If you want the room to go completely dark behind your eyelids, start with the Manta Sleep Mask. Its eye cups slide along the strap so you can line them up with your own eyes, and Manta says they block 100% of light without pressing on your eyelids or lashes. Side sleepers should look at the Manta PRO, whose eye cups taper at the temples. If you want a mask made of silk inside and out, Slip’s Silk Sleep Mask uses 22-momme mulberry silk with a pure silk filler and liner. Nodpod is a strap-free weighted mask meant for falling asleep, and Mack’s Dreamweaver is a simple contoured mask that comes with a pair of foam earplugs.
Nobody at Sound Sleep Gear has worn these masks; this list compares what each maker publishes about blackout, fit, materials and care.
The short answer
| Your situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Daylight or a partner’s lamp wakes you | Manta Sleep Mask | Adjustable eye cups; maker claims 100% blackout |
| You sleep on your side | Manta PRO | Eye cups tapered at the temples |
| You want a mask made of pure silk | Slip Silk Sleep Mask | 22-momme mulberry silk with silk filler |
| You dislike straps, or like gentle weight | Nodpod | Strap-free; 9 oz of beads |
| You want a simple mask and earplugs in one kit | Mack’s Dreamweaver | Contoured; foam earplugs included |
Maker specs compared
| Mask | Light blocking (maker) | Strap | Eye area (maker) | Care (maker) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manta Sleep Mask | 100% blackout | Adjustable; 73 cm around | Detachable cups, 5.2 cm wide | Machine wash cold in mesh bag |
| Manta PRO | 100% blackout | Adjustable foam and mesh; 73 cm | C-shaped cups, tapered at temples | Machine wash cold in mesh bag |
| Slip Silk Sleep Mask | Not published | Not published | Silk face, silk filler and liner | Hand wash cold; never machine wash |
| Nodpod | Completely light blocking | None; drapes 29 x 4 in | Bead-filled pods over the eyes | Machine wash in garment bag |
| Mack’s Dreamweaver | All light for most people, if adjusted | Dual elastic, adjustable | Contoured foam | Hand wash with mild soap |
From each maker’s product page, FAQ or care page, checked October 5, 2026. Light-blocking claims are the makers’ own.
Why darkness matters for sleep
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute advises keeping the bedroom “quiet, cool, and dark,” and for people who sleep during the day it suggests removing light distractions from the bedroom. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine explains that your body uses light, and the absence of light, to determine how much of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin it produces. Because a mask covers only your eyes, it goes where curtains can’t: a plane seat, a hotel room, or a bed where a partner reads late.
The picks
Manta Sleep Mask: best for full blackout and an adjustable fit
Manta calls this its original mask and says it blocks 100% of light, even in broad daylight. The two eye cups are detachable and can sit anywhere along the head strap, and Manta says their position, angle and strap tightness are all adjustable. Manta says each cup gives a space 5.2 cm wide, and its hollow design lets you blink freely without pressure on your eyelids or lashes. The strap is 73 cm around and adjusts with elastic bands.
The eye cups are covered in Modal fabric, and the strap is polycotton outside with polyester velour inside. Manta says the mask is machine washable in cold water if you put it in the mesh laundry bag, then lay it flat to air dry; skip the bag and the foam can stretch out of shape. It comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee, and Manta will exchange a mask with a manufacturing defect reported within 6 months of purchase.
Check the Manta Sleep Mask on Amazon
Manta PRO Sleep Mask: best for side sleepers
The PRO keeps Manta’s movable eye cups but reshapes them for side sleeping. Manta says the C-shaped cups are thinly tapered at the temples, so there is practically no material between your head and the pillow when you lie on your side. Each cup also has what Manta calls an “air bubble” that expands to keep light out when you change position and compresses flat when you lie on your side.
The strap is perforated foam and mesh, the inside is Tactel fabric, and there are ventilation holes for airflow. Like the original, it claims 100% blackout, has a fully adjustable 73 cm strap, and is machine washable in cold water inside the mesh laundry bag. If you sleep on your back, the original mask covers the same basics.
Check the Manta PRO Sleep Mask on Amazon
Slip Silk Sleep Mask: best for a mask made of silk inside and out
Slip makes this mask from its slipsilk fabric, with a pure silk filler and internal liner. Slip says slipsilk is 100% pure mulberry silk in its highest grade (6A), long fiber, at a thickness of 22 momme, made with non-toxic dyes. Momme is a silk weight measurement, and Slip says thicker silk drapes more, feels softer and lasts longer.
Slip sells contour and blockout masks as separate lines, and for this mask it doesn’t publish a light-blocking claim, a contoured shape or strap details. Care is the main commitment: Slip recommends hand washing it in cold water with a gentle pH-neutral liquid detergent, air drying it in the shade, and never putting it in the washing machine or tumble dryer. The link below is the black mask.
Check the Slip Silk Sleep Mask on Amazon
Nodpod Weighted Sleep Mask: best strap-free mask for falling asleep
Nodpod skips the strap entirely. The mask is a 29 by 4 inch strip of bead-filled pods that weighs 9 ounces and drapes across your eyes. Nodpod says the beads contour to your eyes to block light completely. For side sleeping, it says to put the last two pods over your eyes and rest your head on the hollow end, and for upright use you pull a corner through a slit to secure it.
Be clear on what it’s for: Nodpod says the mask is meant to help you get to sleep, not to stay on all night, and it may slip off once you’re asleep. One side is cotton and Nodpod describes the other as the warmer side. The fill is BPA-free, scent-free polyethylene beads, and Nodpod says the mask is freezer friendly. You can machine wash it on a normal setting inside a garment bag. Nodpod recommends it for people 12 and older, and suggests checking with a physician first if you have an eye condition such as glaucoma.
Check the Nodpod Weighted Sleep Mask on Amazon
Mack’s Dreamweaver: best simple contoured mask with earplugs
The Dreamweaver kit includes a pair of Mack’s Soft Foam Earplugs and a storage pouch with the mask. Mack’s says the contoured design keeps the mask from pressing against your eyelids and eyelashes, and that when adjusted according to its directions, the mask will stop all light for most people. Dual elastic straps have adjustable tensioners.
The mask is polyurethane foam covered with a satin-like polyester. Mack’s lists the straps as polyester and natural rubber latex, which matters if you avoid latex. It says to hand wash the mask with mild soap and water and let it air dry. It is also the least expensive pick here at the makers’ list prices. Amazon’s buy box for this mask showed a third-party seller on October 5, 2026, so the link below is a search.
How to choose a sleep mask
Decide how dark you need it. Manta, Nodpod and Mack’s all claim full light blocking for their masks, but Mack’s ties that claim to adjusting the straps according to its directions. Slip makes no light-blocking claim for its silk mask, so treat it as a comfort pick rather than a blackout guarantee.
Think about your eyelids and lashes. Contoured and cup-style masks are shaped to keep the fabric off your eyes. Manta says its cups put no pressure on your eyelids or lashes, and Mack’s says the Dreamweaver’s contours keep it off your eyelids and eyelashes. Slip doesn’t describe a contoured shape for this silk mask; it sells contour masks separately.
Match the mask to how you sleep. Side sleepers lie with one side of the mask against the pillow, and Manta says it tapered the PRO’s eye cups at the temples so there’s practically no material between head and pillow. Nodpod has its own side-sleeping position, but says it’s designed to help you fall asleep rather than stay on all night.
Check the strap. Manta’s straps adjust and are 73 cm around. Mack’s uses dual elastic straps with tensioners, and those straps contain natural rubber latex. Nodpod has no strap at all.
Plan for washing. If you want to toss your mask in the machine, Manta (in its mesh bag) and Nodpod (in a garment bag) allow it. Slip and Mack’s both say to hand wash.
A mask covers your eyes but not your ears. For noise, see our best earplugs for sleeping . If you’d rather darken the whole room, our best blackout curtains list covers panels, liners and measuring. For sleeping in a plane or car seat, see our travel pillow guide .
FAQ
Do sleep masks block all light?
It depends on the design. Manta and Nodpod say their masks block all light, and Mack’s says the Dreamweaver stops all light for most people when adjusted according to its directions. Slip doesn’t publish a light-blocking claim for its silk mask.
What is the best sleep mask for side sleepers?
Manta designed the PRO for side sleeping, with eye cups that taper at the temples so there is very little material between your head and the pillow. Nodpod also gives side-sleeping directions for its strap-free mask.
Can you put a sleep mask in the washing machine?
Only some. Manta’s two masks are machine washable in cold water inside a mesh laundry bag, and Nodpod can be machine washed inside a garment bag. Slip says never to machine wash its silk mask, and Mack’s says to hand wash the Dreamweaver.
Who shouldn’t use a weighted sleep mask?
Nodpod recommends its mask for people 12 and older who can put it on and take it off on their own, and says never to use it on or near an infant. It suggests asking a physician first if you have an eye condition such as glaucoma.
Sources
See Also
If you want to pressure-test this shortlist, read Best Blackout Shades for Bedrooms: Cordless Roller, No-Drill Cellular, Temporary Paper and Velcro Covers, Best Blackout Curtains for Bedrooms: Lined, Linen-Look, Extra-Wide and Add-On Liners, and Best Sunrise Alarm Clocks and Wake-Up Lights: Hatch, Philips, Lumie and Loftie Compared next.
For more context beyond the main ranking, Air Purifier Filter Replacement Interval and Best Mattresses for Every Sleep Style add useful comparison detail.