Silk hair wraps and sleep accessories have been popping up all over the place, and for good reason. They’re the curl and coil-protecting bit of luxury everyone with textured hair should know about.
Frizz and breakage are not uncommon. But when you've splurged on the best hair dryer for curly hair or mastered your styling routine, and then still wake up to dry, roughed-up hair in the morning, it's pretty disheartening.
That's where silk comes in, “Sleeping in a silk hair wrap cocoons hair in amino-acid rich silk, which nourishes hair and smooths the shaft,” says Founder of This is Silk, Sonal Keay. “All the natural hair oils are distributed throughout the hair and kept there, rather than leaching out onto the pillowcase. The next morning, hair is noticeably smoother and less frizzy.”
Why use silk hair wraps and sleeping accessories?
There are lots of great reasons to indulge in a silk hair wrap. Apart from the luxuriously soft feeling of silk, hair accessories and pillowcases made from this naturally derived material really look after your hair - and this tried and tested list is the best of the best.
Other silk accessories that do wonders for the hair while you sleep include silk hair ties, scrunchies, and pillowcases, so we've included some of these options too. Unlike cotton or manmade fibres, hair accessories made from silk glide through the hair without snagging. They don’t pull or cause knots, split ends, and breakage, which is common with curly, coarse or fragile hair types.
The best silk hair wraps, tested by our experts
Tested by: Joyce Connor
Joyce says, "The Lilysilk multiuse silk tie bonnet is my winner. I love the versatility of the bonnet to wear it multiple ways. It didn't slip off my head at all, and it was breathable, so my head didn't feel hot. I'd feel confident wearing this wrap outside during the day, too."
Emma says, "As this 22mm silk is naturally rich in amino acids, it does a great job of stopping curls from drying out overnight, and the versatile wrap band keeps natural hair looking smooth and soft, so you don’t have to worry about re-styling."
Tested by: Joyce Connor and Emma North
Joyce says, "Such a gorgeous, vibrant colour collection. The elasticated part on the bonnet’s band ensured it fitted my larger-than-average head snugly. Having short hair made it comfortable to sleep in, but longer, thicker hair may need to put their hair on top of their head or in a bun to keep it on all night."
Emma says, "This 100% silk hair wrap has an elasticated wrap really stays in place - great if you tend to toss and turn during the night. The pretty pink silk (it comes in other colours too) keeps natural oils where they should be, nourishing the scalp. This makes it a must-have if your hair is dry and prone to breakage."
Tested by: Joyce Connor
"This is a luxury, stretchy, flexible headscarf that can be worn in multiple variations and would fit long or short hair. Wearing it as a front knot took a bit of practice, but I mastered it on the third attempt. Braid it into your hair for soft curls in the morning. Plus - how cute are the matching pyjamas?"
Tested by: Joyce Connor
"This was soft and silky, with enough room for larger heads and long hair. The bonnet has space for air to circulate around the head while I was sleeping and locked in moisture without frizz. After prepping my hair with a bedtime hair oil, it absorbed into my hair and not into the bonnet, too."
Tested by: Joyce Connor
"Being a fan of silk and its remedial benefits, I was unsure about this vegan option, but it was respectfully impressive. It was easily the largest of the bonnets I tested, which made it feel a bit loose and floppy on top - and I was half expecting it to slip off during the night. However, I awoke with it safely on my head the next morning and smooth, protected hair."
The best silk sleep accessories for hair
Reviewed by: Emma North
"Not only does Drowsy's squishy and luxurious eye mask help if you struggle to sleep during the summer months, it also protects the back of your hair from being roughed up against the pillow, thanks to its wide, padded band. I found this thickly cushioned and soft eye mask gives a completely blackout experience, plus it covers my ears, too and blocks out noises, for a perfectly restful night's sleep."
Reviewed by: Emma North
"The texture of this luxury pillowcase is, well, silky. It's smooth, cool, ultra-soft, and made bedtime a much-anticipated part of the day for me - and I woke up with smoother, shinier, healthier hair. This pillowcase comes in a variety of colours, but the white blends in easily with any white bedding, so you don’t need to fork out hundreds for the whole bedding set. Simply replace your regular pillowcase with this one."
Reviewed by: Emma North
"If you’ve ever tied your hair up too tightly overnight, you’ll know the pain and damage pulling at hair ties can do. But these silk skinny scrunchies have changed the game. Covered in a layer of soft mulberry silk, they kept my hair up and in place but didn't snag or pull at all. Plus, if you get dents from tying your hair up, too, give these a try. They didn't leave ridges on my hair at all, so there was no need to re-style in the morning"
Our expert tester
Joyce Connor is a beauty expert with over 10 years of experience in the industry. She is the current beauty writer for My Weekly Magazine and has written for a range of national publications, including Metro, The Sun, Daily Mail, Woman & Home, and Wedding Ideas.
Joyce has tested and reviewed beauty products across all price points, from budget buys at Poundland to luxury ranges like La Prairie. She’s passionate about making beauty accessible, inclusive, and enjoyable for everyone, whatever their age, experience, or budget.
Which hair types benefit from silk?
All hair types can benefit from using silk hair scrunchies, wraps, and pillowcases, but if you have coily, curly, or textured hair, they’re particularly great as they keep the hair shaft smooth, meaning less frizz and more defined curls.
If you had a look under a microscope, the natural structure of a hair strand looks a little bit like a snake with overlaying ‘scales’ that lie flat. When these scales are disturbed, for example, by a cotton pillowcase being rubbed over the hair, the scales no longer lie flat, which is how frizz can happen. A silk pillowcase has very close-knit, smooth fibres, and these fibres help to keep the scales lying flat, so when you wake up, you’ll see much smoother, shinier hair!
Brittle, fragile hair or hair that’s been styled into braids will see some huge benefits of wearing a silk hair wrap to bed. Wrapping hair and wearing bonnets for sleep is a centuries-old practice to maintain curls and keep styles protected. But even a blow-dry on naturally straight hair will stay looking fresher and smoother for longer when it’s been wrapped overnight.
What are the benefits of silk pillowcases for hair?
Sonal Keay explains, “A silk pillowcase reduces split ends by minimising the friction between your hair and a regular cotton pillowcase. With a silk pillowcase, the risk of breakage is vastly reduced. This, in turn, means fewer split ends, enabling hair to grow longer.”
The other benefits of sleeping on silk? Not only is it fantastic for preventing wrinkles (a silk pillowcase won’t leave crease marks on your face and doesn’t absorb moisture from your skin), it’s also a natural, breathable fibre, meaning it’s brilliant for regulating temperature.
“Using Silk, whether in the form of pyjamas or a pillowcase, when you sleep can be a godsend when it's hot, and to women of a certain age, it can help reduce temperature and control hot flushes,” says Sonal. “While it helps to cool in summer, in winter, it is great at retaining warmth so will regulate your temperature all year round, giving you a better night’s sleep.”
