Is Therabody’s New Vibrating Sleep Mask Worth the Hype? 3 Editors Weigh In

Therabody SleepMask ($99)

“When it comes to performance metrics and data, I’m a big nerd. I love sports science, and find a lot of value in wearable tracking technology. As a coach, I find that sleep performance metrics in particular can be useful for guiding strength and conditioning programming, providing insight about whether it’s time to pull back on the reins or reduce training workload volume. Sleep can be complex, and if there are small ways to make an impact on getting more restful, quality sleep, I’m game to learn or try.

Personally, though, the act of falling asleep can be difficult at times. I have a tendency to grind my teeth at night, which causes jaw pain and related temporomandibular joint (TMJ) issues that can make sleeping a bit complicated. So I was looking forward to trying the Therabody SleepMask.

The mask worked wonders for me. I have a smaller-sized nose bridge, and as a result some other sleep masks I’ve tried allow light to come in. I didn’t have this problem with the Therabody SleepMask. The adjustable strap made it easy to find a close fit, and the contours of the material stayed in place without movement.

The Therabody SleepMask is made of a soft, flexible material, and it’s lightweight, making it a portable pick that’s travel-friendly. I like the fact that the interior layer can be removed easily, and even after washing on a delicate cycle in the washing machine, it still retains its shape and softness. My previous sleep mask from Manta Sleep had tons of use, but the inner layer was not removable, and eventually started to peel off heavily, making it something I no longer reach for.

My favorite settings to use were the wave and pulse patterns, but I liked all three of the vibration options. The wave-like vibrations felt soothing and helped me fall asleep. I felt like it gave me something to focus on, instead of anxious, racing thoughts, my usual go-to. I also enjoyed following the guided TheraMind sound therapy choices and nature soundscapes from the Therabody app. As someone that has difficulty falling asleep quickly, the experience definitely felt relaxing to me.

My WHOOP is in full support, with data stating that my sleep efficiency, or the time spent in bed actually asleep, increased by 15 percent over multiple nights of sleep using the mask. It would be interesting to see how this design develops in the future, with different types of vibrational patterns to be experimented with, or adding in changes in temperature.

Oh, and will they make a SleepMask for dogs? My puppy’s inquiring mind would love to know.” — Jade Esmeralda, health and fitness staff writer

Rating:
★★★★★