6 Best Night Lights For Kids (2021 Reviews)

Best Night Light for Kids - Guide

Back in the day, most night lights for kids were basic. They usually came with a small bulb and a plastic shade that was attached to a plug. You stuck them into the outlet, switched them on, and hoped that they would give your little ones some security at night.

Today’s night lights have come a long way. They feature timers, dimmers, colorful lights, and other entertaining features. Some even play music.

Kids can rest easy when they have a night light that soothes them, makes them feel safe, and lulls them to sleep. They also need a product that will help them stay asleep or go back to sleep easily if they wake up during the night.

These are the best night lights for kids in 2021.

Circle number 1 Top Pick

Lumipets Silicone Night Light

This adorable bear lamp is soft, squishy, and soothing.

Why We Like This Night Light

  • Portable
  • Gentle glow in eight soothing colors
  • Advanced built-in battery is rechargeable
  • Non-toxic, washable surface is safe for kids
  • Easy to clean

The gentle illumination of candlelight is soothing for anyone. However, it’s dangerous to have an open flame in your child’s nursery. The Lumipets silicone night light provides a similar glow and is completely safe for kids.

You don’t have to plug this night light into a socket. It runs on batteries, and you can charge it using a micro USB cord. The battery lasts for approximately 12 to 20 hours when it’s fully charged.

Therefore, this night light is portable. You can bring it with you when you travel, and your child can carry it with them if they need to go to the bathroom or find you at night.

Kids can even sleep with the product. The light never gets warm, which means that it can safely hold up to a lot of snuggles. It also sits securely on a nightstand, table, or floor.

This product is so easy to use that you can teach your child how to operate it. Just pat the animal’s head to change the colors of the lights.

The basic version does not come with a remote. However, you can purchase the upgraded version to operate the night light with a remote control that includes a timer. The remote also adjusts the brightness level.

Circle number2

Bubzi Penguin Night Light

This plush nightlight soothes kids in several ways—with sounds, softness, and light.

Why We Like This Night Light

  • 30-minute timer shuts the device off automatically
  • Mesmerizing star projections soothe and entertain little ones
  • Provides a variety of blissful sounds
  • Plush penguin is easy to wash by hand
  • Comes with one set of batteries

The makers of this night light claim that it can help your child go to sleep in 30 minutes or less. It has multiple features that calm kids and soothes them into dreamland.

It’s a soft, cuddly penguin with a sound machine in its belly. The product plays ten different lullabies that can make your little one feel more peaceful at night. If the music is distracting, you can choose to play white noise, a heartbeat pulse, or a bird song.

Five different volume levels allow you to customize the sound to your child’s needs. If you want your child to nap in the car, you might need to turn the volume up. In the middle of the night, you might choose to keep the nightlight on the lowest sound setting.

The device also projects illuminated stars in the direction that it’s pointed. This can mesmerize your child, encouraging their eyes to close.

The device works with conventional batteries, so you don’t have to plug it into the wall and worry about electrical issues or safety. It has an automatic shut-off function that stops the lights and music within 30 minutes. If your child isn’t asleep by then, you can always turn it on for another round.

Many parents find that this soft penguin keeps their kids relaxed even when it’s not time to sleep. Have your child play with it when they’re cranky, and see if it stops the fussing.

Circle number3

Kids Optical Illusion Bedside Lamp

This dream-like night light creates a spellbinding optical illusion.

Why We Like This Night Light

  • Makes an excellent decoration
  • Powered by a USB cable or batteries
  • LED lights don’t get hot and are safe to touch
  • Intricate design

This 3D illusion night light looks like a hologram. It’s created with what looks like a framework of wires that light up to make it look like a sculpture of an animal.

The lights are dim enough to keep your child sleepy even if you turn it on at night. But they’re bright enough to illuminate the room if you need to see enough to change a diaper or feed your child.

This night light has more than one working mode. You can operate it with remote control, which means that you don’t have to get out of bed to turn it on or change colors.

You can keep it on one solid color. The colors include red, green, cyan, yellow, blue, purple, and white. You can also opt to cycle between colors for an especially festive effect. Even if you choose the alternating color pattern, the lights change slowly and calmly. You can also operate the bear using a touch switch on the base.

A USB cable powers this night light. Plug it into an adapter, laptop, or power bank. It also works with batteries, which means that you can use it if your power goes out.

Circle number4

Boon Glo Nightlight With Portable Balls

This versatile nightlight lets you spread out the glow or keep it in one place.

Why We Like This Night Light

  • Futuristic design is unique and fun
  • Glowing balls can be removed and used around the room
  • Battery-operated night light is portable
  • Provides a gentle glow

This modern night light has a streamlined and contemporary feel. It looks like a sculptural work of art but has a practical function.

Three conical shapes extend from the base. At the top of each protrusion, there’s a glowing ball. Leave the balls in to use this product as a lamp. Remove the balls if you want to spread light around the room.

You might use this on your child’s nightstand as they go to sleep. After they drift off, you could remove the balls and put one by the door, another in the hallway, and the last one in the bathroom. The balls will glow for about 30 minutes after you remove them from the base.

Kids love the fact that they can remove the glowing balls and play with them. They may feel comfortable keeping one of them in their hands as they go to sleep so that they know that the light is never far away. Because the balls are free of BPA, phthalates, and PVC, they’re safe for little ones to hold.

The lights also change colors. You can choose to keep the lamp on one color mode or alternate between them.

Circle number5

Hatch Baby Rest Night Light and Sound Machine

This night light is compatible with your smartphone so that you can better control your child’s sleep.

Why We Like This Night Light

  • Streamlined, neutral design
  • Great for any age
  • You can control it with a mobile device
  • The mobile app can control multiple devices

If you’re looking for a multi-functional product that does more than just a night light, look no further. This little product glows, emits soothing sounds, and features a time-to-rise alert.

One of the best features of this night light is that you can control it remotely using your smartphone. Therefore, you don’t have to enter your child’s room and disrupt their slumber if you need to adjust it. However, you can also operate it manually from the product itself or program it to turn on automatically.

The streamlined design is modern enough to use in any room of the house. Because it’s not babyish, it can grow with your child. This night light is perfectly appropriate to use in an older child’s room or guest room.

The product promotes sleep by helping you create a bedtime routine. You can set up different programs using a mobile device. For example, have the night light turn on by itself to alert kids to the fact that bedtime is near. You can also program the light to turn on in the morning and warn children that it’s time to get up.

If you’re worried about your child overriding the programs that you’ve set up on your smartphone, the manufacturer has already considered that. The app contains a toddler lock that prevents anyone from adjusting the device manually if you want to have full control.

The intuitive app allows you to manage more than one device at a time. You can buy one for each room in the house if you want to.

Circle number6

Miroco Night Light

This light is perfect for parents who need to feed their babies or change diapers at night.

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Why We Like This Night Light

  • Portable
  • Holds a charge for a long time
  • Emits a gentle glow that’s light enough to see what you’re doing
  • Doubles as a hiking or camping light

If you’re looking for a dim lamp that’s easy on the eyes in the middle of the night, you might want to check out the Miroco night light. It’s portable and functions as a bright or dim light. This may be the only lamp that you need in the nursery.

When the light is off, double-tap the top to turn it on. When it’s in standby mode, all you have to do is tap the top of the light for half a second to put it in night light mode. One hour later, it will shut off automatically. You can also turn it off manually if you don’t want it to stay on that long.

It will remain lit on the dim setting for up to 200 hours when it’s fully charged. The light lasts for up to 6 hours on the regular setting.

You can charge the light directly by plugging the cord into the bottom of the lamp. However, the light also comes with a base that keeps it steady and prevents it from toppling over. You can plug the charging cord into the base also.

You can scroll through various color settings to find the one that soothes your child the best. The light is so easy to operate that most kids can do it by themselves.

This light is one of the most portable. It has a silicone handle and carabiner that you can use to hang it in the car, inside a clubhouse, or from the ceiling of a tent when you’re camping.

FAQ

How Are Night Lights Beneficial for Kids?

If you don’t have kids, you might not realize how dark your house is at night. That is until you get up to get a glass of water and stumble around in the dark. You might turn on a light to help you see.

Night Lights Help Maintain Your Circadian Rhythm

But exposing yourself to bright lights when you’re supposed to be sleeping can mess with your circadian rhythm, the natural hormonal cycles within your body that make you sleepy at night and energetic during the day.

The same thing can happen to your child. Kids might need to get up in the night for a multitude of reasons:

  • To have their diaper changed
  • To get a snack or drink
  • Because they had a nightmare
  • Because they can’t sleep
  • To get a hug or cuddle

When they get out of bed, they need to be able to see so that they don’t hurt themselves or get scared. But you don’t want to wake them fully by turning on all the lights.

Night Lights Promote Safety

A night light makes it safer for adults and children to get around the house at night. If your child needs your attention and you’re stumbling around, everyone in the situation may get stressed. Being able to cater to your child’s needs at any hour of the night is essential. Showing them that you’re relaxed can help them settle down so that they fall back asleep quickly.

Going to Sleep Can Be Stressful

Some kids are frightened by the dark. Going to sleep can be stressful for them. They may lie there, feeling anxious, which heightens their fight-or-flight response.
These kids might be soothed by some light. The soft illumination is soothing and calms their nerves. Once they are relaxed, these children may have an easier time drifting off.

What Should You Consider When Buying a Night Light?

The most basic type of night light is the kind that plugs directly into an outlet. These may have a few different brightness modes or a motion sensor. However, they’re not always the most soothing for little ones.

If you’re looking for a night light for a child, here are some things to consider.

How Soothing Is It?

Babies may need more than light to lull them to sleep at night. They need to feel comforted and secure. Many products for young children have extra features to make the night sky especially soothing. For example, you might want to look for a plush or squishy option that your child can cuddle with as they fall asleep.

Does It Have Sound?

Many night lights combine sounds with a soothing glow. White noise can activate a calming response in your child. It also provides a consistent background sound that can encourage them to sleep in any environment. Models that double as sound machines are excellent for drowning out sounds that could keep your kid awake.

What Colors Does It Have?

Some only glow in one color. But many offer multiple colors. You might be able to rotate through the color options or keep it steady throughout the night.

Although you might not think that this feature is important, your child may believe otherwise. When the light glows with your little one’s favorite color, they may be ever so grateful that they can finally fall asleep in peace.

How Does It Get Power?

Some night lights use your electrical outlet as a power source. With these, you don’t have to worry about recharging them. However, if they don’t have a battery backup, they won’t work during power outages. You also have to make sure that you can situate the light close to a power outlet.
Other night lights get power from USB cords or batteries. With these, you need to ensure that they’re charged or you have a battery backup when they run low on power. You can use these during emergencies and even in the car or on camping trips, though.

How Does It Turn Off?

Most people probably don’t want to run a light all night. At some point, you need to teach your child to sleep in darkness. Plus, a light that stays on throughout the sleep cycle could cause your child to wake frequently throughout the night.

Some night lights have timers that shut them off after a specified period of time. If you choose one of those, you might need to sneak into the child’s room to turn it back on if it shuts off before the kiddo is asleep. Some of the best night lights are programmable or work with apps that control their power, light level, and volume.

Choosing a Winner

Although all of the night lights that we reviewed are kid-friendly and soothing, they have different features that may or may not be valuable to you.

Everyone is different, but there’s one night light that we think would be ideal for almost anyone. That’s the Hatch Baby Rest Night Light.

We love the fact that you can control it with a mobile device. That means that you don’t have to worry about a timer shutting off automatically. If you know that your child is still awake and needs some more time with the soothing lights, you can keep the device going from another room.

This product also has a sound machine to drown out distracting noises and lull your little one to sleep. The OK-to-wake alarm helps to train your child to stay in bed in the morning, which can give parents some extra shuteye.

This night light is powered by a plug. It doesn’t work with batteries. Therefore, it’s not the best option to use in a car or space that doesn’t have electricity, and it won’t work if the power goes out. However, it has so many other features that we definitely think that it’s worth the investment.

Brett Gordon
 

The brains behind The Toy Report. Having clocked tons of time in toys research and online resource development, today, Brett is dedicated to making The Toy Report a trusted space in the world of toy reviews and recommendations.