Silk vs Wool Comforter

In the last few weeks, I have written several articles on the comparison between silk and various commonly seen textiles. This is going to be the last article in the series, and in this article I’m going to take a look at the various differences between silk and wool, and how these differences affect your purchase decisions.

One distinct difference between wool and other fibers I have mentioned before is that wool, like silk, is a completely natural animal fiber. As such, it shares a lot of similarities with silk in terms of chemical composition and fiber structures. Both wool and silk have high affinity with human skin and are suitable for most people.

So what are the differences between silk and wool?

– Warmth Keeping:

If you look at why wool and silk was there in the first place, you should have an idea of the basic difference between them: warmth keeping. Sheeps grow wool to keep themselves warm first and foremost, while silkworms make cocoons to shield themselves from harm during metamorphosis. These functions persist when wool and silk are cultivated and made into blankets and comforters.

Wool:

Wool is a great insulator of heat. The natural air pockets in wool help to efficiently keep the heat emanated by the human body inside and help people stay warm during cold weather. This is why sweaters are made of wool.

Silk:

Silk is also great in terms of insulation. However, most silk comforters and blankets don’t have the same density as their wool counterparts, meaning that they are not as good in terms of keeping warmth. However, due to the structure of silk fibers and most silk products being thinner, silk is better at facilitating air exchanges between the 2 sides of the comforter (more commonly known as breathing), which helps with venting excessive heat if required and keeping the temperature around the human body at a comfortable level.

– Comfort:

Weight:

Wool is quite light, but silk is still significantly lighter. Lighter comforter eases the difficulty of turning during sleep and promotes better blood flow throughout the night.

Touch:

Both wool and silk are soft to the touch. Silk, being thinner, feels more flowy while wool is more solid. It comes down to preference in this category.

Feel:

The word “silky smooth” perfectly describes how silk feels on the skin. Wool cloth feels a bit rougher due to the surface of wool fibers being scaly instead of smooth like silk fibers. Also, due to the structure of the wool fibers, it is easy for wool to fray on the surface, creating broken strands of wool fiber which may cause skin to itch.

– Hygiene:

Wool is not particularly resistant to any type of bacteria, mold or bugs because sheeps have skin for those. Silk, on the other hand, is naturally resistant to bacteria and mold, and repels most types household bugs because silkworms rely on these abilities to protect themselves. This not only means that silk tends to stay cleaner, but also that it keeps away some of the most common household allergens away from your bedroom.

– Maintenance:

Due to the factors listed in the Hygiene section, wool generally requires more care and maintenance in terms of cleaning, while silk is easier to clean. Both wool and silk require dry cleaning if you wish to clean them thoroughly. Lower momme weight silk tends to be more fragile than wool and doesn’t resist wear and tear as well, which is why we recommend silk equal to or above 19 momme.

Overall, both silk and wool are great textiles and worth getting. If you are more concerned about staying warm and overheating doesn’t bother you, wool is the more reasonable choice. If you wish to buy something that can be used throughout the year, that is lighter and more hygenic, then silk would be the better choice.

Silk vs Satin Pillowcases

As our brand gained more traction in the North American market, it seems that more and more people are writing to inquire about the difference between silk and satin (mostly on pillowcases). Indeed, when one searches for silk pillowcases on Google, Amazon or Ebay, the returned results often contain a large amount of satin, often at much lower prices. It’s no wonder that people want to know the reason behind the pricing difference, so we will attempt to explain the exact difference between silk and satin.

First of all, one should know that the so-called silk vs satin is, in fact, a false proposition – silk is a type of fabric, while satin is a weave, which means that there are in fact SATIN SILK, although it’s safe to say that 99% of the satin products sold on the market at low prices are *not* made with silk, but with polyester instead. So, instead of discussing silk vs satin, the question can be changed into the differences between Charmeuse silk and polyester satin, for which a proper comparison can be made.

So, what is the fundamental difference between silk and polyester? We believe the fundamental difference lies in the way these materials are produced. Silk is a naturally made animal protein fiber, whereas polyester is a industrially produced fiber made from petroleum. As such, silk offers significantly better affinity to skin due to similar chemical composition. Compared to silk’s smooth and light feel on the skin, polyester is hard, brittle and not very breathing at all.

The difference between naturally spun silk and factory-produced polyester extends beyond the simple contrast of feel and comfort. Silk is used by cosmetic surgeons and beauty salons around the world as THE material for facial beauty for its smoothness as well as the rich amount of nutrients contained in its fibers. The amino acids in silk fibers are essential to the human body and help replenish lost collagen in the skin, and the high moisture absorption rate of silk helps keep your skin at just the right humidity. The great insulation properties of silk help keep the temperature around your skin at an optimal level, providing not only comfort, but also the perfect environment for your skin to regenerate during sleep. Polyester, while also smooth, pales in comparison in this regard – although it is also somewhat effective in reducing morning hair and sleep wrinkles.

From a maintenance point of view, silk is a bit more difficult to wash due to it being more delicate and require more attention. However, silk is *hypoallergenic* and repels common household allergens including bacteria, mold, fungi, and dust mites alike, so you will most likely find less annoying substances on a silk sheet/pillowcase than a polyester one. If you are already suffering from allergies, the choice is really a no-brainer.

Lastly, we take a look at the cost. This is the one criterion for which polyester has a convincing victory. A polyester satin pillowcase costs roughtly 1/4 to 1/2 of a silk pillowcase of the same size, so if you are financially strained, getting a polyester satin pillowcases will help you get the sleep beauty routine started. Of course, when you are become more financially capable, our recommendation would be to get our Charmeuse silk pillowcase to receive full benefits high-end bedding has to offer.

Silk vs Down Comforter

We often get asked what makes our comforters different to down and feather comforters, so here are a few points that, we hope, would clear things up. Good silk comforters are made using only long fibre mulberry silk. By using only long fibre silk, a silk filled comforter is able to outperform other comforters in a number of areas.

Silk Comforters

Mulberry silk comforters are designed to let some of your body heat pass through the comforter while you sleep. By doing this they keep you warm but stop you from overheating throughout the night

Silk comforters keep you comfortable over a wider range of temperatures. Because they allow some of your body heat to escape they keep you contented rather than too hot or too cold.

Long fibre mulberry silk is naturally healthier than down. Because there is less sweat produced by sleeping under silk comforters, there is less bacteria build-up in a silk comforter. Less bacteria build-up = a healthier bed.

Silk filled comforters drape over you, hugging the contours of your body. By doing this they create less cold spots between you and the comforter covering you.

Well made Mulberry silk filled comforters, like our own, will not bunch together inside the casing. This is because the silk filling has been layered with long filaments of silk.

Down-filled Comforters

Down and feather comforters are designed to stop your body heat from escaping through the comforters. This initially keeps you warm, but throughout the night your body heat continues to be reflected back at you and you overheat.

Down comforters are unable to help keep your surroundings at a constant temperature and you will need a wider range of weights throughout the year.

Down is a very good insulator, but can often be too good. Moisture trapped in down from body sweat is often unable to escape from the comforter. In advanced cases can result in unhealthy mould spots.

Down comforters are soft, but still more rigid than silk comforters. Down is unable to drape over you the way in the same way silk comforters do – this is because there is physically more bulk in a down comforters.

Most down comforters are stuffed and then sewn into individual pockets to keep the down in place. However, over time the down in these pockets bunches together which can make the comforter lumpy and uncomfortable to sleep under and create cold spots.

Benefits of Silk

Besides its luxurious softness and lustrous beauty, there are a variety of other benefits that silk offers that other fabrics, whether natural or artificial, simply cannot match. These advantages of silk have rightly earned silk its reputation as the queen of fabrics. If “Why Silk” is still a question in your mind, the following benefits of silk should remove any doubts. It is not just a question of comparison with other fabrics, some of these benefits and advantages place silk in a league of its own.

SKIN AND HAIR CARE

Silk contains natural cellular albumen, which helps speed up metabolism of skin cells – thus helping to reduce signs of aging. Silk is a natural heat regulator, able to maintain the air around you at a comfortable temperature when you sleep, meaning you perspire less – extensive sweating is a big contributor to skin aging. The smooth surface of silk means there is little friction between your skin and your bedding linen, which is said to be the biggest cause for sleep wrinkles. The fact that your hair moves around freely as well basically means you will not wake up with a bedful of broken hair and your head looking like a mess.

HYPOALLERGENIC

Bugs don’t like silk, bacteria don’t like silk, and mold doesn’t like silk either. The sericin residue is a natural repellent that keeps all the bad things away, all the while helping you in other ways. With the biggest 3 in-house allergens unable to manifest themselves on your bed, allergy sufferers can rest relaxed knowing they are safe from skin rashes, eczemas and stuffy nose.

SOFT AND LIGHTWEIGHT

Duvets filled with silk floss weight for a mere fraction of a feather/down filled duvet of the same heat-insulating capabilities due to the innate heat insulating properties of silk and the thermal preserving structure of the floss sheets, meaning you don’t have to “fight” with your duvet when you want to stretch or turn in your bed. Of course, the lighter weight helps with a variety of health issues such as blood circulation and arthritis.

BREATHING/MOISTURE WICKING

Silk is a very breathable fabric, meaning there is a constant air exchange between two side of your duvet – however, due to silk’s ability to keep heat in, you will get a constant stream of fresh air in without having to worry about feeling cold. The moistures in the air inside your comforter also gets exchanged/absorbed by silk, and you will always sleep in a dry place that is sufficiently warm, something that is especially ideal for women undergoing menopause and suffering from nightly hot flashes.

DURABLE

Our best quality Mulberry silk beddingware can easily last upwards to 15 – 20 years if cared for properly. Silk fibers are one of the strongest natural textile fibers in the world, and our silk is made from especially high quality silk fibers with a denser weave up to 750 TCI (threads per inch), meaning the resulting fabric can be very strong, able to withstand most accidental damage with ease (and we obviously do not encourage any non-accidental damage to be done to our silk.)

HYGIENE

Silk is the most hygienic material to be used as bedding because it is resistant to dust and other common causes of household bedding stains. So if you are looking to get rid of your down comforter because of dust, mites, or allergies, getting a silk-filled comforter will solve your problem instantly.

What is Momme in silk fabric & What is thread count

What is Momme in silk fabric ?

Mommes (mm), is a unit traditionally used to measure the quality of silk fabrics. One momme = 4.340 grams per square meter; 8 mommes is approximately 1 ounce per square yard or 35 grams per square meter.
The usual range of momme weight for different weaves of silk are:

Gauze—3 to 5 mm
Organza—4 to 6 mm
Habotai—12 to 16 mm
Chiffon—6 to 8 mm (can be made in double thickness, i.e. 12 to 16 mm)
Crepe de Chine—12 to 16 mm
Raw silk—35 to 40 mm (heavier silks appear more ‘wooly’)
Charmeuse—12 to 30 mm

The higher momme weight the better?

Yes and no. It depends. Normally, the higher the momme weight, the more durable the weave, the more luxurious the fabric is, the more suitable it is for heavy-duty use, and the longer the shelf-life. Generally, all silks can be washed and the heavier ones can be washed repeatedly. The heavier the silk, the more opaque it becomes. This can vary even between the same kind of silk. For example, lightweight Charmeuse is translucent when used in clothing, but 30-momme charmeuse is opaque. Therefore, it does not mean that you must always buy silk products with higher momme weight. For instance, it would be too heavy to put on 25mm silk sleepwear for the night, but 19mm silk sleepwear is not that durable, though. In a word, it is a question of making proper choices according to your own needs.

What is the best momme weight of silk bedding ?

For bedding, the higher the weight in momme, the better the silk bedding is. Sheets between 19-25 momme are considered ideal. silk with momme weight lower than 19 are not suitable for the production of quality silk bedding linen. Beware of sellers trying to trick you into buying inferior quality sheets without declaring the momme weight. Always ask for this measurement before you buy.

Here at Lilysilk, we offer 3 different momme weight classes. Starting from the entry-level 19 momme, Lilysilk also offers intermediate 22 momme and luxury 25 momme weight classes for your choosing.

What is thread count?

Thread count or threads per inch (TPI) is a measure of the coarseness or fineness of certain fabrics, most notably cotton. While it is not the definitive measurement of the quality of silk fabrics, it is good for reference when you purchase silk online. It is measured by counting the number of threads contained in one square inch of fabric or one square centimeter, including both the length (warp) and width (weft) threads. The thread count is the number of threads counted along two sides (up and across) of the square inch, added together.

What are the thread counts of Freedomsilk’s bedding sets ?

Thread-count is not as important in silk products as it is for cotton, as in silk threads can vary greatly in terms of diameter and length. However, it is still something that should be noted when purchasing silk. For silk products with same momme weight, the one with higher thread count is usually considered to be better. Normally, the 19mm silk has a thread count of 300-350, Freedomsilk’s 19mm silk usually has a minimum thread-count of 400 which is already what some would refer to as “luxury”, our 22mm has a thread-count of 600 and our 25mm silk an even higher 750 which is why we insist that our products is truly the best on the market.

Handmade vs Machine Comforters

Generally speaking, handmade silk floss filling is superior to machine-made fillings because:

– Material:

Due to the delicate nature of silk fibers, high-end silk floss is usually treated by experienced silk workers who know how to preserve the long stranded fibers, as machines are capable of breaking the fibers with ease should the process go wrong at any point. Thus, a handmade comforter usually implies the quality of the silk used is higher so the manufacturer is willing to spend more to hire experienced workers in order to minimize the risks of damaging the silk in the process of manufacturing.

– Human Touch:

Even if the manufacturing process is carried out exactly as instructed, machines simply lack the subtlety of human hands. There is nothing that knows better about human comfort than humans themselves, and for something you sleep with every night, comfort is most certainly the first and foremost point of concern.

Handmade Comforters

– Filled using long fiber Mulberry silk, layered in a grid pattern.

– Tacked, not boxed stitched. Tacking the silk down eliminates cold spots and the damage box stitching causes to the silk fiber.

– Less airborne fibers because only long fiber silk is used.

– No lumps caused by silk filling clumping up.

Machine-made Comforters

– Silk fiber stuffed, not layered into a casing.

– Box stitched. Box stitching damages the silk fiber and creates cold spots throughout the comforter, undermining a silk comforter’s heat regulating ability.

– Short fiber silk or a silk mix is used instead of long fibre silk. Short fibet silk shards can become airborne and cause irritations to allergy sufferers. Short fiber fillings are also less effective at heat insulation and regulation.

Several Silk Types You Need to Know

Generally speaking, there are about 35 types of silk fibers. A majority of consumers are confused about numerous silk products. Today, I will introduce you to some basic and most commonly-seen silk types that we feel you need to know.

Mulberry silk
Mulberry silk is the long silk fiber produced by matured and domesticated silkworm when they secrete liquid silk, also known as “natural silk fiber”. It is the earliest animal fiber used by human being as well as the most genuine silk fiber for all kinds of silk clothes, which is lightweight, soft and absorptive of moisture. In addition, mulberry silk contains over 18 amino acids and protein fibers which is healthy for human skin and hair. For example, the hygroscopicity of mulberry silk comforter is 1.5 time higher than that of cotton comforters. Besides, mulberry silk is pretty hypoallergenic, and as a consequence, many dermatologists recommend silk bedding and apparel for aged and sick people. Compared to other silk fibers, mulberry silk is more luxurious and breathable. It may not that durable, but who’s going to use the same bedding for life?

Tussah Silk
Tussah silk, also known as ‘shantung’, is a type of wild silk, that is produced by silkworms that feed on oak and juniper leaves.
As the worm is not grown in a controlled environment, the moth hatches from the cocoon and interrupts the filament length, resulting in short and coarse fibers, instead of long and lustrous ones. Normally, it is widespread in China and other Asian countries like India, difficult to dye and most often available in its natural color, a creamy tan.
It is also lightweight and airy, as well as dressy, giving cool comfort to the wearer. Moreover, it does not wrinkle easily which makes it suitable for travelling.

Charmeuse Fabric

Charmeuse silk, technically speaking, does not refer to a type of material as Mulberry silk does; it is a silk fabric made with a particular way of weaving, allowing for extra luster and shine on the front side in exchange for a dull finish at the back. Charmeuse silk can be made from all kinds of different silk including Mulberry silk and is often used on products that does not require showcasing of both sides of the fabric such as pillowcases and duvet covers. Charmeuse silk offers better drape than crêpe de chine and works well for scarves, blouses and lingerie.

Chiffon Silk
A light, matt fabric made from fine twisted yarns, spaced out to make the fabric transparent. It is extremely soft and elastic, highly breathable and comfortable.
Dimension is added to garments by the creation of billows of fabric. Unless it is used for scarves, garments with chiffon normally require lining or backing.

Crêpe de Chine
A lightweight fabric made by mulberry silk fibres, where part of them are twisted clockwise and others in a counter-clockwise direction. These fibres are then woven in a plain-weave fabric. The twisted fibres give crêpe its distinctive ‘pebbly’ look and feel.

Comes in many different varieties – crêpe de Chine, Moroccan crêpe and crêpe georgette. It is comfortable and breathable and wrinkles easily at the rate of 8%.

Dupion Silk Fabric
Doupion silk is produced from two silkworms that spin a cocoon together. This makes a strong double-thread silk, usually resulting in a rough yarn and irregularity in sheerness or weight.Black specks which occasionally appear in the fabric are part of the original cocoon of the silk worm. Removing them would both weaken the fabric and destroy part of its beauty and character. They are inherent to dupion silk fabric and should not be considered as defects in weaving. Hence, doupion silk is durable and lustrous, and resists wrinkles to some extent.

Habotai Silk
It is also known as China silk, Habutai, Pongee. The “classic” silk fabric, was first used to line kimonos, with plain-weave fabric.Its weight can range from 5 mm to the heavier 12 mm. Most scarves are made of 8mm Habotai. Soft and lightweight, Habotai silk is a kind of smooth fabric and has a beautiful drape and smooth surface.

 

Identify Real Silk

1. Flames:

– Genuine quality silk: Burning genuine silk produces a smell very similar to that of burning human hair. The flame is close to invisible when burning the edge of the real silk fabric. Very soon after the flame source is taken away from the fabric, the silk will self-extinguish.
– Fake silk: Most fake silk are in fact petroleum based polyester products. When burned, these materials tend to combust rapidly in intense flames, and give a smell of burning plastic.

2. Ashes

– Genuine silk: The ash from burning is black, crispy and turns to powder easily when grinded.
– Fake silk: The ash of fake silk tend to be sticky, twisted, and difficult to break apart.

 

Silk Comforter Hints

What you should know….

With so many silk comforters on the market it can be a bit of a head-scratcher trying to decide which ones are worth purchasing and which ones are not. Listed below are a few criteria to look out for.

Long Strand Mulberry Silk

Always look for comforters filled with long strand Mulberry silk, and check the percentage of silk filling. Many suppliers tend to use a small amount of long strand Mulberry silk (often on the most visible part of the floss filling), and fill the remainder with cheaper short-fiber silk while advertising the whole thing as 100% Mulberry silk filled. This brings the cost of the comforter down, but also significantly weakens thermal regulation capabilities of the comforter, which renders the item ineffective since its job is to keep you warm before everything else.

No Pockets/Filling Fixation

Unlike down or polyester comforters, silk comforters are filled with sheets of long fiber Mulberry silk layered on top of each other in a special way, which means the comforter is rarely compartmentalized unlike its down/feather filled counterparts; because of this, make sure you check if the filling is properly tacked to the inside of the comforter shell, as untacked silk floss fillings will move around in the shell and bunch up.

Color of the Silk

Silk, being a natural product, should have an ivory hue to it and be slightly iridescent. Many manufacturers bleach their silk to enhance the appearance of their products as well as remove some of the odor of the residual serecin (natural silk glue). However, although bleaching makes the silk look nicer appearance-wise, the nice looks will be short-lived as bleach-induced fiber damage will soon take its toll on the fabric, rendering it brittle and easy to break. Good silk filled comforters such as ours should always have a small zip opening on the shell of the comforter, allowing easy inspection of the silk filling.

Silk Linen Hints

There is a vast amount of silk bed linen on the market today with a huge range in both quality and price. Knowing what to look for can be a daunting task. Here are a few of our FAQs that, if followed, will ensure the silk bedding product you buy will last.

Know what you want & need

Always aim for 100% long strand Mulberry silk. There are a variety of different types of silk on the market including Mulberry, Tussah, and synthetic silk, but only 100% Mulberry silk consists of fibers that are long and continuous strands, and are smooth and lustrous. Wild silk, commonly known as Tussah silk is often passed off as Mulberry silk but a simple touch on the material and you will immediately realize the difference in the quality if you have experienced Mulberry silk before, as Tussah silk is much rougher and doesn’t feel nearly as flowy due to having significantly shorter strands that vary in length..

Habotai Silk, the name of the weave with which Tussah silk is usually made is sometimes used as the name of the silk fabric. It does not have the same durability as 100% Mulberry silk due to having shorter strands. Only 100% mulberry silk can offer the consistency & durability required in quality silk bed linen.

What is the Momme?

You may have heard of Momme before if you have had previous experience purchasing silk items. Momme is the unit used to determine the physical weight of silk. The basic measurement for momme is weighing a piece of silk that is 100 yards long and 45 inches wide. If the total weight comes to sixteen pounds then the silk will be graded as 16 momme. Heavier silk is given higher momme weight numbers. A higher momme weight indicates the fabric is made of higher quality silk fibers that are usually thicker and more uniformly rounded, and that the weave used is dense, making the overall fabric more durable and structurally intact.

What are the Momme weights of Lilysilk?

Lilysilk offers 3 different momme weight classes. Starting from entry-level 19 momme, Lilysilk also offers intermediate 22 momme and luxury 25 momme weight classes for your choosing. Note that silk with momme weight lower than 19 are not suitable for the production of quality silk bedding linen.

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