I have some trouble with falling asleep and staying asleep, and like a lot of people, those problems got worse after the pandemic started. It got to the point where I was exhausted all the time and really needed to do something about it.

I have used white noise to help me sleep for a while, but it was usually incidental - a humidifier running in winter, a fan in the summer. But in between those seasons I really missed the comfort of white noise. I tried playing digital aps from my phone or over a speaker, but the sound quality always felt off. It was like my brain knew it wasn't "real" and it became more distracting than relaxing.

Which is exactly why I gave Snooz a try-- it's mechanical, not digital, so it's the real deal fan sound I'm already used to. And it was exactly what I needed.

I'll try to break this down into a couple categories:

-volume: the volume range is pretty impressive, from barely-there quiet to quite loud. I usually sleep with it set to 4 (out of 10), or down to 3 or 2 if I have it on while reading or working. At this volume it blocks out minor noises from my neighbors (condo with shared walls) and most street noise, except for extra loud trucks or motorcycles.

-sound quality: being a mechanical fan, this machine doesn't have the range of options that digital machines offer, but it does allow you to change the fan's tone by twisting the body back and forth. The range of the tones wasn't quiet as wide as I was expecting. Maybe it's just my ear, but both far ends of the spectrum sounded pretty much the same to me (like a big box fan). There is some range in between but not a ton of nuance to my ear. It felt like maybe 4 distinct options (low, medium, medium high, low again).

Still, I found my sweet spot right in the middle, and haven't had any reason to adjust it since. At this tone it sounds a lot like the mid-sized standing fan I use regularly.

-app/features: I like that I can use the app to adjust the volume from my bed, and I don't need yet another separate remote. I don't use any of the timer features (I turn it on when I go to bed, and off when I get up), but I can see how this would we useful if you use the noise to fall asleep and then want it to fade out. You can't change the tone via the app (only by manually turning the body), but once you lock in the tone you like I don't imagine you'll need to adjust it too often.

-appearance: the Snooz looks kind of like a larger Google home mini speaker, so it looks right at home with my other bedroom tech. I like the cloth covering and the simple interface (just 3 buttons on top, power and volume up/down). It's small enough to travel with, and pretty lightweight.

-price: yes, it is definitely on the high end of the spectrum for white noise machines. Digital machines start around $20, and if that sound works for you then it may not be worth spending a lot more money. But if you haven't had luck with those machines or if you already know you like a fan sound, this is worth a try (there is a money back guarantee).

The biggest proof that the Snooz has helped is in my Fitbit sleep scores. Pre-pandemic my scores averaged in the low to mid 80s, but for the last two months they had dropped down around the mid 70s. I have been using the Snooz for a little over 2 weeks now, and in that time (with no other changes to my routine) I've seen my sleep scores go up around 5-7 points on average. The stats show that I'm spending more time in the deeper stages of sleep and that I'm tossing and turning less. I can feel the difference it's made in my mood and energy levels. To me, that's well worth $80.

I am so in love, I feel almost emotional! Not only does it have a wonderful, comforting white noise fan, but it's small and cute looking, and then bonus: you can download the app to your phone to use as a remote! I didn't realize that when I bought it so that was a wonderful surprise. I can turn it off from where I am lying in bed, adjust volume and whether or not I want to have it auto shut off at a certain time. I haven't traveled with it yet, but it looks like it should travel just fine, and it's not heavy. This just might be the best white noise machine I've ever had! And honestly, the price is reasonable, especially compared to many others.

The media could not be loaded. I got pretty sick and knew I wouldn't be able to take my dogs out for their usual exercise and fun for at least the next week, and every sound from our building would set them off since theyre more amped. So I used what energy I had to look up a noise machine that would mask outside sound, sounded "real," and didn't have any noticeable skipping or resetting of a sound track. The regular type snooz model was in one of those best of lists, and I looked up the stats. Seeming to fit the bill, I ordered it and basically went back to sleep until the next day when it was delivered. Thanks prime, and thanks having a fever.

The machine was packed well inside the box, and the directions are pretty dang straight forward. After fiddling with it for a few minutes, I found the sound I liked/tolerated the best and set it up where I needed the most help: the part of the wall against my building's stairs.

Here's some pros:
- The fan doesn't falter and has a consistent sound the entire time
- It masks sound to a degree
- It can be extremely quiet or super loud and you can control that!
- It's small and innocuous
- The app is easy to understand
- The app is Bluetooth only so there isn't extra steps of connecting to wifi
- No annoying ticks or resetting sounds from a recorded track restarting! Have I mentioned how nice it is to have a real fan?
- It sounds real, not like a speaker, so no electrical or tinny sound
- You can use the app to turn it off and on as well as adjust volume, so placing it up high won't be annoying
- The app also allows scheduling on and off times so you can set it and forget it

Here's some cons for control freak dog owners:
- the sound initially freaked out my dogs. I strongly suggest starting on the quieter settings and pelting your dog with treats before using louder settings
- Because the app is Bluetooth only, I won't be able to adjust the machine when I'm not at home (this isn't really the worst because I'd rather it not be connected to my wifi. I'll take that hit.)
- You can't adjust the tone of the sound with the app (not a deal breaker for me because I just need to set that once)

Overall it doesn't completely eliminate all sound from the outside if you live in a poorly insulated, old balls, small apartment building with an upstairs neighbor that thinks racing up the stairs using his full bodyweight in each step is the only way to go up the stairs like I do, but it DOES dampen the sound. It also means that it will somewhat dampen/mask the sound coming OUT of my apartment as well, making me less worried about my dogs' play sounds being annoying to my neighbors. My dogs have been reacting 50% less to outside sounds which had been a load off my mind (in addition to food puzzles, lots of toy play time, small yard breaks. A noise machine is not the only thing needed to help keep dogs chill.) I haven't seen them this calm for this long of a stretch at home since my neighbors went on vacation.

I recommend this noise machine to people looking to mask outside sounds or even inside sounds from getting out, and if you're looking to mask sounds in a place bigger than 6 or 700 Sq ft, I would get two+ to cover different rooms. My outside noises all come from only one side of my place, so I feel comfortable with just the one. If I decide I want one for the other side of my apartment or yard for privacy, I'll get a second one so this first can stay where it is.

I want to start off by saying that we are a little upset that we received a used and dirty unit when we paid full price and there was no indication that this could be the case. We would have ordered directly from Snooz had we known this.

With that said, we first used this noise machine when staying at a hotel that mounted these in their rooms due to some major construction happening across the street. We also have a dog who loves to bark when she hears other room doors open and close. This thing worked wonders. Not only was the construction totally muffled but our pup didn't bark once in the wee hours of the morning (when she usually wakes us up at hotels barking at 5 or 6 in the morning when people start moving around).

We immediately ordered one so that we would have it when we got home!

We tried another temporary substitute noise maker for the remainder of the trip that we bought from a local major retailer, and it was so weak it was basically worthless, like having a loud fan on rather than a white noise machine. This thing is very powerful and even works for us in our room with it placed in another room where our dog is sleeping.

Overall, we love the product but I would be a little hesitant to order it from Amazon rather than directly from Snooz's site.

I don't normally post reviews but I just wanted to get on here and say I love this. You can adjust the volume very easily and I have it adjusted to the lowest setting and it is perfect. It's calming and blocks street noise but not distracting. 10 outta 10