Silk for sleep beyond the pillowcase: caps, eye masks and headbands
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A silk pillowcase only works on the side of your head that is touching it. Turn over, and half your hair spends the night against a cotton duvet cover instead. That gap is what the rest of the silk sleep range is for.
There are three pieces worth knowing about, and they solve three different problems.
Sleep caps: for hair that has somewhere to be tomorrow
A sleep cap encloses the hair completely, so it stays against silk no matter how much you move. This is the piece with the biggest practical payoff for anyone with long, curly, coloured or chemically treated hair — it is the difference between redoing your hair in the morning and not.
There are two, both 19 momme and both one size with stretch:
- Single-layer with a drawstring, $82 — lighter, adjustable at the back, and the cooler of the two in summer.
- Double-layer with a ruffle edge, $89 — more body, holds its shape better, and less likely to shift overnight on shorter hair.
The choice is mostly about how much you move in your sleep. Restless sleepers do better with the double layer.
Eye masks: the one that changes your sleep, not your hair
This is the piece with the most range and the lowest entry price, and the one most people buy first. The eye mask collection runs from $26 to $64, and the variables are silk weight, finish and design.
- 16 or 19 momme, solid — from $26. Light, packable, and the sensible default.
- 22 momme, solid — $34. Denser, sits more firmly against the face.
- 22 momme, glossy — $44. Same weight, more sheen.
- Printed — $54, in seven designs including Misty Gray, Verdant Jade and Autumn White.
- 3D embroidered — $64. Contoured rather than flat, with room over the eyes.
If you are choosing purely on sleep quality, the contoured style is the one that lets you open your eyes under the mask and keeps pressure off the lashes. If you are choosing on feel, go up in momme.
Headbands: for the hour before bed, not the night
The headband is the one people misunderstand. It is not really a sleep product — it is a skincare-and-styling product that happens to be made from the same silk. Wide enough to hold the hairline back while you cleanse and apply product, soft enough not to leave a dent.
Three live styles:
- Twisted knot, standard edge — $37, 19 momme, clean uniform edges.
- Twisted knot, piped edge — $40, same construction with a contrast trim.
- Letter print — $56, a padded knotted band in a multi-colour alphabet print.
All are one size with internal elastic. For fit details across the small accessories, see the sizing guide.
The order worth buying them in
First: the eye mask
Cheapest, most portable, and the only one of the three that changes how well you actually sleep rather than how your hair looks in the morning.
Second: the pillowcase
If you do not already have one, this is the piece that does the most for hair and skin per pound spent. Start with the solid range and pick a momme.
Third: the cap
Only once you know silk helps your hair. It is the most expensive of the three and the one people are most likely to abandon after a week — but for the right hair type, it is also the one with the biggest effect.
The headband is a separate purchase
Buy it because you want it for your skincare routine, not because it belongs to a sleep set.
For how these layer together, see how to build a silk sleep stack.
Common questions
Do I need a cap if I already have a silk pillowcase?
Only if you move a lot in your sleep or have hair that is expensive to restyle. A pillowcase covers the side you are lying on; a cap covers all of it. For straight, short hair the pillowcase alone is usually enough.
Will a sleep cap stay on all night?
The double-layer ruffle style holds better than the single-layer drawstring, because the extra body grips more. Positioning matters too: sit it at the hairline rather than pushed back on the crown.
Can I use a headband as a sleep mask?
Not really. A headband sits at the hairline and is not cut to cover the eyes, and a knotted band is uncomfortable to lie on. They are different products that happen to share a fabric.
Which eye mask blocks the most light?
A contoured mask sits closer around the eye socket than a flat one, which is generally the better option for light blocking. How complete any mask feels also depends on your face shape.
How often should these be washed?
Eye masks and headbands sit against skin wearing product, so weekly is sensible. Sleep caps can go longer. All of them: hand wash cool, no bleach, no tumble dry, air dry flat.