If you’re frantically searching for a birthday present for your spouse then you could do a lot worse than silk pyjamas.
Genuine silk is a natural material that is meant to be good for your skin in a way that synthetic materials can’t replicate.
The three main things to look out for when you’re buying silk pyjamas are:
- The Momme Rating: This is a rating of how heavy the silk is. I’ll avoid boring you with excessive detail but silk pyjamas with a higher momme rating are more expensive and are generally more durable. Most silk pyjamas I’ve found for sale in the UK are somewhere between 16 and 22 momme.
- The Material: Check that you’re buying 100% genuine silk, rather than something that is a mix of silk and cheaper materials.
- The Washing Instructions: This is more of a personal preference, but I would look for silk pyjamas that can go in a washing machine so that you don’t have to spend your weekend handwashing pyjamas or going to the dry cleaners
Here are six of the best silk pyjamas on the UK market, based on value for money, specification and customer reviews.
1. LilySilk Women’s 22 Momme Silk Pyjamas – £140-£175
This pyjama set from LilySilk via Amazon ticks pretty much every box for me.
For starters, it has a high ‘momme rating’ of 22, meaning that it is heavier and more durable than many of the other silk pyjamas we’ve found in the UK.
It’s made from 100% genuine silk, as you’d hope for this price. It has what’s known as a ‘charmeuse lustre’ which is just a fancy way of saying that the silk has been woven together to make it shiny on one side and less shiny on the other.
Customer reviews average 4.4/5 whilst the LilySilk brand was scoring 4.3/5 on TrustPilot (both scores correct at the time of writing).
These silk pyjamas come in a choice of 7 different colours and several different sizes, which is a much better range than other silk pyjamas we’ve found.
According to the description, you can put these in a washing machine in ‘cold water on a gentle cycle’ if you don’t fancy endless trips to the dry cleaners.
You can also buy these silk pyjamas direct from Lilysilk (as well as some similar ones with patterns). It’s worth checking both sites as the prices were different when I looked. If you’re looking for silk pyjamas for men, Lilysilk is also worth a look as they’ve got a bigger range than most.
Pros: higher momme rating than most silk pyjamas, well-known brand in the silk sector, very good reviews, machine washable, choice of colours
Cons: not as cheap as some silk pyjamas
2. LilySilk Women’s 16 Momme Silk Pyjamas – £119
These LilySilk genuine silk pyjamas are very similar to the set above, but they’re a bit cheaper as they’ve got a lower ‘momme rating’ (16 momme rather than 22 momme). That means they’re a bit thinner so not quite as luxurious.
They come in a much smaller range of colours but still have plenty of size options. Customer reviews are about the same with an average of 4.3/5 at the time of writing.
As with the pricier pyjama set above, they are made from 100% mulberry silk (which is the real deal) and you can put them in a washing machine in cold water on a ‘gentle wash’.
Pros: low price for silk pyjamas, positive reviews
Cons: lower momme rating than rival products, not as good a choice of colours
3. M&S Rosie Silk & Lace Trim Camisole and French Knickers – £40
If you’re after silk pyjamas for summer then you might like these popular M&S camisole and matching shorts (or French knickers if you want to sound a bit more cultured). The Rosie cami is available in nine sizes ranging from size six to size 22 but only comes in red and black.
You buy the shorts and the cami as a set. Previously, M&S sold the two individually but they seem to have swapped for a set. There are very few reviews to go on, but those that are available are positive.
Unfortunately, the description doesn’t give any details of the momme rating. They’re also not quite 100% silk, but they’re pretty close (85% silk with some other synthetic materials). On the plus side, you can wash them at 40 degrees so you won’t be taking your fancy pants to the dry cleaners.
Pros: M&S brand reputation for quality, range of sizes available, machine washable
Cons: details of momme rating not given, not 100% silk, only available in one colour
4. John Lewis & Partners Piped Silk Pyjama Set – £130
These John Lewis & Partners silk pyjamas aren’t the cheapest, but they’re worth a mention as they’re from a trusted retailer which often wins customer service awards.
They also don’t include as much detail as I’d like, with no information about the all-important ‘momme rating’ which tells you how heavyweight they are.
Most importantly though, they are 100% silk rather than a cheap blend of synthetic materials which don’t have the same natural benefits for your skin.
The come in three colours and three sizes (small, medium and large). These ones are machine washable on a hand wash setting.
Pros: John Lewis’ reputation for quality, 100% silk, choice of colours, machine washable
Cons: lack of information about the momme rating, less size options than M&S
5. Liberty London Silk Pyjamas – £425
If you really want to push the silk pyjama boat out then take a look at the range from designer label Liberty London.
Some of their fancy designs cost four times as much as the cheapest silk pyjamas on this guide, but they come with distinctive patterns which will surely impress people when you answer the door in your pyjamas.
In terms of specification, they’re actually not as heavyweight as the cheaper silk pyjama sets on this top six. These have a ‘momme rating’ of 16 whereas some of the others have a momme rating of 22.
They also need dry cleaning (hand washing isn’t mentioned as an option) so you’ll need to cough up for that too. I used the dry cleaners once in 2003 but that’s about it, so this one isn’t for me.
Pros: unusual designs, good momme rating of 22, trendy brand
Cons: dry clean only, more expensive than Lilysilk, M&S and John Lewis & Partners
6. The White Company Classic Vintage Floral Silk Pyjamas – £200
These silk pyjamas from The White Company don’t have a huge number of reviews but the brand overall scores 4.4/5 on Feefo or 3.8/5 on TrustPilot.
They come in one colour which is a classic floral ivory and grey with piping. They have a momme rating of 19, which is mid-range compared to others in this list.
They’re hand wash only, which is a bit inconvenient but quite common for silk.
If that doesn’t float your boat then the White Company has a pretty good range of other colours and style of silk pyjamas. The cheaper option is a Cami set that covers a bit less of you and costs about £130.
Pros: popular brand, good brand reviews on Feefo
Cons: momme rating is a little way behind the rest, more expensive than most others on this list, no choice of colour, hand wash only
Fancy a silk pillowcase? See our guide to six of the best