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The Best Silk Pillowcases of 2023, Tested by HGTV Editors
Silk pillowcases come with a lot of touted benefits like hydrated skin and fewer face creases, but are they really worth the money and maintenance? We tested silk pillowcases with a variety of fabric weights and price tags to come up with our tried-and-true picks.
Our Top Silk Pillowcase Picks
- Best Overall: Fishers Finery Mulberry Silk Pillowcase
- Best Budget: Alaska Bear Silk Pillowcase
- Best Splurge: Slip Silk Pillowcase
- Best Patterns: Brooklinen Mulberry Silk Pillowcase
- Best for Travel: uxcell Mulberry Silk Pillowcase
- Most Popular: Blissy Mulberry Silk Pillowcase
- Best Vegan/Silk Alternative: Eucalypso Home Eucalyptus Silk TENCEL Pillowcase
Want to take your beauty sleep to another level? Add a luxurious silk pillowcase to your bedtime routine. Our editors tested a variety of silk pillowcases with different fabric weights, price tags and features to determine the best in a variety of categories. How did we test? We swapped out our everyday cotton pillowcases for these natural silk beauties and slept — a lot. Here's what you need to know:
Stephanie Shepherd | Slip
A Quick Guide to Silk Pillowcases
Silk is a natural, non-synthetic fiber that has a smoother surface, providing less friction than common fabrics like cotton. Silk is hypoallergenic, moisture-wicking and strong but can’t handle high heat (do not toss silk in the dryer). It’s also a natural insulator, meaning it’s cooling during the summer and warming in the winter. There are a few different types of silk — mulberry silk, wild silk, cultivated silk and peace silk — but natural mulberry silk is by far the most popular and what you'll likely find as you shop for a silk pillowcase.
Silk vs. Satin Pillowcases
Not all silk pillowcases are the same. You’ll want a silk pillowcase with no synthetic fibers mixed in and that claims to be 100 percent natural silk. Don't be confused when you see satin pillowcases. Satin is a synthetic fiber and is not a natural material like silk. In fact, satin is just a term for a weave. Satin can be made with silk, but it can also be made from synthetic fibers such as polyester. This is what makes it considerably cheaper compared to 100-percent silk pillowcases. When shopping for silk, read fabric labels thoroughly to ensure you're getting pure silk and not "silky satin" or "silk-like" material. Luckily, we saved you some time, because all of our picks are 100 percent pure silk!
Benefits of Silk Pillowcases
Silk pillowcases come with a lot of touted benefits, but not all have been proven. Because silk is a natural insulator, a silk pillowcase can keep you from sweating at night. Plus, the smoother surface may provide beauty benefits such as:
- The prevention of split ends, frizz and tangles;
- The reduction (or elimination) of sleep lines on the face;
- Hydrated skin (since the material absorbs less moisture than cotton);
- And the reduction of acne and wrinkles (but there’s not enough information to substantiate these particular claims). Note: If you're specifically looking for a silk pillowcase to keep acne at bay, dermatologists simply recommend washing your pillowcase more often.
Caring for Silk Pillowcases
Most silk pillowcases need to be hand-washed or, at the very least, put on a gentle cycle in the washing machine. Hand-washing, however, is by far the best process to ensure your silk pillowcase lasts for years. Turn the pillowcase inside-out, add to cool water with a delicate detergent, gently agitate with your hands, then let it soak for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse with cool water until the soap is gone. Don’t wring out the water; simply press between your hands or the sink. If you need to machine-wash, that’s fine, but we recommend putting the pillowcase in a mesh wash bag, then using the delicate cycle with cold water on low spin. All silk pillowcases should be line-dried. Putting a silk pillowcase in the dryer, even on a low tumble, will reduce its lifespan. Either lay the pillowcase flat on a drying rack or hang to dry. If you want to avoid wrinkles, then remove it promptly from the washer. You can also use a steamer. There are even pH-neutral laundry detergents just for silk or similar delicates that are super gentle and will protect your pillowcase even more.
The Best Laundry Detergent for Silk
What to Look For in a Silk Pillowcase
Beyond the fiber, you’ll also want to note the momme count, which is how you determine the quality of the silk (not thread count). Momme count is determined by weighing a large piece of silk. So, if the weight of the silk is 19 pounds, then the momme count is 19. Higher-quality silks are typically between 16 and 19, with the best-of-the-best being 22 and higher. You should also determine if the type of closure matters to you. Since the fabric is smooth and slick, you'll want a zip closure or an envelope-style flap to keep it firmly on your pillow throughout the night.
There’s so much to love about Fishers Finery’s 100-percent mulberry silk pillowcase. It beats out every pillowcase on our list with a thickness of 30 momme, making it ultra-soft and ultra-durable. The brand offers three thickness choices — 19, 25 and 30 momme — but the less-than-$75 price tag for a 30 momme count is part of the reason it nabbed our Best Overall spot. (You’re getting 58-percent more silk than a 19-momme pillowcase — more bang for your buck!) Plus, there were noticeable hydrating and cooling benefits after the first night. Its unique side-entry design is slightly offset, so it can be used as either a pillowcase or a sham, while an oversized envelope flap reduces slipping throughout the night. You can currently choose from four hues, white, silvery, taupe and light blue, and pick from three pillow sizes to get the perfect fit.
Constructed of 100-percent mulberry silk, you can’t beat the value of this Alaska Bear pillowcase. It provides all of the skin and hair benefits other silk pillowcases do but at a much lower cost. Plus, it comes with a zipper closure and it's available in a wide variety of colors and patterns. These pillowcases should be hand-washed with a mild detergent and line dried to maintain their quality. The silk has a 19 momme count, the lowest on this list, so the fabric definitely feels a bit thinner and more delicate than others. With a lower momme count, the main con to this product is that it will lose some of its silkiness and become rougher over time and may have to be replaced more often than higher-end silk pillowcases. At the price though, you can buy an extra pillowcase or two to rotate between to reduce how frequently you wash, helping them last longer. If you’re new to silk pillowcases and aren’t ready to fork over $50+ for a single pillowcase, this Alaska Bear option is the perfect entry-level silk pillowcase.
From Kourtney Kardashian to Kerry Washington, celebrities love Slip and for good reason. Slipsilk, Slip’s proprietary material, features the highest-grade (6A) long-fiber mulberry silk with a 22 momme count and non-toxic dyes. This specially commissioned fabric ensures the ultimate combination of shine, thickness, softness and durability. The softness and thickness of the silk is exactly why it made our list. Compared to a standard cotton pillowcase, Slip makes anti-aging, anti-sleep crease and anti-bedhead claims that many buyers swear by. With a thickness of 22 momme, Slip is considered a high-quality brand with a matching price tag (you can expect to spend up to $110 on a single pillowcase, depending on its size). But with up to three sizes, 13 colors/patterns and two closure options available, it almost feels like a customizable experience that’s worth every penny. While most silk pillowcases come with a hand-wash-only recommendation, this high-quality silk is deemed machine-washable. The brand even has its own gentle silk wash to ensure the longevity of your investment (because yes, it’s an investment). Like any other silk pillowcase, it will appear wrinkled after a solid night’s sleep, but you can always use a steamer to freshen it up. If you’re ready to dive head-first into the luxurious world of high-end silk pillowcases, a Slip Slipsilk is your best bet.
Known for internet-famous sheets, the direct-to-consumer bedding brand Brooklinen sells luxurious 100-percent mulberry pillowcases with a 22 momme count at a mid-range price point. Plus, the brand often runs promotions for 10-15 percent off. It's available in eight colors and patterns and two sizes and features an envelope closure to prevent slipping. You can hand-wash or machine-wash on a cold, delicate cycle with a mild detergent, but these should always be line dried. Compared to less expensive options, the fabric of this pillowcase looks a little more lustrous and feels a little thicker and more durable. This pillowcase also comes with a 365-day warranty if you don’t love your purchase. Brooklinen’s silk pillowcase is a great pick for someone who wants more luxurious silk under $75.
This affordable silk pillowcase from Uxcell is made of 100-percent mulberry silk with a 19-momme and 400-thread count. It’s breathable, comfortable, chemical-free and less absorbent than its cotton counterparts. We also love the hidden side zipper to keep the pillowcase in place throughout the night. While it does come in three classic sizes — Standard, Queen and King — we think the 14-by-20-inch travel size makes it the most compelling. In fact, our editor uses it to cover her toddler’s 13-by-19-inch pillow for less than $20! It even comes in 18 hues, from fruit green and light purple to champagne and silver-gray.
Blissy silk pillowcases have a cult following for a good reason. (They’re the most-searched-for silk pillowcase on the internet!) At full price, a Blissy pillowcase is one of the most expensive on our list, with king-size versions costing more than $100 each, giving them the allure of a luxury item. But most importantly, the Blissy is made from 100-percent mulberry silk and has a high momme count of 22. Users rave about how the high-quality silk makes their hair smooth, reduces skin creases and offers a cooling effect that only silk can provide. Our tester can attest to the smooth hair part: “I definitely saw a noticeable difference in my hair after sleeping on silk — and far less frizziness than when I didn't use the Blissy pillowcase. When I woke up my hair was smoother and fuller in a way even a new conditioner or shampoo has never delivered,” she says. We also love that the Blissy is Oeko-Tex certified, non-toxic, eco-friendly and machine washable. Blissy even says you can put their silk pillowcase in the dryer at the lowest temperature for up to 20 minutes (then air dry the rest of the way). You can even choose from 31 colors and patterns, from champagne and lavender to bronze and matcha.
Vegan silk? Yes! Silk is, in fact, made from the fibers that silkworms spin when they’re building their cocoons. According to Green Matters, "most silk is made from domesticated silkworms that are raised on farms, just like how meat and dairy come from animals bred and raised on farms." Because synthetic and semi-synthetic fabrics, like TENCEL lyocell, do not involve animals, this is a great option for vegans. Eucalypso Home’s silk-alternative pillowcases are made with 100-percent TENCEL lyocell from eucalyptus, and the fabric is spun using their proprietary DreamWeave technology that helps make the fabric cooler and softer to the touch — just like silk. Plus, the fabric is naturally hypoallergenic and antibacterial, so, just like silk, it’s good for your skin and hair, too. Eucalyptus fibers are also more sustainable and renewable than silk, so it’s better for the environment. Our tester reported that the fabric had a soft, silk-like feel and noted that the envelope flap kept the pillowcase in place through the night. If you're looking for a more sustainable and eco-conscious silk alternative that feels luxe and high-end, then Eucalypso Home's eucalyptus pillowcases are our top pick.
How We Tested
HGTV editors personally test all of our silk pillowcase recommendations. We prioritize brands with positive customer reviews to determine which pillowcases we test. After sleeping on the pillowcases for several weeks or sometimes months, we note any changes or observations in our hair, skin, temperature regulation and how we sleep overall. As we continue to test over time, we monitor how the pillowcases hold up and whether we continue to see touted results, such as improved skin, less frizzy/tangled hair and remaining cool throughout the night. We wash the pillowcases according to the manufacturer’s care instructions and take notes on any shrinkage, discoloration, pilling or wrinkling. We frequently add new silk pillowcases to our testing rotation to update our reviews multiple times a year.
