Sleep Accessories · Best-of list
The best silk pillowcase is one whose listing says mulberry silk and gives a momme number, so you know what fiber you're getting and how dense it is. This list keeps only those cases, densest first, one per brand. Satin cases are a different fabric, and they're not here. Then size, closure and the care tag decide which one fits your pillow and your laundry habits. I'm Rosa. I read labels for fun now, which is what happens when you retire from overnight radio.
How this list is builtMulberry silk pillowcases that state their momme (a silk weight; higher is denser), densest first, one per brand. Satin cases are not silk and are not in this list.
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Good for the densest silk in the list, a stated 30 momme mulberry silk, 6A as listed, silk on both sides, an envelope closure, queen size and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 as listed. Skip it if you have a king pillow.
Skip it if you have a king pillow.
Good for a king pillow in a stated 30 momme mulberry silk, with OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 as listed. Skip it if you need to know the closure or whether the back is silk; the listing doesn't say.
Skip it if you need to know the closure or whether the back is silk; the listing doesn't say.
Good for a single case in a stated 25 momme mulberry silk, silk on both sides, with an envelope closure and no hardware against your cheek. Skip it if you want a zipper that keeps the pillow from sliding out.
Skip it if you want a zipper that keeps the pillow from sliding out.
Good for a standard 20 x 26 pillow in a stated 25 momme mulberry silk. Skip it if you want the closure, both-sides silk or OEKO-TEX stated; this listing gives size, fiber and momme only.
Skip it if you want the closure, both-sides silk or OEKO-TEX stated; this listing gives size, fiber and momme only.
Good for a standard pillow in a stated 25 momme mulberry silk, 6A as listed, with a zipper closure and an OEKO-TEX claim on the listing. Skip it if a plain zipper at the open end bothers your cheek.
Skip it if a plain zipper at the open end bothers your cheek.
Good for a standard pillow in a stated 25 momme mulberry silk, silk on both sides, with a hidden zipper under a flap. Skip it if you have a queen or king pillow.
Skip it if you have a queen or king pillow.
Good for a stated 23 momme mulberry silk case sold as a set with a mask and a scrunchie, per the listing title, which suits a gift. Skip it if you need a stated size or closure; the listing doesn't give them.
Skip it if you need a stated size or closure; the listing doesn't give them.
Good for a king 20 x 36 pillow, one case in a stated 22 momme mulberry silk with an envelope closure; 6A and OEKO-TEX as listed on Amazon. Skip it if you want denser silk.
Skip it if you want denser silk.
Good for a standard 20 x 26 pillow, one case in a stated 22 momme mulberry silk, silk on both sides, hidden zipper, 6A and OEKO-TEX as listed. Skip it if you want the heaviest momme.
Skip it if you want the heaviest momme.
Good for a standard pillow in a stated 22 momme mulberry silk, 6A as listed, with an OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certificate number on the listing you can check. Skip it if you need a stated closure.
Skip it if you need a stated closure.
Two things got a pillowcase into this list. Its listing says the fiber is mulberry silk, and it gives a momme number. Momme is a weight measure for silk; a higher number means denser fabric. Then we put the cases in order, densest first, and kept one per brand so a single company's color range doesn't fill the page.
That's the whole rule, and it's narrow on purpose. A shiny photo tells you nothing about fiber. A title with "silk" in it, followed by "polyester" on the fabric line, is a satin case. Satin is a fine thing to sleep on. It just has its own page, satin pillowcases.
Every value in the table comes from the maker or the Amazon listing, as stated. Grades like 6A and OEKO-TEX claims show "as listed", because only the listing states them. A dash means nobody put it in writing.
Densest first is an order, not a verdict. A 30 momme case sits above a 22 momme case because the listing states a heavier silk, not because it will suit you better.
My one opinion on this list: buy the momme you'll wash, not the biggest number you can find. The reason is two fields you can check. The momme column says how dense the silk is, and the care tag says how gently it has to be washed. A heavier case still asks for cool water and air drying. If you won't do that, a higher number only means more silk to shrink in a hot wash.
Silk is a fiber. Satin is a weave. Satin gives fabric a glossy face, and it can be woven from silk, but satin pillowcases are usually polyester.
The FTC requires US textile labels to name each fiber by its generic name and give the percentage by weight. "Silk" is a fiber name. "Satin" is not. So the fabric line on the label is where you find out what you're buying. In this list, every case states mulberry silk. If you want easy-care smoothness instead, satin is the honest choice, and there's no shame in it. The satin pillowcase and hair guide covers that side.
The Fishers Finery case states 30 momme mulberry silk, silk on both sides, an envelope closure, queen size, a 6A grade and OEKO-TEX Standard 100, all as listed. It's the most complete spec sheet in the list.
The PROMEED case also states 30 momme mulberry silk, in king size, with OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 as listed. Its listing gives its own grade label. It doesn't state the closure or whether the back is silk, so those cells are blank.
Four cases state 25 momme mulberry silk.
Inside this group, the closure is the easiest way to choose. Envelope if you hate hardware. Hidden zipper if you want the pillow to stay put without a zipper against your cheek. Plain zipper if you sleep away from the open end.
The Dore & Rose listing states 23 momme mulberry silk for the pillowcase, and its title sells it as a set with a mask and a scrunchie. That makes it the gift-shaped option here. The listing doesn't give a size or a closure, so check your pillow before you wrap it. Read a set like a packing slip: which pieces come in it, and which momme belongs to which piece.
Three cases state 22 momme mulberry silk.
22 momme is the lowest number in this list, not a low number for silk. It's lighter fabric, that's all.
Some silk listings print a thread count. We leave it out. Silk is described by momme, a weight, and that's the number makers use to compare one silk with another. Thread count is a cotton and satin habit. A silk listing with a thread count and no momme wouldn't make this list at all, because the momme is the part of the rule that tells you how dense the fabric is.
If you're comparing a silk case to a satin one, don't line up momme against thread count. They measure different things. Compare fiber first, then feel, then care.
Plenty of cells in this table are empty, and that's on purpose. A blank means the listing didn't state the value. It doesn't mean the case lacks the feature.
We'd rather leave a cell empty than fill it with a typical value. Night-shift note: in radio, a guess said with confidence is still a guess. It just sounds better at 3 a.m.
Pillowcase size follows the pillow. A queen bed often has standard pillows, and a king bed usually has king pillows. The table shows size as the listing names it, with inches only when stated.
Margo labels every shelf in the archive by bed size, twin through king. Her pillowcases are the one exception. They're sorted by pillow size, because, in her words, "the bed doesn't wear them". She has a label for that, too.
If you're not sure what you have, measure the pillow flat, end to end and side to side, before you shop. A standard case on a king pillow is a tight fit. A king case on a standard pillow is a lot of loose silk to sleep on.
Some silk cases have a silk front and a cotton or polyester back. That's not wrong, but it matters if you flip your pillow at night. The "silk on both sides" column is yes only when the listing states it. A blank means the listing didn't say, not that the back is polyester.
OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 means the textile was tested for harmful substances. It isn't a silk grade or a measure of quality. You can enter a certificate number in the OEKO-TEX Label Check to confirm it. A grade like 6A is the seller's description of the fiber; it isn't a public standard with its own test. Both show only as listed.
Silk is a protein fiber, and most silk care tags ask for patience. Read the care tag before you decide. In general, silk tags tend to ask for:
Wash silk with other delicates, never with towels or anything with a zipper that can snag it. Our silk pillowcase washing guide goes step by step. Two cases make the routine easier: one on the pillow, one drying. (Jules calls the drying rack in our bathroom "the silk department". It has never once been empty.)
Many silk listings talk about hair and skin. That's the maker's wording, and we don't repeat it as a promise. A pillowcase isn't a treatment for anything. The plain fact is enough: silk is smooth, so your cheek and hair slide on it rather than catch.
If hair is your main reason, a silk bonnet is the other way to keep hair on silk all night, and it goes wherever your head goes.
Silk pillowcases are a common December gift. Three things make the guess safer:
The sleep gifts page has more ideas built on the same kind of rule.
Sleep well.
There's no official best. Momme is a weight measure for silk, and a higher number means denser fabric. The cases in this list state 22 to 30 momme. Denser silk is heavier fabric. Choose the momme you'll wash gently and keep using, and compare numbers only between cases that each state one.
Read the fiber line, not the title. The FTC requires US textile labels to give each fiber by its generic name and percentage by weight, so a silk case says silk there. Satin is a weave, not a fiber, so a satin case still names its fiber, usually polyester. Words like silky or silk-like describe a feel, not a fiber.
A 30 momme case is made of denser silk than a 22 momme case, as each maker states. That's the fact. Whether the difference is worth it to you depends on feel, how often you wash it and how long you want it to last. The care tag is the same kind of gentle on both, so don't buy the heavier one expecting easier care.
No. A zipper keeps the pillow from sliding out. A hidden zipper sits under a flap so the hardware doesn't touch your face. An envelope closure has no hardware at all, just an overlapping flap, and the pillow can slip out if the flap is short. The closure column shows which one each listing states.
OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 means the textile was tested for harmful substances. It isn't a measure of silk quality or momme. You can check a certificate by entering its number in the OEKO-TEX Label Check. When a listing gives a number, you can look it up; when it only says certified, we show the claim as the listing words it.
