These Silk Pillowcases Prevent Hair Frizz and Skin Wrinkles While You Sleep
- The Best Silk Pillowcases for Your Ultimate Beauty Sleep
- Our top picks:
- 1) 25mm Mulberry Silk Pillowcase
- 100% Silk Pillowcase
- 3) Satin Pillowcase 2-Pack
- Silk Pillowcase
- Mulberry Silk Pillowcase
- Aqua Series Silk PIllowcase
- Mulberry Silk Pillowcase With Cotton Underside
- Pure Silk Pillowcase
- How we test sunscreens
- How we test silk pillowcases
- How we test sunscreens
- How we test sunscreens
- How we test sunscreens
The Best Silk Pillowcases for Your Ultimate Beauty Sleep
We updated this guide in October 2022 to add images from our extensive testing process and include a new style from Promeed as our best value pick. We also checked to ensure our other top-tested silk pillowcases were in stock and reflected accurate prices.
Silk pillowcases feel incredibly soft and luxurious to lie on, but they also have notable benefits to help you get your best possible beauty sleep: Silk has a smooth surface that allows your hair and skin to easily glide over the fabric to reduce friction (and its unwanted effects) on your skin and hair. That’s because friction from traditional pillowcases can cause skin creases that turn into wrinkles over time, along with bedhead and frizz that can be a hassle to style in the morning.
The Good Housekeeping Institute’s Textiles Lab tests silk pillowcases — along with other silk products like silk sheets, silk pajamas and silk scrunchies — to make sure they’ll be smooth, comfortable and durable to last. We test them in-Lab using specialized equipment and send them home with sleep testers to see how they hold up to real-life use. In recent years, we’ve tested over 30 silk and satin cases and reviewed more than 5,000 data points before making these recommendations.
Our top picks:
You can find more information about how we test and how to shop for silk pillowcases at the end of this article, but first, here’s everything y0u need to know about each of these picks, with prices listed for Queen sizes.
1) 25mm Mulberry Silk Pillowcase
$50.86
Not only was this style a top performer in our tests, it also impressed us enough to earn the Good Housekeeping Seal. It stood out from others for being moisture-wicking and durable; in fact, it didn’t show any signs of wear in our Lab’s rigorous abrasion tests. At-home users told us it was comfy to sleep on and kept them cool at night. They specifically highlighted the smoothness in their feedback, and one noted, “The silky case was better for my hair than my cotton pillowcase.”
It’s made using high-quality Mulberry silk and comes in two other variations: A 19-momme silk fabric that costs slightly less and a 30-momme option that costs more. We think this 25-momme silk offers the most bang for your buck, and though it’s not inexpensive for a pillowcase, it’s still half the price of other silk options.
100% Silk Pillowcase
$24.99
This silk case is a new introduction and wowed our textile experts with its high quality, despite costing significantly less than other styles. The fabric was strong and shrink-resistant in our Lab’s durability tests, though the abrasion resistance scores were just average. It also proved to be sweat-wicking in our moisture management tests, and it earned praise from sleep testers for feeling smooth and comfortable.
Beyond its proven performance, this silk pillowcase also comes in a wide range of offerings to help you find the best fit. It comes more sizes than other options (including a mini size to fit toddler or travel pillows) and you can choose between buying a single or two-pack for an even better value.
3) Satin Pillowcase 2-Pack
$8.99
This one’s Amazon’s best-selling silk pillowcase, even though it’s not actually made with any silk. Instead, the fabric is polyester satin so it’s less expensive and less fragile. We recently tested this one and were impressed by its performance. It held up well to washing and was more wrinkle-resistant than real silk in our Lab’s evaluations, while our sleep testers unanimously rated it as feeling smooth. Outside of our tests, it also has over 260,000 reviews with an average 4.5-star rating on Amazon. And because it’s sold as a set of two, each pillowcase costs less than $5! Just note that synthetic satin doesn’t feel as luxurious as real silk, so it didn’t score as high in areas like bed-head reduction, skin-crease prevention or cooling capabilities.
Silk Pillowcase
$62.97
This popular pick is one of the most searched for silk pillowcase brands, and our testing showed it lives up to its hype. For starters, it earned the highest mess-free hair ratings from testers: Users with thick, curly and frizzy hair said they woke up without bed head. It also earned perfect comfort scores and one tester described the fabric as “the perfect weight — not too light or too heavy.” Beyond that, the pillowcase looked great after laundering in our tests, which is a huge feat for delicate silk fabric.
Mulberry Silk Pillowcase
$59.00
If you’re most concerned about facial lines, our testers gave this pillowcase perfect scores for feeling smooth and preventing skin creases. It also earned high marks for feeling cool and comfortable to sleep on, and users noted that it seemed thicker than other silk pillowcases they’ve tried. The smoothness did fade a bit after repeated washings and it wasn’t quite as durable as others, but overall it held up well throughout our tests. One thing we love about this case in particular is the brand’s generous trial period: Brooklinen offers a year-long return policy so you get a full refund even if you just don’t love it.
Aqua Series Silk PIllowcase
$35.99
If you prefer to cover our entire bed in silk, THXSILK also carries a wide range of other silk products, including top-performing silk sheets. The items are all sold directly by the silk manufacturer, which helps keep the cost down without sacrificing performance. This pillowcase in particular earned perfect scores in our Lab’s abrasion tests that mimic tossing and turning, and sleep testers gave it perfect smoothness ratings after trying it at home. They also raved about its easy-to-use zipper closure and cooling feel. Just note that it did show some signs of wear after washing, and the brand makes skin-related claims that we couldn’t validate in our evaluations. Still, it’s a great option if you’re looking to try a silk pillowcase without spending a fortune.
Mulberry Silk Pillowcase With Cotton Underside
$35.99
Silk pillowcases can be pricey, but you really only need one side to sleep on. This smart design has a 100% silk fabric on top with a cotton underside to make it more affordable. The silk held up well in our wash testing, maintaining its smoothness after repeated launderings and proving to be shrink-resistant. The fabric was also fairly strong in durability tests.
Its scores from consumer testers were pretty average and not as high as others on our list, though overall it was well received by users. They told us the silk side felt great, though the cotton side was a bit rough.
Pure Silk Pillowcase
$89.00
This buzzy brand helped make silk pillowcases hit the mainstream as it launched in beauty retailers like Sephora and Nordstrom. It’s still a top performer today thanks to its super smooth fabric. In fact, it had the highest softness ratings from testers in a blind comparison when we laid it out in our lab with other silk cases. Plus, the at-home users also said it felt great to sleep on. Just note that the fabric isn’t as strong as others and it was prone to wrinkles after laundering, so take special care with this one. It also costs a lot more than other smooth options.
How we test sunscreens
Though these weren’t as smooth as others for skin and hair benefits, they had some standout features that are worth considering as you shop:
- Best Sustainable Silk Pillowcase: The Ethical Silk Company Mulberry Silk Pillowcase uses a unique production process where the silk is taken from the cocoon after the moth has already left it, unlike traditional silk fabrics. As a result the fabric is more matte and less shiny. The case is also undyed to lessen the environmental impact. Just note that this one wasn’t abrasion resistant or moisture-wicking in our Lab’s evaluations, and wasn’t as smooth in our consumer tester reviews.
- Most Durable Silk Pillowcase: Cuddledown Silk Pillowcase is ideal for those who are most worried about taking care of the delicate fabric. It earned the highest overall durability rating and didn’t show any signs of wear during our abrasion tests. On the down side, it didn’t wick moisture as well as other silk cases in our evaluations.
How we test silk pillowcases
In the GH Textiles Lab, we evaluate each pillowcase to make sure they’ll feel comfortable and offer you optimal benefits, but we also want to make sure they’re durable enough to last — especially since silk can be costly.
To evaluate fabric strength, we use our specialized machine, called an Instron (pictured here), that pulls apart swatches of fabric to let us know how strong the material is.
Then, we use our Martindale machine (pictured here) to rub swatches of silk in various directions against a wool abradant fabric, which mimics real life tossing and turning.
And to check if they’ll keep you cool, we use drops of water to measure how well the fabrics wick moisture. We also wash each pillowcase according to its care label and measure shrinkage, change in appearance and change in softness after repeated launderings, and our experts visually assess creases that form in the fabrics after laundering.
Last but not least, we send the pillowcases to at-home reviewers sleep on the pillowcase for weeks then provide on aspects like comfort, bed-head resistance, skin-crease prevention and temperature regulation. They also answer open-ended questions to give us a deeper understanding of their experiences. After testing more than 30 silk and satin cases and reviewing more than 5,000 data points from all of these and more, we found the very best silk and satin pillowcases on the market.
How we test sunscreens
Yes! Not only do they feel great to sleep on, silk pillowcase benefits also include smoother hair and smoother skin. Studies show friction from tossing and turning causes creases in the skin, and a silky smooth surface can reduce this effect in the long run, says Neal Schultz, M.D., a New York City-based dermatologist and author of It’s Not Just About Wrinkles. Similarly, with less friction on your hair, you’re less likely to wake with frizz and tangles. But keep in mind: You should always be wary of unrealistic promises and you can’t expect major changes like fewer breakouts, amino acid absorption or anti-aging benefits.
How we test sunscreens
Although they may look similar, silk pillowcases can vary greatly in terms of quality and feel. Here’s what to consider when shopping for your silk pillowcase:
✔️ Know the difference between silk and satin: Silk is a fiber, whereas satin is the weave. Most silk pillowcases are both silk and satin, but you can find satin pillowcases made of polyester for a lower price. Mulberry silk is the highest quality of silk you can find. Think of it as the Egyptian cotton equivalent of silk: The fibers are longer and more uniform so the fabric is smoother and more durable.
✔️ Check the momme: This term is used to describe silk fabric weight. Unlike thread count for cotton sheets, silk fabrics use momme to let you know how much silk is used. You’ll usually find a range of 15-30 momme, but in our tests, the top performers were 22 momme or higher.
✔️ Consider the pillowcase closure: Silk pillowcases can be slippery, so you want to make sure your favorite pillow will stay put inside. Some covers use an envelope closure where the fabric tucks into itself, while others use a zipper. The zippers tend to enclose the pillow better, but they sometimes look a little flimsy and can be finicky to open and close.
✔️ Check the care instructions: Believe it or not, silk pillowcases can be machine washed. Check the care label before you buy to make sure; most will specify the delicate cycle and hang-drying.
How we test sunscreens
Lexie Sachs is the Executive Director of the Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she oversees all bedding evaluations. She has been hands-on testing silk pillowcases since they became popular in the US in 2016, and has since tested dozens of real silk and synthetic satin options. Lexie sleeps on a silk pillowcase every night and personally swears by its benefits.