These Silk Pillowcases Prevent Bedhead and Wrinkles While You Sleep

No matter what position you sleep in, you spend hours each night with your hair or face pressed up against a pillow. Turns out all that friction can cause creases that turn into wrinkles over time, not to mention bedhead that'll take longer to style in the morning. Thankfully, silk pillowcases exist to give you the beauty sleep of your dreams.

Silk pillowcases create a smooth surface for your hair and skin to glide over – with less friction there will be less creases on your skin and less frizz in your hair. Silk also has inherent cooling capabilities and feels so luxurious to lie on. But because it's pricey and super delicate, you want to make sure you're investing in one that'll last.

The Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab has tested dozens of real silk and synthetic satin pillowcases for durability, moisture wicking properties, smoothness, and more. We also send them home with our consumer panel for real life snooze-testing. Read on to learn about our top picks, but first, here's everything you need to know about silk pillowcase benefits:

Do silk pillowcases really make a difference?

Yes, when it comes to bedhead and wrinkles! Studies show that friction from tossing and turning causes creases in the skin, but dermatologists say that a silky smooth surface can reduce this effect in the long run. Similarly, with less friction on your hair, you're less likely to wake with frizz and tangles. But keep in mind: you should always be wary of unrealistic promises and you can't expect major changes like fewer breakouts, amino acid absorption, or anti-aging benefits.

What momme silk is best?

Instead of thread count, silk fabrics use momme – i.e. fabric weight. You'll usually find a range of 15-30 momme, but in our tests the top performers were 22 momme or higher.

What's the difference between silk and satin?

Silk is a fiber, whereas satin is the weave. Most silk pillowcases are both silk and satin, but you can find satin pillowcases made of polyester for a lower price. Mulberry is the highest quality of silk you can find. Think of it as the Egyptian cotton equivalent of silk: The fibers are longer and more uniform so the fabric is smoother and more durable. Faux silk pillowcases won't feel as luxurious, but they can give you the same smoothness benefits (plus some added durability).

Here are the best silk pillowcases to buy this year:

Fishers Finery

amazon.com

$49.99

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Not only is this one the winner of our test, it's also a Good Housekeeping Seal holder (so if it's damaged or defective within two years, Good Housekeeping will give you a refund). It was strong and moisture-wicking in our Lab evaluations, and at-home users told us it was comfy to sleep on and kept them cool at night. And though it's not inexpensive for a pillowcase, it's still half the price of other silk options.

MYK

amazon.com

23.99

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You only sleep on one side of the pillowcase, so why should you have to pay for it on both? This genius design has a cotton underside to make it affordable, with a 100% silk fabric on top. It's only 19 momme so it may feel slightly thinner, but it's a steal at under $20. Plus, the brand sells 22 and 25 momme variations for a higher price.

Bedsure

amazon.com

$8.99

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This one's Amazon's Choice for silk pillowcases, even though it's not actually made with any silk. Instead, the fabric is polyester satin so it's less expensive and less fragile. It also has over 35,000 reviews with an average 4.5-star rating, and because it's sold as a set of two, each pillowcase costs less than $5!

Brooklinen

brooklinen.com

$59.00

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If you're unsure whether you're ready to splurge on a silk pillowcase, Brooklinen offers a generous year-long return policy so you get a full refund even if you just don't love it. Plus, it checks off all the boxes for a good silk pillowcase: Mulberry silk fiber, a good fabric weight and machine washable care instructions.

Morning Glamour

amazon.com

$19.28

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Though its polyester satin isn't as smooth as real silk, this one's less expensive and much more durable. The pillowcase was strong, didn't shrink in our wash tests and showed no signs of damage in our abrasion tests. It also proved to be moisture-wicking and consumer testers said it was comfortable to sleep on.

Slip

amazon.com

$89.00

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In a blind comparison against other silk pillowcases, our panel gave this one the highest smoothness rating. Plus, the at-home users also said it felt incredible to sleep on. Just note that the fabric isn't as strong as others and it was prone to wrinkles after laundering, so take special care with this one.

Shhh

shhhsilk.com

$59.50

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Whether you're looking to tame curls or extend a blowout, this case got top-ratings from preventing bedhead from our consumer testers. They also said it was super comfortable and helped keep them at a comfortable temperature while they slept.

THXSILK

amazon.com

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$22.99 $15.99 (30% off)

This silk pillowcase comes in 16 colors and five sizes, including a toddler-size that can be used on travel pillows. It's also affordable at 19 momme, but you can upgrade to 22 or 25 momme for a slightly higher cost. And if you prefer to use silk sheets for your entire bed, this one has a matching set available.

SLPBABY

amazon.com

$20.99

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This patterned case is perfect for those that prefer fun prints on their bed. It comes in 30 different designs from florals to geometric shapes to leopard print. It has a lower fabric weight and we haven't tested this one in our Lab just yet, but it has over 2,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.

Cuddledown

cuddledown.com

$59.00

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With a strong, abrasion-resistant, shrink-resistant and wrinkle-resistant fabric, this one earned the highest durability score in our test. It didn't wick moisture as well as others, but testers still gave it top scores for comfort.

Blissy

blissy.com

$69.95

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It's one of the most searched for silk pillowcase brands and has thousands of five-star reviews from verified buyers on its website. Though there's no major callout for what makes it unique, users say they like this one better than other trendy brands. We haven't tested it in the Lab yet, but can't wait to get our hands on it.

Manito

manitosilk.com

$249.00

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These are pricey, but they're sold as a set of two and proved to be worth the splurge. The pillowcase was crease-resistant in our wrinkle evaluations, which is important because you want the fabric to stay as smooth as possible. Even better, our at-home testers gave it the highest scores for comfort and smoothness. And while most silk pillowcases are air-dry only, this fabric is dryer-safe.

Spasilk

amazon.com

$14.99

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Whether you're traveling or have a young kid at home that wakes up with tangled hair from moving around all night, this pillowcase is made to fit standard travel- and toddler-sized pillows. The fabric also had good performance in our Lab's tests, including shrink-resistance, moisture management and comfort evaluations.

The Ethical Silk Company

theethicalsilkcompany.com

$65.00

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If you can't get used to the slippery feel of silk satin, this one is more matte, but still smoother than cotton fabric. The brand says this is because the silk is taken from the cocoon after the moth has already left it, unlike traditional silk fabrics. The case is also undyed to lessen the environmental impact.

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