Swapping out your cotton pillowcase for a pure silk pillowcase is by far the easiest, most hassle-free way of boosting your beauty game. When put up against any other type of pillowcase out there, silk always wins out.

Cotton vs Silk Pillowcase

The benefits of a silk pillowcase cannot be overstated. Cotton pillowcases, though popular, can actually be damaging to hair and skin for the following reasons:

1. Cotton creates friction that leads to both bed-head and irreparable damage to hair overtime. Not a good look.

2. Cotton conducts heat that detracts from your beauty sleep and causes night sweats. Totally not cool (pun intended.)

3. Cotton absorbs moisture from your skin that is essential for keeping your skin vivacious as you age. It quite literally sucks!

On the other hand, silk is naturally smooth, non-absorbent, and temperature-regulating, not to mention hypoallergenic. Compared to common cotton pillowcases, silk pillowcases are great for improving the look and feel of your hair and skin, stay cleaner, and feel amazing to sleep on.

Satin vs Silk Pillowcase

That said, not all silk pillowcases are the same. Some silk pillowcases are made with lower-grade silk or contain hardly any real silk at all! Many “silk pillowcase” sellers online market their pillowcases as silk, when really they’re made out of satin or a mix of silk and satin (often misleadingly referred to as Charmeuse silk.)

Though marketed as a cheaper alternative to pricey pure silk, satin doesn’t come anywhere near delivering the benefits of a silk pillowcase. The reason for this is that while silk is made from nature, out of silkworm cocoons, satin is synthetically produced from polyester, a material made from oil. So, a satin vs silk pillowcase proves inferior across the spectrum. A satin pillowcase is not hypoallergenic, does not feel or look as lavish as silk, and cannot claim the multitude of beauty benefits of a 100% silk pillowcase for hair and skin.

Factors To Consider Before Buying a Silk Pillowcase

When browsing silk pillowcases online, you’ll find that different brands are made from a multitude of different types of silk. The single best type of silk is mulberry, and we recommend only purchasing a mulberry silk pillowcase. The reason for this is that mulberry silk is made entirely naturally from silkworms that live in a highly-regulated environment and eat strictly mulberry leaves. This process ensures that the mulberry silk strands are long, uniform, and perfect. Silk pillowcases made from other types of silk, like Tussah, are woven from shorter, more varied, imperfect silk strands because the silkworms that produce it are not bred in captivity in such a controlled manner.

Fabric weight – known as momme in the silk world – also plays a role in determining the quality of a silk pillowcase. Momme in the silk industry is akin to thread count in the cotton business. The higher the momme, the heavier the fabric, meaning more silk was used in production. Higher momme silk pillowcases are more luxurious, but can be more delicate. This delicacy is important to think about when it comes to how to wash a silk pillowcase. You should always be gentle when washing a silk pillowcase so as not to damage it, but purchasing a strong mulberry silk pillowcase is a wise investment to reduce the risks of tears or harm. For this reason, you really should only ever consider purchasing a 19-25-momme silk pillowcase. A 22-momme mulberry silk pillowcase is most highly recommended, since it strikes that perfect balance of durability and elegance that even Marie Antoinette would approve of.

Now that we’ve gone over all you need to know about buying a silk pillowcase, let’s dive into our candid review of the top 4 silk pillowcases available online right now. (We personally tested each mulberry silk pillowcase below. All silk pillowcases on our list are 22-momme and made out of high-grade mulberry silk.)

1. Slip

Slip is the first brand of mulberry silk pillowcase on our list, and by far, this one has generated the most buzz online. Perhaps this is because divas like Kourtney Kardashian have boasted about the brand, and Slip has won awards from mags like Allure and Good Housekeeping.

The specific Slip pure silk pillowcase we tested was the Pink Zippered Queen Silk Pillowcase.

The Look: On their website, Slip sells silk pillowcases in both Queen and King sizes. They also sell a Slip silk eye mask and silk robes. Slip silk pillowcases come in an array of colors and original patterns, but the one we got our hands on was a medium, dusty rose color. All Slip silk pillowcases feature a stiched-on logo in the upper left corner. The Slip pure silk pillowcase excelled in terms of shine.

The Feel: As previously mentioned, Slip has been bestowed an award by Good Housekeeping. That award was for Smoothest Silk Pillowcase. In our product testing, we can attest to this. A Slip mulberry silk pillowcase is super smooth and did not let us down in terms of softness.

Closure Type: Slip mulberry silk pillowcases are available in two selections for closure type: zippered and envelope. The pillowcase we tested had a zipper closure that was unobtrusive and located on the same side of the cover but at opposite ends of the Slip logo.

Price/Value: A pure Slip silk pillowcase is a high-end, expensive product. Slip’s Queen-sized silk pillowcases are $85, and their King-sized silk pillowcases are $105. The prices are the same across the board, from Slip’s own website to Nordstrom. A Slip silk eye mask is just as pricey, at $50. From time to time, there is a Slip silk pillowcase sale or Slip sleep mask sale, but overall Slip charges very high prices for their products. As for shipping, Slip does ship for free on orders over $50, and since all their main products cost that much or more, most Slip orders do include free shipping.

2. Shhh Silk

Shhh Silk is a similar silk brand to Slip in that one of their main selling points centers around endorsements from high-profile celebrities and beauty magazines.

The exact Shhh Silk mulberry silk pillowcase we tested was the Pink Zippered Queen Silk Pillowcase.

The Look: Just like Slip, Shhh Silk’s silk pillowcases come in all sorts of colors and patterns. The ShhhSilk pillowcase we tested was a very light pink shade. Compared to the others, Shhh Silk’s pillowcase was the least shiny. Out of all the pink silk pillowcases we tested from 4 brands, this one was the softest shade and was much more matte. The Shhh Silk pillowcase also had a logo tag stitched onto one corner.

The Feel: Up against the other silk pillowcases on this list, Shhh Silk is not as smooth to the touch as the others. Don’t get us wrong, the Shhh Silk pillowcase was soft and silky, but noticeably less so than Slip, Blissy, or Tafts.

Closure Type: Silk pillowcases from Shhh Silk all have zippered closures to keep your pillowcase secure and eliminate the annoying tendency of some pillows to fall out of their pillowcase. The zipper did not get in the way of comfort when sleeping and was located right next to the external Shhh Silk logo tag.

Price/Value: Shhh Silk’s prices are the exact same as Slip, with Queen-sized silk pillowcases costing $85, and King-sized silk pillowcases priced at $105. A Shhh Silk sleep mask is the same price as Slip, at $50. Shh Silk offers a 100-night sleep trial and free shipping on orders only over $100, otherwise shipping costs an additional $8.95 for standard. Both Shhh Silk and Slip perform the same when it comes to reducing bedhead, locking in skin moisture, and keeping you cool at night, but Slip is silkier and feels nicer to the touch. Both are priced exorbitantly high, but Shhh Silk is not as good as Slip when it comes to value, overall.

3. Blissy

Blissy is another textile brand that sells 100% pure mulberry silk pillowcases with great ratings, according to online Blissy silk pillowcase reviews.

We got our hands on Blissy’s Pink Queen Pillowcase to see how it compares against the rest.

The Look: Blissy sells three sizes of silk pillowcases (Standard, Queen, and King) in several color options. The pink Blissy silk pillowcase we picked up was a slightly darker rose pink shade than Slip. It was about on-par with Slip in terms of shininess, and just like Slip had a sewed-on logo in its top corner.

The Feel: Compared against Slip, which is Good Housekeeeping’s Smoothest Silk Pillowcase, Blissy felt only a tad less smooth. When sleeping on Blissy vs Slip, there is only a slight difference in softness and silky feel.

Closure Type: The Blissy silk pillowcase also has a zippered closure to keep the pillow from sliding out. The zipper is located on the completely opposite side of the pillowcase from the engraved Blissy logo.

Price/Value: The Blissy silk pillowcase price is lower than Slip and ShhhSilk pillowcase, but only by a smidgen. Blissy’s Standard pillowcases on their website are $69.95, Queen pillowcases are $79.95, and King pillowcases are $89.95. A Blissy sleep mask will cost you $39.95. In terms of quality, Blissy is just a small step behind Slip, but a slightly greater value.

4. Tafts

Tafts is the newest kid on the silk pillowcase block but is quickly growing to rival top brands like Slip, Shhh Silk, and Blissy in terms of quality for the price.

The Look: Tafts silk pillowcases are sold in Standard, Queen, and King sizes. Customers can select from 11 colors to match any bedding set: Cool White, Midnight Black, Ivory White, Silver Grey, Misty Rose Pink, and Navy Blue. Compared to the other mulberry silk pillowcases on this list, the Tafts Misty Rose Pink silk pillowcase is the most vibrant, beautiful shade. It also wins in terms of shine. Tafts does not have any external logo branding on their silk pillowcases, which is a feature in itself. The smooth finish of a Tafts mulberry silk pillowcase gives off a sleek, pure, minimalist vibe.

The Feel: Tafts is right on-par with Slip in terms of the silky feel of their silk pillowcases, which is kind of amazing considering that a Tafts pure silk pillowcase costs only a fraction of what Slip charges. Sleeping on a Tafts silk pillowcase is pure heaven.

Closure Type: Like the others in this review, Tafts silk pillowcases have a zippered closure to ensure that your pillowcase stays secure while the benefits of a silk pillowcase do their magic as you sleep.

Price/Value: By far, Tafts is the best value on this list. They’ve cut out unnecessary costs, like adding external branding on their silk pillowcases, and ship their pillowcases in a simple Tafts-logo bag, rather than branded box in order to give you the most bang for your buck. Shipping is free, and Tafts silk pillowcases come with a 1-year warranty. Though not praised by celebrities at this stage in their growth, Tafts boasts the benefits, the feel, and the look of super-pricey mulberry silk pillowcases – and they cost only $31-35 (Standard: $31, Queen: $33, King: $35)! Tafts also sells a silk eye mask set with Queen silk pillowcase for a steal, at $45. That’s less than just one silk eye mask over at Slip or Shhh Silk’s website.

When browsing through silk pillowcases online, you might come across a few in the same price range as Tafts, but Tafts is the only $25-40 price point silk pillowcase anywhere made out of top-quality 22-momme mulberry silk. You will only be able to find a silk pillowcase for such a bargain at other places if the pillowcase is made from lesser-grade silk (or worse, a blend of silk and satin) or at a lesser momme.

You deserve the best, so don’t settle. Choose Tafts – the best 100% silk pillowcase for skin and hair, made from 22-momme fine mulberry silk at the most competitive price anywhere. But, be warned: as soon as your head hits your brand new mulberry silk pillowcase for the first time, you’re going to want to upgrade the rest of your bedding ensemble (and your bathrobe...and your Pjs!) So, you might wanna through a silk eye mask in with your order!