The complete guide
Choosing a Kids Silk Pillowcase, A Practical Buyer's Guide
The problem with a child's pillowcase
Most children's bedding is picked for the picture on the front. That is fair enough, because a child who likes their bed goes to bed more easily. The trouble is that the fabric underneath is usually a cheap cotton poly blend that gets warm, creases into the face and drags on hair all night.
If your child has long hair, you already know how this ends. Mornings start with a knot at the back of the head and a brush that will not go through it. If your child runs hot, you know the other version of the same problem, where they flip the pillow six times looking for a cool patch.
A silk pillowcase sorts out both of those things, not by doing anything clever, but because of how the fibre behaves. Silk is smooth and it feels cool. Hair and skin slide across it instead of catching. That is the whole idea.
What 19 momme actually tells you
Momme is to silk what thread count is to cotton, a number that tells you roughly how much fabric you are getting. It measures the weight of the silk. Higher numbers mean a denser, heavier cloth.
Silk bedding runs from about 16 momme at the light end to 25 momme at the heavy end. Below 16 you get something that feels lovely in the shop and goes thin and papery after a few months. At 19 momme, which is where this case sits, you are in the range most people consider the sensible middle. It is thick enough to feel like proper fabric in the hand, it drapes well, and it handles regular washing without turning fragile.
Going heavier than 19 is an option, but it costs more and the difference is subtle for a child's bed. For a kids silk pillowcase that is going to get real use, 19 momme is a good landing spot.
Getting the size right
This is where most silk pillowcase orders go wrong, so it is worth being slow about it.
This case is a queen cut at 51 x 76 cm, which is 20 x 30 inches. That is an American sizing standard, and a lot of silk bedding is made to American measurements regardless of where it ends up being sold.
A typical South African pillow is nearer 45 x 70 cm. Put that pillow inside a 51 x 76 cm case and it fits, with a few centimetres of slack at the end and a slightly loose feel across the width. Plenty of people like that. The case drapes rather than stretching tight, and it is easier to get the pillow in and out.
If you want it snug, you have two choices. You can buy a pillow cut to queen size, or you can accept the softer fit. What you should not do is guess. Take a tape measure to the pillow that is actually on the bed right now, write the numbers down, and compare them. It takes two minutes and saves a return.
For reference, the common American cuts are standard at 51 x 66 cm, queen at 51 x 76 cm and king at 51 x 91 cm. This one is the middle of those three.
Why the zip matters more than you would think
Pillowcases close in one of two ways. An envelope flap folds the fabric over itself, and a zip closes the opening properly.
Envelope cases are fine for an adult who sleeps reasonably still. They are less fine for a child who treats the bed like a wrestling mat. The pillow slowly works its way out of the flap, and by morning there is bare pillow sticking out one end.
This case uses a hidden side zip. It runs along the seam, so it is not under the face, and the pillow stays where you put it. The practical downside of any zip is that it can catch delicate fabric in the wash, so close it fully before the pillowcase goes anywhere near water. That one habit solves the problem.
The print, and why both sides matter
The design is a fish tail print, done in a cartoon style with strong colour. It is printed on both the front and the back of the case.
That sounds like a small thing. It is not, if you have ever watched a child flip their pillow. A single-sided print means the bed looks finished half the time and plain the other half. With the same print on both faces, it does not matter which way the pillow lands.
The maker states the graphics hold their colour through washing. Cold water, mild detergent and shade drying will keep that true for as long as possible. Hot water and direct sun are what dull printed fabric, whatever the material.
Washing it without ruining it
Here is the honest part. Silk needs hand washing, and this one is hand wash only. If nobody in your house is going to hand wash a pillowcase, buy cotton and be happy.
If you are willing, it is genuinely quick. Fill a basin with cold water, add a small amount of detergent made for delicates, and swish the case through for a minute or two. Do not scrub, do not wring and do not leave it soaking for an hour. Rinse in clean cold water until the water runs clear.
To dry, lay the case flat on a towel, roll the towel up and press. That pulls out most of the water without stressing the fibres. Then hang it in the shade or lay it flat somewhere airy. No tumble dryer, no radiator, no sunny windowsill.
If it needs ironing, use the coolest setting and work on the reverse side. Most of the time a shake and a flat dry means you can skip ironing altogether.
Buying two is a sensible move. One on the bed, one drying, and nobody has to sleep on a damp pillow because the wash took longer than expected.
Who this suits
It suits a child or teenager who sleeps hot, or one with long, curly or easily tangled hair. It suits a household where someone will do a hand wash every week or two. It suits a bed with a queen pillow, or a standard pillow where a slightly loose fit is not a problem.
It is also a decent gift. The print makes it feel like something chosen rather than something bought out of necessity, and the silk makes it feel like an upgrade. It arrives bagged, which helps if you are wrapping it.
It is less suited to a bolster or body pillow, which this cut will not fit, and less suited to a household that wants to throw everything in the machine on a Saturday morning.
One claim we are not making
Silk is smooth and it is cool to the touch. Hair and skin move across it with less friction than across cotton. Those are properties of the fabric and we are comfortable stating them.
Anything beyond that, about skin, hair growth or health, is not something we will claim. Buy it because it feels good and because less friction means fewer tangles. That is reason enough.
Delivery, payment and returns
Delivery is tracked to every province, and takes 10 to 20 working days. Orders over R1800 ship free, and under that the charge is R250. Payment is by card.
If it does not work out, you have 14 days from delivery to cancel for any reason, as long as the pillowcase is unused and unwashed. Hold onto the bag until you are sure.
The short version
A 19 momme mulberry silk pillowcase in a fish tail print, queen cut at 51 x 76 cm, closed with a hidden side zip and printed on both sides. It is hand wash only, in cold water, dried in the shade.
Measure your pillow first. If a slightly loose fit on a standard 45 x 70 cm pillow is fine with you, order it. If you want it tight, you want a queen pillow to go with it. Either way, the fabric is the part that makes the difference, and at 19 momme this one has enough weight to last.