A dark black-and-white bedroom with a beam of sunlight through the sheer curtains of an open window

Comparison · 2 picks

Best Blackout Solution for a Bedroom (2026)

By Rob Griffiths 3 min read

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Light is one of the simplest sleep disruptions to fix, and you do not need to redecorate to do it. NHS sleep advice is to make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet, using curtains, blinds or an eye mask. The two products below tackle it from opposite directions: one blocks the light reaching your eyes, the other darkens the whole room, and both work without drilling or permanent fittings, which matters in a rented home.

Selections draw on manufacturer specifications, UK listings and independent reviews, and linked prices update automatically.

At a glance

All 2 options side by side.

MZOO Sleep Eye Mask 4.5 / 5 Tommee Tippee Sleeptight Blind 4.0 / 5
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Best for The personal blackout. The room blackout.
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The picks in detail

#1 Best overall

MZOO Sleep Eye Mask

Rated 4.5 out of 5
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Bottom line. The personal blackout. A contoured memory-foam mask that blocks light at the eyes without pressing on the eyelids, comfortable for side sleepers and completely portable. The simplest, cheapest way to darken your view anywhere.

Pros

  • Zero pressure on eyelids
  • Effective light blocking
  • Comfortable for side sleepers

Cons

  • May sleep warm for some users
  • Strap might snag long hair
  • Not ideal for stomach sleepers
#2

Tommee Tippee Sleeptight Blind

Rated 4 out of 5
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Bottom line. The room blackout. A portable blackout blind that sticks over a window with suction cups to darken a whole room, popular for nurseries and travel. Fiddlier than a mask and sized to the window, but it blacks out the space rather than just your eyes.

Pros

  • Highly effective at blocking out light
  • Lightweight and highly portable
  • Easy to install and remove without tools or residue

Cons

  • Suction cups can occasionally lose grip and fall
  • Dark material can absorb heat and warm the room in summer
  • May not perfectly fit all window shapes/sizes

Sleep mask or blackout blind: which do you need?

Choose a sleep mask like the MZOO if you want the cheapest, most flexible fix, or you travel, share a room, or cannot darken the window itself. It blocks light wherever you are and packs into a bag. Choose a portable blackout blind like the Tommee Tippee if you want to darken the whole room, for example for a baby's nap in the day or a bedroom with a streetlight outside, and you would rather not wear anything on your face.

The two are not mutually exclusive, and many people use both: a portable blind to knock back the worst of the light, and a mask for the last of it. Both are renter-friendly, since neither needs drilling or permanent fixings.

If you need the room dark during the day after a night shift, our shift worker's guide to daytime sleep sets blackout alongside noise and timing. And if a properly dark room makes winter mornings harder to wake into, our dark-mornings setup guide covers bringing the light back on your own schedule.

What is the best way to block light in a bedroom?
The easiest options are a contoured sleep mask, which blocks light at the eyes, and a portable blackout blind, which darkens the whole window. A mask is cheapest and most portable; a blind darkens the room and suits nurseries.
Are contoured sleep masks better than flat ones?
Many people find contoured masks more comfortable because the moulded shape keeps the material off the eyelids, so you can blink freely and there is less pressure. They tend to suit back and side sleepers particularly well.
How do you black out a bedroom without drilling?
Use a portable blackout blind that fixes with suction cups, a temporary or tension-mounted blind, or blackout curtains on a tension rod, plus a sleep mask for any remaining light. None of these need permanent fittings, so they suit rented homes.
Do sleep masks work for side sleepers?
A contoured mask works well for side sleepers because its raised shape blocks light without pressing into the eye when your face is against the pillow. Flatter masks can shift or press uncomfortably in that position.
Best overall MZOO Sleep Eye Mask
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