They say buy cheap, buy twice. Well I went one better worse and tried three before finally conceding defeat. Here’s what I realized: sleep masks at Walmart and Target are a dime a dozen for a reason. They suck.
I’m a light sleeper if ever there was one. Even the tiniest little LED blinking in the corner of my room is enough to keep me awake. And with all the cheap sleep masks I tried, the issues were the same: light still got in, they slipped off in the night, and the elastic straps quickly gave up within a few weeks (my head isn’t even that big).
I did some digging on Reddit with people who are serious about sleep masks and one name came up again and again: Manta Sleep. Desperate to avoid another failure and emboldened by their 60-day money-back guarantee, I went for their most expensive PRO mask.
It was $85, and I’m still wearing it every night five years later. That’s less than a nickel a night!
Why the PRO Mask Is Worth Every Penny (Even at $85)
The PRO is a 100% blackout sleep mask that keeps you cool and comfortable in any position. Sounds simple on the face of it, but it’s not until you look under the hood that you realize how much engineering has gone into this thing. No wonder it’s had glowing write-ups from GQ, T3, Travel + Leisure, and now yours truly.
Here’s what sets Manta’s PRO Mask apart:
- Adjustable eye cups — This is Manta’s pièce de résistance. You can remove the eye cups and reposition them to match your face shape. This is why the PRO does total blackout better than anything I’ve ever tried.
- C-shaped design — PRO Mask’s eye cups taper at your temples, so you can lay comfortably on your side without the mask shifting or pressing into your eyes.
- Cooling materials — The strap and eye cups are made from laser-perforated foam (you can literally see the holes on the outside). This makes it super lightweight while letting air pass through it to keep you cool. Trust me, as a hot sleeper, you quickly forget you’re wearing it.
- Zero pressure on your eyes — If there’s one thing I love about my PRO Mask, it’s that I can open my eyes with it on. The hollow cups don’t touch my eyes or lashes, and there’s something incredibly calming about blinking in total darkness.
- Anti-slip strap — The PRO’s strap goes around the top of your ears instead of pressing against them. And the anti-slip gel makes sure it doesn’t move around at night.
- Machine washable — Rest assured, I wouldn’t have kept mine for five years if I couldn’t throw it in the washer every few weeks.
The PRO Mask Delivers 28% More Deep Sleep and Fewer Wake-Ups
It didn’t take me long to realize that the Manta PRO Mask was in a league of its own. And it’s not just because it actually fits properly, and is comfortable, and stays on all night. It’s because of what all those things add up to: more sleep.
The PRO Mask boosts deep sleep by 28%, lifting nightly averages from 78 to 100 minutes. This is the sleep stage responsible for building muscle, repairing tissue, and strengthening the immune system. So if you live an active lifestyle, you’ll definitely feel the difference after a few nights with the PRO Mask.
But the thing I notice most is that I wake up less. And it makes sense. Your sleep is heaviest during the deep sleep stage, so the more time you spend in that recovery state, the less chance there is you’ll wake up in the night.
More Sleep. More Energy. More Money?
I’m sleeping better and have way more energy during the day. But it turns out the PRO Mask could also be putting more money in my back pocket.
This study looked at the connection between sleep and salary. Here’s what they found:
- The short-run bump — An extra hour of rest per week can boost earnings by 1.1% in a matter of months.
- The long-run dividend — Higher-quality sleep over a multi-year career can yield a permanent 5% earnings lift.
How? It all comes down to getting more REM sleep. This is the sleep stage responsible for memory consolidation and brain development. So the more REM sleep you get, the sharper and more productive you’ll be.
This is where the PRO Mask really makes a difference if you’re a light sleeper. During REM, your brain is super active, so it’s easier for light to wake you up. The PRO keeps those distractions out so you can wake up and perform at your best.
My Verdict: An $85 Investment with an 800%+ ROI
When you stop looking at the Manta PRO as a sleep tool and start seeing it as a career investment, the math really starts mathing.
Let’s start with an average salary of $70,000. Here’s a quick back-of-the-napkin calculation:
- Year 1 — Salary increases by 1.1% to $70,770, delivering an 800%+ ROI.
- Year 2 — Salary increases by 5% to $73,500, delivering a 4,000%+ ROI.
- Year 5 — An extra $14,770 in combined earnings over those five years.
You can drop hundreds of dollars on supplements, health trackers, and caffeine, but none of them deliver the gains of a great night’s sleep every single night of your life.
If light stands in the way of your sleep, imagine what else it’s standing in the way of. The truth is that the best version of yourself starts with better sleep. And I can’t recommend the PRO Mask enough for delivering exactly that.
Try the Manta PRO Sleep Mask for yourself — now 10% off and with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
