The best silk pillowcases are billed as helping to improve your skin and hair, while also making for a luxurious addition to your bedding. Silk is less absorbent than cotton – and won’t wick away moisture – so your skin can lap up the ingredients in your skincare during the night.
There’s no static created by silk as you toss and turn overnight, either, so, these pillowcases should eradicate frizz. Bye-bye, flyaway bedhead. Additionally, strands are protected from breakage, as a smooth silk surface doesn’t pull hair while you move in your sleep. This is why silk pillowcases are favourites of hairstylists and dermatologists alike, as well as us here at IndyBest.
Additionally, natural silk is antibacterial and hypoallergenic for those prone to irritation and with sensitive skin. Plus, it’s breathable and temperature-controlling, while some silk pillowcases are particularly cooling and offer relief if you have trouble overheating at night.
All these pillowcase perks are unique to silk, so you won’t reap the same benefits with similar materials such as satin. In fact, it’s important to look for 100 per cent mulberry silk when shopping for your pillowcase. Momme level is also crucial, which is the silk thread’s weight. Ideally, you want to go for anything over 19 momme, to ensure durability, while 22 momme is also lightweight enough to offer a cool refreshment.
Silk pillowcases often come with a premium price tag, so, we’ve done some extensive research to help you find the best, if you’re thinking of making the investment. After all, no one wants to hand over their hard-earned cash only to end up with a pillowcase that snags, crumples and does nothing to improve their beauty regime. Keep reading for our granular silk pillowcase rundown.
How we tested
We tested these silk pillowcases over a duration spanning from a few weeks to two years. Our best buys cover shade options and an array of zip closure and envelope styles, alongside varied momme levels. We’ve included silk pillowcases to suit all budgets, covering luxury buys, affordable picks, and beauty sleep sets. Keep scrolling to see our comprehensive list and full verdict.
The best silk pillowcases for 2024 are:
This Is Silk natural white pillowcase
We’ve been snoozing on this silk pillowcase for more than two years now, and it’s become our go-to beauty sleep pal. With ongoing use of this case, our strands have seemed softer and less prone to breakage, and we noticed no morning pillow creases either. The 22 momme pillowcase is refreshingly cooling and offers that freshly flipped effect throughout the night. Plus, we’ve seen soothed skin, which feels and looks more hydrated.
The version we like best has an envelope finish, but you can buy a zipper closure version, too. It’s presented in a box we’ve reused many times for storage and travelling, as we like to take this case with us on the go. The 50cm x 75cm size fits a standard pillow easily, but there’s a travel option (£26, Thisissilk.com) available, too. The creamy white undyed shade suits all bedding, or you can opt for the grey version.
Buy now £67.00, Thisissilk.com
Only Curls silk pillowcase, grey
This grey pillowcase has a sleek finish to its silk composition and an embroidered logo in one corner. Meanwhile, its envelope closure fitted our standard pillow without any fabric being stretched or pulled, so the silk retained a flowy effect. The soft silk isn’t slippery when resting your head, and we found the composition gentle on our skin.
This pillowcase has been specifically designed to protect curly hair, and we saw far less flyaway frizz, thanks to the lack of friction created by the case’s smooth surface.
Buy now £40.00, Onlycurls.com
Soak and Sleep pure mulberry silk standard pillowcase pair
This matching pair features zip closures, ensuring the cases don’t slip off your pillow while you toss and turn in your sleep. The 19 momme silk composition has a lightweight feel and a slightly delicate finish, so, we were careful to avoid catching the material, and followed washing instructions closely. The piped edged finish adds a chic additional detail, and the blue shade has deep tones that looked lovely on our bed. The sleek texture felt soothing on our skin, and our hair was protected from overnight breakage. Now just over £50 per pair, we think this is a very reasonable price.
Buy now £60.00, Soakandsleep.com
Silk Works London beauty sleep set, caramel
We’ve been using this independent brand’s silk pillowcase for more than a year, and have been impressed by how well it washes. The classic caramel shade goes with different bedding colours and prints, while the zip closure offers a seamless fit on our pillow. It also felt gentle on both our hair and skin. After applying an overnight treatment mask, the product sank in efficiently, and we saw dewy results the next day.
For the full indulgent experience, you can shop the silk pillowcase and silk eye mask duo. We found getting comfy in bed even more enjoyable with the addition of this beautifully made eye mask. Full marks also go to the luxurious presentation box and paper wrap packaging.
Buy now £95.00, Silkworkslondon.com
Slip silk caramel queen zippered silk pillowcase
First founded in 2003, Slip is the celeb favourite used by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Reese Witherspoon, and Hailey Bieber. The range has an array of styles and colourways but we tried the pink queen-size number. There are also king and European sizes, plus animal print, marble and stripe patterns in envelope and zippered options. This product has been a silk pillowcase stalwart of ours for a few years, and we love the sleek finish and breathable, soft fabric on our skin and hair.
After a few nights of testing in a row, we didn’t see fluffed-up strands or flyaway frizz when waking. We also found refreshing our ’do to be quicker, because of less restyling being required than after sleeping on a cotton case. Our skin looked and felt softer, too.
Buy now £89.00, Slipsilkpillowcase.co.uk
The White Company silk hair & skin beauty pillowcase
This chalk-coloured silk pillowcase is a classic bedding buy that can be combined with other white and cream cases if you only want to purchase one to sleep on. The super soft silk is comfortable to lie on as well as being lightweight. We’ve been sleeping on this case for more than six months, and find the refreshing fabric helps us fall back to sleep when we wake up during the night.
In the morning, we happily saw hair that wasn’t frizzy, and our face didn’t have any pillow creases, either. Instead, we noted hydrated skin, especially after combining the silk pillowcase with night-time oils, serums, and moisturiser.
Buy now £65.00, The White Company
Holistic Silk pure mulberry silk anti-ageing pillowcase
We’ve been using this robust silk pillowcase for several months now, and have been impressed by how thick the jade-toned material is. Plus, the champagne-coloured piping and slightly rounded corners add detailing, which we think looks extra luxe. We liked the fact the 22 momme silk pillowcase arrived in a presentation pouch with two lavender-scented sachets, too. Because of the silk’s thickness, we think our skincare was able to be absorbed extremely efficiently and have noted an ongoing glow after adding overnight creams and sleeping on this case. The material has been able to withstand repeated washing, and remains in good condition after regular use.
Buy now £89.00, Holisticsilk.com
Drowsy Sleep envelope silk pillowcase
We’ve been getting our beauty sleep on this silk pillowcase for many months now, and have started to hate when the time comes for washing because we really miss our luxury nighttime routine. On warmer evenings, we are grateful for how breathable the pillowcase is, and how the silk offers a refreshing, cool feel to the face.
During testing, we noticed our face was less puffy, and our hair a lot less frizzy. The hypoallergenic case fits a standard-size pillow easily, meaning we often take this away with us, to keep up our high standards of luxurious sleep. The rose colour matches our bedding sets perfectly, but other shades are also available.
Buy now £89.00, Amazon.co.uk
Panda bamboo lyocell pillowcase
Panda’s sustainable take on silk pillowcases uses lyocell from 100 per cent organic bamboo. Boasting a silky satin-like finish, the material is hypoallergenic and highly breathable for an extra sound sleep. Designed to be antistatic, the pillowcases prevent your hair suffering frizz and breakage overnight, while the silky finish locks in the benefits of your night-time skincare, ensuring your complexion is radiant and hydrated come morning.
Plus, the pillowcases are temperature-regulating and cooling – the perfect tonic for hot nights. Available in a pebble cream colourway as well as a bolder forest green, this Panda pillowcase has a thread count of 320 (equivalent to 1,200 in cotton).
Buy now £29.00, Pandalondon.com
Why you can trust us
Helen Wilson-Beevers is a beauty and lifestyle journalist who has been a regular contributor to IndyBest since 2021. In that time, she has tested and reviewed everything from the latest beauty launches to pillows, mattresses and silk pillowcases, providing honest insight into the best products available.
Silk pillowcase FAQs
Silk or satin pillowcases: Which is better for your hair?
You can buy pillowcases in either silk or satin, and each has its advantages. They both have the same smoothing benefits, with the main differences between them being in their make-up: silk is a natural fibre, while satin is manufactured from other materials. However, satin still feels soft to the touch and can even feel smooth like silk.
It is also worth considering how much you want to spend on a pillowcase, as the price points are slightly higher when it comes to silk. A satin pillowcase is a great choice if you can’t stretch to the price of a silk one, as it still offers some great skincare and haircare benefits compared with a cotton pillowcase.
Do silk pillowcases really work?
In short: yes. When it comes to your hair and skin, a silk or satin pillowcase will help reduce the effects that friction from tossing and turning can cause, such as creases on your face and frizzy or tangled tresses.
How should you wash a silk pillowcase?
While it is best to check the washing care instructions that come with your specific pillowcase, the majority of styles can be washed either by hand or in a machine.
Silk pillowcase brand Slip recommends using a PH-neutral liquid detergent and/or fabric softener to prevent the material from hardening and to ensure the temperature is kept below 30C. The safest method if your machine doesn't specify exact heat settings is either cold or just one level above.
A delicates bag is also optional, depending on your washing machine and whether or not it tends to grab items and tear them.
If you wish to maximise the life of your pillowcase, hand washing is the ultimate method but, whatever you do, do not place it in a tumble dryer.
Which momme silk is best?
For silk pillowcases, a momme weight of 12 to 19 is considered good quality, while a momme range anywhere between 19 and 30 is deemed very high quality. Anything lower than 12 will not be as durable and will be prone to more damage and tearing. During testing, the top performers were 19 momme or higher.
The verdict: Silk pillowcases
Our best overall buy is This Is Silk’s natural white pillowcase for being refreshingly cooling, and soothing our skin. Meanwhile, Silk Works London’s beauty sleep set provides an eye mask option, and we’re big fans of the wide selection of colourways available for Slip silk pillowcases.
For more products to give you a cosy night’s sleep, read our review of the best pillows and the best electric blankets
