Tranquileyes - Spare Goggle

Click on the picture to see all the parts of the goggle. Click on a color to see the goggle in that color.

BRIEFLY

Tranquileyes is the best-designed product on the market for protecting dry eyes at night and has a long track record helping people with conditions ranging from Sjogrens dry eye to recurrent erosions to lagophthalmos (poor eyelid closure). Tranquileyes has rubber eyecups with a thick, soft, comfortable viscoelastic foam seal enclosing each eye area and a thick cushion in the center which can both add moisture and help hold lids closed. It's held in place with a stretchy fabric wrap that's quite comfortable. The goggle is sold in kits with varying quantities of spares and accessories, all of which can also be purchased separately.

This kit contains: Tranquileyes goggle (fitted with unlined foam), stainless steel travel case.

MANUFACTURER'S DESCRIPTION

(Excerpts from descriptions at eyeeco.com)

Tranquileyes eye hydrating therapy is a natural, proven way to bring relief to dry, irritated eyes. Unlike other dry eye treatments, tranquileyes is a soft, flexible goggle designed to form a moist, humid environment around the eye that helps stimulate tear production and prevent the evaporation of tears, while also moisturizing the delicate skin around the eyes. 

For the following feature descriptions, please click on the photo above to see a labelled picture of the foam side of the goggle.

Eye covers: Tranquileyes have beautifully-sculpted, anatomically designed eye covers that are made from medical grade, flexible rubber material that is FDA approved, hypoallergenic, easy to clean and durable. The eye covers seal only the area required to hydrate the eyes delivering complete darkness and exceptional comfort. The eye covers rest on your orbital bones, thereby avoiding any restriction of blood flow to vital arteries above the nose and unnecessary pressure on the sensitive blood vessels under the eye. 

Eye cushions: Each eye cover features a comfortable eye cushion that is fabric lined and made from visco-elastic foam. The foam is specially designed to form to the face when warmed by body heat and provides increased comfort while creating a complete seal to the orbital area. This seal helps to control the temperature and humidity around the eye area.

Moisture pads: Placed in each eye cover is a small pillow of the same fabric-lined, visco-elastic foam, called a moisture pad. The moisture pads are designed to be removed from the eye cover and placed in warm or cold water. Warm water moisturizes eyes and surrounding eye area, cold water reduces puffiness. After the moisture pads have soaked in water for 30 seconds, they are gently rung out, and then placed back in the eye covers prior to wear.

tranquileyes foam moisture pads and eye cushions should be cleaned as directed and replaced after approximately 60 uses.

Head wrap: A uniquely designed comfort wrap holds the eye covers in place and the stretch fabric ensures no pinching, even with extended wear. The comfort wrap is easily adjusted with two specially designed sliders, to ensure a custom fit and complete seal of the tranquileyes to the eye area

Results: tranquileyes foam moisture pads and eye cushions should be cleaned as directed and replaced after approximately 60 uses.

REBECCA'S COMMENTARY

Why use a moisture goggle? 

For most people with moderate to severe dry eye, a physical barrier over the eyes at night is a very important part of treatment and prevention, to increase moisture and to prevent air movement immediately around the eyes. Tear production is reduced during the night and eyes are more vulnerable to the effects of heating, air conditioning and ceiling fans. Many people's eyelids do not close perfectly at night, exposing a small part of the surface to excess drying - a condition often undetected which Tranquileyes is also very helpful for. People with RCE may find Tranquileyes helpful in erosion prevention by preventing sudden eyelid movements that can trigger erosions. 

Who is Tranquileyes best suited for? or not? 

In terms of the overall benefits, this is the best night coverage product I know of for dry eye, RCE or lagophthalmos, so for anyone with severe night/morning symptoms I'd definitely try this before any other product: It gives a full seal, adds moisture (if you wet the moisture pads), and can help hold the lids closed (see note below). It does the most, so it is the natural place to start except in certain special needs cases.

Comfort-wise, back sleepers will be happiest, and most side sleepers will be fine too though it may take them longer to adjust. But most stomach sleepers will find it too uncomfortable.

If you're worried about being "blind" when you wake up in the night, personally I don't find this an issue - I just push it up my forehead - but if you are shopping for someone elderly or disabled, this may be a much more serious consideration because of the danger of falls, and you will also need to consider their ability to care for the goggle properly (see below). If you have concerns about either of these potential issues please check out Quartz instead as a transparent, easy-care option.

If you're unwilling to wash the pads out daily and purchase replacement foams now and then, don't buy this. Look at alternative recommendations (below).

Tranquileyes should definitely not be used by anyone with ingrown lashes and should not be used at any time that you have an infection or anything causing unusual discharge from the eyes. Personally I'd also avoid it if you have the icky sticky kind of anterior blepharitis unless/until it's under really good control but consult your doctor about this.

Tranquileyes is not compatible with most CPAP machines (except the simple nasal pillows) - look at Onyix/Quartz instead.

Anything special I need to know about using Tranquileyes? 

Don't expect instant results. Some people will see immediate benefits, but more commonly people become aware of how it's helping after they've used it several days or even weeks. You can return it irrespective of how long you have used it, so I really encourage you to give it a fair trial. I have known a lot of people who disliked it after the first use and gave up, but later tried it again and ended up as daily users.

Maintenance. You're going to have to wash the moisture pads after every use. No biggie really, maybe 30 seconds to rub some cleanser or baby shampoo into them, rinse them and put in a net bag to dry so they're ready for the next night. You also have to replace the whole foam set (both the cushions on the goggle and the center moisture pads) every couple of months, which can be a little involved as you have to pull the old foam off, making sure to completely remove any remaining adhesive, clean & dry them, and press down a new set. Motivated users won't mind this but if "hassle factor" is a big deal for you, you might want to look at alternatives. 

Comfort. The moisture pads may be either too thick or too thin for some users, placing either more or less pressure on the lids than you would like. If that's the case, you can use the thinner "thermopads" or if you need more bulk, use a thermopad behind the moisture pad. Also, some people really can't tolerate anything touching their lids. It is possible to use Tranquileyes without the moisture pads, but it's not ideal as the cushions to the side can sort of cave in so they may be less durable. Check out my notes on alternatives below for these cases.

Cushions & skin. The cushions are usually very comfortable for everyone and rarely leave any kind of indentation. However, once in awhile I've had a customer whose skin reacted to the foam, or whose skin was very susceptible to edema and retained an impression of the foam longer than normal.

Replacement foam. There are two types of foam - unlined and lined. Your goggle will come fitted with unlined foam but you can choose which type you want as replacements. I recommend trying both types because people usually develop a preference for one over the other. If you use face products, I recommend lined foam as it may be easier to keep clean. Some people who don't read the description carefully panic that their goggle is "falling apart" when the first set of cushions pulls away… it's not, the foam just needs replacing.

Tini Bikini. The Tini Bikini wrap is a must-have accessory for many users, including those who want to reduce foam replacement costs (you wash the bikini instead of the cushions, so the adhesive lasts longer) and those who use face products that might soil the cushions frequently.

Durability. The eyecups last ages, BUT after a certain age the foam sets won't stay stuck down as long. You may need a replacement goggle every year or two. The head wrap stretches out with time but this can be replaced without getting a new goggle. The foam usually lasts 30-60 days with normal use (a common mistake is to wash the cushion part too frequently… this dissolves the adhesive prematurely) but I've had some customers who replaced it much less frequently and a few who needed to replace it more frequently.

How do I choose between all these Tranquileyes kits?

It doesn't really matter because you can get everything separately later. All spares/accessories are very light weight and can be sent via First Class Mail so the shipping cost would be very low. The Chronic Dry Eye kit has always been the most popular because it has everything you need for several months and includes the really nice special cleanser for the foam. If you're on a budget, go for the Basic. The 365 Day Kit is a really nice gift; is a good deal for someone who already knows they like the goggle and wants to get a lot of stuff at a good price; and is great for customers outside the US to reduce shipping costs; however, for first-time users, I recommend one of the smaller kits just in case for some special reason it doesn't end up being the right product for you.

Any alternatives I should consider? 

The other two main categories of products to consider for night protection are Onyix/Quartz and sleep masks. 

Onyix and Quartz (black and clear respectively, otherwise identical) were designed specifically for CPAP users but I've found that for many people they are an excellent alternative to Tranquileyes, and they may be something you "downgrade" to as a low-maintenance tool when dry eye symptoms are under better control. 

Among sleep masks, the two most popular are Escape which is a fairly stiff, large one with cavities over the eyes to ensure nothing touches your lids, and Contour which also vaults the eyes but is much lighter and thinner.

Some people have special needs which none of these products can fully meet. Please call us at 877-693-7939 if you need help finding the right kind of night protection, including products not sold in the Dry Eye Shop.

DON'T IGNORE THIS PART

Please don't buy products from my shop without consulting your eye doctor. Always let your eye doctor know about all products you are using, including over-the-counter and consumer products.