Sleep · Months 12 to 24
Night lights: dim, warm, and often outside the bedroom.
A child who sleeps well in the dark doesn’t need a night light. Most night lights are for the adult doing the 2am check. If you use one, the colour matters more than the brand.
- 2 picks, 3 skips
- Recall-checked Oct 2026
- Includes the $0 option
Independent picks. If you buy through our Amazon links we may earn a commission; as an Amazon Associate, Betteroo earns from qualifying purchases. It never decides what makes the list. How we choose
The short answer
If your child sleeps well in the dark, change nothing. If you need light for night visits, put a GE amber plug-in in the hall and the bathroom. If you already own a Hatch Baby, set a red or amber light in the app at a low brightness; don’t buy one just for the light.
Harvard Health says to use dim red lights for night lights, because red light is less likely to shift the body clock and suppress melatonin. On October 6, 2026 we checked both picks’ live US listings, price bands and the CPSC recall database.
At a glance
Two night lights
GE Light-Sensing Amber LED Night Light, 2 Pack
A warm amber plug-in that turns itself on in the dark and off in daylight.
Price band: Budget Check price Why it made the list
Hatch Baby Sound Machine and Night Light
A sound machine with a light that can be set to red or amber, if you set it up in the app.
Price band: Mid-range Check price Why it made the listBefore you buy
What a night light has to do
A common mistake is a white, blue or colour-changing light in the bedroom. Harvard Health says blue light suppresses melatonin more strongly than other light, and that even dim light can affect it.
We assess both picks on the same things: the colour, how it turns on, how it’s powered, and what’s in the box.
Warm colour
Amber or red, not white or blue.
Dim
Enough to see by on a night visit, not to read by.
Cheap to try
The plug-in is in our Budget band; the Hatch only if you own one.
The picks
Why each one made the list
GE Light-Sensing Amber LED Night Light, 2 Pack
A warm amber plug-in that turns itself on in the dark and off in daylight.
A small plug-in LED night light with a warm amber glow and a frosted lens. It turns on in the dark and off in daylight, its LEDs stay cool to the touch, and it uses one outlet while leaving the second one free (Jasco, which makes GE night lights). It isn’t made for babies in particular, and it doesn’t need to be. We’d put one in the hall and one in the bathroom, so a night visit never needs the overhead light.
Why it’s worth it
- Amber, with no blue-white light
- Dusk-to-dawn sensor, nothing to switch
- Two in the pack, in our Budget band
Key specs
- Light
- Amber, one level
- Turns on
- By itself, at dusk
- Power
- Plugs into the outlet
- In the box
- 2 night lights
From Jasco’s product page, then the amazon.com listing, checked October 6, 2026.
Safety check
- No recalls found in the CPSC recall database (searched by product name, Oct 6, 2026). The brand search returns GE appliance recalls (cooktops, refrigerators), none of them night lights.
- The listing says it is UL listed, and Jasco says the LEDs stay cool to the touch (maker).
Hatch Baby Sound Machine and Night Light
A sound machine with a light that can be set to red or amber, if you set it up in the app.
Hatch Baby is a sound machine first, with lights you choose in the Hatch app. Hatch lists 23 solid light options, including Red, Amber and Orange, plus a custom colour, and they play from a Favorite or a Schedule, not on demand (Hatch Light Guide). The nightlight button on the side is different: it turns on a soft white light that can’t be customized (Hatch). So if you own one, make a red or amber Favorite at a low brightness for the night, and use that instead of the button.
Why it’s worth it
- Red, amber or a custom colour, set in the app
- Sound machine and light in one
- A brightness button on the device
Key specs
- Light
- 23 solid colours plus custom, in the app
- Turns on
- From a Favorite or Schedule
- Power
- Power adapter (included)
- In the box
- Hatch Baby, power adapter
From Hatch’s Light Guide and product page, then the amazon.com listing, checked October 6, 2026.
Safety check
- No recalls found in the CPSC recall database (searched by product name, Oct 6, 2026). Hatch’s one CPSC recall on record, in July 2024, covered power adapters sold with the Rest 1st generation, not Hatch Baby.
- Hatch says to place it at least 3 feet from the baby’s sleep space, with cords “tucked away and out of reach”, and not perched on the crib (Hatch FAQ).
Side by side
Two picks side by side
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Job | Hall and bathroom | If you own one |
| Price band | Price band: Budget | Price band: Mid-range |
| Colour | Amber | Red, amber or custom (app) |
| Turns on | By itself, at dusk | From a Favorite or Schedule |
| Brightness | One level | Adjustable |
| Power | Wall outlet | Power adapter |
Which one is yours
Start with your situation
Sleeps well in the darkNo night light.
You need to see on night visitsThe GE plug-in, in the hall, with the door ajar.
You already own a HatchSet a red or amber Favorite, low. Buy nothing.
Current light is white, blue or changes colourChange the setting, or swap it for amber.
Wakes at first lightThat’s a blackout question, not a night light one.
The $0 version
Leave the bedroom door ajar with a dim lamp on in the hall, or the bathroom light on with its door nearly shut. If a sound machine you own has a colour setting, changing it to red costs nothing. A small flashlight by your own bed covers the night checks.
Our test: with the light on, you shouldn’t be able to read a book by it.
What we would skip
Three things we’d leave on the shelf
They fill the night-light aisle. Here’s why we’d pass.
Star and galaxy projectors, for sleep
Moving light on the ceiling is something to watch, and many projectors cast blue and green. Lovely for an afternoon with the curtains shut; we’d keep it out of bedtime.
Colour-changing lights
A light that cycles through colours spends part of the night on blue, the colour Harvard Health says suppresses melatonin most strongly. If it can be locked on red or amber, use that.
A brighter light "so they're not scared"
We wouldn’t add light a child hasn’t asked for. If they do ask, a dim warm light placed low and out of their direct line of sight is our choice.
What we passed on
- MediAcous Night Light for Kids, 7 Colors Changing Egg Light. The top seller in Amazon’s search for baby night lights on October 6, 2026. Its listing title leads with seven changing colours; we’d rather have one warm colour.
- COOLNIGHT Night Light for Kids, Star Projector. Another top seller in the same search. A projector is a show on the ceiling, which we’d keep out of bedtime.
- Buying a Hatch Baby just for the light. At its Mid-range price, the light alone is poor value next to a two-pack of amber plug-ins.
Questions parents ask
FAQ
Does a baby need a night light?
Not if they sleep well in the dark. Most night lights are for the adult who needs to see on a night visit. If you use one, Harvard Health says dim red lights are the ones to choose.
What colour night light is best for sleep?
Red or amber, kept dim. Harvard Health says red light is less likely to shift the body clock and suppress melatonin, and that blue light suppresses melatonin most strongly.
Can I use the Hatch nightlight button?
It turns on a soft white light that can’t be customized (Hatch). For a red or amber light, add a Solid light to a Favorite or Schedule in the app.
Where should a night light go?
In the hall or bathroom if it’s for you; low and out of the child’s direct line of sight if it’s in the bedroom. A sound machine with a light goes at least 3 feet from the sleep space, with cords out of reach (Hatch).
Why trust Worth It
How we choose
We don’t run a product lab, and we won’t pretend we do. Worth It picks are researched from makers’ instructions, retailer listings and official safety guidance, not lab-tested. Each is chosen for a specific age and a specific job, the way a friend a couple of years ahead of you would choose: a few products, each with a reason, and an honest note on what could go wrong.
We check every listing on amazon.com for a live US offer and sort it into a price band: Budget (under $30), Mid-range ($30 to $100) or Premium (over $100). We don’t print exact prices because they change daily. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission. That pays for this, and it never decides what makes the list.
For safety, we search the CPSC recall database by product name, and we note the US safety standard the maker says a product meets. Where the maker doesn’t say, we tell you what the law requires for that kind of product. The JPMA’s certification list (now run by the Baby Safety Alliance) isn’t publicly searchable, so we only mention certification when the maker states it. Specs come from the maker first, and the Amazon listing second.
Sources for this page
- Harvard Health: Blue light has a dark side
- Jasco: GE Light-Sensing Amber LED Night Light, 2 Pack
- Hatch: Hatch Baby Light Guide
- Hatch: Hatch Baby product page and FAQ
- CPSC: Hatch Rest 1st generation power adapter recall
- CPSC recall database, searched by product name on October 6, 2026
- Product listings on amazon.com, checked October 6, 2026
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