10 Best Sleep Masks for Travel

Concerned about ruining your pristine makeup, or if your sleep mask will truly achieve total blackout? Try one of these sleep masks that could change your mind.

Baloo Living's Sleep Stone Mask pulls triple-duty. It's light-blocking, noise-muffling, and calming thanks to an oversized design and hidden crystal pocket. This sleep mask comes with your choice of "sleep stone" crystal (amethyst for calming, purple fluorite, blue lace agate, or rose quartz) that tucks into a secret pocket over the third eye chakra. 

The mask features a wide-wrapped velcro closure that lets you adjust for the perfect fit without getting it caught in your hair, and it's made from a satin/spandex blend that's comfortable and good for your hair and skin.

When you are in the deepest stage of sleep, called rapid-eye movement, or REM cycle, your eyes move around underneath your eyelids. You don’t want to have anything restricting that movement: A sleep mask like Bedtime Bliss that's contoured around your eyes is good at preventing this. Rather than pressing down on your eyelids, it gives your eyes the space to move freely as you dream.

If you’re going to wear something on your delicate eye area all night, it might as well be silk. The material is purported to help prevent wrinkles and breakouts when used as a sleep mask. Yala’s silk sleep masks have a 100 percent silk exterior, which feels soothing on your skin. The black silk lining helps block out light, and the two ultra-thin straps won’t annoy you when you’re laying down.

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Fall asleep sitting up and on a brightly lit airplane with the GoSleep Travel Sleeping System, which uses adjustable elastic straps: Loop them around the wings of your headrest, rather than your seatback to avoid annoying the person behind you. When attached to the sleep mask, they'll keep your head from bobbing forward.

Research has found that the smell of lavender can help induce sleep—or at least block out bad smells in your airplane cabin or hotel room. This Premium Lavender eye mask is filled with the herb, and it’s customizable—you can add or remove lavender until you get a comfortable fit.

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If you suffer from migraines, sinus pain, or puffy eyes, you’ll want to try the IMAK eye pillow, which is filled with tiny ergoBeads that conform to your face and give a gentle massaging effect. Pop it in the freezer for cooling relief and to help with puffy or swollen skin.

Weighted blankets are thought to provide a calming effect, which can reduce anxiety and help with insomnia—and are very trendy right now. But for a more travel-friendly version, try a weighted sleep mask like the NodPod, which uses microbeads as a form of deep-pressure touch therapy to help you sleep better and to alleviate stress.

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The Alaska Bear sleep masks are a cult favorite on Amazon, with a 4.5-star rating and nearly 10,000 customer reviews—and certain colors are only $5.99 price at time of writing. The sleep masks have an adjustable headband that will fit any head size. A small flap by the nose can be flipped for extra light-blocking power.

If you can’t stand anything touching your eyelids while you sleep, the Puroni Blackout Sleep Mask is for you. This sleep mask has deep, 3D-contoured domes that surround your eyes (rather than resting on them) so you’ll feel like you aren’t wearing anything on your face.

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The Travel Halo looks like a visor pulled down over your face, but it’s actually a plush eye mask with two small pillows attached to the side, which will cradle your head and prevent it from falling down when you sleep sitting up. When you’re not using it, it rolls up for easy storage.

• 10 Travel Gadgets to Help You Sleep Away from Home
• 10 Tiny Gadgets That Will Help You Sleep on the Plane
• 8 Neck Pillows That Won’t Embarrass You on the Plane

Caroline Morse Teel will shamelessly wear any of these sleep masks in public. Follow Caroline on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline for style and travel photos.

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