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If you’re expecting for the first time, you’re probably knee-deep into your research of all the things you’ll need once your baby arrives, from diapers and wipes to onesies and burp cloths.
It’s easy to forget simple, yet helpful, accessories like a nursing night light, or a small night light that you can keep next to your feeding station to help guide your way in the dark without waking or disturbing your baby.
Whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, you can assume that your baby is going to need to eat at night — at least for the first several months.
- Best multicolor night light: MediAcous Night Light for Kids
- Best app-connected night light: Hatch Rest
- Best animal-themed night light: One Fire Night Light for Kids
- Best night light with rechargeable battery: Asani Cute Chick Night Light
- Best wall-mounted night light: RTSU Rechargeable Touch Light
- Best lamp night light: OREZI Unicorn Night Light
We chose the following night lights based on:
- affordability
- safety
- customer reviews
- convenience, such as whether they come with rechargeable batteries and how long a charge lasts
Read on for our top six picks.
Pricing guide
- $ = under $15
- $$ = $15–$30
- $$$ = over $30
Best multicolor night light
- Price: $$
- Rechargeable: yes
- Portable: yes
- Adjustable brightness: yes
- Light colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, white
This warm and dim night light is equipped with a responsive sensor that quickly adjusts between various colors with the slightest touch. You simply press and hold to dim or brighten the light, which makes it great for groggy late night or early morning feeds.
In addition, the battery can last up to 100 hours in low light mode or 5 hours in the dimmest or brightest settings, according to the company. A red LED will start blinking once it’s time to recharge it. You can also set a timer so that it’ll turn itself off after an hour.
Best app-connected night light
- Price: $$$
- Rechargeable: no
- Portable: yes
- Adjustable brightness: yes
- Light colors: red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue, purple, pink, white, rainbow
In addition to offering light at adjustable levels and colors, this night light acts as a sound machine with multiple sounds. Switch between modes with simple, one-finger touch control — great when wrangling a baby.
Even better, its functions can be controlled by a mobile app, even if you’re not in the room.
This night light’s sleek design will work in almost any room and can grow with your child.
You can use it to help establish sleep routines with your toddler even after they’re no longer nursing, or use the alarm feature when it’s time to wake up for school.
Best animal-themed night light
- Price: $$
- Rechargeable: no
- Portable: yes
- Adjustable brightness: yes
- Light colors: red, green, blue, purple, pink, dark pink
The bunny shape of this night light sets it apart, and makes it a great addition to any animal-themed nursery. Plus, this night light will las for years — as it will come in clutch during the nursing or bottle-feeding period, as well as once your toddler’s adjusted to a big-kid bed.
It has a variety of different colors and is battery-operated, lasting for up to 10 hours when you’re using it in the portable mode, according to the company. To change the light, you just tap the bunny. To dim it, hold down.
Best night light with rechargeable battery
- Price: $$
- Rechargeable: yes
- Portable: yes
- Adjustable brightness: yes
- Light color: yellow
In addition to having an adorable design — a baby chick with its head just peeping out of an egg — this portable night light wins the rechargeable battery game.
According to the company, it can run for up to 300 hours on a dim light or 8 full hours on an extra bright setting, giving you ample time on just one charge.
The light itself is an anti-blue-light LED, according to the company, so it will be energy efficient and you don’t have to worry about it getting too hot. You can also adjust the brightness and dimness with touch control.
Another perk is that this night light comes with a lifetime warranty. So, you don’t have to worry about it not working after some period of time and not having an easy fix on the horizon.
Best wall-mounted night light
- Price: $$
- Rechargeable: yes
- Portable: yes
- Adjustable brightness: yes
- Light color: white
If you’re looking for a night light that won’t take up precious table space, here’s an option you can stick to the wall, at an affordable price to boot.
It’s rechargeable and super easy to use. Simply tap it to turn it on or off, or hold down to make it brighter or dimmer.
The light itself is an LED, so you don’t have to worry about it heating up. Unlike many of the other options on our list, it doesn’t need to be placed on a nearby surface, and can be mounted to the wall.
Best lamp night light
- Price: $
- Rechargeable: no
- Portable: no
- Adjustable brightness: no
- Light color: white
If you’re looking for more of a lamp than an actual night light, you might find what you want in this small but useful option.
It’s simple, and offers a fun design and a light option that plugs into the wall and doesn’t require any batteries. The bulbs last up to 100,000 hours, according to the company. So while occasionally swapping the bulb could be a bit of a hassle, it’ll likely be infrequent — if ever.
The night light is also equipped with a front-facing smart sensor that automatically turns the light when the room dims or is dark. It comes in nine different printed lamp patterns, so you can match any nursery’s theme.
| Product | Price | Power source | How to turn it on | Noteworthy features |
| MediAcous Night Light for Kids | $$ | battery | touch | – one-hour timer – multiple colors – 100 hour of battery with one charge |
| Hatch Rest | $$$ | corded electric | touch, app | – doubles as sound machine – multiple colors – fully customizable – app-oriented |
| One Fire Night Light for Kids | $$ | battery | touch | – bunny design – multiple colors – portable |
| Asani Cute Chick Night Light | $$ | battery | toggle | – smart-touch controls – fast charging – portable |
| RTSU Rechargeable Touch Light | $$ | battery | touch | – small size – wall mount – rechargeable – anti-blue light |
| OREZI Unicorn Night Light | $ | corded electric | touch | – LED light (energy efficient) – fun design |
As with all products designed for your baby’s nursery, you may find the sheer quantity of night light options is overwhelming. Here are some considerations that may help you narrow the field and make a final decision.
- Power source: Many night lights are rechargeable with a USB, which can prove useful if you plan on moving your night light around or taking it for long trips. Others require you to put traditional batteries in the device, or that you plug the device into a wall. You should choose the option that best suits your nursery and lifestyle.
- Touch sensor: To make the process of using a night light easier during late night feedings or diaper changes, it’s helpful to look for options that can be manipulated via touch. These often allow you to turn the device on and off, as well as dim the brightness, with just the touch of a finger.
- Timer: Many night lights offer built-in timers and will shut off after a certain period, like an hour. This can be helpful not only while you’re feeding your baby, but also once your baby transitions into their toddler phase, when they may prefer night lights to help them fall asleep.
- Various colors: Some night lights have just one color while illuminated, whereas others offer a spectrum of colors to choose from. Depending on your preference, you may prefer one over the other.
Adding a night light to the nursery (or your own bedroom if your baby will be sleeping in there) can be beneficial for various reasons.
First, it creates a relaxing environment to help lull your baby back to sleep after a feeding.
It can also help you avoid any loud moments of clumsiness while getting situated in the dark, which means baby will (hopefully) sleep through your movements.
And having a night light can help you more easily change your little one’s diaper or check on your sleeping baby without waking them up.
As a bonus, it may also come in handy as a night light in your child’s room once they’re older.
What color light is best for baby at night?
While there’s limited research to back up the notion that one type of light is better for sleep than another, some evidence has suggested that red light may help stimulate sleep.
In fact, an older
However, there’s no research supporting blue or red night lights for children, in particular. At night, things like smartphones can have a
That said, you’ll likely want to opt for a night light dim enough that it won’t cause you or your baby to wake up while you’re nursing or caring for your little one at night.
Should babies sleep in the dark or with a night light?
A night light can certainly help a baby, and especially a developing toddler, fall asleep if darkness becomes a fear.
That said, it really boils down to your personal preference as a parent, and what your child is used to. In your kiddo’s first year, the function of a night light is more for you, as a caregiver in the wee hours of the night, than the baby.
There are plenty of great night lights available, many of which have unique features that you may find useful in your parenting journey — especially in that first year.
Before making a final purchase, you’ll want to consider which features are most in-line with your preferences and lifestyle habits. This will help you choose a night light that works for your baby and family in the long haul.