A night light is an exhausted parent’s secret weapon, providing a friendly glow to a bedroom at an age when little ones might start to fear the dark.
Whether you’re thinking about investing in a light that projects patterns onto the ceiling for your newborn or something to offer your toddler a little extra security at night when the lights go out, with such an array of night lights out there (183 million results on Google and counting) choosing the right one for your child can be as tricky as sleep training.
What is a night light?
A comforting lamp in a soft tone that’s bright enough to help a child sleep alone in the dark, while not being so bright as to be distracting. Night lights are a regular feature in a sleep training routine and can also help children understand when it’s bedtime and time to wake up.
While not wanting to choose style over substance, you’ll want something that looks appealing to your child and makes them feel safe. Affordability is also a factor, along with user-friendly functionality. No one wants to be stuck trying to figure out the dimmer settings while your little one is throwing a wobbly. Does it come with a USB charger, is it battery operated or does it need to be charged 24/7? The latter being an even bigger consideration with the recent increase in energy bills.
You might also want to consider how portable the nightlight is, especially if you are staying over with grandparents on a semi regular basis. Does it play music? Are there any educational features or light projections? Can it stand up on its own or does it need to be attached to a cot? Is there a variety of brightness settings or a child-friendly on and off switch? No matter what your child’s age or your personal preferences, there is a night light out there to soothe your child spectacularly.
From a squeezable Miffy-shaped night light to a portable penguin lamp that boasts over 1,000 5-star reviews on Amazon, and even a high-tech smart cloud which you control from your phone, we’ve rounded up the best of the bunch.
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Mr Maria Miffy First Light
A night light that’s huggable too? Now there’s something you don’t see every day.
The Miffy first light is super lightweight, made from squeezable silicone and BPA free, which makes it perfect for little ones to cuddle. The LED light is cool and safe to touch when on, which is ideal for children from newborn upwards and eliminates any fears about raising the room temperature over the recommended 20-22C. Featuring a six-step light brightness function and including night mode which gradually dims to simulate a sunset, this night light is as huggable as it is high tech.
The USB-C charging cable means there’s no messing around with batteries and unscrewing parts to insert. This is one of the best children’s night lights if you’re looking for something that will grow with your baby into toddler years and pre-school.
Plus, we love the fact you can collect a whole family of Miffy characters, including minis and a supersized Miffy. Cuteness overload.
Buy now £65.00, Kidly
Peter Rabbit Bedtime Night Light
Fans of the beloved classic from Beatrix Potter will adore this squeezable Peter Rabbit bedtime night light. He’s even dressed accordingly in his trademark pastel blue jacket and nightcap. Part-soft toy, by pressing Peter Rabbit’s foot, you’ll activate the glowing night light, which makes pulsating heartbeat sounds to deeply relax little ones and create a calming environment. There is also the added option of a soothing Brahm’s Lullaby if your child is a future composer, or simply prefers melodies to white noise.
Being battery operated means you can take Peter anywhere. Soft and cuddly, this night light is perfect for babies and young toddlers.
Buy now £32.00, Jojo Mama Bebe
Babymoov sleepy white noise nightlight
This pebble-shaped nightlight by Babymoov is great for helping your newborn to infant drift off with the soothing sound of white and pink noise and nature sounds to choose from, plus the volume is adjustable too. According to the brand, 80 per cent of children fall asleep in less than five minutes when listening to white noise and when tested we tested this out it definitely lived up to this claim.
The tap and light technology switches on a magical rainbow-coloured light that isn’t too bright to avoid sensory overload when you’re trying to get your little one to settle. The nightlight also benefits from an integrated timer system so you can turn sound off after 10 minutes and the light off after 30 minutes, so perfect with those night feeds. It’s great value for money too and in a travel-friendly size, it’s a win win.
Buy now £19.99, Jojo Maman Bebe
PurFlo Snoozee Sleep Trainer & Clock
If you’re looking to get your little cherub into a bedtime routine, PurFlo Snoozee Sleep Trainer & Clock is a great option. As well as a comforting night light with adjustable brightness, the clock helps to teach little ones when they should go to sleep (or stay in bed!) with an illuminated display that has a moon to for night time and a sun as a morning wake up call.
With hours of consumer research developed around safe sleep guidelines, this clock has been constructed using hypoallergenic materials and is fully rechargeable so it can be used unplugged.
There is even an added child lock, so little ones can’t change settings, and an alarm clock if you are lucky enough to have a child who doesn’t wake you up at the crack of dawn! Educational and stylish, this is one of the best night lights for those who want to create a solid bedtime routine for kids aged 3 years and over.
Buy now £29.00, Kidly
Infantino Soothing Light & Projector
If your little one is into stargazing, look no further than this Infantino soothing light projector that creates a magical atmosphere with a colourful starry night scene reflecting on to walls and ceilings. As well as a light functionality, this also features music with six choices to choose from. The added straps make it easy to attach to a cot and can then be converted to a tabletop projector once your baby grows.
If you are still at that sleep training stage, there is even a smart sound sensor, when stirring is detected the nightlight automatically activates to soothe your baby back to sleep, so no need for getting in and out of bed to settle and with such a low-price tag this is an all-round winner.
Buy now, Amazon
Sweet Dreamers Ewan Deluxe
The iconic Ewan the sheep is a bestseller and award winner for a very good reason. With the calming sound of a real womb and heartbeat, as well as rainfall, harp melody tune and hoover effect to soothe and calm little ones - this is perfect for sleep-induced new parents. The calming pink night light isn’t too harsh for babies, but once your baby grows you might want to consider an additional night light that is a little brighter to add extra security for children
This cuddly soft sheep can be used inside a cot and easily attached to bars.There’s also the addition of a cry activated sensor, meaning you can spend less time hoping out of bed when your baby stirs, which makes it ideal for babies under 12 months.
Buy now £39.99, Amazon
Tommee Tippee Penguin 2 in 1 Portable Night Light
British brand Tommee Tippee is known for being the number one bottle feeding brand in the UK, and when it comes to night lights Tommee Tippee’s friendly little penguin is certainly one to consider.
Expect a comforting glow (no harsh lighting here) and battery-free with a handy USB charging lead, this will provide an impressive 10 hours of light, but just be sure to put back on charge the next day.
We love the fact after 18 months this can be used as a portable night light when lifted from the base for creative role play den making and of course used as a security light after a bad dream. With over 1,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, this one certainly ticks all the right boxes for what we look for in a good night light.
Buy now £40.00, Amazon
Mamas & Papas Elephant Shelves & Nightlight
Bookshelves that also double up as a night light? Yes please. If you’re looking to create a nursery for a newborn then Mamas & Papas Elephant Shelves & Nightlight set is just the thing to make an adorable wall display in your little one’s room and we’ve spotted it in many celebrity’s nurseries on Instagram. This pine set is finished to the highest standard and comes with two different sized elephant adorned shelves that are perfect for storing keepsake items and books.
The night light is inside a battery operated balloon held by a third adorable elephant, creating a soft and calming environment for your baby to enjoy before drifting off. This is easy to assemble and mount on the wall, too, so no one need fear a DIY nightmare.
Buy now £49.00, Mamas & Papas
Misty the Smart Cloud
This 4-in-1 smart cloud is not just a night light, it also doubles up as a nursery room thermometer, soothing light show, sleep trainer (hallelujah!) and personal assistant all in one, so you certainly get more bang for your buck with this option. Suitable from birth to toddler years, simply link up the smart cloud using your mobile phone app and Alexa, which allows you to keep track of functions like brightness without tiptoeing into your child’s bedroom to adjust the settings.
Combining two light therapy shows to gently soothe little ones, as well as a colour change sleep trainer which gets brighter when it’s time to wake up, not to mention the personal assistant to record feeding plans, nap schedule, and so on, this piece of kit will truly revolutionise your routine. Plus, the digital thermometer is an added bonus and helps new parents understand when to add or take away a layer to keep your child from overheating.
Buy now £59.99, Sweet Dreamers
Djeco Fawn Night Light
Looking for something a little different? Then Djeco’s snowglobe night light creates a magical and calming environment for children as they get ready to drift off. Kids who adore fairy tales will enjoy the whimsical scene of a magical forest with a fawn in centre accompanied by birds and toadstools. Gentle glimmering flakes swirl to create a calming atmosphere with an array of different colours. Due to the fragile snowglobe effect/ nature of the product, it’s solely for adults to operate until a child reaches 3 years old. Helpfully, rather than having to go in and turn off the light when your little one falls asleep, this model automatically switches off after 45 minutes.
Though many may see it’s need for batteries as a potential downside, this is an ideal option for those who want to create a calming atmosphere at bedtime.
Buy now £36.95, Trouva
Verdict
Though it very much depends on the age of your child, for us, the classic Mr Maria Miffy first light is a perfect baby to child night light which combines playful appeal with soothing soft lighting and a dimmer function which stops the room getting too bright. It’s lightweight, petite design won’t feel bulky and it’s snuggly enough for your little one to enjoy moving around their favourite play area and into bed.
