All the Best Sleep Masks (That We’ve Written About on the Strategist)

I have yet to find a better sleep mask than this silk one from Drowsy. It does everything a sleep mask should do — like block out all light and work for every type of sleeper — but it’s the extra benefits that make it worth the near-$80 price tag. Along with its adjustable straps and pillowy padding, the mask’s momme count — the technical term for the heft and weight of the material — is 22 (the industry average is 19). It’s also made of mulberry silk, which is one of the most high-end types of silk available.

The mask’s fan base includes actress and comedian Kate Berlant, who once told us, “I worry that my dependence on this thing will alter the course of my life.” Natasha Rothwell — whose collection includes no less than ten of the masks — says it’s the “softest thing to put against your face.” My nightstand may be full of sleep masks for testing, but I second their sentiments: Drowsy’s mask is the only one I can count on to save me from insomnia. As someone prone to headaches and sensitive to light, I appreciate that even when I adjust the strap to a looser setting, it still blocks out any light.

If you’d like an even more luxurious mask, Drowsy also makes an eyelash-protecting one with two added eye cups that give your eyes and eyelashes some extra space. Ever since my boyfriend realized how comfortable it is to sleep with, it’s become something he can’t sleep without. And if you’d like a slightly less expensive version, Bollsen makes a similar mask that our sleep writer Amelia Jerden has been using for the last several months. It’s available in fewer colors and the brand doesn’t specify the momme count, but it otherwise offers the same benefits: an adjustable strap, pillowy coverage, and nice blackout abilities.

If you’re looking for something a little less pricey, consider Alaska Bear’s mulberry-silk eye mask, which first appeared on the Strategist in 2018 when one of our editors at the time purchased it for herself. Since then, we’ve recommended it in our guides to getting a good night’s sleep in college, sharing a bed, and hosting overnight guests without a guest room. Like our best less expensive silk pillowcase, this one is made of 19-momme mulberry silk, so it’s plenty silky, just slightly less soft than our top pick. Other draws on this one: an easily adjustable strap, contoured padding to give your eyes some breathing room, and impressive blackout capabilities. It’s so good at blocking light, in fact, that it has helped several people we’ve chatted with who have bright sleeping situations — including someone facing 24 hours of daylight in Alaska and another whose wife works in the wee hours of the morning — stay asleep as long as they need to.

Unlike the Drowsy mask above, Slip’s mask isn’t adjustable and isn’t completely blackout, but it’s still one of our most-often recommended sleep masks by far. It’s no surprise, really: Slip is the maker of one of the most popular silk pillowcases on the market (it’s also our pick for the best luxury silk pillowcase),and its sleep mask is made of the same slinky 22 momme mulberry silk. The mask is so good that Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla owns four of them. “I never feel better than when I slip (sorry!) one right on after doing my nighttime skin-care routine and calling it an early night,” she says.

Other Slip-mask devotees include designers Tamara Mellon and Karen Walker, May Hong of KPop Demon Hunters, singer Laufey, author and professor Melissa Febos, and YouTuber Emma Chamberlain.“The mask makes sure no light keeps me up,” Chamberlain says, adding that it’s great for travel. “I’ve found that when you sleep for 12 hours on a plane, certain materials will dig into your face and leave nasty marks or irritate the skin. This one is so soft, which makes it relaxing, too. It’s breathable, and I don’t break out after.”

While I named the Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask the best less expensive sleep mask above, this option is best for those who want to upgrade their silk quality. I’ve tested the Brooklinen Mulberry Silk Eye Mask, Alaska Bear sleep mask, Slip sleep mask, and Drowsy sleep mask and can confidently say that Brooklinen’s mask is noticeably softer than the Alaska Bear sleep mask and almost as soft as the Drowsy and Slip sleep masks. Given the price difference between each of these masks, the Brooklinen one is the perfectly good middle option. Actress Myha’la Herrold is also a fan and says, “I need it pitch black, so I always sleep with this on. There’s also something about the slight pressure on my face that is quite comforting.” While working on this story, I have tested many sleep masks, but this is the one I always travel with. It’s soft, slightly larger than the Slip mask, and loose enough that it doesn’t give me headaches despite not having an adjustable strap. Not to mention that it’s not so pricey that I have to worry about sullying it with airport germs.

The MZOO sleep mask is most notable for its unmatched ability to block out light at its price point. The mask’s supporters include RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars winner Jinkx Monsoon, our very own beauty columnist Rio Viera-Newton, and Frankie Grande, a Times Square resident who put the mask to the ultimate test. “It’s a very bright environment and light comes in 24 hours a day,” he says. “This really helps me fall asleep at night because it’s comfortable and 100 percent blackout.” He praises the mask’s “little scoops,” which provide space between his eyes and the mask and save his makeup.

For Viera-Newton, the mask’s memory-foam material is another plus. “Just as a good memory-foam mattress forms to your body, this memory-foam eye mask forms perfectly to your eyes, sealing them from any outside light,” she writes. “It also happens to be thick, bouncy, and cushiony — so if you happen to sleep on your stomach, like me, it almost feels like resting your face on another mini-pillow.” I’ve tried the mask myself and have to agree: This thing truly blocks out all light and is very comfortable to wear. In my testing, I found it’ll stay in place throughout the night if you adjust the buckle strap to just the right fit.

While the MZOO sleep mask is already a pretty good price, the Myhalos Sleep Mask is even more affordable. We learned about it from comedian Nikki Glaser, who says, “Masks are the No. 1 essential thing in my life.” Not only does she wear them on planes, but she wears them when she sleeps every single night. “I’ve tried every sleep mask. I have hundreds of them; I try new ones all the time. And this one I’ve been committed to for a year now,” she says.

If you’re sensitive to light and willing to spend a bit more on a sleep mask for ultimate darkness, buy this one. It’s from Manta, and it’s one of the most effective masks that I’ve tested so far — even on a bright morning, when I usually wouldn’t be able to sleep in, I could thanks to this mask. And it turns out I’m not the only one who loves it. In 2019, DJ, producer, and designer Steve Aoki recommended it to us, and five years later, he says that he still can’t live without it. “I always carry two with me because I just need to have one,” he says, adding that he owns about 15 to 20 of them. Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie is also a Manta stan and is particularly loyal to the Manta Pro, which is made of softer, more durable, more breathable, and faster-drying material than the original Manta that Aoki is a fan of. Even though the Pro is bulkier than most sleep masks I’ve tested, my boyfriend and I both stuff it into our carry-ons for transatlantic flights where sleeping without interruption is more important than looking cute. The adjustable eye cups on the Manta Pro are even larger than those on the original Manta, making it ideal for anyone with long lashes.

There’s also a silk version for those who’d like to optimize both material and blackout abilities. I’ve tested it on planes, buses, and in my own bed and have found it’s just as effective at blocking light as the other Manta masks, which are made from Modal, polycotton, and polyester. I’d also say it’s a step up looks wise: Unlike the bulky regular and pro masks, this one is available in a rather royal deep purple, baby pink, and sleek taupe.

If you’d like to block another sense — this time, hearing — you might consider a sleep mask with built-in headphones. Jerden tested a couple styles and likes this one the best because it’s relatively slim and therefore easier to position correctly over her ears. The adjustable Velcro strap helps with positioning and comfort, too. As with all the sleep-mask headphones she tested, the audio is tinny, but it’s clear enough for nighttime use. She even used it to listen to an audiobook when she was stuck in bed with a migraine earlier this year.

If you’re headache-prone or get night sweats, consider a cooling sleep mask like this one. It combines Aoki’s favorite Manta sleep mask with a pair of cooling eye cups that you swap in for the normal eye cups. Just stick the cooling duo in the freezer until a headache strikes (or the AC breaks) and then pop them into the mask. Of course, the cups won’t stay cool all night, but they’ll fend off the heat or the headache as you drift off to sleep. Though I don’t run hot per se, I popped this on while waiting for my bedroom’s inaugural air conditioner to arrive and found it to be a great respite from the heat.

As someone prone to headaches, I resisted sleep masks for most of my life because I found that my head would start to pound if the strap was too tight. Then I discovered that there are a number of effective sleep masks with easily adjustable straps, like the Bucky Eye Mask. We’ve been recommending it since 2016, when Strategist contributor Maureen O’Connor called it a bra for your eyes — not because of its support but because it has two bralike cups that give her eyelashes enough space to breathe. The mask also has a handy Velcro strap that allows you to make it as loose or as tight as you want it.

If you’d rather have no strap at all, check out the Sleep Crown Traveler, which actress and director Natalie Morales says she can’t live without. “I don’t like the pressure most sleep masks put on my face or how when I turn to the side, they move,” she says. “Not only is this made of the softest material, but also it has the appropriate amount of pressure. So it doesn’t feel too heavy, but it also won’t move off if you turn your head. It just immediately lulls me to sleep.” That stability comes from its weight — 12 ounces — which is more than our favorite weighted sleep mask below.

[Editor’s note: The Sleep Crown sleep mask is currently out of stock, but the company has a restock scheduled for August 18.]

Whether or not you’ve tried a weighted blanket (or even a weighted stuffed animal), you should consider a weighted sleep mask, which Strategist contributor Dana Covit reports offers the same stress-relieving benefits as its blanket counterpart. She describes the nine-ounce Nodpod Weighted Sleep Mask as “a cute caterpillar of a thing: plush with four little segments, each filled with beads. One side is cotton, the other a cozier microfleece.” Like the adjustable options above, this one is also ideal for headache-havers because you can pop it in the freezer to cool the beads inside. Pardilla hangs this mask over her headboard for times when she’s restless and says, “The mask is the only thing that’ll help me go back to sleep at 3 a.m.” Plus she appreciates the adjustable closure: “A small slot on one end pulls through the other end and keeps it wrapped into place — no peeking light, none of that falling underneath your chin when you’re rolling over,” she says. One college student also told me they’ve found it effective when trying to get some shut-eye while their roommate is in their dorm room. (If you’d still like the skin benefits of a silk mask, though, you’ll want to check out Nodpod’s new weighted silk one.)

The YFONG weighted eye mask weighs less than the Nodpod mask and consequently comes with a lower price tag. The quarter-pound mask is a favorite of Brat Pack star Rob Lowe, who, like Aoki, owns quite a few. “I keep them everywhere: in my car, in my backpack, in my bedside table,” he says. As someone with “really long eyelashes,” he doesn’t like it when his sleep masks crowd his eyes. This one has plenty of space without sacrificing on weight: “The beads that they have around the nose area just makes it sit on your face in a very comfy way. It’s got the right weight to it,” he says.

While some people may just use these sleep “goggles” during a quick afternoon break or to fend off a migraine, Strategist contributor Katie Stone wears them while she sleeps as a solution for insomnia. Along with your normal sleep-mask characteristics — an adjustable strap, 100 percent light blocking, and nice eye cups — this one has massaging, temperature-changing, and vibration capabilities that run in 15-minute sessions. Plus it has a built-in biometric sensor that monitors your heart rate and adapts the vibration frequency in order to create a personalized calming experience. “Without fail, before the 15 minutes are done, I’ll be fast asleep, waking hours later to the lovably clunky piece of headgear wrapped around my face,” she says. (And if you’d just like a sleep mask that vibrates, Therabody makes one of those too. Professional soccer player Midge Purce says she can’t sleep without it.)

Anyone who has attempted to take a nap during a long flight understands the struggle of waking up to the cabin lights. While most of the masks on this list are ideal for travel, this one stands out because of its place on the “Strategist Travel 100,” our list of carefully chosen, obsessively vetted essentials for all kinds of trips. Author Georgia Clark first enlightened us to the Lewis N. Clark Comfort Eye Masks after trying out a dozen masks. Like many other masks on this list, it “promises and delivers total darkness, superior comfort, and customizable straps,” she writes. “What really separates the Lewis N. Clark is the rib of padding along the bow-shaped bottom edge. Most sleeping masks let in the light in the gap under your eyes, but this mask blocks out all of those early-morning rays.” Since it comes in a pack of two, it’ll also make a great wedding-anniversary gift (or second-wedding-anniversary gift) for the couple who loves to travel or sleep in.

For the sleeper who curls up on their side, consider this silky sleep mask that comes recommended by actress (and side sleeper) Kathryn Hahn. “A regular eye mask just has an elastic band around your head, but this one is cushioned all the way around, so it’s supercomfortable when I’m lying on my side,” she says. “It feels like heaven or like I’m in one of those sensory-deprivation tanks.” In fact, singer Rebecca Black calls it “the most obnoxious, giant sleep mask” she has ever worn — and both stars praise it for its light-blocking ability. Strategist writer Diksha Basu is also a fan and appreciates that it’s not heavy while still being fitted enough to gently relax her eyes. To wash, she simply puts it in a mesh washing-machine bag and lets it air-dry. “I’ve been using it for at least six years now and it’s held up perfectly,” she says.

If you find silk too slippery but still want a “silky”-soft sleeping experience, Ettitude’s sateen sleep mask is your answer. It’s simple, constructed with neither an adjustable strap nor the eye cups some of our upgrade picks have. The sustainable bamboo fabric (the same as our favorite set of cooling bamboo sheets) feels undeniably luxurious. Journalist SuChin Pak first told us about the mask and says all of Ettitude’s sateen “feels like the most luxurious silk.”(Though if you’ve tapped into our linen-sheet debate, you just might call it “greasy” — in a good way.)

For the cashmere heads, I’m including this impossibly luxurious eye mask that Strategist contributor Bridget Arsenault had in her “Compulsive Shopping” article about sleep masks. “This is so cozy against my face,” she writes. “But it’s a bit thicker, almost doughlike, making it even more plush and well cushioned — like resting a big marshmallow over my eyes.”