7 Best Mouth Tapes for Sleeping (Editor Tested!)
Good Gear editors endorse products we’ve personally researched, tested, and genuinely love. Learn more about our methodology and business model here.
Good Gear editors endorse products we’ve personally researched, tested, and genuinely love. Learn more about our methodology and business model here.
Are you considering taping your mouth to obtain gold-standard Zzzs? It might sound like the final frontier for optimal health and wellness — but nose breathing has been a part of yoga practices since ancient times. With the benefits of breathing through your nostrils now scientifically proven to reduce stress and lower blood pressure, and with a whole host of other benefits, what’s old is new again.
This simple, non-invasive, better-sleep biohack involves strategically placing paper, bamboo, or another form of porous adhesive over your mouth at bedtime, forcing you to breathe through your nose all night long. Breathing solely through your nose while sleeping filters humidifies and warms the air you breathe, making it ideal for lung and body CO2 intake and better circulation. You and your co-sleeper can enjoy some other pretty sweet benefits, most notably better quality sleep and a reduction in mild sleep apnea, anxiety, and snoring.
Regular use of mouth tape also supports a healthy mouth microbiome, warding off bad breath, dental decay, and helping with bruxism — so your dentist will be happy as well.
What should you look for in a mouth tape for sleep?
Because we have little conscious control over bodily functions during sleep, we need a bit of help to promote nasal breathing. Using quality mouth tape will gently keep your mouth closed, activate nasal breathing, and eliminate the need for conscious thought to keep it shut throughout the night. But we certainly don’t recommend reaching for the roll of gift wrap tape to achieve the benefits of mouth taping. Instead, to glean the benefits, we suggest seeking brands that use skin-safe adhesives and are strong enough to stay in place when exposed to heat and humidity but easy to remove the following day without causing any damage to the skin. It’s also important that any adhesive used is hypoallergenic, especially for those with more sensitive skin, but really for everyone!
A top-notch mouth tape should be comfortable and ergonomic, and you’ll find there is a range of shapes available to meet individual needs, face sizes, and comfort levels. For example, you may find that a mouth tape that covers your entire mouth gives some anxiety and that you are more comfortable in one that more subtly holds the month shut without covering it completely. No matter what shape or size, mouth tape should be breathable, and some brands that cover the entire mouth still include a small hole in the center for extra airflow. The use of mouth tape may require a bit of individual experimentation to determine which brand and shape fits your unique anatomy and offers the highest comfort level without adding anxiety or stress to your sleep routine.
Our criteria:
Our editors have researched and tested various mouth tapes to determine which are the best quality, offer tangible health benefits, and are comfortable to wear. We routinely update this list with new picks that meet the criteria outlined below.
- SAFE, HIGH-QUALITY MATERIALS | All of the brands included in this guide use skin-safe adhesives and vetted ingredients so you can sleep soundly without concern.
- HEALTH BENEFITS | We’ve tested and read thousands of customer reviews to ensure these brands offer health benefits from better sleep to improved oral hygiene. We’ve even experienced some ourselves.
- COMFORTABLE OVERNIGHT | All of the brands included on this list are comfortable to wear overnight — without falling off, pulling, or pinching.
If you’re looking for more ways to get a better night’s sleep, take a look at our favorite sleep headphones and read our full Eight Sleep review.
1. VIO2 Tape
Best For | Sensitive skin
Features | Medical-grade, hypoallergenic, flexible design
Prices Starting At | $24.95 for 48 tapes
VIO2 mouth tape is designed to fit all faces. Made of latex-free, cotton blend fabric backed with hypoallergenic medical-grade adhesive, this mouth tape is shaped like an “H,” but one the can be placed in two ways over your mouth to hold it gently closed while offering maximum breathability. VIO2 was created by a functional dentist who has recommended mouth taping to his patients and the athletes he’s worked with for years. He even tested the product on his own family prior to bringing it to market. This mouth tape was made with researched, quality ingredients to ensure it is comfortable to wear and can be pulled off easily and safely on all skin types. Editor’s note: There is an adhesive smell when you open the package but it subsides!
Customer Review | “Cannot sleep without it! Truly have a better sleep, my jawline is better, and a better immune system!” -SS (Read more reviews.)
2. Dryft Sleep Mouth Tape
Best For | Minimal but adequate coverage
Features | Airhole, medical-grade, hypoallergenic
Prices Starting At | $24 for 30 tapes
Dryft Sleep Mouthtape was created by two women who became friends during COVID-19. After one shared her love of mouth tape, the other gave it a try and was also hooked. They founded Dryft as a modern wellness brand with a mission to help others get their best night’s rest and wake up energized and ready to tackle the day. Dryft Sleep Mouthtape is medical-grade and hypoallergenic. It’s made of a stretchy, breathable fabric that can be easily applied thanks to quick peel-off backing. This tape comes in the fun shape of lips and has an air hole strategically placed in the center for added airflow and comfort.
Customer Review | “I had gone almost a whole year without a solid night’s sleep. I tried other mouth tapes that didn’t help. Snoring is a distant memory with Dryft. I now wake up with extra energy. To you inventors of this, thanks.” – CJC (Read more reviews.)
3. Dream Recovery Dream Tape
Best For | Broader mouth coverage
Features | Antibacterial and antimicrobial bamboo silk, hypoallergenic, colors
Prices Starting At | $25 for 30
Dream Recovery’s Dream Tape is made of bamboo silk, an eco-friendly and naturally hypoallergenic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial material. The bamboo tape is used because it is soft, breathable, and moisture-wicking and offers extreme comfort thanks to two-way stretch. The sizing and shape are a bit wider, which means it will accommodate a wide range of mouth shapes. In addition to black, this tape is available in fun colors like sky blue and hot pink.
Customer Review | “I cannot believe how much better I am sleeping! I haven’t gotten up to drink water or use the bathroom in the middle of the night in about 3 weeks! I’m a believer!” – CW (Read more reviews.)
4. Niveus Gentle Strips Mouth Tape
Best For | Affordability
Features | Medical-grade silicone, latex-free, hypoallergenic
Prices Starting At | $10 for a 27-day supply
Niveus Gentle Strips Mouth Tape comes in an easy-to-tear role, making it not only user-friendly but also cost-effective and highly customizable. It is especially ideal for sharing if a co-sleeper is also using mouth tape! This no-frills tape will make for a great starting point if you want to give mouth tape a shot without a significant commitment or investment to a subscription. Dentists developed Niveus mouth tape originally to aid in the prevention of oral disease in addition to reducing sleep-disordered breathing. Gentle Strips is made of medical-grade silicone that is latex-free and hypoallergenic. Niveus is a mission-driven company that partners with non-profits to help low-income, uninsured families gain access to dental care.
5. Sol Oral Care Hush Mouthtape
Best For | Adhesive quality
Features | Hypoallergenic, latex-free, breathable
Prices Starting At | $19 for one month’s supply
Sol Oral Care was founded in California with the mission of providing top-quality oral care products that cater to people who desire a radiant smile and maintain optimal oral health. Sol Oral Care Hush Mouthtape is made with breathable, hypoallergenic, latex-free adhesive. With a whole host of other mouthcare products, you can trust Sol’s reputation as an oral health pioneer.
Customer Review | “After reading a lot about the benefits of Mouth tape, I decided to give it a chance. Not only has my breathing improved by forcing my body to use the nasal passageway, but I feel a lot more energetic in the morning. I truly believe that I am getting more circulation by using this product.” (Read more reviews.)
6. Sport Sleep Tape
Best for | Recovery
Features | Antibacterial and antimicrobial bamboo, breathable
Prices Starting At | $27.50 for 30 day supply
Sport Sleep Tape is another mouth tape crafted from sustainably sourced bamboo that boasts natural antibacterial and antimicrobial properties in addition to breathability for true comfort. Sport Sleep Tape was developed by athletes to improve performance through better sleep — so the recovery support is a significant bonus for anyone who uses it, non-athletes included! Sport Sleep creates and advocates the power of user-friendly sleep and breathing products to facilitate better performance results for athletes and active individuals everywhere.
7. Lagoon Flexible Breathable Mouth Tape
Best For | Full coverage
Features | Hypoallergenic
Prices Starting At | $25 for 30 strips
It makes sense that a company born out of a need for the most comfortable sleep pillow would add a sleep-benefiting mouth tape to its product lineup. Enter: The Flexible Breathable Mouth Tape. Lagoon was created by a competitive athlete who has always prioritized good sleep. Lagoon mouth tape is straightforward, claiming to be skin and facial hair-friendly and designed to gently encourage nasal breathing during those vital restorative stages of sleep.
Featured image by Lagoon
