Hostage Tape Reviews

Hostage Tape Review: Does it Work?

Hostage Tape is an adhesive tape intended to be worn over the mouth that's claimed by the seller to help stop snoring.  

Despite the aggressive name, the developers state they're intent on helping customers sleep better, save relationships, and improve their overall health.

Below we take a detailed look at Hostage Tape to see if it lives up to the hype.

The Issue With Snoring

Snoring affects approximately 40 percent of adult men and 24 percent of adult women, with cases ranging from benign to highly disruptive.

While it may not seem like a serious health threat, untreated snoring can lead to a wide range of problems that includes:

• Fragmented Sleeping  -  that results in poor concentration, fatigue, and potentially dangerous daytime drowsiness.

• Prolonged Sleep Deprivation  -  can cause more severe cognitive impairment, mood irregularity, and a weakened immune system.

In more extreme cases unchecked snoring can increase risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), cardiovascular issues, and hypertension.

It can also put a massive strain on relationships with bed partners growing irritable and resentful of the snorer.  Hostage Tape promises to ease these issues, but does it really work?  

Below we take a closer look at the product, analyze their supporting data, and find real customer reviews.

How Does Hostage Tape Work?

The idea of the product is pretty straight forward, application of the tape redirects breathing to the nasal passage.

On their website they point to a lot of resources from health experts, authors, and podcasters discussing the benefits of nose breathing.  

Recent publications have also highlighted the power of breathing techniques and have even led to the rise in popularity of breath coaches.

Some of the benefits of Nasal Breathing include:

• Humidification  -  Air entering the nose warms up as it travels down the passageway and enters the lungs at an optimal temperature.

• Filtration  -  Incoming air is filtered by the nose limiting how much dust or allergens make their way into the lungs.

• Improved Oxygen Uptake  -  The nasal passages are lined with blood vessels and cells that aid in the absorption of oxygen which can increase air flow to arteries, veins, and nerves.

• Nitric Oxide production  -  Nasal breathing promotes the production of nitric oxide (NO) which helps dilate blood vessels, improving blood flow and regulating blood pressure.

• Encourages Diaphragmatic Breathing  -  breathing through the diaphragm allows for deeper inhalations and exhalations and improved lung functions.

• Lowers risk of snoring and symptoms associated with sleep apnea  -  Breathing through the nose allows for smoother airflow.
  
  This can reduce the likelihood of airway obstructions and vibrations that lead to snoring.  It also helps maintain a balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

• Better Oral Health - Keeping the mouth closed promotes a better oral biome through improved saliva flow.

On the other hand, mouth breathing promotes practically the opposite results.

Some of the damage that can be caused through regularly breathing through the mouth includes:

• Dry mouth
• Increase in allergic reactions due to breathing unfiltered air
• Asthma
• Bad breath
• Poor oral health
• Increased snoring
• Worsening symptoms of sleep apnea
• Potential jaw issues
  
  

There are certain situations where mouth breathing is necessary such as when you are experiencing nasal congestion, problems with the septum, or issues with nostril openings.

Does Hostage Tape Work for Snoring?

There is a lot of discussion and support for the development of proper nasal breathing habits.  

It is at the core of many breath work programs and also a part of traditional practices such as kundalini yoga.

There is also a wide array of research supporting Yogic breathing methods On lung function, pulmonary functions, and cognitive functions.

When it comes to direct support for Hostage Tape or mouth breathing being effective for snoring the company website points to the results of some recent research studies.

One pilot study tested porous oral patches (POP) on patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea and mouth breathing.

That trial, on 30 participants, concluded that pop is a “useful device to treat patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea and habitual open mouth breathing.

Their results found that the patches decreased snoring intensity and median snoring index and increased the retropalatal space and retrolingual space.

Another limited study supported those findings with similar results.  Concluding that, “Mouth-taping during sleep improved snoring and the severity of sleep apnea in mouth-breathers with mild obstructive sleep apnea…”

They did state that participants with the highest baseline symptom measurements had the best results, concluding that,

“mouth-taping could be an alternative treatment in patients with mild OSA before turning to CPAP therapy or surgical intervention.”

Is mouth tape safe?  Are there side effects?

Hostage Tape does a good job of informing potential users about safety precautions and situations where people should not use the product.

Some potential issues and limitations include:

• Skin Irritation around the mouth
• Anxiety around sealing the mouth
• Discomfort sleeping

They also warn that many of these issues are exacerbated by using the wrong kinds of tapes such as household products like:

• Duct tape
• Masking tape
• Electrical tape
• Painter’s tape
• Packing tape
• Etc…

Furthermore, if you are suffering from serious obstructive sleep apnea they recommend seeing a doctor and obtaining a CPAP machine.

Other situations where mouth taping should not be used include:

• if you have a sleep disorder or a condition where you experience nausea or vomiting in the night
• you are an epileptic
• after drinking alcohol or taking sedatives
• you have trouble breathing through your nose
• you are obese (BMI over 35)
• have very low blood pressure
• have severe heart or breathing problems
• if you have a cold, sinus, or ear infection
• have severely chapped lips or non-intact skin immediately around the mouth.

Customer Service

If you have any product issues or questions you can submit a message at https://hostagetape.com/pages/contact.

Hostage Tape offers a 30 day money back guarantee on their products.  If you are unsatisfied, reach out via email at [email protected] to initiate the return and refund process.

Customer Reviews & Complaints

On the Hostage Tape website you will find hundreds of positive reviews and social media mentions of how well the product is working.

If you dig deeper you can find reviews that mention some of the difficulties that people have had while using Hostage Tape.

The few negative reviews that we found mentioned that:

• The tape stuck to facial hair
• Some experienced a rash from the glue
• Another user that experienced irritation was frustrated that the ingredients of the adhesive were not listed on the website, nor a breakdown of all the materials used to create the tape.

There is also an active Reddit thread where users have related their experiences using Hostage Tape.

The gist from most of the commenters is that those who’ve tried it found that it did improve sleep, however they feel they can get the same experience from a cheaper product such as 3M Micropore Tape or Kinesiology Tape.

As always, do your due diligence before applying any adhesives to your face and consult with a physician before using any new medical treatments.

Competitors and Alternatives

Before resorting to a physical intervention such as mouth tape, those who suffer from snoring can try a variety of lifestyle and environmental changes that can have dramatic results.

Some small steps that can be tried include:

• Sleeping on your side
• Clearing nasal passages by addressing asthma or allergies
• Getting an air purifier for your bedroom
• Developing a better night time pre-bed routine
• Nasal strips can be a good option to try as they are less overwhelming than mouth tape
• Starting a breath work routine

Bigger changes such as quitting smoking and limiting or cutting out alcohol can have powerful results as well.

If these steps do not have any effects on your snoring some other products to check out include

MyoTape - This product follows the same concept as Hostage Tape however their tape is designed to fit around the mouth and gently press the lips shut as opposed to covering them.

1 packet of 90 strips costs $25.00

Other brands include:

Somnifix's Mouth Strips
Sefudun Mouth Tape

Hostage Tape is the most expensive option from these choices.

Bottom Line

With the abundance of new publications pointing out the powerful impact breathing can have on total body health, it’s clear that if you’re a mouth breather, steps should be taken to practice nasal breathing.

When it comes to mouth taping as an intervention for snoring, the limited research does show that it can have positive effects.

However, it also shows that those with severe symptoms benefit the most.  It’s unclear how well this technique works on those with mild snoring issues.  

Anecdotally, it seems that there is a lot of positive feedback for this technique, even if you don’t use Hostage Tape to try it.

Consult with your physician first to make sure you’re cleared for this technique.  It’s also a good idea to try mouth taping in the daytime before applying it for an overnight test.  

This will let you know if you can handle nasal breathing and also give you  time to get used to wearing it and ease any potential anxiety.

If you have any experience with Hostage Tape, please leave your reviews below.