I tested 6 of the best silk pillowcases – after six months of sleeping on them, these are the ones I'd buy again
This is how silk pillowcases from Blissy, M&S, John Lewis, and more, performed
The best silk pillowcases can transform your bed and your sleep experience. That might sound dramatic, but as Ideal Home's Sleep Editor, I've spent the last few months testing the best silk pillowcases on the market, and I'm now 100% convinced silk is the best fabric to rest your head on at night.
So much so that I'm ditching all of my cotton pillowcases in favour of Mulberry silk pillowcases from now on. Why? Because there is no other fabric that performs quite so well next to my skin.
Best silk pillowcases
The downside is that the silk pillowcases can be expensive. Which is why I've compiled my past few months of testing into a round-up of the best silk pillowcases on the market. This is the silk bedding I would buy again... and again, and again.
RRP: £80
Momme: 22
Colour options: 94
Gift box included: yes
Blissy offers the smoothest and silkiest silk pillowcases I've tested. No doubt that's because, unlike most 100% Mulberry silk pillowcases on the market, which tend to be 19 momme weight, Blissy uses 22 momme silk, and that does seem to make a difference to their super-luxurious feel. That silk is also Oeko-Tex® certified, and the brand's range comes in 94 colours and patterns, which is the widest selection of shades I've come across. Blissy also offers stylish gift boxing, which instantly elevates the unwrapping experience and makes these pillowcases perfect for gifting. The downside? The price tag. But, you do get what you pay for after all, and the quality and attention to detail definitely make this option feel worth the expense.
RRP: £30
Momme: not specified
Colour options: 6
Gift box included: kind of, it does come boxed
That said, if you want a more affordable option, then M&S's 100% Mulberry Silk Pillowcase is the best value silk pillowcase I've tested. It even comes in a gift box, kind of. It comes boxed at any rate, which is a nice touch, although it's not quite a *gift box*, so it doesn't feel quite as special to open as more premium options. It also feels thinner than Blissy's pillow, although it still feels silky and smooth. M&S doesn't specify what momme the silk is, but it feels similar in thickness to the 19 momme pillowcases I slept on. It's not the most luxurious silk pillowcase I've tested, but it does all you would want from a silk pillowcase without breaking the bank, making it the best value for money.
RRP: £65
Momme: 22
Colour options: 2
Gift box included: yes
Other than Blissy, scooms 100% Mulberry silk pillowcases are the only option I've come across that feature 22 momme and Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certified silk, and that extra weight makes them super luxurious. Plus, each pillow comes beautifully wrapped in tissue and housed in a very stylish gift box, which is perfect for gifting. At £65 for a single pillowcase, they're also significantly more budget-friendly than Blissy's silk pillowcases. However, scooms only has two colourways to choose from; that's fine if you like black or white, but it doesn't quite have the excitement of Blissy's rainbow colour range. This scooms option also has an envelope closing rather than Blissy's zipped closure, which some may prefer, and some may not.
RRP: £115
Momme: 19
Colour options: 8
Gift box included: yes
Gingerlily's 19 momme 100% Mulberry silk pillowcases are delivered beautifully gift boxed. Plus, what really sets these pillowcases apart from the crowd is that there's the option of adding hand-embroidered monogrammed initials to the pillowcase, which makes the brand's pillowcases perfect for gifting to someone special. The brand's silk pillowcase range is also available in one of the widest ranges of size and shape options I've come across. There are Housewife, Oxford, Boutique, and Square styles available, plus standard, king, and even cot bed-sized options. The brand also offers silk sheets and duvet covers so you can create a *really* luxurious sleep experience.
RRP: £45
Momme: 19
Colour options: 14
Gift box included: no
John Lewis' 19 momme Mulberry silk pillowcases are the only option I've come across that are made from organic silk and have Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification. There are also 14 shades to choose from, so you have a better chance of matching a pillowcase with your bedding. There's just no gift box included, so although this pillowcase is a great buy if you're shopping for yourself, if you're thinking of gifting it, this option doesn't feel particularly special off the shelf (although you could add your own giftbox of course!).
RRP: £80 for a pair
Momme: 19
Colour options: 5
Gift box included: no
Soak & Sleep's 19 momme Mulberry silk pillowcases feel super silky and smooth, and I love that they have zipped closures, which I've found keeps this silky fabric secured to the pillow better than an envelope closing. Blissy is the only other retailer I've come across that offers zipped closures, but seeing as you get a pair of Soak & Sleep's silk pillowcases for the same price as one Blissy option, these are much better value if you're buying two. The downsides? Far fewer colour options, and if you're thinking of gifting this set, they don't come in a gift box, and the packaging doesn't feel particularly special.
Also tested
I've kept my shortlist to the six best silk pillowcases I tested, but I also tried out more affordable options to find out if you *really* need to spend this much to get a good silk pillowcase.
Overall, I found that you do. The £30 M&S Pure Mulberry Silk Pillowcase was the most budget-friendly I tested. So far, I've found that below this price point the quality of the silk tends to drop, or you get satin rather than silk, which offers similar silky snoothness, but as a synthetic fibre has different qualities to silk and feels nowhere near as luxurious.
How I tested
I'm Amy, Ideal Home's Sleep Editor, and I've spent the last five years testing sleep products by night and sharing my findings with our readers by day. I'm a hot sleeper, prone to dry skin, and have hair that can turn to frizz at the drop of a hat, so there was no one better to put the best silk pillowcases through their paces for this guide.
I tested each of these silk pillowcases by sleeping on it for at least a week on my own bed.
I also dived into the specifications to find out each pillowcase's momme rating, how many colour options it's available in (ideally I like a little more choice than simply white), and its washing instructions. I also read customer reviews to make sure that other owners experiences aligned with my own.
I then washed each pillowcase according to its care instructions to make sure there wasn't any shrinkage and that this delicate fabric came out of the washing machine in the same condition it went in.
I've only included those silk pillowcases that performed the best in this round-up.
How to choose a silk pillowcase
There's a common theme in all of the best silk pillowcases I tested, and that's that they're all made from Mulberry silk (apart from the one rogue satin entry I included as a budget alternative).
There are four main types of silk, and Mulberry silk – so named because the silkworms that produce the cocoons that this silk is spun from are fed exclusively on mulberry leaves – is widely recognised as the softest and smoothest. That makes Mulberry silk the perfect option to have next to your face overnight.
Having tested other options simply described as 'silk', I would recommend sourcing a Mulberry silk pillowcase if you want the best quality.
It's also worth considering the silk's 'momme' rating. Momme is for silk what the best thread count is for cotton bedding, and describes the weight of the silk fabric. The higher the momme, the denser the silk weave and the heavier the fabric.
All of the best silk pillowcases I tested were between 19 and 22 momme, and although I didn't notice that much difference in quality between these two ratings, I would recommend not going any lower if you want a high-quality fabric.
FAQs
Are silk pillowcases actually better for you?
Whilst silk pillowcases aren't necessarily 'better' for you, silk bedding does have benefits that cotton or synthetic fabrics don't.
Firstly, no fabric feels quite as luxuriously sensual as silk. Super soft and smooth, it feels wonderful against the skin.
A silk pillowcase is also a great option for hot sleepers. 'Silk is temperature-regulating, so it'll help keep you cool and comfortable throughout the night,' explain Emily and Jonathan Attwood, founders of luxury bedding brand scooms.
'Being naturally hypoallergenic, silk is often a preferred choice for those with sensitive skin or allergies,' add Emily and Jonathan.
What is the highest rated silk pillowcase?
After testing numerous silk pillowcases at home, I rated Blissy's the best silk pillowcases overall because of their quality, extensive colour options, and stylish gift boxing.
What silk pillowcase is comparable to Blissy?
After testing, I found that scooms Mulberry Silk Pillowcases are the closest in quality to Blissy's silk pillowcases. Like Blissy, scooms uses 22 momme Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certified silk, which feels thicker and silkier to the touch than most other competitors. The main difference is that Blissy's Mulberry silk pillowcases come in a *lot* more colour and pattern options, although scooms pillowcases are cheaper.
How do you wash a silk pillowcase?
Silk is a very durable material, but it does require more tender loving care to maintain than cotton, linen, or synthetic materials. Our guide to how to wash a silk pillowcase talks you through the washing process, which requires specialist silk detergent and a cooler, delicate machine cycle.
