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Expert Shopper Bed & Bath

Best silk pillowcase

Which silk pillowcase is best?

Silk pillowcases are a great element to add to your beauty routine because they help reduce hair frizz and damage that most other fabrics encourage, and may reduce the formation of wrinkles and fine lines. When choosing a silk pillowcase, it is important you pay attention to silk purity, color and weight.

The best silk pillowcase is Fishers Finery 25mm 100% Pure Mulberry Silk Pillowcase

What to know before you buy a silk pillowcase

Type

The best quality of silk you can find is mulberry silk. Mulberry silk has been grown and woven in China for decades. The material itself comes from the Mori silkworm, which eats leaves from the mulberry tree, turning them into mulberry threads.

Mulberry threads are known for their strength. When looking for cases, look for the charmeuse weave as this indicates that the case is both strong and smooth in texture.

When researching anything silk, you may come across various alternatives made from satin, as with satin robes and satin pillowcases. Satin is used to describe the type of weave that makes up the fabric. The satin weave is not as supple as charmeuse but is still considered to be high quality.

Size

When picking any pillowcase, make sure you are purchasing the correct size. Your pillows may be standard, queen or king-sized and it should be easy to figure it out by looking at the labels or packaging.

Color

Silk is naturally an ivory color so any pillowcases that are not that color have been dyed. When it comes to dyed silk pillowcases, be careful. Unless there are trusted credentials and an organization’s approval on the product, the pillowcases may have gone through a harmful dying process.

Silk pillowcases that have not been appropriately dyed can lead to skin irritation and are at risk of being less pure and strong.

What to look for in a quality silk pillowcase 

Grade of silk

The grading system when looking at silk fabrics works using the A, B and C system. A is the highest it can score and C is the lowest. Once assigned a letter, the silk is further categorized using numbers 1-6. The higher the grade (6A being the highest), the better the quality and vice versa with lower grade (C1).

Be careful when shopping for a high-grade silk pillowcase. If the product is being sold for a very low price, it most likely is not the grade it states.

Silk weight

When looking for weight measurements, look out for the work momme. Unlike cotton, silk is not measured by thread counts. Most silk pillowcases vary between 15-30 momme. Anything over 22 momme is considered high-end and has a closer weave and denser silk texture. Heavier momme numbers indicate that the product is worthy of the cost associated with it.

Silk purity

To keep the price down, companies try to hide the fact that they weave polyester and cotton into the fabrics and bring down the purity of the silk pillowcase. A sign of a good-quality pillowcase is when it is advertised as 100% silk and the statement has been verified by an official organization.

By choosing a pure-silk option, you avoid the risk of buying a product that has been diluted with possibly harmful materials that may contain allergy-triggering ingredients. It is best to stick to 100% silk pillowcases.

How much you can expect to spend on a silk pillowcase

Pure-silk pillowcases with a grading of 6C and up don’t come cheap. You’re looking at around $30-$55 for a single queen-size silk pillowcase that is of the highest quality available. If it is any cheaper, you sacrifice the quality of the silk.

Silk pillowcase FAQ

Which is better, silk or satin?

A. Satin pillowcases are hypoallergenic, less absorbent and more breathable than silk. Silk is usually made from a higher-quality product. but a lot of the time, satin is the cheaper option.

Do silk pillowcases really prevent wrinkles? 

A. When comparing silk to other fabrics commonly used when making pillowcases, silk does provide a far smoother surface that won’t pull on your skin and absorb any of the collagen needed to keep your skin supple.

What’s the best silk pillowcase to buy?

Top silk pillowcase

Fishers Finery 25mm 100% Pure Mulberry Silk Pillowcase

What you need to know: This is a 100% pure mulberry silk pillowcase. 

What you’ll love: These pillowcases are made from 6A pure mulberry silk with 100% long strand. The pillowcase measures 25 mm with oversized envelope flaps that ensure the case stays on the pillow.

What you should consider: These pillowcases crease easily.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Top silk pillowcase for the money

Zimasilk 100% Mulberry Silk Pillowcase

What you need to know: These pillowcases are made from 6A mulberry silk and are affordable.

What you’ll love: The fabric is made from 19 momme pure mulberry silk. 

What you should consider: The pillowcases need to be ironed after every wash.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Worth checking out

Yanibest Silk Pillowcase for Hair and Skin

What you need to know: The cases are 21 momme pure charmeuse silk. 

What you’ll love: The silk is lightweight and soft. The zipper is hidden.

What you should consider: These cases must be washed with care.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

 

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Lottie Winsor writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

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