Written from firsthand experience with a deviated septum and checked against clinical sources. We make Ventriq Nasal Strips, so we are always upfront that a strip relieves symptoms rather than fixing the structural problem. Read our methodology or our editorial policy.
Our number one pick in the UK: the Ventriq Sleep Nasal Strips. GBP 18 for a pouch of 30, priced in pounds and posted across the Irish Sea, with a band set for a full night on a nose that properly closes up. It is the one I make and the one I wear.
The best nasal strips in the UK, for anyone who wears one most nights, are the Ventriq Sleep Nasal Strips in my view: GBP 18 for 30, which is 60p a strip, built to hold for eight hours on a restricted nose. I will be straight with you though. If you just want a strip tonight, Breathe Right is on the shelf in Boots and Superdrug and in most supermarket pharmacies, and at GBP 13.99 for 30 when I last checked Boots it is cheaper per strip than mine. Own brand strips like Boots Sleepeaze are cheaper again. For a cold or a mildly stuffy nose those are a fair buy. The case for Ventriq is nightly wear on a nose that needs real lift.
I make Ventriq, so I am not a neutral reviewer, and I would rather say that in the first paragraph than have you work it out. The reason the brand exists is my own nose. I played rugby for more than ten years and the collisions left my septum badly deviated, probably broken more than once. An ENT specialist referred me to a consultant otolaryngologist at a private hospital in Dublin, who recommended septorhinoplasty. I put it off so I could keep playing, and that meant years of trying every strip I could get my hands on, including a fair few bought in Boots on trips to England and on away days. Most of them were on the pillow by morning. Ventriq came out of that.
How Nasal Strips Work, Whatever the Brand
Every external strip sold in the UK works on the same principle. A springy band sits across the bridge of your nose. As it tries to flatten back out, it pulls the side walls of the nose outward and widens the nasal valve, the narrowest part of the airway just inside the nostrils and the spot responsible for most of the resistance when you breathe in. Nothing is absorbed and nothing is sprayed, so a strip is drug free and fine to wear every night.
So the differences between brands come down to a short list:
- How hard the band pulls. A light band is fine when you are slightly bunged up. A deviated septum or a valve that collapses when you breathe in needs more.
- How well it sticks. Adhesive is where cheaper strips save money, and a strip that lets go at 3am is a night wasted.
- Whether it fits. Most pharmacy brands split small/medium and large into separate boxes. Get it wrong and the band either misses the valve or peels off at the crease of the cheek. Our guide on how to choose the right nasal strip for your nose shape walks through sizing.
UK Nasal Strips Compared
| Option | Where to buy in the UK | Price I checked | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ventriq Sleep Nasal Strips | ventriqstrips.com, priced in pounds | GBP 18 for 30, 60p a strip, plus delivery | Nightly wear on a restricted nose |
| Breathe Right Original, Large | Boots, Superdrug, supermarkets | GBP 13.99 for 30 at Boots, 47p a strip | Mild congestion, buying tonight |
| Breathe Right Extra Strength | Boots and larger pharmacies | Not checked in the UK | More lift from a high street brand |
| Boots Sleepeaze own brand | Boots | GBP 9.50 for 20 at Boots, 48p a strip | A cold or the occasional blocked night |
| Internal dilators, such as AIRMAX or Mute | Online | Varies, reusable | People who cannot get on with adhesive |
The Boots UK prices are the ones I checked on 25 September 2026 for our cost per night comparison. High street prices change all the time and Boots runs offers on Breathe Right regularly, so use these as a rough guide rather than gospel.
1. Ventriq Sleep Nasal Strips, Our Number One Pick
The Ventriq Sleep Nasal Strips are my pick if you wear a strip most nights. One pouch, 30 strips, GBP 18, and the price shows in pounds on our site, so there is no guessing at an exchange rate on the product page.
I designed it around how my own nose behaves at night. Lie down and blood pools in the nasal lining. The nasal cycle then swells one side and then the other through the night, and on a deviated septum the side that is already narrow ends up close to shut. A light band did nothing for me in that state, and a weak adhesive was off before I woke. So the band tension and the adhesive were set for a full night on a nose like mine. If that sounds familiar, our flagship guide is the best nasal strips for a deviated septum.
Where it falls short in the UK: we post from Ireland, so you cannot walk into a shop and buy it tonight, delivery takes a few days longer than a UK warehouse would, and there is a flat delivery charge on top (EUR 6, shown in pounds at checkout). On a single pouch that takes it from 60p to under 80p a night. It is also not the cheapest strip on this page per unit. I would rather tell you that now than have you notice at the checkout.
2. Breathe Right, the One on Every High Street
Breathe Right created this category and it is a decent product. You will find it in Boots, Superdrug, most big supermarkets and plenty of independent chemists, which matters more than people admit when it is 10pm and your nose has just closed. The Original has the lighter band and suits mild stuffiness. Extra Strength pulls harder, and the Clear version is less noticeable and a little kinder on the skin.
The catch: on a structural restriction the Original can feel like it is doing very little, and that is usually when people start doubling up or reapplying halfway through the night, which wipes out the price advantage. I have done a full head to head in Ventriq vs Breathe Right, and if you want every option measured against it, see the best Breathe Right alternatives.
3. Own Brand Strips, Cheapest for a Cold
Boots Sleepeaze and the other own brand strips use exactly the same spring band idea at under 50p a strip. For a week with a head cold, a hotel with the radiators cranked up or the odd bad night, they are perfectly sensible and I would not push you to spend more. The trade off is adhesive and band strength, which you will not notice for five nights and will notice over fifty. Packs of 20 rather than 30 also mean more trips to the shop.
4. Internal Dilators, If Adhesive Is the Problem
Internal dilators sit just inside the nostrils and push outward instead of pulling from the outside. AIRMAX and Mute are the two names you will see most online in the UK. They are reusable, often cheaper per night than any strip, and nothing touches your skin. The downside is that a good number of people simply cannot sleep with something inside the nose, and sizing matters a lot. I cover the trade offs in internal vs external nasal dilators.
5. Ventriq Sport, for Training and Matches
Rugby, football, running club on a wet Tuesday night: a sleep strip is not made for sweat. The Ventriq Sport Nasal Strips are also GBP 18 for 30 and use an adhesive built to stay put through training, which is what I wear for rugby. What a strip can and cannot do for performance is laid out in how nasal strips help during exercise.
When to See a Pharmacist, GP or ENT
A strip relieves a symptom. It will not straighten a septum, it will not shrink swollen turbinates, and it does not treat sleep apnoea or stand in for CPAP. Your local pharmacist is a good first stop for congestion that will not shift. Book in with your GP if your snoring comes with gasping, choking or exhaustion during the day, or if one side of your nose has been blocked for months. The only fix for a structural deviation is surgery, septoplasty or septorhinoplasty, and NHS ENT waiting times can be long, so if you think you need a referral it is worth raising it sooner rather than later. While you wait, our guide to sleeping better with a deviated septum has the practical changes that helped me most. If snoring is the main complaint at home, read whether nasal strips stop snoring first, because strips only help snoring that starts in the nose.
The Bottom Line
For a strip tonight, Breathe Right from any UK high street is a fair buy, and an own brand strip is fine for a cold. For a nose that shuts most nights when you lie down, our number one pick is the Ventriq Sleep Nasal Strips at GBP 18 for 30: not the cheapest strip in Boots, but one built to still be on at 7am. For the wider picture across every type of strip, see our honest roundup of the best nasal strips.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best nasal strips in the UK?
Our number one pick is the Ventriq Sleep Nasal Strips, GBP 18 for 30, because they are built to hold for a full night on a restricted nose. I make them, so I am not neutral. Breathe Right is the easiest alternative to find on the UK high street and is a fair choice for mild congestion.
Where can I buy nasal strips in the UK?
Breathe Right is sold in Boots, Superdrug, most large supermarkets and many independent pharmacies. Boots also sells its own Sleepeaze strips. Ventriq is sold direct from ventriqstrips.com, priced in pounds and posted from Ireland.
How much do nasal strips cost in the UK?
When I checked Boots on 25 September 2026, Breathe Right Original was GBP 13.99 for 30, about 47p a strip, and Boots Sleepeaze was GBP 9.50 for 20, about 48p a strip. Ventriq Sleep Nasal Strips are GBP 18 for 30, which is 60p a strip before delivery.
Does Ventriq deliver to the UK?
Yes. We post to the UK from Ireland. There is a flat delivery charge of EUR 6, which is shown in pounds at checkout, and delivery takes a few days longer than ordering from a UK warehouse.
Can I get nasal strips on the NHS?
Nasal strips are an over the counter product that you buy yourself. If your blocked nose or snoring is persistent, speak to a pharmacist or your GP, who can look at the cause and refer you to ENT if needed.
Will nasal strips fix a deviated septum?
No. A strip widens the nasal valve while you wear it and relieves the symptom. The only fix for a structural deviation is surgery such as septoplasty or septorhinoplasty, which an ENT surgeon can advise on.
Try Ventriq Sleep Nasal Strips, priced in pounds for UK customers, or for training and match day take a look at the Ventriq Sport Nasal Strips.
