Best Nasal Dilators for Snoring, Reviewed

Nasal dilators are small devices that hold your nostrils open while you sleep. They're cheap, drug-free and worth trying, but they only help a specific type of snoring. Here's what actually works, and what doesn't.

What a nasal dilator actually does

Snoring happens when air struggles to flow smoothly through your airway, causing soft tissue to vibrate. If the bottleneck is in your nose, a dilator can genuinely help. If it's further back, in your throat or at the base of your tongue, a nasal device won't touch the problem, no matter how well it's designed.

There are two main types on the market. External dilators sit on the outside of your nose, usually a spring-loaded plastic strip you clip across the bridge. Internal dilators sit just inside each nostril, gently pushing them open from within. Both aim to reduce airflow resistance and cut down on mouth breathing, which tends to make snoring worse.

External clip-style dilators

These look a bit like a small plastic clothes peg and sit across the outside of your nose, usually held in place with light spring tension. They're reusable, washable and don't touch the inside of your nostril, which makes them a reasonable option if you find internal devices uncomfortable or irritating.

They tend to work best for people with mild nasal congestion or slightly narrow nostrils rather than a structural blockage. Some people find the tension takes a night or two to get used to, and a very small number find it presses uncomfortably on the bridge of the nose. If that's you, an internal design is usually a better fit.

Internal cone-style dilators

These are inserted a short way into each nostril and gently spring outward to widen the nasal passage from the inside. Many people find they feel more secure than external clips once in place, since there's nothing sitting on the outside of the nose to shift or fall off during the night.

They come in different sizes, and fit matters a lot here. Too small and you won't get much benefit, too large and they'll feel intrusive and may cause soreness. It's worth trying a couple of sizes if the pack allows, and cleaning them properly between uses, since they sit in direct contact with the nasal lining.

Who tends to get on well with these

• People whose snoring is mild to moderate and mainly linked to nasal stuffiness or a cold
• People who already know their snoring is worse when lying on their back, but is not severe or accompanied by breathing pauses
• Those who've tried a nasal strip and found some improvement, but want a bit more support

Who should probably skip them

• Anyone with a diagnosed or suspected deviated septum, where the blockage is structural rather than something a dilator can hold open
• People whose snoring comes mainly from the mouth or throat, where a mandibular advancement device or tongue-stabilising device is more likely to help
• Anyone with signs of sleep apnoea, covered below, who needs proper assessment rather than a self-help device

Nasal dilators versus nasal strips

It's easy to muddle these up, so it's worth being clear on the difference. A nasal strip is a flat adhesive strip worn across the bridge of the nose, using gentle spring tension in the material to lift the nostrils from the outside. A nasal dilator, whether external clip or internal cone, works on the same general principle but with a reusable device rather than a single-use strip.

In practice, strips are often the simplest starting point, since they're inexpensive to trial and there's no fit issue to work out. If you get on well with a strip but want something reusable, a dilator is a sensible next step. Our separate review of nasal strips for snoring goes into more detail on that option specifically.

Getting the most from a nasal dilator

1. Try it on a night when you can also track your snoring, using something like the SnoreLab app, so you're comparing like for like rather than relying on how you feel in the morning.
2. Give it a fair trial of five to seven nights rather than judging after one, since there's often an adjustment period while your nose gets used to the sensation.
3. Keep the device clean and replace it once it starts to lose its shape or spring, since a worn-out dilator won't hold the nostril open properly.
4. If you have persistent congestion, hay fever or a cold, treat that alongside using the dilator, since a dilator can't do much if the passage is swollen shut from the inside.

If a nasal dilator alone doesn't shift things, it's worth looking at the wider picture. Our full comparison of anti-snoring devices covers mandibular advancement devices, tongue-stabilising devices and positional aids, which target different causes of snoring and may suit you better if the issue isn't nasal.

When to see your GP instead

Nasal dilators are a reasonable first step for straightforward, nasal-driven snoring, but they're not a substitute for medical advice if something more serious is going on. Please see your GP if you or a partner notice loud snoring with gasping or choking, pauses in breathing during sleep, or ongoing daytime exhaustion despite a full night in bed. These can be signs of obstructive sleep apnoea, which needs proper diagnosis and isn't something a nasal device can safely manage on its own.

The honest verdict

A nasal dilator is a low-risk, low-cost thing to try if your snoring is mild and seems linked to your nose rather than your throat. External clips suit those who dislike anything inside the nostril, internal cones suit those who want a more secure, hidden fit. Neither will help if the real problem is a blocked airway further back, or a structural issue like a deviated septum. Try one honestly for a week, track the results, and if it doesn't help, it's a useful piece of information rather than a failure. From there, our full reviews hub can point you towards the option that actually matches your type of snoring.