I will not remain silent on this Dohm white noise machine any longer, so let’s have a look, and a listen.

Description

It’s a white, plastic, rounded, short cylinder with a three position on/off/on switch on the front. The outer plastic sleeve rotates to change the size and shape of the holes and therefore adjust the amount of noise.

Narrative

I don’t know when it was when I got hooked on white noise machines to help me sleep. It was probably around when I started sharing my domicile with other noise-making creatures.

Electronic noise makers (apps, other devices) just simply don’t cut it. Sure, they can offer you ocean waves or gentle rain or train noise or what-have-you, but invariably there is a point when the sound loops and I can definitely hear that and it drives me bonkers and does the opposite of put me to sleep. So I use this analog thing that uses a fan with a motor on the inside and that uses an inordinate amount of power for what it does (somewhere around 10 Watts?).

Functionality

It’s very simple: plug it in and turn it on. It has a high and a low setting. Turn the top to adjust the amount of white noise you get. It does not have batteries.

Quality

New they’re great. Keep them in good shape and they’re great. They are relatively balanced and don’t vibrate too much.

Reliability

As a very simple device, it is very reliable. I have not had this particular one not turn on.

Durability

The problem is they’re not very durable. Don’t drop them. They will get out of balance and start vibrating, or one of the speeds won’t work, or they’ll just generally get out of whack. So treat them nicely.

Conclusion

There really is nothing else like them around, so they travel with us. Which is the problem because they’re big and a bit fragile, so they don’t travel too well. Surround them with clothes and you may be okay. I’d still buy another one because most of the time it’s completely stationary on the bedside table or dresser. Maybe for travel I could tolerate and evaluate electronic ones to see if there are any where I can’t detect the loop.