ALASKA BEAR Sleep Mask for Side Sleepers Patented Design, Cup-Shaped and Extra-Soft, 100 Blackout Eye Mask Shades Cover for Men and Women Home or Travel, Machine Washable, Black
by ALASKA BEAR
Price Analysis
Product Details
Alaska Bear contoured sleep mask for side sleepers - eye cups that don't press
This is Alaska Bear's contoured mask, built for people who sleep on their side. It costs about $20 and has a 4.6-star average from around 14,100 reviews, about four times as many as the brand's silk mask.
What's different about it
Most masks are a flat piece of fabric. This one has shaped eye cups that hold the material away from your eyes and lashes, so nothing presses on your eyeballs when your face is half in the pillow. The nose cutout is shaped too, to seal out light underneath without pressing on your nose.
The strap is a headband, and Alaska Bear moved the adjusters (plastic clasps, not metal) so they don't scratch your ears or sit under them when you lie on your side. That's the usual problem with cheap masks for side sleepers: the buckle ends up right where your ear meets the pillow.
It's sized to fit small and large heads, and you can machine wash it in a laundry bag on the delicate cycle.
How dark it gets
Alaska Bear says it blocks all light whether you sleep on your back, stomach or side. How well any mask seals depends on your face shape. Contoured masks generally leak less than flat ones when you turn your head, because the cups keep their shape instead of folding. Our best sleep mask for side sleepers guide covers what to look for.
Who it's for
- Side sleepers, obviously
- People who wear eye makeup or lash extensions to bed, or just hate fabric on their eyelids
- Anyone whose room can't be made dark, like shared rooms, early summer sunrises or a partner who reads late
Who should skip it
People who find contoured masks bulky, or who mostly sleep on their back. The Alaska Bear mulberry silk mask is thinner and softer and costs about $16. It's also the better pick if you use a CPAP machine.
If you'd rather not wear anything on your face at all, make the room darker instead. The NICETOWN 100% blackout curtains are the fully lined option. For the research on whether masks help at all, see do sleep masks help you sleep. If the real problem is noise rather than light, our best earplugs for sleeping guide is the next stop.