Kellan Lutz Invented the One Thing That Will Help You Sleep on a Plane
They’re like sunglasses, but way better … for sleeping. (Photo: Kellan Lutz)
When I travel on planes I love to put on a plush, pastel eye mask, insert a pair of earbuds and block out the world for a bit, falling into a restful meditation at 30,000 feet, if not sleep.
“Twilight” and “The Expendables” star Kellan Lutz used to do the same. Then one day he was photographed by a fan paparazzi on a flight while wearing a candy-colored eye mask, and the photo landed in the pages of celebrity blogs and magazines.
He told Yahoo Travel, “It didn’t look cool and it didn’t fit my tough action-figure persona.”
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That public humiliation led to a moment of inventive genius.
Lutz went forth to develop Blackout Bands — essentially blacked-out sunglasses. Blackout Bands, or BOBs, lay flat on your face and are 98% opaque.
Lutz says, “I created them not to make money but to solve a problem I had and to help people.” He’s since learned from customer testimonials that the BOBs have been helping people who have migraines and light sensitivities lay out on the beach more comfortably, which inspired him to donate a portion of BOBs proceeds to charities that benefit the blind.
Unwilling to easily part with my own cotton-candy pink eye mask, I tried about a pair of BOBs the for first time last week on a redeye flight from Los Angeles to New York. I’m not a fan of overnight flights because it’s rare for me to get a wink of sleep sitting upright, so anything that teased being able to change that I was willing to try.
The author gives the BOBs a test drive. (Photo: Jen Birn)
The first thing you notice when you slide on a pair of BOBs is that the world really does go dark. You know that’s what they claim to do, but it’s still initially unnerving.
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In a window seat, I leaned my head against the pillow between my head and the side of the plane. At first the plastic pressed against the side of my head was annoying. They should probably find something a little softer, but to my surprise, seeing not a glimmer of light and hearing only my peaceful nighttime music mix in my ears, I did indeed sleep for a solid three hours. When I woke up it took me a second to remember why everything was black, but I was thankful for the rest.
My cousin Scott took BOBs for a test run during an hour train ride. At first he balked about trying on the BOBs, but after 15 minutes I could tell by his breathing that he was asleep.
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There’s an obvious disclaimer on the box to not wear them while driving, but it should also warn people not to wear them on a train unless unaccompanied by someone to wake you when you get to your stop! Scott certainly would have slept through ours.
Later that day we noticed Scott had been missing for a bit, and caught him downstairs taking a nap — with his BOBs on. “They’re actually pretty good,” he said.
Sure, you run the risk of being a person who looks too cool for school wearing dark sunglasses indoors, but it’s a great eye mask alternative, and we like to have options.
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