What Nose Strips Do Athletes Use?
The strips athletes use and actually train with — compared and ranked by hold, strength, materials and value.
The short answer: athletes overwhelmingly use external nasal strips — adhesive spring bands that lift the sides of the nose open to lower airflow resistance. What separates a performance strip from a chemist strip is whether it survives sweat and contact. On that test, Force Tape Airflow+ leads: a sweat-proof ForceLock™ adhesive, an ultra-strength spring band that opens the passages up to 50% wider, plastic- and latex-free satin fabric, and a subscription price that drops to just $0.58 a strip.
The Strips Athletes Use, Compared
We compared the strips athletes reach for on the things that matter under load: hold under sweat, lift strength, skin comfort and cost per strip. Force Tape leads the table as the best all-round athlete's strip.
| Nasal strip | Key strength | Price (AU, 30-pack) | Per strip | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Force Tape Airflow+ Best for athletes | Sweat-proof ForceLock™ hold; opens up to 50% wider; plastic & latex-free satin | $35 | ~$1.17 (or ~$0.58 on a 6-pack subscription) | Sport-focused all-rounder — training, plus sleep & recovery |
| GOAT Nose Strips | Australian all-rounder; ~35% more airflow; latex-free | $35 | ~$1.17 | Gym & sport users wanting a solid all-rounder |
| Breatheeze | Australian; athlete-focused; spring band + fabric lining | ~$33 | ~$1.11 | Value-minded athletes |
| RhinoGear | Triple-spring lift; budget price; sleep-and-snoring led | $24.99 | ~$0.83 | Cost-focused, mainly sleep/snoring |
| Breathe Right Extra Strength | Familiar chemist name; gentle plastic-band lift | $43.99 | ~$1.47 | Occasional users who want a shelf brand |
| Respire | Wellness/sleep brand; comfortable, hypoallergenic | $35 | ~$1.17 | Sleep-focused users |
Competitor prices are indicative 30-pack RRPs, checked August 2026, and vary by retailer and sale. Force Tape drops to $0.99/strip (3-pack), $0.70/strip (6-pack) and just $0.58/strip on a 6-pack subscription.
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The Picks, Ranked
Six options athletes reach for — and where each one really fits.
Force Tape Airflow+ — Best for Athletes
Built for sport, not the bedside table. ForceLock™ is a medical-grade adhesive engineered for athletes and humidity-tested for a genuine all-day hold — so it stays put through a long run, a HYROX heat or a jiu-jitsu round. The ultra-strength spring band opens the nasal passages up to 50% wider, on breathable satin that's free from plastic and latex.
Up to 50% widerSweat-proof holdFrom $0.70/strip10,000+ ★ reviews- Sport-first, but a genuine all-rounder — sharpens training and improves sleep & recovery
- Black Sport, Clear/Lite and Mini fits
GOAT Nose Strips
A popular Australian direct-to-consumer strip and a genuine all-rounder, with a latex-free adhesive and around 35% more airflow claimed. Priced the same as Force Tape at $35 for 30 — but the lift is gentler and it doesn't carry Force Tape's sweat-proof sport adhesive.
$35 / 30~35% more airflowBreatheeze
Another Australian challenger aimed at athletes, with a spring band, fabric lining and a sweat-resistant medical-grade adhesive. Slightly cheaper at around $33 for 30. Good value; the range is smaller and the lift isn't quite as strong as Force Tape's ultra-strength band.
~$33 / 30Sweat-resistantRhinoGear
The budget pick — a triple-spring strip at about $24.99 for 30 ($0.83 a strip), so cheaper per strip than a single Force Tape pack. The trade-off is focus: it's built around sleep and snoring with a lighter 12-hour adhesive, rather than the sweat-proof, all-day hold athletes need.
$24.99 / 30Sleep-ledBreathe Right Extra Strength
The strip most people know from the chemist. Proven and easy to grab, but the band uses embedded plastic, the adhesive is built for sleep rather than sweat, and at ~$43.99 for 30 ($1.47 a strip) it's the priciest mainstream option.
$43.99 / 30Plastic bandsRespire
A wellness brand sold mostly on subscription. Comfortable and fine for sleep at around $35 for 30 (~$1.17 a strip), but it's oriented to general wellness with a lighter, sleep-focused hold rather than a sweat-proof sport adhesive.
$35 / 30Sleep-focusedWhy Athletes Use Nose Strips
Nose breathing is a performance tool — here's the mechanism, honestly.
Lower breathing resistance
The narrowest point in your airway is the external nasal valve. A strip pulls it open, and research on external nasal dilator strips shows they reduce nasal airflow resistance and the perceived effort of breathing.
Better nose-breathing
Nasal breathing humidifies and filters air and releases nitric oxide from the sinuses, which supports oxygen delivery — the reason athletes want the nose working for longer before the mouth takes over.
Calmer easy & zone-2 work
Strips make easy and moderate aerobic breathing feel calmer, which helps warm-ups, zone-2 runs and recovery. The honest limit: they don't raise VO₂ max at maximal effort.
They stay on when you sweat
The whole game for athletes. A supermarket strip peels the moment you perspire; a humidity-tested sport adhesive like ForceLock™ holds through the session.
What To Look For In An Athlete's Strip
- Sweat-proof adhesive. The whole game. A strip that lifts brilliantly but peels at 20 minutes is useless mid-session — look for a hold that's explicitly humidity- or sweat-tested.
- Spring strength. A stronger band means more outward lift on the nasal valve and a bigger drop in breathing resistance.
- Breathable, flexible backing. Satin-style fabric moves with your face; stiff plastic backings lift at the edges.
- Skin tolerance. Latex- and plastic-free materials matter if you wear one daily.
- Cost per strip in bundles. Train five days a week and the per-strip price adds up — buying in a multipack is where the real saving is.
Do Professional Athletes Really Wear Them?
Yes — external nasal strips have been a visible fixture in elite sport for years, most famously across football and rugby codes, endurance racing and combat sports, where you'll spot them on athletes' noses during warm-ups and competition. The reason lines up with the science: strips make nasal breathing easier and lower the perceived effort of breathing during sub-maximal work. They're a comfort-and-airflow aid, not a banned enhancer, which is why they're permitted in virtually every sport.
Pro tip athletes use: pair a nasal strip by day with mouth tape at night to keep nose-breathing 24/7 and wake up less groggy.
We Tested It To Destruction
Real-world hold, not lab spin.
We didn't just claim the hold — we tried to break it. In our own 72-hour test, a single Airflow+ strip stayed on through a full work day, a training session, a swim, a shower and a night's sleep.
Customer reports go further: one told us their son wore a strip through 4+ hours of BMX training, a shower and a full night's sleep — still on the next morning. Another messaged us after 4 hours straight on his dirt bike, sweating in full sun, and said it was a genuine challenge to peel off. Our founder even ran a 2-week sleep test to see what consistent nasal breathing did to his sleep.
What Australian Athletes Are Saying
Verified buyers, in their own words.
"Sticks firmly and stays on during workouts. I'm a CrossFitter and have never breathed so well through a WOD. I had a blocked nose and could breathe straight away."
Game-changer for workouts. "These nasal strips have made a real difference during exercise — I can actually breathe through my nose on runs and lifts without feeling restricted. They stay put even when I'm sweating, and the adhesive doesn't irritate my skin. Highly recommend for anyone training hard."
"Race days I always mouth-breathe and gas out early. Started wearing these in training to force nasal breathing at pace. The adaptation is real."
Subscribe & Save — Up To 50% Off
- Airflow+ Nasal Strips delivered on your schedule
- Sweat-proof ForceLock™ hold · plastic & latex free
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Still Got Questions?
What nose strips do athletes use?
Most athletes use external adhesive nasal strips — a spring band on a fabric strip that lifts the nose open. The performance-focused options are Force Tape Airflow+ and GOAT; Breathe Right Extra Strength is the common chemist choice. For athletes the deciding factor is a sweat-proof adhesive that survives a full session, which is where sport strips like Force Tape pull ahead of supermarket strips.
Do nose strips actually improve performance?
They lower nasal airflow resistance and make nose breathing feel easier during easy and moderate efforts, which helps warm-ups, zone-2 work and recovery. The honest evidence is that they don't measurably increase VO₂ max or top-end speed at maximal effort — the benefit is comfort and airflow, not raw power.
Will a nose strip stay on when I sweat?
A cheap strip usually won't — sweat is what breaks the adhesive bond. Sport strips solve this with humidity-tested adhesives; Force Tape's ForceLock™ is built and tested for sweat, which is why it's a go-to for running, gym and combat sports.
Are nasal strips legal in competition?
Yes. Nasal strips are drug-free external devices and are permitted across virtually all sports and anti-doping codes. They're an airflow aid, not a prohibited substance or technology.
Nasal strips vs mouth tape — which do I need?
They solve different problems. A nasal strip opens a blocked or narrow nose; mouth tape keeps your mouth closed at night so you keep nose-breathing. Many people use a strip by day and for training, and pair it with mouth tape at night.