A good night of sleep has always been a challenge for me. Insomnia seems to follow me no matter how much I try to tire myself out before I head to bed. The last time I can remember not struggling to sleep, was when I lived in the Caribbean near the beach, and when I was near the Amazon. When I got the opportunity to try the AuCuTee White Noise Sleep Machine, I was curious to find out if replicating the sounds of those familiar environments, would help to take me back to those days.
What is it?
The AuCuTee White Noise Sleep Machine is a device that simulates sounds of various environments, with the added ability to wirelessly charge your phone and act as a speaker via its Bluetooth connectivity.
What’s in the box
1 x AuCuTee White Noise Sleep Machine
1 x Micro USB Cable
1 x USB AC Wall Adapter
1 x Instruction Booklet
Design and features
The AuCuTee is small and lightweight, and while the construction feels a bit cheap, it has not operated in that manner in any way. Starting with connectivity, on the back of the AuCuTee, there is a micro USB port that provides power to the device via the included micro USB cable and AC adapter, a USB port that can be used to power or charge an additional USB device, and speakers on each side.
On the front of the device, there are 10 sliders that represent the 10 sounds that are offered. These sliders work like an audio mixing board and allow you to use each sound individually, or to mix the sounds for the desired effect. To the right of the sliders, is the main volume knob, that turns the device on and off, as well as increases or decreases the volume.
On the top of the front of the AuCuTee, there is a row of control buttons. From left to right, the first 3 control the music playback functions for previous track/track from the beginning, Play/Pause, and next track. The 4th button turns on the Bluetooth capability and pairing mode. This is confirmed by a voice command. The 5th button controls the timing/sleep capability. Each of the green lights in front of this button represents 30, 60 or 90 minutes for the device to go into “sleep” mode. I do not use this function since I prefer the sounds to continue all night just in case I wake up during the night.
The rest of the top of the device is the QI wireless charging pad and it works well just by placing your QI compatible phone on it to charge.
The following picture represents the slider settings that I enjoy the most:
The AuCuTee performs well in all capacities, including the sounds it produces, the wired and wireless charging that it offers, and the Bluetooth connectivity.
What I like
I like the amount and variety of sounds offered, and the ability to mix the sounds. I also like the wireless charging capability and the external charging/power port.
What can be improved
I found that when connected via Bluetooth, the music volume was much lower than the volume of the sounds, even with both the AuCuTee and phone at maximum volume. Although this device is used for sleeping, I had difficulty hearing the music if my nearby fan was on.
Final thoughts
While I have always felt that these types of “noise” devices that were supposed to help you to sleep were a gimmick, I must say that I am pleasantly surprised by the AuCuTee. I do think that the ability to mix the sounds did the trick for me, and I have been using it to sleep ever since. For me, it is a winner.
Price: $39.99
Where to buy: AuCuTee or Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was supplied by AuCuTee
