We Love That the Best Pillowcases Aren’t Matchy-Matchy With Bedding

And you only need one in reliable white.
Best Pillow Cases

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Reading up on Domino’s shopping guides is like having your own personal product concierge. We do the tedious part—deep-dive research, hands-on testing, and tapping experts for advice—so all you have to do is hit “add to cart.” That’s why we call them Simply the Best.

To truly make a cozy place to land at the end of a long day, pillows, and their accompanying pillowcases, are a must. Softness and comfort are, of course, huge considerations when finding new pillowcases for your bedding rotation (the right fabric will feel so good when you sleep), but aesthetics come into play, too. While traditional, a bed doesn’t need these linens to blend in with white-on-white sheets or coordinate with a complete set. We love the fresh crop of one-off pillowcases and mix-and-match alternatives to throw in a visually interesting moment.

“Forget matching,” says designer Lucy Small, owner of State and Season Home Design and Supply. “Your sheet set is your platform, and everything else has to complement, not match. If your sheet set is linen, then your pillows aren’t. If your sheet set is green, your pillows don’t have to be.”

And out of all your bedding, your pillowcases are washed the most and will get plenty of wear and tear compared to the other pieces in your setup such as a duvet. That’s why it’s wise to choose a durable material and invest in something that will last. With these points in mind, we give you the best pillowcases.

Our Favorites

Best Piping: Hill House Home Savile Pillowcase Set

Best Piping

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Material: Brushed cotton sateen | Weave: Sateen | Sizes: Standard, king | Colors: Powder blue, emerald green, pure white, classic black 

What we like:

  • Includes 2 pillowcases
  • Envelope closures
  • Has a subtle sheen, but that won’t overpower your other linens

Worth noting:

  • A bit pricey for a set of 2 pillowcases
  • Specifically designed to fit Hill House Home’s The Cloud Pillowcase insert, though should fit most standard cases

Why we chose it: With the choice of four piping hues, this set of two will blend into any palette, making it virtually trend-proof.

While material is certainly a big factor when choosing pillowcases, we urge you to equally consider color details. Some of the best pillowcases around will seamlessly merge into a bedding palette, and these pillowcases from Hill House Home are no exception. At first glance, they appear to be standard white pillowcases, but really they display hints of artful piping at the edges, lending just enough style value to your bedding. Choose from blue, green, white, and black—and for an added kick, include a custom monogram.

Best Stripes: The Citizenry Organic Resort Cotton Pillowcases

Best Stripes

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Material: Organic long-staple Turkish cotton | Weave: Plain | Sizes: Standard, king | Colors: Solid light gray, light gray stripe, solid sand, sand stripe, white 

What we like:

  • Sustainably crafted and fair-trade cotton 
  • Turkish cotton, which historically holds up better and stays fluffier than other cotton fabrics
  • Includes 2 pillowcases

Worth noting:

  • If you prefer a satin finish, note that this develops a matte look after the first wash
  • Requires mild laundry detergent
  • Need to avoid contact with things like bleach and face products with benzoyl peroxide and alpha hydroxy acids

Why we chose it: With these carefree summer stripes, you will feel like you’re sleeping at your favorite beach resort.

Stripes always have a place in home decor, but even the bold Breton stripes of the French Riviera on a pillowcase might be a tad much in some spaces. These subtle stripes from the Citizenry (in light gray or tan) are under the radar enough that they won’t overwhelm your accompanying bedding, and if you’re creating a bedscape that looks like something out of your favorite seaside hotel, sand stripe is particularly calming and coastal.

Best Classic White: The Company Store Company Cotton™ Wrinkle-Free Sateen Pillowcases

Best Classic White

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Material: Combed cotton sateen | Weave: Sateen | Sizes: Standard, king | Colors: White, creme, cinder, gray mist, stone gray, blue sapphire, infinity blue, blue shale, evergreen, laurel green, caramel, mulberry, bisque, blue jay 

What we like:

  • Wrinkle-free
  • Includes 2 pillowcases
  • Matches to an entire collection

Worth noting:

  • 300 thread count, which could be higher
  • Should be removed immediately from dryer
  • Can’t be dry-cleaned

Why we chose it: If you’re on the hunt for the whitest of white for a bedroom palette cleanse, this set is it. 

Just like that perfect white T-shirt, you can’t go wrong with having white pillowcases you really love in the linen closet. Made up of soft sateen, these from the Company Store are particularly crisp and won’t wrinkle (eschewing those pesky creases in between washes). Since this material is low-maintenance to care for, if the cases get stained by your mascara or aren’t looking their best, you can pop them into the washer with ease. If you can’t get enough of the feel and want more of the same, they also come in 13 other hues, from a misty gray to a caramel orange.

Best Colors: Tekla Pillow Sham

Best Colors

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Material: Organic cotton | Weave: Plain | Sizes: Queen, king | Colors: soft gray, sun-bleached yellow, lavender, broken white, olive green, mallow pink 

What we like:

  • Certified organic cotton
  • Breathable fabric
  • 600 thread count
  • Can match with a duvet cover

Worth noting:

  • Only natural detergent strongly encouraged
  • Can’t use fabric softener or bleach
  • Only comes as a single sham

Why we chose it: While there may be pillowcases out there with a lot more color options, we chose this one because of its soft, eye-pleasing shades—a moody olive green to a whisper soft gray—which complement just about any decor preference, from modern to traditional. Our tester found these shams to be extra-soft to the cheek, too—doubly enticing. 

Best Silk: Good Side The Terracotta

Best Silk

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Material: Mulberry silk | Weave: Satin | Sizes: Standard | Colors: Terracotta, sage, lavender, peach, chartreuse  

What we like:

  • Earthy to vibrant colors
  • Made with your hair and skin in mind
  • Option to buy single pillowcase or set of 2

Worth noting:

  • Only comes in standard size
  • Can’t be placed in the dryer

Why we chose it: If you’re aiming for soothing silk in cheery pastels, you can’t go wrong with Good Side.

For that hard-to-beat sumptuous feeling against your face as you rest, give these smooth and 100 percent Mulberry silk pillowcases a go. Good Side successfully makes a material that is all silk with a matte look if you’re not into too much shine against your linen sheets. And its color options are photo ready and far from a bore—you’ll find unique shades like terracotta and sage and chartreuse to layer into your pillow pile.

Best Darks: Parachute Percale Pillowcase Set

Best Darks

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Material: Egyptian cotton | Weave: Plain | Sizes: Standard, king | Colors: Raisin, moss, white, sand, light gray, cream, clay, slate 

What we like:

  • Unfussy envelope closures
  • Made of Egyptian cotton; known to last longer than other cottons
  • Includes 2 pillowcases

Worth noting:

  • Requires a lot of care when washing

Why we chose it: For a moody touch still in your comfort zone.

Have you ever heard that surrounding yourself in the bedroom with dark, saturated shades makes for a good night’s sleep? Build out your bed’s moody color story with moss green, slate black, or raisin red and you can curl up—no matter the season—in a bit of drama. We love the color combo of a light gray textured duvet with a set of darker pillows for an arresting (and oh-so-cozy) setup. Black is also one of the chicest shades to pair with white sheets, of course. Add candles and an equally dark wall color (don’t be afraid of a mighty accent wall behind your bed) to really go all in. 

Best Patterns: Brooklinen Mulberry Silk Pillowcase

Best Patterns

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Material: Mulberry silk | Weave: Satin | Sizes: Standard, king | Colors: Celestial, ivory, carbon, pink, cool mint, wild peach, wild purple, emerald 

What we like:

  • Minimizes friction so it’s gentler for sensitive skin
  • Breathable for silk
  • Organic certified

Worth noting:

  • Only includes 1 pillowcase
  • Requires pH neutral detergent
  • Not dryer-friendly

Why we chose it: Coming in three cool and whimsical options, Brooklinen’s head-turning patterns have plenty of visual interest. 

When it comes to pillowcases, there tend to be three categories: solids, subtle patterns, and bold patterns. If the bold patterns are calling your name, we say go for it. By displaying a fanciful starry sky or artistic abstract design in peach and lavender or purple and mustard, these pillowcases from Brooklinen give any bed a fun feel. Partner them with solid sheets, a solid bedspread, and other solid pillowcases to really make them shine front and center.

Best Linen: Bed Threads Petrol 100% French Flax Linen Pillowcases

Best Linen

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Material: French flax linen | Weave: Plain | Sizes: Standard | Colors: Pink clay, rust, terracotta, peach, limoncello, turmeric, oatmeal, olive, olive stripe, sage, mineral, petrol, lavender, lilac, rosewater, white, fog, charcoal, pinstripe, stripe, rust stripe

What we like:

  • Tons of color options, including stripes
  • 2 in the set
  • Antistatic

Worth noting:

  • Ideally requires line drying
  • Can’t be bleached, ironed, or dry-cleaned

Why we chose it: Enjoy a just-right linen that isn’t scratchy on your cheek and comes in more colors than you can count. 

While you may be used to wearing linen, you may want to also take the fabric to your bed each night for a chic place to rest your head. These particular linen pillowcases joined the list because they’re made of flax linen, which is generally known to be much softer than other linen varieties, and our tester found they softened with each wash. The pool of options can’t be topped either; you can pick from a whole rainbow of colors—21 to be exact.

How We Chose These Products

To start, we huddled with Domino’s style director, Naomi deMañana, and aligned on our favorite bedding brands before moving onto narrowing down pillowcases—as you can imagine, there are a lot. In addition to evaluating the quality and softness of materials (thanks to our editor testing for that!), we considered each pillowcase’s visual appeal. We kept the colors leaning more toward basics over patterns, so they won’t fight with your sheets. And we aimed to spotlight a variety of fabrics (linen, silk, sateen, Turkish cotton, etc.) to be able to interchange with most sets. 

Our Shopping Checklist

Material and Weave

Most pillowcases come in some form of cotton, silk, or linen, with sometimes a blend of rayons or bamboo woven in. The majority of the designers we spoke with adore linen for pillowcases, which, when made well, can be incredibly soft and breathable. “I prefer linen, but the true linen that gets softer as you wash it,” Small says, adding that she prefers linen “straight from the source,” which is oftentimes Eastern Europe these days. “It’s where you know you’re getting a quality material that is good for the planet and the people that made it.” Interior stylist Antoinette Arrington says that she prefers linen in the summer when the nights are hot, and then switches to bamboo or a cotton-linen blend in the winter when she spends more time in bed. But Sara Hillery, owner and founder of Sara Hillery Interior Design, makes the case for cotton. “Personally, I gravitate toward cotton for pillowcases,” she says. “It is the fabric that I grew up sleeping on as a kid. To me, cotton pillowcases are cut from a time-honored fabric that brings me back to my childhood home and works for any climate: hot or cold. I am drawn to the straightforwardness and softness of cotton above all else.”

As for weaves, while some can be more complex-looking than others (like a basket weave), most pillowcases come in a tight, basic plain weave.

Style and Color

As for styling your pillowcases, again, don’t worry about matching. In fact, mixing colors and fabrics can level up the visuals of your bed. “I prefer limiting mixing to two or three different selections so as to not introduce a chaotic feeling to a room that is supposed to be restful,” Hillery says. But if you prefer a more cohesive look, go with her personal preference to which she applies some basic guidelines: “I like to have my sheet set and my ‘sleeping’ pillowcases match. Then I will mix in a sham and duvet cover or coverlet that match each other, which gives some continuity and balance to the bed linens scheme.” As for colors, there are some things to take into consideration. While you can certainly allow colorful pillowcases to stand out against neutral sheets and a bedspread, there are tiny ways to bring in color, even through white-on-white sheeting. When she goes all-white, Hillery tends to hint at color via custom monograms, embroidered details, or simple details such as piping on pillowcases. “While modest, these careful additions lend a personal touch to such a ubiquitous color palette,” she adds. And sometimes pillowcase colors can have a practical purpose, especially when it comes to the personal-care products you use. “Anyone who uses hair products or colored creams to bed may not want anything light,” Small advises. “If you use a product with retinol, vitamin C, or hydroquinone, light-colored pillowcases will eventually start to turn yellow.” Translation: Go for dark-hued pillowcases if you don’t want to dye your bedding.

Care and Maintenance

“Wash and change your pillowcases at least once a week and leave out the fabric softener and dryer sheets,” Arrington says. “Opt for gentle detergents, and use vinegar in your rinse cycle instead. Your hair and face will thank you!” In addition to utilizing a regular care routine, be sure to purchase pillowcases in a durable fabric in the first place. “I find that the higher the thread count, the better the durability,” Arrington observes. “White sheets are more likely to be bleached to maintain their appearance, so I look for sets with a higher thread count (600 to 800) to be sure they don’t get holes or fray over time.” For an extra bit of attention to give your pillowcases, and some self-care for you, add a lavender satchel and breathe in that calming aroma, something that Hillery loves doing.

Ask Domino

Q: How often should I change my pillowcases?

To keep your pillows their cleanest, aim for every three to six days, or once a week, at a minimum.

Q: How do I care for silk and satin pillowcases?

Silk pillowcases do require more care than, say, classic cotton cases. Simply check the care information, either on the tag or in the products page, to find out how to properly wash your particular silk pillowcases. Many silks can be put through the wash, but they won’t love a hot cycle in the dryer (that’s how you shrink a perfectly good silk pillowcase). Go with a mild detergent, skip the bleach, and air-dry instead. Pillowcase looking wrinkly? Use a low heat setting on your iron.

Q: What is the best thread count for pillowcases?

Well, that’s up to your personal preference for softness, but generally, 200 to 400 is an excellent starting range for a quality, feel-good fabric. Many agree that the higher the thread count, the longer your pillowcases will last. Specifically, a thread count higher than 250 should lend itself to durability.

The Last Word

The best pillowcases serve much more than a utilitarian purpose, especially when they come in a range of color options, from pastels in silk to Turkish cotton in timeless stripes. Whatever your preference, there’s one (or two or three) on this list of high-quality linens that can fit with your lifestyle and round out the look of your sleeping quarters.