The pillowcase is the fabric your face rests against all night, and the place in the bed where the material matters most for skin and hair. It is still usually the last thing people change. A case in bamboo viscose costs a fraction of a bedding set and is the cheapest way to feel the difference.
The fibres in bamboo viscose are thin and round. The surface comes out smooth rather than coarse, and hair slides across the fabric instead of catching in it. It is the same mechanic people buy silk cases for, and the difference from a coarse cotton case is easy to notice on the first morning. The skin is pulled less too when you turn in your sleep.
Two sizes
The cases come in 60x63 cm and 50x70 cm. The 60x63 is the Scandinavian standard pillow, the square one. The 50x70 is the oblong pillow that is standard across much of Europe, and that many people use as a second pillow or for reading. Measure your pillow before you order if you are unsure. All the cases close at one end, so the pillow stays in place without buttons or a zip.
Eleven colours
We carry them in eleven colours: white, sand, light beige, taupe, plaza taupe, khaki, light grey, dark grey, light blue, lavender and shitake. The same tones are in bamboo bedding, so you can keep the whole bed in one colour. You can also do the opposite and let the case break with the bedding: two pillowcases in a different tone are the easiest way to change a bedroom without buying new bedding.
Why it matters most for the face
A pillowcase is the only textile in the bed your face is in direct contact with for eight hours at a stretch. If you sleep on your side or your front, the cheek is pressed into the fabric with the full weight of the head, and every time you turn, the fabric pulls at the skin. On a coarse cotton case that happens with friction. On a smooth surface the skin slides instead.
The same goes for hair. Cotton catches the outer layers of the hair, and that is part of the explanation for frizz and kinks in the morning. Bamboo viscose has rounder fibres and a smoother surface, so hair glides across the case.
Washing and care
Wash at 40 degrees without fabric softener. Softener settles as a film on the fibres, and that film is exactly what takes the smoothness away again. A pillowcase should be washed more often than the rest of the bedding, ideally once a week, because it collects skin oil and traces of cream from the face. Shake it out as it comes off the machine and hang it to dry.
Who makes them
The cases come from Nordic Weaving, a Danish house with roots going back to Nordisk Tekstil Væveri in 1874. The fabric is certified to OEKO TEX Standard 100 in product class I, the strictest class in the standard and the one that applies to textiles for infants. It says something about what is not left in the fabric after dyeing, and that is worth knowing about a fabric you have your face in for eight hours at a time.
The rest of the bedroom
Under bamboo sheets you will find the three types of sheet in the same colours, among them the fitted sheet with a 35 cm skirt. If you want to change the whole bed at once, the sets sit under bedding, and the entire range for the home stands under home and homewear in bamboo. If the bathroom should follow suit, we also have bamboo towels in the same quality.
Frequently asked questions
Does a bamboo case help with messy hair in the morning? The smooth surface means hair glides rather than rubs. Many people notice less frizz and fewer kinks than on a cotton case.
How often should a pillowcase be washed? Once a week is a sensible starting point. That is more often than the rest of the bedding, because the case collects skin oil and cream.
Does 60x63 fit an ordinary Scandinavian pillow? Yes. That is the square standard size. If your pillow is oblong, you need 50x70.
Do they shrink in the wash? Bamboo viscose shrinks very slightly on the first wash, and the sizes are calculated with that in mind.
