Manta Original Sleep Mask

Why it is our Best Overall

Light-sensitive sleepers, side sleepers who lean on the window, and anyone who has woken at 3 a.m. because the galley lights came on will appreciate the Manta Original Sleep Mask. It also works for people with lash extensions or long lashes who cannot stand a flat mask pressing down.

It holds the Best Overall slot for sleep accessories because it solves light blocking in the most adjustable way on this page without relying on electronics. The manta original sleep mask uses two padded eye cups that attach to the strap with hook-and-loop, so you slide each one to sit exactly over your eye and seal out light at the nose bridge, the usual leak point for flat masks. The cups are deep enough that you can blink freely, and the strap is wide and soft so it does not dig in over a long night. Travel + Leisure's testing of sleep masks favored comfortable blackout without needless technology, and that is exactly what this delivers.

On a red-eye you set the cups once at home, then on board simply pull the mask on after the meal service. Because the cups hold their position, you can turn toward the window or rest against a pillow without light sneaking in. In the morning it folds into its pouch and goes in the seat pocket for the hotel, where it does the same job against thin curtains.

The drawback is price in a category where a cotton mask costs under ten dollars; it is a mid-priced mask, far below the tech options here but still a stretch for a once-a-year flyer. The cups also give it a bulkier profile than a flat silk mask. If you fly rarely and sleep anywhere, the Mavogel is enough. If light is what keeps you awake, the manta original sleep mask is the one to buy.