Review: Manta Sound Sleep Mask

I’ve always been envious of people who can fall asleep easily. For me personally, I struggle to turn my brain off. I’m always readjusting my blankets and flipping my pillow and tossing and turning. I need a box fan, a completely dark environment, and the complete elimination of distractions. Heaven forbid someone near me is snoring—nothing triggers my misophonia faster.

The Manta Sound Sleep Mask has been a complete game changer for me and my sleep routine.

At first glance, it looks as if a traditional sleep mask had a baby with a visor one of the X-Men would wear. It comes in black, pink, or light gray, and there are a few different parts. There’s the eye mask strap, which has C-shaped eye cups that can be removed and readjusted via a hook-and-loop system. Those eye cups create a complete blackout environment without putting pressure on your eyes—something I appreciate a lot since I’m exclusively a side sleeper. The second strap encases super-thin Bluetooth headphones. They’re about the thickness of a thin yoga mat and are nearly imperceptible when you’re wearing the mask. Each headphone can be adjusted forward or backward using the tabs on the outside. And on the outside of the headphone strap, there are three buttons—they’re basically centered on your forehead when you’re wearing the mask. Two of them are volume controls, and one is the power button. The whole package is simple but effective, and it helps me fall asleep and stay asleep every single time I use it.

See No Evil

The mask is unique since it covers both your eyes and ears. Unlike some other eye masks, even if you wear it tightly, it won’t create pressure on your eyes in order to block out all the light. I’ve successfully used it many times in direct sunlight. It’s the equivalent of throwing a sheet over my birdcage—the sun goes away, and my brain knows it’s time to go to sleep.

The Bluetooth headphones, too, are nothing to sneeze at. They’re easy to pair with your phone and while they don’t have mind-blowing quality or active noise cancellation, they do get loud enough to drown out any environment. There are 30 steps of volume control, so you can dial in the audio precisely. I‘ve used the Manta Sound to fall asleep in a tent at many music festivals, both in the dead of summer and on 30-degree Fahrenheit nights. Even with world-renowned bass being sound-checked at 10 am and my neighbors starting their pregame at the crack of dawn, I slept like a baby, the sounds of a box fan being piped directly into my ears. Or in a hotel room, while my friends chatted, watched TV, and played music on a speaker, I was blissfully unaware and fully asleep. This would be impossible for me without the Manta Sound (believe me when I say I have tried other methods). The battery lasts for 20 hours and charges via USB-C, and I’ve never had the headphones disconnect from my phone on their own. The battery automatically shuts off after 30 minutes of no audio streaming. The mask also has a built-in microphone to take phone calls, but I’ve never used that feature. My phone only rings while on “Do Not Disturb” for a very few number of people, in which case I pop the mask off and answer normally.

The flip side of this immersion is that I sometimes find myself sleeping too soundly. I frequently wake up disoriented after using the Manta Sound, wondering what year it is once I wake up. And it freaks me out a bit to be so far removed from the world. With my eyes and ears completely covered, I have no idea what’s going on around me. If I went to festivals solo, for example, I might not use this mask, since I’d be completely unaware of any weather events or people walking through my campsite. But that immersion is ideal in some instances—I would’ve killed for this mask when I worked third shift and was frequently woken up by birds, lawnmowers, or the godforsaken sun. The Manta Sound is like blackout curtains for your brain.

Hear No Evil

I’ve tried other sleep solutions before, to varying degrees of effectiveness. Ear plugs and sleep headphones tend to not jibe with my preferred sleeping style, also known as “spinning around like a rotisserie chicken until I find exactly the right spot.” And even other eye masks have been historically difficult to get adjusted so they sit correctly without pulling my hair or pressing awkwardly on my head. This mask eliminates those issues. There’s nothing jammed in or falling out of my ear canal, and there’s no pressure squashing my eyes or nose. And though those other solutions might be cheaper, depending on what you use, I think it’s worth the extra price to get a product that helps you sleep without disrupting or disturbing you. The Manta Sound just works.

The Manta Sound is fully adjustable for a custom and comfortable fit. You can move the eye cups, tighten and loosen both straps, and tighten the mask diagonally so it stays put. Once you find the Goldilocks zone, it stays throughout the night and doesn’t ride up or slide down. But those adjustments can be finicky. Sometimes I get the eye strap just right, and then I struggle to tighten the headphone strap on top. And the hook-and-loop closure can be a little noisy if you’re adjusting it. But I think the trade-off is well worth it, and I’ve always managed to find the right fit for me.

Another minor gripe I have is that I can’t precisely control my audio with the mask on. The buttons don’t work to move ahead or repeat a song. It’s totally fine—I can set a sleep timer on Spotify or use Siri in a pinch. But sometimes I’ve had to peek my eye out to adjust my audio playback, and it is a factor that you might care about if you’re used to headphones with more onboard controls. And some people might be turned off by the fact that a phone or some other audio source is required—which means potentially draining your phone battery, and needing to have music downloaded or service to stream it.

All in all, though, I love this mask. It’s breathable, and I can play the Sleep With Me podcast or random ambient noise without disturbing my partner. The inner strap and eye cups are both machine washable (the outside layer should be spot-cleaned). The included carrying case even doubles as a laundry bag. Every part is durable. And most important, it helps me fall asleep and stay asleep, no matter where I’m at or what’s going on around me. If you struggle to sleep well, the Manta Sound is worth every penny.