Mouth Tape vs Nasal Strips: Which Is Better for Snoring and Sleep?
Mouth tape and nasal strips both promise quieter nights and better nasal breathing, but they work in opposite ways. Here is how to choose, based on where your problem actually starts.
How nasal strips work
External nasal strips are adhesive bands with a flexible spring inside. Placed across the bridge of the nose, they gently lift the sides of the nostrils and widen the nasal passage. Internal nasal dilators do a similar job from inside the nostrils. Both aim to make breathing through the nose easier, which can reduce the need to breathe through the mouth.
What the research says: a 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis of nasal dilators found they may help snoring in some people, but they did not meaningfully improve obstructive sleep apnea.
How mouth tape works
Mouth tape is a gentle, skin-safe strip placed over or across the lips. It does not change your nose at all. It simply keeps your mouth closed so that you use your nose for breathing.
What the research says: a small 2022 study found less snoring in mouth breathers with mild sleep apnea, while a 2025 systematic review concluded the overall evidence does not support mouth taping as a clinical treatment and highlighted the risk for people with nasal obstruction. Our full mouth tape for sleeping guide goes deeper.
Side by side
| Nasal strips | Mouth tape | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Opens the nasal passage | Keeps the mouth closed |
| Best for | Narrow or stuffy nose | Mouth breathing with a clear nose |
| Snoring | Can help nose-related snoring | Can help open-mouth snoring |
| Sleep apnea | Not a treatment | Not a treatment |
| Main risk | Skin irritation on the nose | Breathing difficulty if the nose blocks |
| Evidence | Some support for snoring | Limited and mixed |
Which one should you choose?
Choose nasal strips if your nose often feels blocked, you breathe through your mouth mainly because nasal breathing feels hard, or your snoring gets worse with allergies or colds.
Consider mouth tape if you can breathe comfortably through your nose while awake, but you wake up with a dry mouth or your partner says your mouth is open when you snore.
See a doctor first if you snore loudly most nights, gasp or stop breathing during sleep, or feel very sleepy in the daytime. These can be signs of sleep apnea. You can learn more in our guide on how to stop snoring.
Can you use mouth tape and nasal strips together?
Some people do: the strip opens the nose, and the tape keeps the mouth closed. This only makes sense if your nose is comfortable and clear with the strip on. If you feel short of breath, anxious or wake up gasping, stop and talk to a professional. Do not combine them to push through a blocked nose.
Not just tape.
A mouth band that understands your night.
Whichever you try, the real question is whether it changes your nights. Zzip is designed to answer exactly that, by combining the mouth band with sensors.
| Regular mouth tape | Zzip | |
|---|---|---|
| Keeps your mouth closed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Measures your breathing | — | ✓ |
| Detects snoring | — | ✓ |
| Responds to snoring | — | ✓ |
| Smart wake-up window | — | ✓ |
| Shows you the results | — | ✓ |
- Keeps your mouth closed, comfortablyA flexible silicone body with an integrated, skin-friendly adhesive, shaped around the mouth.
- Follows every breathA thermistor near the nose counts each breathing cycle directly from the warm and cool air of your breath.
- Hears snoring and respondsA microphone detects snoring; a gentle vibration is designed to encourage you to change position without waking you.
- Wakes you at a better momentA smart alarm looks for a suitable moment in the window before your alarm time.
- Your whole night on one screenOptical pulse and SpO₂ signals, movement and temperature come together in the Zzip app.
If you are curious about mouth taping, Zzip is worth following: it is the version that shows you whether it actually works for you.
Zzip is a prototype in development. Features and measurement performance are being tested. It is not a medical device and does not diagnose or treat sleep apnea or any other condition.
Frequently asked questions
Is mouth tape better than nasal strips?
Neither is better in general. Nasal strips help when the nose is the problem; mouth tape can help when the mouth falls open but the nose works well.
Do nasal strips stop mouth breathing?
They can make nasal breathing easier, which may reduce mouth breathing, but they do not keep the mouth closed.
Can nasal strips or mouth tape treat sleep apnea?
No. Neither is a sleep apnea treatment. If you suspect sleep apnea, talk to a doctor about a sleep study.
Sources
- Camacho M. et al. (2016). Nasal Dilators (Breathe Right Strips and NoZovent) for Snoring and OSA: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Pulmonary Medicine.
- Rhee et al. (2025). Mouth taping in patients with mouth breathing, sleep disordered breathing, or obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review. PLOS One.
- Sleep Foundation. How To Stop Sleeping With Mouth Open.
- Sleep Foundation. How to Stop Snoring: Expert Tips for Quieter Sleep.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If you have symptoms of a sleep or breathing disorder, talk to a qualified healthcare professional.