually increases the night light’s brightness to help kids ease into waking up.
Not only is the smart light extremely useful for adults (you can pre-set countless rules and color and brightness combinations, and its versatility is helpful with nighttime activities like diaper changes and feedings), but older kids will also have a blast asking the Glow to match colors with their outfit that day or turn on their favorite color pattern to match their mood (pre-loaded ones include Disco, Valentines and Campfire).
The Forbes Vetted team consists of avid researchers who are experienced in identifying and reviewing the best baby and kids gear, from baby monitors to diaper pails. For this story on the best night lights, we also enlisted outside sources to weigh in: Ann Marks, a sleep consultant and founder of Full Feedings, as well as other moms who’ve used some of these products in their homes. Beyond our team’s professional expertise, many of our staff members and contributors are also parents, so you’ll also find their recommendations in this story. They include Lex Goodman, the co-author of this story, and Rose Gordon Sala, Vetted’s senior baby and kids editor and a mom of three.
Our editorial team also regularly updates our recommendation lists, making sure that the picks above are still in stock, accurately described and—in our opinion—the best of the best. This article was last updated in December 2023 by home writer Fran Sales with the addition of the Casper Glow and the Echo Glow.
To choose the best night lights for kids, we first tapped into our own experiences: As a mother herself, Goodman, co-author of this story, has tried a number of these night lights firsthand, as has Sala, Forbes Vetted’s baby and kids gear editor. For each night light on this list, we also thoroughly researched features, compared specs and browsed customer reviews—in fact, all of our picks have an average star rating of over 4 out of 5 stars. From feature-heavy options like the plug-in Hatch Rest to simple, portable options like the Munchkin Light My Way, we made sure to cover options for different nursery needs, age ranges and budgets.
Adding a night light to your child’s room is a safe way to create a more comfortable sleep environment, as long as it checks a few boxes. You’ll want to make sure the design is kid-friendly and age-appropriate (in other words, that it doesn’t get hot or have small parts that could pose a choking hazard) and that it’s placed in a safe spot. Marks notes, “When utilizing a night light, make sure its placement in the room is not too close to baby’s crib.” For corded options, you’ll want to make sure the cord is well out of reach, too.
Simply put: Some do, some don’t. Like many aspects of parenting, this depends on their temperament. Trial and error will show you if your kid likes a lighter sleep environment or if they thrive more in a pitch-black room. One thing to keep in mind? “If you find that your baby prefers to sleep without a night light, as some do, I would still recommend keeping one in the room,” Marks shares. “That way you can turn it on if you need to see where you’re going in the night to provide care and comfort.” She adds another tip: “If possible, find a dimmable night light so you have options for brightness to accommodate your baby’s preference.” Almost all of our top picks (except for two) are dimmable, including the Hatch Rest, our best overall pick.
This ultimately is up to parent and kid preference but some research shows that red light is most optimal for prime sleeping conditions. “I highly recommend a red light night light, as they are known to help our bodies produce melatonin naturally, which helps promote better sleep,” Marks points out. Several of our recommended night lights offer red as a color option, including the Hatch Rest, Echo Glow and LumiPets Junior Touch.
I'm a graduate of the University of Miami. Before joining Forbes I worked as a reporter and editor at Bloomberg where I covered everything from sports to how negative rates impacted the Black-Scholes model.
I'm a graduate of the University of Miami. Before joining Forbes I worked as a reporter and editor at Bloomberg where I covered everything from sports to how negative rates impacted the Black-Scholes model.
I’m a senior fashion editor covering women's and men's fashion, accessories and athletic apparel. My writing has appeared in T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Vogue and The Wall Street Journal. Prior to joining Forbes, I wrote two books, including The New Beauty: A Modern Look at Beauty, Culture, and Fashion. I've studied fashion styling and hold certificates in jewelry essentials from the Gemological Institute of America and design history from Sotheby’s Institute of Art. A native New Englander, I grew up in Rhode Island and was—and remain—a sneaker obsessive with far too many pairs of white sneakers.
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Valerio Farris is a Milan-based writer and editor who specializes in content from lifestyle to food to style and design. He’s worked for publications across four different countries. He’s almost always eating.
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Nightlamp I’m a writer, editor, and fashion/beauty/pop culture enthusiast living in New York City. If I’m not in the middle of a Law & Order: SVU marathon, then I’m probably walking my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Dexter, shopping, or searching for the best cacio e pepe that the city has to offer. I previously served as Features Editor at InStyle and my writing has appeared in Elle, Refinery29, Vice, and more. I’m always up to discuss celebrity memoirs, emo bands of the early aughts, and the weekly Sakara Life menu; follow me at @samanthajsimon.