9 Best Night Guards [Tested and Reviewed]

Our top pick, the NIGHTGUARD Advanced Comfort by The Doctor's, stands out for its sleep-friendly design. Its double-layered soft plastic construction, with a patent-pending design that envelops all teeth and features a sleek edge around the front teeth, is particularly noteworthy.

The low and thin edging of this night guard significantly reduces oral discomfort, making it an excellent choice. The minimized height between the front teeth and the upper lip enhances comfort by allowing for a natural mouth closure.

One of the best features is its pre-shaped design, eliminating the need for intricate molding with your fingers. Testers who have worn it overnight have praised its fit, noting, "It molded very well to my teeth, making the night guard almost imperceptible."

Durability tests further confirmed its excellence, showing only a 3.5% dent under a 40-minute, 165 lb load. The innovative division of the double-layered soft plastic into a hard and soft layer contributes to its high durability. Thus, the NIGHTGUARD Advanced Comfort is a standout product, meeting the needs of both newcomers to OTC night guards and those who have been in search of the perfect fit for a long time.

The SleepRight ProRx Custom Dental Guard offers a full-coverage solution with a distinctive advantage in its molding process. Unlike typical night guards that require boiling water for molding, this product can be molded at a lower temperature, specifically at 150°F. This feature significantly reduces the risk of burns, making the molding process safer and more comfortable.

The ease of molding with this guard is particularly commendable. It transitions from white to transparent in hot water, signaling it's ready to be molded to your teeth alignment. This intuitive design simplifies achieving a snug fit, a major plus for users.

Another advantage is the guard's low and thin edges, which contribute to its almost unnoticeable presence during sleep, as reported by testers who found it lightweight and comfortable in various sleeping positions. However, a slight drawback is its tendency to shrink a bit after molding, potentially causing a tighter fit that might not be ideal for individuals prone to headaches.

Durability tests revealed a 16.1% dent under a 40-minute load of 165 lbs, which poses questions about its long-term resilience. Despite this, the SleepRight ProRx Custom Dental Guard stands out for those in immediate need of a comfortably fitting night guard, offering a temporary solution until a more permanent one can be obtained from a dentist.

The Oral-B Nighttime Dental Guard stands out not just for its full-coverage protection but also for its unique mint scent, adding a refreshing feel to the mouth during use. This feature is especially appreciated by those looking for a more pleasant night guard experience.

Durability is where this product really shines. In tests involving a pull of 165 lbs, the Oral-B guard demonstrated exceptional strength, showing no signs of caving in. This resilience makes it an excellent choice for individuals who may need to use their night guard beyond the typical 1-2 week period suggested for over-the-counter options.

Ease of molding is another significant benefit. Thanks to the included container, this pre-set guard simplifies the molding process. Users simply bite down without the need for detailed shaping with fingers, ideal for those who might not be as manually adept.

The testers also praised the comfort level, noting that the guard's thickness was just right, allowing for natural mouth closure. While it may not provide a flawless, bespoke fit, the Oral-B Nighttime Dental Guard offers a compelling combination of durability, ease of use, and comfort at an accessible price point, making it a worthy consideration for anyone in the market for an OTC night guard.

The ULTIMATE DENTAL GUARD by DENTEK is uniquely designed to cover only the back teeth, offering a compact and minimalistic approach to nighttime dental protection. This design choice allows for the convenience of being able to drink and speak even while wearing the guard.

One of the standout features of this product is its use of minimal material, combined with a low edge that avoids contact with the gums, significantly reducing the potential for oral discomfort. Testers have reported being able to close their mouths naturally and experiencing no gum pain, highlighting the comfort and ease of wearing this guard overnight.

The inclusion of a pre-shaped mold simplifies the molding process, making it user-friendly for anyone. This feature, along with its minimal presence, makes it an attractive option for individuals sensitive to the feeling of having a foreign object in their mouth.

Durability tests involving a 165 lb load for 40 minutes revealed a minimal dent rate of just 2%, showcasing the product's robustness. However, it's important to note that because this guard focuses on the back teeth, there's a risk of it becoming dislodged during sleep. Additionally, its design might inadvertently encourage clenching of the back teeth, potentially leading to a looser fit over time and posing a choking hazard.

The Brux Night Guard by BNG focuses on protecting the front teeth, a strategy aimed at reducing jaw damage by redistributing biting forces away from the molars to the front teeth.

This product has shown to possess adequate durability for short-term use, lasting about a week. In a rigorous durability test involving 165 lb. load for 40 minutes, the night guard exhibited a minimal indentation of 4.4%, indicating its resilience. Its compact design covering only a small area of the teeth helps minimize oral discomfort by reducing unnecessary contact with the gums and cheeks.

Despite these benefits, the guard's significant thickness and size might cause some issues, with testers reporting difficulties in sleeping with their mouths closed, leading to dry mouth upon waking. Its design, focusing only on the front teeth, also means it's more prone to dislodging during sleep, which could pose a choking hazard.

While the Brux Night Guard comes pre-molded, the necessity of using boiling water for the molding process might not appeal to those looking for a quick and easy setup. Coupled with its higher price point, this night guard may not be the first choice for everyone. However, for individuals experiencing particular discomfort with guards that cover the molars it could offer a suitable alternative worth considering.

The ConfiDental's Sapphire night guard from The ConfiDental offers full coverage for all teeth and includes a set of five guards, allowing users to choose the thickness based on their level of teeth grinding or even for use as an athletic mouthpiece. The thin type, in particular, received high marks for its performance.

Crafted from soft plastic material, this product demonstrates notable durability. In a test applying a 165 lb load for 40 minutes, it exhibited only a 2.9% indentation, showcasing its robustness. The pre-molded design also means it can provide a reasonably good fit straight out of the box, simplifying the molding process.

However, the guard's high edges and the broad base designed to accommodate tooth shapes mean that adjusting it for a perfect fit can require some finesse. Some testers have reported issues, mentioning, "The mold was very loose, and the front was too thick and high, making it feel like my mouth was stuffed."

For those in need of a versatile solution that can serve as both an athletic mouthpiece and a guard against varying levels of teeth grinding—potentially influenced by daily stress—the ConfiDental's Sapphire might be a suitable option to consider, despite some of the challenges in achieving the perfect fit.

The Custmbite Kloud Night Guard offers full coverage for all teeth and simplifies the molding process without the need for boiling water. Instead, users can mold the guard using just a microwave, paper towel, and plate, accompanied by clear instructions and a pre-existing mold for an easy-to-follow setup.

Despite its user-friendly design, the high edges of the guard require careful attention during the molding process to ensure a snug fit. While its thin design generally allows for easy mouth closure, improper shaping can lead to complaints of looseness and discomfort due to the guard's tightness at the high edges.

One concern with the Custmbite Kloud Night Guard is its durability. In tests involving a 165 lb. load for 40 minutes, it showed a considerable indentation of about 24.3%, highlighting its vulnerability to damage, especially for those with a strong teeth-grinding habit. Made from a soft material, the guard runs the risk of breaking under intense pressure.

Given these considerations, while the Custmbite Kloud Night Guard presents an accessible option for those looking for an easy-to-mold solution, its potential durability issues suggest it may not be the best choice for individuals with severe teeth grinding. Those concerned about the longevity and effectiveness of their night guard might need to explore alternative options.

The DENTEK PROFESSIONAL FIT DENTAL GUARD offers full dental coverage and comes with a molding tray, boasting a fit that rivals that of custom-made night guards from dental clinics.

Constructed from a two-layer soft plastic material, this guard demonstrates commendable durability. In a robustness test involving a 165lb load for 40 minutes, it exhibited minimal compression of about 6.1%, suggesting it can maintain its integrity for roughly a week with no significant issues. The pre-molded design is another plus, simplifying the fitting process for users without requiring advanced manual skills.

Despite these strengths, the guard's thickness poses a challenge for comfort, particularly due to the bulky area beneath the front teeth. This has led to feedback from some testers stating, "The night guard was too big, and I couldn't close my mouth all the way." Consequently, individuals with smaller mouths or those who prefer a slimmer profile may find this product less accommodating to their needs.

The Sova Aero Night Guard covers all teeth and is distinguished by its design, which incorporates perforations to ensure that breathing is not hindered and allows for drinking while in use.

Its design aims for minimal bulkiness with low, thin edges, yet the use of hard plastic can lead to discomfort, particularly when the guard presses against the gums or cheeks while lying down. This guard requires manual shaping starting from a flat form, a process that some testers have found challenging, with feedback such as, "It was hard to mold and get the perfect fit by delicately folding the walls."

The durability of the material raises additional concerns. In a test applying a 165 lb load for 40 minutes, the night guard showed a significant dent of about 29.3%, indicating that it may not withstand heavy use. Coupled with a relatively high price tag of $25, the Sova Aero Night Guard's discomfort and questionable durability suggest it may not be the best investment for those seeking a comfortable and long-lasting solution for night-time teeth protection.