If you’re a frequent traveler, you’ve probably seen ads on Instagram of YouTube videos for Manta’s sleep masks. These high-end and creative sleep masks certainly look appealing — but it was another one of their products that, ironically, caught my eye: their white noise machine.
As I’ve written about before, I’ve come to love my Bose Sleepbuds (which have unfortunately been discontinued, but Oslo Sleepbuds have taken up the mantle). However, they’re not something I wear every night. Moreover, I feel bad that I get to benefit from the relaxing sounds while my wife is left out of the experience. That’s why I decided to give the Manta White Noise Machine a shot.
Before we bought it, though, I had a decision to make. See, Manta has a unique system where you can actually sync two speakers and get better coverage across the entire room. I wondered if this might be the way to go, but wasn’t sure it was worth the extra cost since we didn’t yet know if we’d even like the product. So, while the two-speaker bundle was slightly cheaper than adding another one down the road, we decided to stick with the solo — which cost us $75.
When the speaker arrived, the first thing that impressed me was the Apple-level packaging (as seen in the featured image above). Similarly, I found the product to be well-engineered as there’s a little break in the base so that you can plug in the cord without laying the device on top of it.
Since the Manta machine is meant to “create a sound shield,” we elected to put it on our windowsill. Meanwhile, the wireless remote lives on my nightstand and allows us to control the machine without leaving bed. I will say that this remote is also well and intentionally designed as it features a large start/stop button as well as a volume rocker marked by one convex (volume up) and one concave (volume down) button. In other words, these buttons are easy to identify even when it’s dark and you’re half asleep! There’s also a button to change the sounds and another to set a timer.
Speaking of the sounds, the Manta White Noise Machine includes 15 gapless, non-looping sounds of various categories. Funny enough, while it is called a white noise machine, the actual white noise may be my least favorite! Personally, I like a couple of the rain sounds as well as the waves, while my wife also favors the waves as well as the fan noise options.
As for downsides, while I appreciate the simplicity of the remote, one drawback is that you can only cycle one way through the sounds. So, if you accidentally pass the one you want, you have to go all the way back through them. Because of this, I highly suggest you find a favorite and mostly stick with it rather than waiting until bedtime to set it.
So, does this “sound shield” really mean that we can’t hear the street noise, 4 a.m. trash trucks, or thunderclaps anymore? Of course not. However, as I’ve experienced with my Sleepbuds, I do think that the sound masking gives me a better shot at staying asleep when these disturbances occur, even if I could still hear them while awake.
All in all, we’ve been quite pleased with our Manta White Noise Machine purchase and look forward to turning it on each night. As for whether we want a second speaker, while we’ve thought about it, we still don’t think it’s quite necessary. Nevertheless, it’s nice to know it is an option if we change our minds.
Lastly, for those wondering why I’d spend $75 on a sound machine when I could just stream noises on my phone instead, I’ll say that I really like having a dedicated device for the job — and one that doesn’t require looking at a screen! That’s why the Manta Sleep noise machine was a sound purchase for us.