Silk Bonnet vs Silk Pillowcase: Which Should You Buy First?
Quick answer: Buy a bonnet first if your hair is curly, coily, long, or in a style you want to protect. Buy a pillowcase first if your hair is fine or straight, or you know you won't keep a cap on. Both put silk between your hair and the bed. If your bonnet tends to come off at night, owning both makes sense.
In a study published in 2017, researchers put motion sensors on 664 working adults and found the average sleeper changed position about 1.6 times an hour. Your hair goes along for each of those turns, and what it meets when it lands is what this decision comes down to.
That's about a dozen turns in an eight-hour night. A silk pillowcase stays on the bed and gives your hair something smooth to land on. A bonnet gathers your hair up and goes with it. We sell both, so the useful question is which to buy first.
Is a silk bonnet better than a silk pillowcase for hair?
For hair alone, a bonnet covers more, because it surrounds the whole length and limits how far it moves, while a pillowcase only touches whatever is lying on it. The catch is that a bonnet has to stay on your head, and a pillowcase can't fall off. We'd take a pillowcase used every night over a bonnet that lives in a drawer. We also know of no study comparing the two head to head, so what follows is reasoning from how each one works, without measured results behind it.
Which should you buy first, a bonnet or a pillowcase?
Buy for your hair first, then let your sleep habits break a tie.
| If this sounds like you | Buy first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Curly or coily hair | Bonnet | It holds the whole shape together, so you may need less refreshing in the morning |
| Braids, twists, locs or a fresh silk press | Bonnet | A pillowcase helps only the part touching it; a cap covers all of your stylist's work |
| Hair past your shoulders | Bonnet | Long lengths spread across the bed and get lain on; very long hair may need the Extra Large |
| Fine or straight hair you wear down | Pillowcase | No cap to flatten your roots or leave a line |
| You can't stand anything on your head at night | Pillowcase | It works without any cooperation from you |
| You want silk against your face too | Pillowcase | A bonnet stops at the hairline |
| You travel a lot | Bonnet | It folds up small and works on any pillow, including a hotel's |
Which is better for curly and coily hair?
Usually the bonnet, because it keeps the whole head of hair together where a pillowcase protects only the part lying on it. Picture a twist-out at 2 a.m.: on a pillowcase, the back of your head is on silk while the rest is loose, rubbing against itself and free to tangle. A style that took hours, and often a good deal of money, needs to last the week. A silk pillowcase makes a good backup for the nights the cap comes off. There's a longer answer in do silk bonnets work for curly hair.
Which is better for fine or straight hair?
Often the pillowcase, since fine hair tends to need less containing and can lose volume under a snug cap. If you wear your hair down and wake up with a few knots at the nape, smooth silk under your head is a good place to start, and our silk pillowcase guide covers how to choose one. Fine hair that's also long, or that knots badly however you sleep, may still do better in a loose bonnet.
What if you toss and turn or sleep hot?
Restless sleepers often do better in a bonnet, as long as it fits well enough to stay on, because hair inside a cap isn't dragged across the pillow on every turn. Position matters too. Side and front sleepers have a cheek or face on the pillow for much of the night, which is a point for the pillowcase if you want silk there.
If you sleep hot, a pillowcase asks nothing of you. A bonnet is a thin, light layer, though, and many people wear theirs right through summer: is a silk bonnet too hot for summer? has ways to stay comfortable in one.
Which is better for your skin?
Only the pillowcase touches your face, so if the feel of silk against your skin is part of the appeal, that's the one to buy. Silk can feel gentle on the skin, and that's as far as we'd go: a pillowcase isn't a treatment for anything, and a bonnet does nothing for your cheek. If you have a skin concern, a dermatologist is the person to ask.
When does it make sense to buy both?
Both make sense if your bonnet sometimes comes off in the night, if you want silk under your face as well as around your hair, or if you switch between wearing your hair up and down. Hair that escapes in the night lands on silk instead of cotton. A week in a fresh silk press might call for the cap, and the next week, with your hair down, the pillowcase does the job on its own. Our advice is to buy one, live with it for a month and then decide.
Our pillowcases are 22-momme, 6A-grade, 100% mulberry silk on both sides with a hidden zipper, in Standard/Queen (20 × 30 in, 51 × 75 cm) and King (20 × 36 in, 51 × 90 cm), and what size silk pillowcase do I need will help you pick. Our Medium and Large bonnets are 19-momme and double-lined, so there are two layers of silk, and the silk bonnet guide explains how to choose among the three sizes.
Shop silk bonnets → · Shop silk pillowcases →
About a dozen turns tonight, give or take, none of which you'll remember. A bonnet goes along for every one, a pillowcase is there each time you land, and either is smoother than the cotton your hair has been meeting until now. Start with the one you'll still be using in a month.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a bonnet if I have a silk pillowcase?
It depends on your hair. A bonnet adds what a pillowcase can't: it holds your hair together and goes with it when you turn. Add one if you still get knots, lose a style overnight, or have long or textured hair that spreads past the pillow.
Does a silk pillowcase do the same thing as a bonnet?
Partly. Both give your hair a smoother surface than cotton, so many people find fewer tangles with either one. A pillowcase leaves hair free to move and rub against itself, while a bonnet holds it together, which is why a style tends to last longer in a bonnet.
Can you use a silk bonnet and a silk pillowcase together?
Yes. The bonnet holds your hair during the night, and the pillowcase catches anything that escapes if the cap comes off. It also gives your face a silk surface, which a bonnet alone can't.
Should I buy a silk bonnet or a pillowcase for thin hair?
A pillowcase is the easier start for fine or thinning hair, since it puts no tension on the hair. If you use a bonnet, keep it loose at the hairline. Neither will change thinning, so talk to a board-certified dermatologist if you're concerned about hair loss.
Is a bonnet or a pillowcase better for travel?
A bonnet, in most cases. It folds up small and works on whatever pillow the hotel gives you. A pillowcase packs flat too, if you'd like your own surface for your face.
Related reading: Do Silk Bonnets Really Work? · Silk vs Satin Bonnets: Which One Should You Buy? · How to Put Your Hair in a Silk Bonnet