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From sumptuous silk to planet-friendly bamboo, pop these masks over your peepers for a good night’s sleep
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We looked at style as well as substance
Eye masks aren’t for everyone, but light sleepers, regular travellers and those who like to drift off in complete darkness can come to rely on them as an essential item for sleeping soundly.
Designed to help you delve into a deeper sleep, eye masks have come a long way since their humble beginnings. Now available in a wide range of prints, colours and fabrics, there’s a whole host to choose from to truly let your personality shine through, even when you’re out for the count.
From Soap & Glory’s pretty pink kitsch-but-cute eyelash design to Thought’s astrology printed option, there is something to suit every style and budget. Fabrics range from sumptuous silk to soft cotton and more planet-friendly picks such as bamboo, too.
Some eye masks do much more than just block out the light. SnoozeBand has cleverly disguised speakers in its eye mask, so you can sleep soundly with your favourite podcast or playlist playing softly in your ears. Mirari Life cleverly shapes to your features, reducing sleep creases, and the Aromatherapy Associates pick also comes as part of a larger gift set with a candle, sleep mist, and bath oil included, for that extra touch of luxury.
In true IndyBest style, we’ve put some of the most trusted eye mask brands to the test, to find out which ones are worth buying, whether you’re looking for an everyday eye mask, a trusty travel companion or a gorgeous gift for a lucky recipient. Keep reading this article to see which ones made it onto the list.
Testing eye masks was one of the most enjoyable things we’ve had to do here at IndyBest, settling down for a good night’s sleep to see which ones blocked out the light, felt fabulous on the face, and, perhaps most importantly, didn’t ping off as soon as our head hit the pillow.
Taking cost, shape, fabric and added perks into consideration, we found the following to be the best eye masks to buy now, to suit every budget.
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Finding our favourite eye mask was an incredibly tough challenge, as we’d sleep soundly with any of these options, but this ESPA pick just nicked the top spot. Made from 100 per cent silk, it felt fabulous on the face, blocked out all light, and the back strap was wider than most of our other options, meaning it held on tight when we were busy tossing and turning. At £40, it is one of our more expensive options, but for a pure-silk mask that’s sure to last an incredibly long time, we think it’s well worth it. It even comes in a great gift box, to seal the deal.
Desmond & Dempsey is known for its luxury printed pyjamas, but the brand’s eye masks are a great lower-priced product bringing the same level of luxury. Featuring the same prints the brand is famous for, the cotton eye masks are fun, fashionable and highly functional, thanks to the padded eye area, ruched elastic strap and blackout design.
It’s soft and silky on the skin, and although the product name says it’s for men, we’d say all genders would love this option. To sweeten the deal, it comes in a large printed gift box with a fabric bag for storage, adding an extra layer of luxe as part of the £20 price tag.
Drowsy eye masks are among the most luxurious on the market. Made from pure mulberry silk, they’re sumptuously soft, while the thick padding protects your peepers from all light and is hypoallergenic and breathable. Available in a range of 13 shades, we opted for damask rose, but there’s sure to be something to suit everyone.
The wraparound velcro fastening means it can suit almost every head shape and size, and it doesn’t slip off when tossing and turning. We couldn’t fault this mask on the feel of the fabric, and if you’re looking for a little luxury, we couldn’t recommend it more – it also worked to protect our hair from any band breakage, too, a huge plus for any beauty buffs.
The best part about this eye mask was the adjustable back strap. Similar to a bra strap, it’s incredibly thin yet can be adjusted to fit your head just perfectly, meaning it doesn’t slip off in the night. The fabric is incredibly soft, thick and feels great across the skin. It’s also organic, hypoallergenic and highly breathable, so you can sleep soundly even in the sweltering heat.
It blocks out a huge amount of light with the smallest gaps at the nose, meaning our tester couldn’t see anything even when sitting in a brightly lit room. It also comes in a matching drawstring bag and keepsake box, meaning it can easily be gifted and kept clean.
If you’re looking to give one lucky recipient the gift of good sleep, look no further than the Aromatherapy Associates moment of tranquil sleep set. Worth £100, a lot is included inside this velvet-wrapped set, making it one of the most peaceful presents we’ve spotted.
The eye mask itself is a little smaller than some of our other options, but it did block out just as much light as some of our other favourite finds. The silky fabric on the inside added a nice touch, meaning it felt lovely on the skin and was incredibly gentle on the eye area, but it may slip off if you tend to move around in the night.
Thought is one of the more planet-friendly brands available, stocking everything from socks to dresses and jumpers, and its sleepwear offering is truly lovely. With matching pyjamas, which our tester also tried and loved, this eye mask is the perfect accessory for those who like a fully matching sleep set. Made from Lenzing Ecovero, a viscose fibre made with responsible production processes, it ticks the sustainable box for any eco-warriors and feels sumptuously soft too. Although smaller than some of our other options, it was actually among those that blocked out the most light, although it may slip off if you’re really tossing and turning.
At first, we thought a music-playing eye mask was a bit gimmicky, but the SnoozeBand blew us away. Not only was it one of the most comfortable eye masks in this round-up – providing full blackout and an adjustable strap for any head size – it was also incredibly easy to use, and the music played just perfectly.
The mask itself is a large wraparound style that will fit almost any head shape. Inside are two ultra-thin 4mm speakers at each ear – just be sure to undo the zip and place these exactly where your ears are – that connect to any Bluetooth device, such as a phone or iPad so you can drift off to your favourite playlist, podcast or ebook. The charge lasts for around 15 hours, and it comes with a USB lead to recharge each morning. If you hate to sleep in silence, we can’t recommend this enough, and we’re sure to be taking it as a trusty travel companion too.
Soap & Glory is a go-to for cheeky designs and sassy slogans, and this eye mask is no exception. Made from polyester, it has a silky feel that feels lovely and smooth against the skin, while the extra-long shape wraps around the head and blocks out almost all of the light. It has an adjustable head strap, which means it stays put perfectly throughout the night, and the pink colour picked up our spirits just a touch. Of course, it wasn’t quite as soft as some of our real silk options, but for the price, we can’t complain.
The star print on this eye mask is incredibly sweet, and our tester fell in love with the design. But it has been named best for large heads for a reason, as the ruched elastic band was the largest of all of our options, meaning it will slip off anyone with petite proportions. For those with larger heads, though, you’re in luck, as this shouldn’t be too tight for you to sleep soundly. Made from 100 per cent cotton, it is incredibly soft against the skin, and there are even matching pyjamas, too, meaning you can cop the full set and sleep in style.
For those who like to support small businesses, put Good House London on your radar. Since launching in 2020, the bamboo silk accessories label has expanded into offering scrunchies, headbands and, of course, eye masks, as well as a capsule collection of clothing. Made from 100 per cent bamboo, this eye mask is one of the more planet-friendly picks, as well as being hypoallergenic and naturally anti-bacterial, making it a perfect pick for those with sensitive skin and eczema. It’s also made from a vegan alternative to silk, which is a plus for animal-lovers. Our tester loved the oat shade, the softness of this mask and the sponginess between the layers, which helped block out a huge amount of light.
For those who like the little luxuries in life, the Mirari Life Grace silk velvet eye mask is for you. The presentation is second to none, coming with all the bells and whistles of an expensive gift: tissue paper and a beautiful presentation box. Made from a silk velvet blend, it was the thickest eye mask in this round-up, meaning it gave a complete blackout effect, so even the most light-sensitive sleepers can drift off with ease. The fabric also shapes to your features, helping to reduce sleep creases and preserving your skincare routine, which is bound to be just as boujee if this is the mask grabbing your attention. It certainly elevated our tester’s night routine, and if you fancy splashing the cash, we won’t be stopping you, although, there are, of course, many other options to suit every budget.
All of these eye masks were exceptional in their own way, but the ESPA silk eye mask did just nick the top spot, thanks to its silky softness and price point. But, if you are looking to splash the cash, the Drowsy damask rose silk sleep mask really is what dreams are made of.
For those who like to sleep to the sound of music, the SnoozeBand deluxe sleep mask headphones really wowed our tester, and if you are looking for a gorgeous gift, the Aromatherapy Associates moment of tranquil sleep set should do the trick.
Of course, we love a bargain buy here at IndyBest, and both the Lush dreamy eye mask and Soap & Glory’s the rest assured sleep mask served as the perfect lower-cost eye mask picks. Although, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed with any of these eye mask options. Sweet dreams.
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