The Best Sleep Masks

The MZOO 3D Contoured Sleep Mask is the rare pick two independent panels put at the top. It was a Wirecutter top pick and the Guardian's best overall out of 32 masks tested across nine weeks. The reason is the molded eye cups. There is a convex gap so your eyes can open and close, ringed by memory foam that rests on the eye sockets, and one Wirecutter tester called it perfect for a nap in a sunny window. It drops the room into complete darkness the moment you put it on. What sealed it was the fit. Wirecutter's side sleepers, who usually give up on masks, found this one stayed on all night without light leaking at the nose bridge. All of that costs under twenty dollars.

The Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask is Wirecutter's silky top pick for around fifteen dollars, and it wins on a quality the MZOO cannot match. The mulberry silk stays cool even pressed against skin all night, which is why Caira Blackwell's testers reached for it on long-haul flights and in warm rooms. It was popular with every tester regardless of sleep style, and the flat design lies flush on a pillow, so stomach sleepers can finally use a mask. The Guardian ranked it best budget. It does not seal like a contoured cup, but for hot sleepers and travelers it is the softer, cheaper, more forgiving choice.