You have picked the color and the size, and then the product page asks one more question: zipper or envelope. It seems like a small detail, yet it changes how the pillowcase behaves every night and every wash day.
Neither is the better pillowcase. They suit different sleepers and different pillows.
The short answer: choose a zipper if your pillow tends to slide out or you move a lot in your sleep. Choose an envelope if you want no hardware near your face and the easiest pillowcase to put on and wash.
Why the closure matters more on silk
Silk is smooth. That is the point of it, but it also means a pillow can work its way out of an open-ended silk pillowcase much more easily than out of a cotton one. A closure keeps the pillow inside, so your face stays on silk and not on the pillow itself.
So the real question is how you want that done: with a zip, or with a fold of fabric.
How a zipper closure works
A zipper runs along one short end of the pillowcase and closes it completely. On a well-made pillowcase the zip is sewn so that the teeth sit under a narrow fold of fabric and the pull tucks away at the end.
What is good about it: the pillow cannot move. The pillowcase fits closely and looks neat on a made bed, with no open end showing. It suits soft or slippery pillows, such as down, that would otherwise creep out.
What to know: a zipper is one more part to look after. It should be closed before washing so the teeth do not catch the silk, and it is the one place on the pillowcase where you could feel something other than fabric if you sleep right on the edge.
How an envelope closure works
An envelope pillowcase has a deep flap of fabric sewn inside one end. You slide the pillow in and tuck the end of it under the flap. Nothing fastens. The overlap holds the pillow.
What is good about it: there is no hardware at all, so every edge is soft. It is quick to change, there is nothing to break, and it washes like a plain piece of fabric. It is also more forgiving if your pillow is a little fuller than usual.
What to know: the flap holds a pillow well, but not as firmly as a zip. If you turn your pillow over often or hug it in your sleep, a corner can work loose now and then.
Side by side
| Zipper | Envelope | |
|---|---|---|
| How it closes | Zip along one end | Inner flap that the pillow tucks under |
| Hold on the pillow | Complete | Good, a little looser |
| Hardware | Zip and pull | None |
| Putting it on | A few seconds longer | Fastest |
| Washing | Close the zip first | Nothing to prepare |
| Look on the bed | Fitted and smooth | Soft and relaxed |
| Best for | Restless sleepers, soft pillows | Sensitive sleepers, quick changes |
Which should you choose?
- You move a lot at night. Zipper. The pillow stays where it is.
- You notice every seam and edge. Envelope. There is nothing but silk.
- Your pillow is down or very soft. Zipper, because soft pillows slip out of flaps more easily.
- You change your bedding often. Envelope. It is the least effort.
- You have a memory foam or contoured pillow. Neither is ideal, because those pillows are not a standard shape. A cover with an elastic edge fits them better, like our Fitted Silk Pillow Cover.
Our Mulberry Silk Pillowcase 22 Momme comes with either closure, in Standard, Queen and King, so you can choose the size first and the closure second. If you are unsure about the size, see which size of silk pillowcase you need.
Washing each type
The care is the same for both: cold water, a gentle cycle or a hand wash, a pH-neutral or silk detergent, and drying in the shade, not in the tumble dryer.
The one extra step for a zipper pillowcase is to close the zip fully and wash it in a mesh laundry bag, so the teeth and pull cannot rub against the silk or anything else in the load. An envelope pillowcase is best washed inside out in a mesh bag too. The step-by-step version is in our guide on how to wash and care for a silk pillowcase.
Questions people ask
Will I feel the zipper when I sleep?
Most people do not, because the zip sits on the short end of the pillow, away from where your head rests. If you sleep with your face at the very edge of the pillow, turn the zip end toward the outside of the bed, or choose an envelope.
Does a zipper damage silk?
Not in normal use. The risk is in the wash, when an open zip can catch the fabric. Closing it first avoids that.
Do pillows fall out of envelope pillowcases?
Rarely, if the size is right and the flap is deep. A pillowcase that is too large for the pillow is the usual reason a corner comes loose.
Both closures do the same job in different ways, so choose the one that suits how you sleep. You can compare them across our silk pillowcases.
