The complete guide
Satin or silk: which pillowcase is actually right for you
They are not the same word
Satin is a weave. Silk is a fibre. A satin fabric can be woven from silk, polyester, viscose or nylon, so "satin" on a label tells you how it was made and nothing about what it is made of. This page is polyester. The Pure Silk Pillowcase page on this site is mulberry silk. Both say so.
What the two have in common
The reason anyone buys either is friction. If reducing overnight drag is the whole reason you are here, this is the cheaper way to get it.
Where they differ
Silk breathes, so it feels cooler on a hot night. Polyester breathes less and holds none, so it sleeps a touch warmer and shrugs off marks that would need treating on silk.
Laundry is the real deciding factor
This case goes in the machine on cold and comes out fine. The silk one wants a cold wash with an enzyme-free detergent, no dryer and shade drying. Be honest about which of those you will actually do every week, because a silk case washed badly lasts less time than a polyester one washed properly.
Envelope end, no zip
There is no zip on this case. On a pillowcase that is a genuine plus: nothing hard sits beside your face and there is nothing for long hair to catch on.
Washing it
Machine wash cold on a gentle cycle, on its own for the first wash. No bleach. Line dry or tumble on the lowest heat. It comes out close to wrinkle free, so it rarely needs ironing.




