When you're up in the middle of the night feeding your baby, the last thing you want is the main room light disturbing the whole house and hurting you and your little one's eyes - that's why a gentle light projector for babies or one of the best breastfeeding light for your home can be a good purchase.
Not only will it create a relaxing environment for your baby to feed in, similar to a sensory light, reducing stimulation and helping to promote sleep, but it'll also help you find your way in the dark room, preventing you from stubbing a toe or knocking something over.
Best breastfeeding lights at a glance:
-
Best modern breastfeeding light: Maxi-Cosi Connected Home Soothe Light + Sound, buy here on Mamas and Papas
-
Best portable breastfeeding light: Shnuggle Moonlight, buy on here from Amazon
-
Best breastfeeding light set: Gritin Night Light Plug In, buy on here from Ebay
You might be wondering why you need a night light if you already have a lamp in your room. Lamps often only have just one light setting, and it can still make a room incredibly bright. Most breastfeeding night lights have either an adjustable dimmer or feature a soft light. They can often be controlled with either touch or via a mobile app. This makes the nighttime feeds a little bit easier than trying to reach for a button or trying to navigate in the dark. Night lights are also useful for those nighttime nappy changes or simply just to check on your baby without waking them up. Most can grow with your child, too and be helpful to use as a toilet light as they get older.
When looking for a breastfeeding light, you'll want to think about aspects such as the power source, if it has a touch sensor to easily turn on in the dark and the colour options. To help you choose and narrow down the options, we've picked six of the best breastfeeding lights.
The best breastfeeding lights for 2024
Best modern breastfeeding light
www.mamasandpapas.com
This long-lasting night light from Maxi-Cosi will not only be perfect for the midnight feeds, but it will grow with your child. It has 20 sounds and lullabies, and you can also combine colours with certain sounds. There's also a personalised time-to-rise setting, so as your baby starts to grow, you can help teach them to wake up. Through the app, you can control, programme and adjust music, light and colour brightness.
Reviewed by mum Helen: "Wonderful product. Originally stopped to listen to one in a shop and it caught our attention. A calming light and soothing sounds. We could all listen to it for hours, not just baby!"
Pros
- Timer for delayed start
- 20 different pre-programmed lullabies & white noises
- Modern design
- Can be controlled via app
- 'Time-to-rise' option for toddlers
Cons
- Can be tricky to set up
| Power type: | Plug |
| Dimensions: | 9.4 x 9.4 x 19.6cm |
| Weight: | 0.42kg |
- Endless colour options
- Connects to Maxi-Cosi App
- Pre-programmed lullabies and white noise
Best portable breastfeeding light
With a parent and child mode to choose between, the dual mode Shnuggle Moonlight will grow with your baby as they get older. It comes with a handy strap to easily carry around the home, and the clever temperature-sensing dock also helps you to keep the room temperature just right.
One review said: "Very user-friendly, soft to touch and excellent warm light. The design is sleek and looks good in the room. The baby loves it."
Read our full Shnuggle Moonlight review.
Pros
- Doesn't use batteries
- Temperature feature
- Parent and child mode
Cons
- Sensitive touch feature
| Power type: | Rechargeable |
| Dimensions: | 4.72 x 4.72 x 6.69 cm |
| Weight: | 290g |
- Soft light
- Temperature sensing dock
- Parent and child mode
- Carry handle for easy portability
- Rechargeable battery
Best breastfeeding light set
www.ebay.co.uk
Available in a set of two, this light from Gritin is plugged into the mains and has a dawn light sensor, which automatically switches off the light in the morning. You can also adjust the brightness, making it perfect if you drop something during a night feed and need a little bit more light in the room.
One review said: "These lights are brilliant, one in each hallway, no need to put on the main light on trips to other rooms at night, would recommend to all"
Pros
- Automatically turns on and off
- Soft warm light
- Adjustable brightness
Cons
- No timer function
| Power type: | Plug |
| Dimensions: | 8.8 x 5.4 x 5.97cm |
| Weight: | 55.6g |
- Energy efficient
- Eye-caring LED
- Adjustable brightness
- Plugs into mains
Best child-friendly breastfeeding light
Not only does this light make the perfect addition to any nursery, but the touch top to turn the light on and off makes it incredibly easy and convenient to use. This Wenscha night light can also double up as a nightlight as your baby gets older.
One review said: "My mum originally bought one of these for my son a year ago, and recently my partner said he wanted one for beside his bed - it's dimmable, cable-free and the battery lasts a long time. It's also taken several knocks and been launched across the room several times when my son was younger and it still works perfectly so we got the second one. Perfect for bedtime reading and it will certainly take those tired moments in the morning when you go to whack the snooze on your alarm and accidentally send everything flying"
Pros
- Sweet, child-friendly design
- Adjustable brightness
- Press the top to power on/off
Cons
- Very sensitive to touch
| Power type: | Rechargeable battery |
| Dimensions: | 15 x 12 x 12cm |
| Weight: | 300g |
- 3-4 hours usage
- Portable
- Touch-top for on/off
- Adjustable brightness
- USB charge
Best lightweight breastfeeding light
Lasting up to 10 hours, this Tommee Tippee penguin night light gives off a gentle glow and can be dimmed brighter or lighter to suit your needs. The silicone egg is tactile and lightweight and can be simply lifted off its penguin base, making it ideal for small hands to carry on nighttime bathroom visits when your child is old enough.
One review said: "Our three-year-old daughter absolutely loves this night light. We've tried other night lights for our son but nothing quite compares to this one, so he now has one too. It's durable, with a soft and flexible material so they can't crack it or anything. They love the little portable egg that they can carry with them if they need the toilet at night etc. It's easy to dim the light and it's a very soft glow."
Pros
- Cute design
- Portable and lightweight
- No batteries needed
- Dimmable light
Cons
- Only one light colour
| Power type: | USB |
| Dimensions: | 22 x W3.5 x 11.5cm |
- Portable
- 10 hour battery life
- Rechargeable
Best 2-in-1 breastfeeding light
With different functions, including a sound machine, night light and time-to-rise alert, this light from Hatch Baby is easy to use and can be controlled from a mobile app. The app allows you to play sound and adjust the light, meaning you don't have to sneak back into their room if you forget to turn it off.
One review said: "Once set up easy to use so far. Haven't used the timed functions but I am assured by others who have that it is effective. Lovely sounds and lullabies. Warm night light choices"
Pros
- Customise colour
- Grows with your child
- Multi-functional
- Control remotely via the easy-to-use Hatch Baby Rest app
Cons
- App only works with wifi
- Only one phone can connect
| Power type: | Corded electric |
| Dimensions: | 10.16 x 15.75 x 10.16 cm |
| Weight: | 740g |
- Controlled from device or phone app
- Can set a bedtime program
Best flip to turn off and on breastfeeding light
Ideal for needing a bit of light when breastfeeding and not wanting to disturb your partner more than they need to be, or wake yourself and baby up anymore than you need to be! This night light by Cotababy is dimmable, made of soft silicone and has a range of light options from cold white to warm white, so you can choose which works best for you.
The most useful feature is that you simply have to flip it and the light turns on or off, so it's easy to grab in the dark without any fiddly buttons to find, and will slowly dim when you flip it again. It's rechargeable and portable, so you can carry it with you to baby's room when they move out of your bedroom, or downstairs to help guide your way when preparing bottles.
Pros
- No fiddly buttons to operate, simply flip or push the silicone body for stepless dimming
- Portable and rechargeable, with up to 100 hours use on the dimmest setting
Cons
- Only up to 4 hours battery life on the brightest setting, but should still be enough to get you through the night
How to choose a breastfeeding light
It can feel overwhelming choosing a breastfeeding light with so many options out there, so here are a few things to consider before you make your decision.
Colour: While some lights come in just one colour (usually a cool white light), others will have the option of a variety of colours to choose from, which you may prefer.
Power source: A lot of lights are now USB rechargeable while others require batteries which can end up as a pricier choice as it means you'll have to ensure you have a stash of batteries available. Alternative options need to be plugged into the wall and will need to be close to a plug, limiting where you can place it in your baby's nursery.
Touch sensor: We're big fans of breastfeeding lights that can be activated just by touching them with a finger, as this saves you from fiddling with the switch and possibly making noise.
Timer: Having a built-in timer in your night light means that you can arrange for it to shut off after a certain amount of time, something that will be especially helpful if your child continues to use the light when they're a toddler.
Do babies need light to breastfeed?
Right from birth, a lot of babies use their natural instincts to find their mother's nipple to latch on for breastfeeding, but others can struggle, and it's a skill you learn together. While light won't be necessary for every infant, it can prove helpful for guiding your nipple into their mouth.
Where is the best place to have a night light?
It's worth having the night light as close to where you store your baby's nappies and wipes as possible or within reach of your nursing chair. This way, you have a little bit of light in the room for feeding and checking on your baby, but it will also be easier for getting a nappy rather than rummaging around.
What colour light is best?
While cool white lights are bright and will light up the room more, during the night, you might want to opt for a warmer light. This way, the light will be softer to your eyes when you're nursing in the night.
How we test and choose recommended products
Our product recommendations are based on a combination of real-world testing from our burgeoning army of mum testers and the extensive knowledge of our experienced editorial team and product specialists. Where we can, we also consult experts who specialise in that field to ensure you get the right advice along with the right product, and we listen to what you say as well.
Our thriving mum community on our Facebook group #mumtribe consistently provides great insights into which products mums like best and why, helping us highlight the products that will meet your needs.
For essential products, our annual Mother&Baby Awards shortlist the top products tested. Full reviews from our mum testers can be found on our product pages. The winners and runners-up for each category will also appear in our top picks article for that product, along with other products that were rated highly by our team.
Emily Gilbert is the Features & Reviews Editor for Mother&Baby and has written for the website and previously the magazine for six years. Specialising in product reviews, Emily is the first to know about all the exciting new releases in the parenting industry.