Matador Blackout Sleep Mask Review Review
Another interesting accessory from Matador. Is it frivolous or valuable? Well, can it be both?
Matador Blackout Sleep Mask Review Introduction
Matador keeps turning out accessories. Previously this year, we reviewed the Beta Lock and loved the overall design of that piece (Beta Lock review).
Not a complicated piece of kit, but something worth taking a look at for sure. Their most recent release is the Blackout Sleep mask. Their take on the age-old standby in many-an-amenity kit across the world. But, is this a luxury item in terms of “necessity” or worse, are they looking to create a problem to solve? Let’s find out.
I recently took this guy on a few separate trips. Two domestically from NYC to FLA (4 legs), and then one big one to China. I tested it on multiple flight legs on that last one (I had 8 total afterall) including the literal longest flight in the world from Singapore to NYC non-stop. What better place to test a sleep mask than inside a plane for 18.5 hours?
For full transparency Matador did ask me if I wanted to review this and I definitely was interested. That said, this is not a sponsored review article and Matador did not pay me to write this. I do use affiliate links to help keep the site running, but those are of course at no additional cost to you and to be used at your discretion. Thanks for stopping by!
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Blackout Sleep Mask Overview
So this will be quick, but the Matador Blackout Sleep Mask is just as it sounds - a sleep mask that Matador wants to be higher quality and more convenient than the cheap and flimsy design that’s been around forever.
Rather than repeating the same design as the old ones, the goal here is focusing on better comfort, and no light leak. It’s made kind of like a puffy jacket but is softer.
The lining is made with bamboo fiber designed to have a cooler feel on the skin.
It’s packable, and has one other trick up its sleeve we’ll talk about in the features section.
It wraps around your head and attaches with velcro, rather than the sometimes uncomfortable elastic straps of its forefathers.
Site Specs:
Weight: 1.3oz (37g), includes earplugs
Packed Dimensions: 1.6 L x 3 W x 5.8 H in (4 L x 7.6 W x 14.7 H cm)
Unpacked Dimensions: 27.8 L x 3.3 W x 1 H in (70.6 L x 8.5 W x 2.5 H cm)
Mask Circumference: 20.5-24.5 in (52-62 cm)
Materials
- Bamboo liner
- Nylon outer
- Synthetic insulation
- Foam earplugs
It retails for $25.00 as of June 2023 and comes in one colorway, Matador black. OK that’s not what it’s called but come on, that’s Matador’s color!
Blackout Sleep Mask Features
It wouldn’t be a Matador product if we didn’t have some features to talk about.
For one, it packs into itself for a nicer way to travel with it. This makes it just a little more tidy.
Next, I mentioned this already but it’s got a bamboo liner that is meant to be cooling with its next to skin feel.
The big feature trick here is that there’s a little hidden pocket on this - and within you’ll find a pair of memory foam earplugs. This doesn’t get in the way of packing it into itself.
Lastly, there is a small loop for you to attach this externally somewhere. I’d imagine it was made to fit with the Beta Lock but haven’t tried that yet.
The Good
Comfort! I was able to give this some good testing and while wearing it I never once found it uncomfortable. It never felt hot either. You’d think it might be, due to it looking like a puffy jacket in functionality but I have to imagine that’s the bamboo at work. I can’t confirm that scientifically but just being honest - it was really comfortable to use and I liked not having an elastic strap on the back of my head or on top of my ears. After a while, those CAN (I realize it depends on how it’s built) get fairly uncomfortable.
Functionality. I’d say this comes through on what it promised. It's really easy to pack within itself and the utility of the earplugs is a great and clever idea. Sometimes it can be a bit of a faff to pack things into themselves and I never felt like it was a pain in the ass here. Good stuff. But again, the earplug piece is a very clever design idea.
The shape when packed made it easy to fit into bag pockets and what not - but unlike the traditional sleep masks it wasn’t loose and flapping around. I enjoyed that more. If you’re someone that likes everything to be “in its place” then I think you’ll like this.
While I realize $25.00 is not Free and therefore inherently an additional cost for your wandering, I think it’s a really good price for a well thought out piece of gear that does what it says it will and does it really well. So, I think that's a fair and pretty affordable price.
The Bad
This isn’t a complicated piece of kit, but it is an extra piece of kit. Some folks just don’t want to have to buy one more thing. And that’s a completely valid viewpoint. But, that’s kind of the thing with accessories. You need to evaluate if they fit within your style, and utility needs on top of just your budget needs. If you’re only taking short hop flights domestically and not in a lot of noisy hotels or AirBnBs, you probably don’t need this for those scenarios, for instance.
One nit to pick would be on the velcro on the ear plug compartment. It’s pretty strong for the hook and loop, but the stitching of that patch to the mask feels like it could tear off. It hasn’t, and I’m not saying it WILL. Just something I noticed and want to call out. Wonder if maybe magnets could be used instead of hook and loop? That would probably add to the cost if I’m being realistic, but just a thought.
The Improvement Requests
Nothing to put here beyond the velcro patch for the ear plug pouch as noted above. Wondering if magnets would work here? Something to think about for the team!
Final Thoughts On My Matador Blackout Sleep Mask Review
I asked earlier if this was nothing more than a luxury item (by that I mean, something nice but not necessary, I don’t mean like Louis Vuitton) or even trying to create a problem to solve (Like 50% of the apps created these days)?
Honestly, no. They aren’t creating a problem to solve. The age old designs for sleep masks are flimsy, not always that comfortable, and depending on the tightness aren’t always blackout either. So in that sense they are attacking a regular travel challenge and improving upon an existing solution. At least, in my mind.
But is it a luxury item as defined above? Yeah maybe. I think the big time minimalists won’t go for it because they don’t go for much in that sense. They take only the gear they absolutely need and no extras. That said, what’s wrong with a little bit of a comfort-driven “extra” once in a while? Planes can be miserable enough these days, there’s nothing wrong with trying to help you be a little more comfortable. In use, I liked it. Was really comfortable and was wicked easy to fit wherever I wanted to store it because once packed, it can squish and compress as well. My wife also used it in our hotel room when the room was so bright during the day (normally a good thing) and she was so jet lagged she needed a nap (and I didn’t want to sit and work in the dark, lol). She was out like a light and stayed that way for a good while. Scientific result, for sure.
I think the price is reasonable as well considering the materials and utility behind the design. The earbuds are a clever little addition.
If you’re in the market for a sleep aid for when you travel - definitely give this a go! I’d put it in the same category as their packable blankets. You might not need it every time, but it’s small enough and easy enough to store that it’s going to be handy to have around for when you do need it.
Wander more and Wander smarter, everyone.
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