Wirecutter - Finally, a good night’s sleep

Michael Hession

Anna Perling

When I moved to New York City a few years ago, I quickly learned that I would need to make some lifestyle adjustments to survive. I got comfier walking shoes, a set of noise-cancelling headphones, and a slew of sleep aids to help me snooze through the lights, sounds, and vibrations of the city that never sleeps. The Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask was a small but crucial addition to my reserves. It shuts out ever-blazing street lights as well as the rising sun after a late night of dancing. Plus, it’s so lightweight and comfortable that I forget I’m wearing it.

I’ve moved away from New York, but I remain a loyal fan of the Nidra eye mask and take it wherever I go. The mask is made from smooth, soft material that doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin. The contoured cups let me blink my eyes, unlike flat masks that press down on my eyelashes and feel, frankly, like I’m wearing a pair of Spanx on my face. Even when I stash the mask in a bag or suitcase for travel, the cups never flatten. They spring right back up. This mask is also easy to keep clean because it’s machine-washable and -dryable.

There’s a medical reason that people may prefer the raised cups of the Nidra, too. When writing our sleep mask guide, Sabrina Imbler consulted Dr. Nitun Verma, a sleep doctor and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Verma explained that as long as the mask isn’t rubbing on the eyelids, it shouldn’t interfere with the natural movements of your eyes while you’re sleeping. “It’s more of a comfort thing, and an option for those finding conventional eye masks distracting,” he added. So if you don’t like the flat eye masks you may get from a hotel or plane, you may prefer the roomier Nidra.

The flat elastic band on the Nidra is adjustable, and it stays shut with Velcro. Among our panel of testers, people with a variety of face shapes and sizes found the Nidra comfortable to wear. This mask was one of the widest we tested temple to temple, so it may work for folks with larger faces. The Nidra’s molded nose cutout has a gentler slope and is relatively unstructured compared with those of other masks we tested, so it can fit various types of nose bridges.

I appreciate that even though the Nidra stays on all night, it’s still easy to push up to my forehead if I need to check the time or grab a drink of water. Then I slide the mask down over my eyes, roll over, and go back to sleep.

We’ve tested 20 sleep masks since 2017, and the Nidra remains our top pick. Here’s why we love it:

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• Temple to temple, it’s the widest mask we tested, so it may work for people with larger faces.

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• The Nidra has a gentler sloping nose cutout than other masks we tested. So it can fit a wider range of face shapes, as well as any type of nose bridge.

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• It works well for back- and side-sleepers. (Though if you sleep on your stomach, your face may push down on the contoured cups.)

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Read more in our guide to the best sleep mask.

Although we didn’t see a deal on the Nidra during Black Friday or Prime Day in 2021, those events (and during Wirecutter’s Sleep Week!) are typically the best times to buy it.

The Nidra eye mask can go in the washer and dryer. We’ve heard the top layer of fabric can peel away to reveal the layer of inner foam. But if you have any issues, you can reach out to Nidra’s customer care team on Amazon.