If you plan on buying a new pillowcase, there are a few factors that you need to consider.
The length and width of the pillowcase will determine if the pillow will fit inside the pillowcase or not.
The weight of the pillowcase can also indicate how expensive the pillowcase might be.
Here’s what you need to know about pillowcases and how much a pillowcase weighs.
How Much Does A Pillowcase Weigh? (Everything To Know)
A standard cotton pillowcase weighs 200 grams or seven ounces.
If the cotton pillowcase is a queen or king size, then it’s going to weigh more.
A silk pillowcase can weigh anywhere from 11 mommes to 12 mommes.
Momme is the unit used to measure the weight of silk.
The difference in weight depends on the thread count.
A pillowcase that has a higher thread count is going to weigh more because it has more material in it.
The denser an object is, the heavier it will be.
Understanding how much your pillowcase weighs is important for finding a pillowcase that’s comfortable.
Pillowcases that are too heavy may be uncomfortable to use.
Lighter pillowcases may not be durable or may feel too soft.
If you want the best weight for a silk pillowcase, then you need to find one that weighs 22 mommes.
Anything higher than that is better suited for curtains.
How To Choose A Silk Pillowcase
Choosing a silk pillowcase isn’t as easy as you might think.
There are many aspects of a silk pillowcase that you need to consider if you want to improve your sleep.
Here are a few tips to help you choose the right silk pillowcase for your needs.
1. Choose Mulberry Silk
Traditionally, mulberry silk was the primary silk that was used for pillowcases and other linens.
Silkworms feed on mulberry leaves and produce mulberry silk as a result.
Mulberry silk is strong, soft, and gives the sheen that one expects from high-quality silk.
The problem is that not every manufacturer uses mulberry silk anymore.
In an effort to make things cheaper, manufacturers feed their silkworms other diets.
The result is silk that doesn’t look quite as good, nor does it hold up to mulberry silk.
When shopping for your silk pillowcase, take the time to do your research.
Look into the company and see if they mention feeding mulberry leaves to their silkworms.
If they don’t mention it, then there’s a good chance that they feed something else to their silkworms.
Their products won’t be as high in quality as those of manufacturers who do feed their silkworms mulberry leaves.
It’s also worth it to contact the company directly to determine the diet of their silkworms.
Don’t pay for silk when it isn’t the real deal.
2. Charmeuse Is A Great Substitute
Not everyone can afford silk that comes from mulberry leaves.
Another great option is charmeuse.
Charmeuse is a type of fabric that uses a silk weave over it.
One of the most common types of charmeuse is polyester.
Manufacturers will make their pillowcases by weaving most of them with polyester.
Then they use a silk weave to give it that high-quality finish.
You can spot a charmeuse pillowcase by examining its top and bottom.
The top of the pillowcase will have a shiny appearance.
This is the side where the silk weave is.
It’s soft and gentle against your skin.
The bottom of the pillowcase will be dull.
That’s primarily where the polyester is.
There are different variants of charmeuse silk and pillowcases.
Some are more expensive than others.
It depends on the amount of silk that’s in the pillowcase.
Charmeuse pillowcases are cheaper than mulberry silk pillowcases, however.
They’re also easier to clean and maintain.
The main problem with charmeuse pillowcases is that they’re not as gentle as mulberry silk pillowcases.
They don’t keep cool as well as silk pillowcases either.
However, if budget is a concern, then charmeuse is a great substitute for mulberry silk pillowcases.
3. Understand How Momme Works
When examining different silk pillowcases, you’re going to find the word “momme” a lot.
It’s important that you understand what the word means to ensure you’re buying the right pillowcase for your needs.
Momme is a unit of measurement for silk.
In particular, it measures the weight of silk.
When searching for silk pillowcases, you’ll want to stick to the range of 12 to 19 mommes if you want an affordable option.
The higher number that the momme is, the better quality it is.
The 16 to 19 range is high in quality.
Anything beyond 19 mommes is top quality.
Manufacturers will measure mommes by laying out a piece of silk that measures 100 yards long and 45 inches wide.
They place it on a scale.
If the scale reads 15 pounds, for example, then the silk has a measurement of 15 mommes.
The more silk that something has, the heavier it’s going to be.
A great measurement to look for in a pillowcase is 22 mommes.
You’ll have an extremely silky pillowcase that is smooth against your face, gentle on your skin, and keeps your head cool throughout the night.
4. Understand How Thread Count Works
A lot of people have read that sheets or pillowcases have a certain thread count, but they may not understand what that actually means.
The general rule of thumb is that the higher the thread count something has, the better quality it is.
That isn’t always true in practice, however.
Something can have too high of a thread count and be uncomfortable for its particular purpose.
A great thread count to look for in pillowcases is 400.
Anything higher than that is a waste of your money.
That’s because the pillowcase becomes too hard and firm.
It’s better suited as a curtain.
You also need to be wary of some manufacturers who give a false thread count.
They do this by using two or three threads and weaving them back in on themselves.
The pillowcase may only have a 200 thread count, but because the manufacturer twisted the thread back in on itself, then they can claim the thread count is double or triple the actual amount.
As a result, they’ll advertise the pillowcase as having 400 or 600 thread count when it’s actually 200.
You’ll pay for the 400 to 600 thread count, but you’re really only receiving 200 thread count and its resulting quality.
You’ll be able to notice the difference if you’re familiar with thread counts.
The 400 thread count will feel far less soft and gentle than it should.
5. Trust The Touch Test
There’s no better way to determine if a silk pillowcase is right for you than by touching it.
There are things momme measurements and thread counts can’t tell you.
You may find that you enjoy 300 thread count pillowcases over 400 ones.
Before you buy a pillowcase, go to the store and touch it.
Feel if it’s silky enough for you.
Gentleness is another factor that you need to consider.
Does it feel good against your face?
Pillowcases are going to be primarily held against your face, so it needs to feel good there.
Once you find one that matches your needs for softness and silkiness, then you have found the pillowcase that you need.
What Size Pillowcase Do You Need?
The size of the pillowcase also factors into its weight.
The larger a pillowcase is, the heavier it’s going to be.
Not all pillowcases fit all pillows.
Just as there are different sizes of a bed, there are different sizes of pillows to match.
A pillow is fit to a bed based on its length and width.
The goal is to fit two pillows perfectly to the width of the top of the bed.
The pillows need to fit together side by side.
Here’s how large of a pillowcase you need based on the size of the pillow.
1. Standard Pillows
Standard pillows fit either twin or double beds.
A standard pillowcase will measure 20” x 26” in size.
A queen-sized pillow will also work on a standard bed.
It fits the entire size of the headspace for the bed perfectly, but only for one person.
2. Queen Pillows
If you have a queen-sized bed, then you need to use queen-sized pillows.
These pillows fit side by side perfectly to cover the headspace of a queen-sized bed.
The pillowcases that you’ll need for a queen-sized pillow measure 20” x 30” in size.
These types of pillowcases and pillows are easy to find at most stores.
Look for the label “Queen” on them to ensure you’re buying the right ones.
3. King Pillows
The final size of a bed is the king.
It uses king-sized pillows.
These pillows fit a king-sized bed perfectly when placed side by side.
Not everyone likes to use king-sized pillows, however.
Queen-sized pillows will work just as well if you’re not fond of the weight of king-sized pillows and pillowcases.
King-sized pillows also fit twin beds perfectly if only one person is using the bed.
For a king-sized pillow, you’ll need a pillowcase that measures 20” x 36” in size.
Since this is the largest pillowcase, it’s also the heaviest.
How Much Bigger Is A Pillowcase Than A Pillow?
If you don’t want to keep to standard sizes for your pillow, then you can always buy custom pillowcases.
In that case, you need to know how much longer your pillowcase needs to be for the pillow to fit inside of it.
For standard or smaller pillows, the pillowcase should measure 1/2 inch to a full inch larger than pillows with regard to their length.
The width needs to be 2.5 inches larger.
For larger pillows, you’re looking at four inches more width.
You can also choose to buy a larger pillowcase for a small pillow.
However, you will have overlaps that can make the pillow look sloppy and unprofessional.
Larger pillowcases will cost more than smaller pillowcases.
They’ll also be heavier.
What Are The Top Materials For Pillowcases?
When you’re shopping for pillowcases, then you may wonder what different types of materials there are for pillowcases.
Each material has its own benefits and negatives.
Here are the top materials for pillowcases.
1. Cotton
The most common type of material that’s used in pillowcases and linens, in general, is cotton.
There are many advantages of cotton pillowcases.
They’re lightweight and easy to maintain.
You can take them off your pillows and toss them into your washing machine without worrying about them.
Cotton pillowcases are also cool which is important for a good night’s sleep.
When fabric traps heat, it can make you sweat.
The heat can make it difficult to stay asleep.
It also dehydrates you which can make you wake up with a headache.
Another advantage of cotton pillowcases is that they’re absorbent.
Absorbency is important because it means it’s better at removing drool and sweat from your body.
It won’t smear over your face and clog your pores.
The disadvantage of cotton pillowcases is that they’re not that durable.
There are several different thread counts, but those that have a low thread count are more likely to tear in the washing machine or through use.
They can also stain which isn’t ideal if you want your pillowcases to look their best.
Finally, they can also permanently wrinkle if they’re not folded carefully, or the pillow isn’t inserted correctly.
2. Nylon
This material is another affordable alternative for silk.
It looks and feels like silk, but it doesn’t have the same benefits that silk pillowcases do.
In particular, some people may feel that nylon pillowcases feel grainy when compared to silk pillowcases.
However, they do have a series of benefits.
Nylon is easy to wash which puts it ahead of silk.
You can put it in your washing machine without needing to do anything else special to it.
Since it’s made to look like silk, it also looks great in your home.
It has that shiny finish that looks luxurious.
A downside is that it isn’t absorbent.
If you drool or sweat while you sleep, then it’s going to smear over your face.
You may notice more skin problems with a nylon pillowcase.
3. Linen
Although linen used to be top of the charts when it came to fabrics, it has since stopped mass production.
Now only a few manufacturers make linen pillowcases.
Linen is a high-quality flax product.
One of the best aspects of linen is how unique it is.
It has a unique texture to it that other materials can’t mimic.
It’s also extremely breathable and lightweight.
That makes it ideal for the summer months.
It can help prevent sweating and skin problems.
It’s also easy to clean.
The problem with linen is that because fewer manufacturers make linen pillowcases, it’s harder to find.
It’s more expensive than some of the other pillowcase materials.
4. Satin
One step below silk is satin.
Satin pillowcases are a step towards luxurious bedding.
This fabric feels smooth and gentle against your skin.
Many believe that satin can even improve your skin health because it keeps your pores from clogging.
A few even believe that it can help reduce wrinkles.
The difficulty with satin is that it isn’t easy to clean.
You need to follow a certain process to clean it the right way and keep from damaging it.
5. Silk
The top of the line material for pillowcases is silk.
It shares many of the same beautiful aspects as satin, but it does so even better.
It’s shiny, feels wonderfully smooth against the skin, and it looks incredible.
The problem with silk is that it’s delicate.
You can’t wash it in a machine.
You have to handwash all your pillowcases.
It can also be pricey if you choose to buy heavier pillowcases.
Conclusion
Pillowcases come in a variety of sizes, but the standard weight for a cotton pillowcase is seven ounces.
Silk pillowcases use a different measurement known as mommes.
The higher the number of mommes, the heavier the pillowcase is.
Following the tips above can help you understand pillowcase weight better and how it impacts price and quality.
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