This Panda London eye mask proves that the key to sleep is simplicity

If there’s one room in your home where technology should stay out of, it’s the bedroom. Your bedroom is where you should be unwinding and sleeping, so having an abundance of tech in it can distract and disrupt you from getting a good night’s sleep.

But as sleep technology continues to grow, more and more products are emerging that are designed to help you sleep better, including sleep apps and sleep headphones. One area that I didn’t expect to see technology get introduced to was sleep or eye masks – and I have mixed feelings about it.

Traditionally, sleep masks are simple fabric masks that sit over your eyes and block out light while you sleep. But now, we’re seeing more advanced sleep masks hit the market, like the Manta Sound Sleep Mask that plays music from its built-in Bluetooth speakers and the Therabody SleepMask that emits vibrations to massage the temples and eye area.

I’ve tried a few sleep tech masks, and I have to say that I enjoyed the relaxing vibrations and was pleasantly surprised by how easily I fell asleep. But while I think sleep tech is definitely worthy of a place in the bedroom, sometimes it’s nice to keep things simple.

I was recently sent the Panda London Bamboo Eye Mask. Unlike the Manta and Therabody sleep masks I mentioned before, this eye mask is stripped back and comes without any technology – and it could be exactly what you need if you just want a mask that blocks out external light.

Made of 100% bamboo, the Panda London Bamboo Eye Mask is soft and gentle on the skin. I’ve used masks in the past where I started to breakout after prolonged use, but as the Panda London Bamboo Eye Mask is hypoallergenic, I didn’t experience any of these problems and the silkiness was an added bonus.

As expected as it comes without technology built into it, the Panda London Bamboo Eye Mask is very lightweight but it does add a little pressure around the head as it can be quite hard to adjust. I have quite a small head and it was a little tight on me, but I enjoyed the feel around my eyes as it offered a good amount of pressure relief.

The main point of sleep masks is to block out light and the Panda London Bamboo Eye Mask did that expertly. The mask also stayed in place all night, and it comes with a travel pouch to keep it clean and make it easy to travel with.

While I loved the feel of the vibrations of the Therabody SleepMask that I tried late last year, it was nice to go back to basics with the Panda London Bamboo Eye Mask. I think 2025 will be the year for sleep tech and while it does help with tracking and prioritising sleep, it goes to show that sometimes the key to sleep is simplicity.

The Panda London Bamboo Eye Mask is £17.99 at Panda London, and comes in Eclipse Black, Urban Grey and Vintage Pink colours. For money off your orders, check out these Panda London mattress sales, deals and discount codes.