After trying eight sleep masks, two stand out — one cheap option and one that’s an investment but has proven to be worth it.
On the cheap
MZOO Sleep Mask
This sleep mask has contoured eye cups designed to block out light. It’s adjustable and comfortable — all for under $20 — a great combo of effectiveness and affordability.
Worthy splurge
Drowsy Silk Sleep Mask
Admittedly, a splurge, this sleep mask is like a luxurious little eye pillow that can stay put all night. It’s washable silk. And it covers your ears, which I find to be a bonus.
How it started
As you may have guessed, I love a good sleep mask. A trusty sleep mask is a pretty darn affordable way to control your sleep and, arguably, your health.
This little love affair I have with sleep masks started in the early pandemic days. Maybe it was doomscrolling, maybe it was online retail therapy, maybe it was both, but I landed myself smack dab in the middle of cyberspace shopping for high-end, luxury silk pajamas.
Stay with me.
While I ultimately wasn’t willing to spend $200 on jammies (maybe in another life), I decided that spending $50 on the brand’s silk sleep mask was a fair way to treat myself in the middle of a pandemic.
And so my journey began.
How it’s going
Since then, I’ve tried various sleep masks and researched different types, designs, and brands.
I have discovered much cheaper options that work exceptionally well, but I’ve never regretted that $50 purchase — not once. In fact, I’ve even discovered a more expensive option that I vouch for if your budget permits. I use it every night, wear it on airplanes, and take it on vacations. If I’m going, it’s going.
I’ve turned my husband into a sleep mask fan. I’ve gifted them to friends who are getting married, preaching that it will keep the peace when one person is trying to fall asleep and the other is awake, reading amidst a fit of insomnia.
I’ve since had two children and deeply felt what it means to be sleep-deprived. I reached for my sleep mask when I needed to zonk out in the middle of the day at a moment’s notice because my baby was napping, and my next chance to sleep was in a week (dramatic but true).
I reach for the sleep mask time and time again. It’s like a hug on my face when I need it most. It gives me permission to relax. It defends me and my precious sleep against light and stress. “You deserve this,” it says (or so I imagine). It’s cemented in my sleep routine — the cherry on top of my sleep hygiene.
So, now I pass this wisdom on to you: sleep mask or bust.
Here’s more about the two I recommend.
The criteria I’ve come to find important in a sleep mask:
No light
It has to offer 100% blackout.
Cooling
If it’s contributed to hot sleep, no go.
Material
Comfortable materials that aren’t itchy.
Eye cups
Molded cups are a bonus, but not a must.
Adjustable straps
Must-have. Let’s face it: We are not one-size-fits-all.
Washable
If it’s touching skin just like a pillow case, I want to clean it like one.
Manta’s classic sleep mask narrowly missed the cut. It’s comfortable, adjustable, offers total blackout, and stays in place all night. But the Mzoo mask is cheaper and has all the same features (including molded cups). Manta makes some more advanced sleep masks that include speakers or cooling and heating technology. Frankly, my sleep mask obsession has not yet required these bells and whistles, so I have not tried them.
The Nodpod Sleep Mask also gets an honorable mention. It’s an awesome weighted option, but it feels more useful for napping. While you can technically tie the straps in the back, it’s not super secure and not likely to stay in place for a whole night. But it could certainly help you get to sleep with total blackout if that’s what you’re looking for. The weighted fill is a comforting bonus.
The Brooklinen Mulberry Silk Eyemask is soft, cooling, and lightweight. But this type of sleep mask lacks an adjustable strap, which means it doesn’t stay put at night, and light sneaks in around the nose area.
I ruled out the Slip Sleep Mask and Blissy Sleep Mask for the same reason. They were soft and felt luxurious. They offer darkness but not total blackout. These could work if you want a more lightweight sleep mask and aren’t chasing total blackout, but they aren’t my top picks.
The Slip mask is also pricey. At $60, you might be better off forking over an extra $20 for the Drowsy splurge above.
The Tempur-Sleep Mask was too itchy.
The sleep mask that started it all, the Lunya Washable Silk Sleep Mask, is like a first love that I ultimately outgrew. We spent many good years together, but I now prefer the Drowsy mask. It’s a very similar design with the ability to adjust the fit.
Low-quality sleep likely equals negative health effects. A 2019 research review links low sleep quality to inflammation, which in turn is linked to a number of health concerns like diabetes and cognitive decline. Low sleep quality may also affect heart and gut health, which is increasingly at the center of all kinds of other discussions about how to put health on solid ground.
All that aside, I think everyone can agree that sleep rules. A good sleep mask makes it even better.
And since sleep affects just about every aspect of our health, I hope you’ll follow my lead.