Hi, I’m Giulia! I am a personal trainer & nutrition coach who is SUPER passionate about health, wellness & longevity for myself and my clients. I am on the hunt for the best mouth tape on the market to help improve my sleep quality & experience so I can train hard in the gym & recover even harder!
Want the TLDR? I tested 14 mouth tapes over several weeks to find the best one for encouraging nasal breathing during sleep. Below, I break down my top 5 picks, my clear winner, and exactly how I tested them.
Let's dive into my top 5 mouth tape choices
A year ago, I had no idea mouth tape was even a thing. I stumbled across it while going down a Reddit rabbit hole about sleep, and my first reaction was "people tape their mouths shut? That sounds insane."
But I kept seeing people swear by it, so I looked into the science. Turns out, nasal breathing is how our bodies are designed to breathe—especially during sleep. Your nose filters and humidifies air before it hits your lungs, and some research suggests it may support more restful sleep overall.
I was curious enough to try it. The problem? There are a ton of mouth tapes out there. Different shapes, materials, price points—I had no idea where to start. So I bought 14 of them and tested each one myself.
After weeks of testing, I narrowed it down to my top 5. The rest either fell off, felt uncomfortable, or weren't worth the money. Here's how I ran the test and why JustSlumber came out on top.
The 14 various mouth tape options I ordered
My ranking criteria for choosing the best mouth tape
I should mention—I'm just a regular person, not a sleep scientist or professional reviewer. But I figured that actually makes me a decent test subject, since most people reading this are probably in a similar boat.
Here's a bit about me:
Let's dive into my top 5 mouth tape choices
Before diving into the rankings, let's talk about why mouth tape exists in the first place—and whether it might be worth trying. I'll keep this quick.
When you breathe through your mouth during sleep, you're bypassing your body's natural air filtration system. Your nose is designed to do the heavy lifting here—your mouth isn't.
Mouth breathing during sleep is associated with:
Most people don't even realize they're doing it. You fall asleep breathing normally, then at some point your jaw relaxes, your mouth opens, and you spend the rest of the night breathing the wrong way.
Nose breathing vs mouth breathing infographic
Your nose isn't just a backup airway, it's the primary way your body is designed to breathe. When you skip it, you're missing out on a lot of built-in benefits.
Here's what your nose does that your mouth doesn't:
Nose breathing vs mouth breathing compared
Mouth tape is pretty simple: it's a gentle adhesive strip you place over your lips before bed to keep your mouth closed while you sleep.
That's it. No technology, no gadgets—just a physical reminder for your body to breathe through your nose.
Mouth tape works by:
Mouth tape is NOT designed to:
If you have a medical condition affecting your breathing or sleep, talk to a doctor. Mouth tape is a simple wellness product for people who want to encourage nasal breathing—nothing more.
My husband now uses JustSlumber mouth tape every night
✓ Simple and inexpensive compared to other sleep products
✓ Non-invasive—no devices, no electricity, no noise
✓ Many users report waking up feeling more refreshed
✓ Can help build a long-term nasal breathing habit
✓ Easy to travel with
✓ Works for most people regardless of sleep position
✗ Takes a few nights to get used to (can feel weird at first)
✗ Not ideal if you have nasal congestion or allergies
✗ Some people feel anxious about having their mouth covered
✗ Doesn't work for everyone—results vary
✗ Requires consistent use to see benefits
⭐ Overall Rating ️
This was my favorite by far. JustSlumber checked pretty much every box—it stayed on all night, felt comfortable from the first use, and didn't leave my lips feeling raw or sticky in the morning. It's also priced reasonably compared to some of the "premium" brands that honestly didn't perform as well. If you're new to mouth taping or just want something that works without any fuss, this is the one I'd recommend.
❤️ What I love ️
The thing that stood out most was how easy the whole experience was. The perforated backing peels off in one quick motion (sounds minor but trust me, some of these tapes are a nightmare to apply). It stuck well all night but came off easily in the morning without that painful ripping feeling. My husband tried it too and said it worked fine even with his facial hair—didn't pull too badly. The size is just right, covering the lips without taking over half your face like some of the other brands. Overall no complaints as long as you apply it properly.
🙈 What could be better
Honestly not much. If I had to nitpick, the corners did lift very slightly on my husband with his facial hair, but it still stayed on all night and did its job. I also noticed it helps to press the tape down for about 30 seconds when you first apply it—if you just slap it on and immediately lie down, the adhesion isn't quite as strong. But once I figured that out, zero issues.
JustSlumber packaging
JustSlumber mouth tape
JustSlumber close-up
JustSlumber is now a big part of my nightly routine
⭐ Overall Rating
Dream Recovery is a solid tape and I can see why it's popular. The quality is definitely there—it feels premium and it absolutely stays put all night. But for me, the size and the super aggressive adhesive knocked it down a few points. Removing it in the morning was not pleasant, and my husband flat-out refused to use it again after it ripped out some of his beard hairs. It's good, just not quite as comfortable as my top pick.
❤️ What I love ️
The build quality on this one is legit. You can tell it's a premium product from the moment you open the packaging. The adhesive is strong—probably the strongest of any tape I tested—so if your main concern is the tape falling off at night, this one won't let you down. It's also a well-established brand, so there's plenty of reviews and info out there if you want to do more research.
🙈 What could be better
The size was my biggest issue. It's a larger square shape that extends past the lip line onto the surrounding skin, which I found less comfortable than tapes that just cover the lips. And that strong adhesive? It's a double-edged sword. Great for staying on, not so great when you're trying to take it off in the morning. I could feel it tugging on my skin, and my husband said it was painful with his facial hair. Also, it's pricey—you're paying for the brand name here.
DreamRecovery packaging
DreamRecovery mouth tape
⭐ Overall Rating
Nose Gym has some good things going for it, but the overall experience was frustrating. The tape itself is comfortable once it's on, and the little vent hole is a nice touch if you're nervous about having your mouth fully sealed. But the adhesive situation ruined it for me—painful removal and sticky residue every morning got old fast. The backing was also weirdly difficult to peel off, which made the whole application process annoying.
❤️ What I love️
The vent hole is actually kind of genius for people who are new to mouth taping and feel anxious about it. Knowing there's a tiny opening "just in case" made me feel more comfortable the first few nights. And yes, you can technically drink through a straw with it on, which is a fun party trick I guess. The material itself feels pretty nice—soft and comfortable once you get past the application process.
🙈 What could be better
Where do I start? The adhesive is way too aggressive. Every morning felt like I was ripping off a bandaid, and I'd be left with sticky residue all over my lips that took forever to wash off. My husband tried it once and never again—said it felt like waxing his mustache. And getting the backing off when you're trying to apply it is weirdly hard. I found myself picking at it and getting frustrated, which is not what you want when you're trying to wind down for bed. The vent hole is a nice idea, but honestly I couldn't tell any functional difference.
Nose Gym packaging
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Nose Gym mouth tape
⭐ Overall Rating
I wanted to like ZzzTape because the material felt nice, but the adhesive just doesn't cut it. I had it come loose multiple nights, and twice it fell off completely while I was sleeping—I woke up with the tape stuck to my pillow. The tall, narrow shape also didn't work well for me; it covered above and below my lips but left the corners exposed. For the price it's not terrible, but there are better options.
❤️ What I love
The material itself is pretty soft, and when it comes off (or falls off), it doesn't hurt at all. So if you have super sensitive skin and your main concern is irritation, this one is gentle. It's also one of the cheaper options I tested, so if you're just experimenting with mouth tape and don't want to invest much, it's a low-risk starting point.
🙈 What could be better
The adhesive is the main problem here. It's just not sticky enough. I had corners peeling up throughout the night, and on two separate occasions the tape fell off entirely while I slept. What's the point of mouth tape that doesn't stay on? The shape is also odd—it's taller than it is wide, so it extends onto the skin above and below my lips (uncomfortable) but doesn't fully seal the corners (defeats the purpose). The backing was also annoying to remove; I kept accidentally tearing the tape trying to peel it.
ZzzTape packaging
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ZzzTape mouth tape
⭐ Overall Rating
I really wanted to love Sleep Karma. The branding is beautiful, the packaging feels premium, and the material quality is genuinely impressive. But then I put it on and... it's just too big. Like, comically big. It felt like I had a sticky notecard on my face. Combined with the super aggressive adhesive that made removal painful, I just can't recommend it. It looks great in photos but the actual user experience didn't work for me.
❤️ What I love ️
Full credit for the presentation—Sleep Karma nailed the unboxing experience. The packaging is sleek, the branding is on point, and when you first touch the material it feels genuinely high-end. If I was judging purely on first impressions, this would score much higher. The adhesive is also undeniably strong; this tape is not going anywhere once it's on your face.
🙈 What could be better
The size is a dealbreaker. This tape is significantly larger than every other brand I tested, and not in a good way. It extends way beyond the lip line onto your cheeks and chin, which just felt excessive and uncomfortable. And because there's so much surface area with that super-strong adhesive, taking it off in the morning was genuinely painful. My husband took one look at the size and refused to try it—and honestly, fair. If you have facial hair, stay far away. I think Sleep Karma prioritized aesthetics over actual usability, and it shows.
Sleep Karma packaging
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Sleep Karma mouth tape
After my initial impression of all 14 mouth tapes (and narrowing down to my top 5 to fully test), I put together this comparison chart based on the 8 criteria I cared about most. My husband helped me test too—he's got facial hair and I have slightly more sensitive skin, so we got more than just one perspective. Everything here is based on our actual experience using these tapes over a few weeks (tested minimum of 3 nights per tape).
My ranking criteria for choosing the best mouth tape
Quick notes on the scores:
So to recap, I didn't go into this expecting to find a clear winner. Honestly, I thought all these mouth tapes would feel pretty similar—tape is tape, right? But after testing 14 different brands over several weeks, JustSlumber stood out in ways I wasn't expecting. It just worked without any of the annoying tradeoffs I ran into with the others.
JustSlumber was the only tape that checked every box for me—comfortable from the first night, stayed on without issue, and came off easily in the morning without leaving my lips raw or sticky. The perforated backing sounds like a tiny detail but it made application so much easier compared to tapes where I was picking at the edges trying to peel them apart. My husband tested it too and said it worked fine even with his stubble, which wasn't the case with most of the others. It felt like someone actually thought through the whole experience instead of just making a sticky strip and calling it a day.
Overall I'm glad I did this deep dive because I now have a mouth tape I actually look forward to using every night. If you're like me and just want something simple that works—no gimmicks, no painful removal, no residue—JustSlumber is the one I'd recommend. It made building this habit way easier than I expected.
My Research Links:
https://www.ascentent.ae/nose-breathing-vs-mouth-breathing-whats-the-difference/
https://charlestonent.com/nose-breathing-vs-mouth-breathing-how-are-they-different/
https://drjockers.com/nasal-breathing/
https://breathefirst.co.uk/nasal-nitric-oxide-benefits-breathing/?srsltid=AfmBOopnQrnaOudNXIee6G1zOSVPfhyvOZqXAbzez5XekW85OMZjUKOo
https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/mouth-taping
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/mouth-breathing
What started as a simple experiment turned into this whole deep-dive testing 14 different brands.
Hope this review helped you find the right tape! If you have questions or want to share your own experience, feel free to reach out. Sleep well out there. 😴
