
The Bottom Line
Pros
- 100% blackout
- Doesn't fall off head during sleep
- Speakers
- Can be mediative
- Comfortable
Cons
- Button placement needs work
- Beeps "battery low"
- App needs work
- Price
Should you buy it?
AvoidConsiderShortlistBuyIntroduction & Specification Details and Close-up
Combining a slew of features into one simple sleek sleep mask, Aura has released a new mask capable of waking up users gently and respectfully from total blackout.
Aura's Smart Sleep Mask is designed for users who are looking for a premium sleep mask that can produce relaxing sounds through integrated speakers. Additionally, the Smart Sleep Mask is able to provide users with a range of sounds to help relax them, such as ASMR sounds, mediations, nature sounds, and meditative guides. Moreover, Aura has programmed the Smart Sleep Mask with the ability to wake up the user slowly with light and sound through a function called "Wake Me Up".
In addition to the sound, the Smart Sleep Mask comes with a blackout design that uses a 3D Hug band that attaches to the mask through a magnet. The material is also designed to provide comfort to the face, and the 3D Hug band has been made to take pressure off the parts of the face that would typically cause discomfort with a standard sleep mask. Now, it should be noted the Aura Smart Sleep Mask isn't aimed at the average consumer, as its price is $358. However, it's regularly discounted to $220. But that would still make it a very premium sleep mask.
Close-up







Today | 7 days ago | 30 days ago | ||
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$69.99 USD | $79.99 USD | |||
$74.98 USD | $82.98 USD | |||
$111.34 CAD | $115.43 CAD | |||
- | $117.98 CAD | |||
£64.99 | £69.99 | |||
$69.99 USD | $79.99 USD | |||
* Prices last scanned on 2/12/2025 at 2:58 pm CST - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission from any sales.
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Design
At first glance, the Aura Smart Sleep Mask appears to be a standard sleep mask but is slightly bigger and somewhat chunkier. However, despite its size increase compared to a standard sleep mask, the Smart Sleep Mask maintains a very minimal aesthetic that gives it a sleek visual appeal. The mask is made out of a thick fabric that has a plush texture when pressed, and it can't be overstated how soft this fabric is - especially when the mask is worn. Unfortunately, the Smart Sleep Mask only comes in either grey or black, which is somewhat disappointing given how expensive the mask is and how great it would look with a variety of color options.

Moving to the front of the Smart Sleep Mask, you will find volume buttons, a USB-C charging port, a button to switch between Bluetooth mode and Zen mode, and two LED indicators. Additionally, there is an invisible button under the front of the mask, which I found to be quite a silly button placement as there isn't anything obvious to inform the user of where it is, making it unnecessarily difficult to get the mask booted up for the first time. Upon first use, I probably had to spend a good 10 minutes attempting various ways of turning the mask on. Aura could simply put the power button next to the USB-C port or mode button, which would be a massive improvement on first-time experience with their product.
The interior of the mask features the Hug cushion that, while it is a standard fit, should be applicable for the majority of users. I tried the sleep mask on the members of my family that age drastically, and all reported it was comfortable and didn't let in any light. This indicates the Hug cushion should work as intended and that most people don't have to worry about any light leaking into the interior. Keeping to the interior, the Aura mask has a glow bar that is used to simulate a sunrise when its "Wake me up" feature is enabled. While the glow bar is small, it does its job perfectly well and can produce enough light that it can fill the interior of the mask when worn and wake up the user.

Overall, the design of the Aura Sleep Mask is quite impressive - it feels very premium in the hand, it's fabric and plushie, pillow texture makes it extremely comfortable to wear, and the consistent 100% total blackout makes the Aura Sleep Mask at its very least, a reliable and comfortable sleep mask that can be worn by almost everyone.
App
The Aura Smart Mask is best paired with the app, but unfortunately after diving through the app and testing the mask for more than 3 weeks I didn't find myself heading to app for any of its features. What I found myself using the most with the app is the "Wake me up" feature, with there only being a few times that I reached for the in-built soundscapes and meditation.
Additionally, Aura needs to work out when notifications are sent, and if these are even necessary at all. Most of the notifications consisted of reminders to take naps at odd times and didn't really provide any useful information. By the end of my testing experience, I found the notifications to be mostly cluttering up my notification center, leading me eventually muting the notifications.

I would say the only reason to download the Aura app is for the "Wake me up" setting which enables a user to set a time for when the mask will wake them up - which is something I would consider as one of the main reasons to purchase the Smart Mask.

Performance
I think a good way to think about the Aura Smart Sleep Mask is a premium sleep mask that comes with a bunch of extra features that a buyer wouldn't mind paying for. As I outlined in the design section of the review, at its very minimum, the Aura Sleep Mask is a fantastically comfortable 100% black-out sleep mask. But what about those extra features?

The high price tag for the Smart Sleep Mask gives a buyer access to the Aura App and its features. Now, while the app is quite lackluster and doesn't offer that many features - the Wake Me Up feature makes it worth downloading, and as mentioned in the App section of this review - something I would consider a main selling point for the Aura Smart Sleep Mask. During my time testing the mask, I didn't have any trouble getting to sleep with it on or have any general comfortability issues. Additionally, there were no noticeable points of pressure on my face in any sleeping orientation I tried. However, for those who sleep face down, the Aura Sleep Smart Mask may cause some discomfort, but I believe this problem would be caused by many if not all, sleep masks.

The speakers built into the mask are surprisingly good, and since the mask can play any audio over its Bluetooth connection, I was able to play whatever audio I wanted to go to sleep or relax to.
After testing the mask, I believe a big improvement Aura could make to perhaps a second generation of this product is the inclusion of ear muffs. These would be for people who are very light sleepers and would have to have an intuitive design that doesn't cause discomfort on the ear for people who sleep on their side. I'm not quite sure how this can be done as I am not a product engineer. Still, I believe combining the 100% blackout technology with an audio-damping design would create a very helpful product for many people around the world.
Final Thoughts
Should you spend $358 on the Aura Smart Sleep Mask? Firstly, I would advise to wait until its on sale if you are considering the purchase. And secondly, I believe you should meet the following criteria.

A buyer of the Aura Smart Sleep Mask is looking for a premium sleep mask that has a 100% blackout guarantee but also has additional premium features such as speakers, App support, and aesthetics. Did the Aura Smart Sleep Mask improve my sleep quality? Unfortunately, no, but what it did do was reduce the time it took me to get to sleep, which I believe is equally as valuable in its own way. A buyer of this mask should also consider this dimension of improvement and whether this is a problem for them in their own life.
Overall, I believe the Aura Smart Sleep Mask is aimed at a niche market of people that either really struggle with their sleep, or want to optimize their sleep as much as possible. Additionally, people in both the aforementioned categories will enjoy listening to audio while trying to go sleep, and enjoy relaxing meditative sessions.
If you fit the above criteria, I think the Aura Smart Sleep Mask will be an incredible addition to your sleep routine, which may result in critical sleep problems being fixed and an overall quality of life improvement.