Momme is the first spec on every silk quotation — and the one buyers most often choose by guessing. Here is how the three common weights actually differ, and how to pick by product and price point.
Momme (abbreviated "mm") is silk's traditional weight unit: one momme is about 4.34 grams per square metre of fabric. A higher momme number simply means more silk woven into the same area — a denser, heavier cloth. It says nothing by itself about the grade of the raw silk, the weave, or the sewing — those are separate quality questions, covered below.
| 19 momme | 22 momme | 25 momme | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel & drape | Light, soft, fluid | Substantial, smooth, balanced | Dense, rich, slightly firmer hand |
| Durability | Good — wears faster under frequent washing | High — the everyday-workhorse weight | Very high — most silk per square metre |
| Cost position | Entry / promotional lines | Mid-premium, best value per wear | Luxury lines; material cost roughly 30% above 19 |
| Best for | Eye masks, scrunchies, entry pillowcases, travel items | Pillowcases, pajamas — the default for most brands | Premium pillowcases and bedding programmes |
22 momme is the sweet spot most brands land on: dense enough to keep its sheen and glide through years of washing, without the luxury-tier cost of 25. Choose 25 momme when a heavier, more substantial handfeel is part of your brand promise and your retail price supports it. Choose 19 momme for an accessible first silk product — it is still genuine mulberry silk, just lighter and less long-wearing. Whichever weight you pick, our silk pillowcase programme covers all three.
Here lighter is a feature, not a compromise. A sleep mask should disappear on the face — our own mask is built at 19.5 momme, about 3 mm thin and 10 g light — and scrunchies need fluid drape so they glide over hair. See the silk eye mask page for how that spec performs.
Sleepwear usually sits at 19–22 momme: enough body to drape well, light enough to sleep in. Scarves go lighter still, especially in twill weaves, because the print and the handfeel matter more than density.
Momme measures weight only. Two pillowcases at the same 22 momme can feel completely different depending on:
A carefully made 22 momme pillowcase will out-perform a carelessly made 25 — which is why we always suggest sampling two weights side by side before you commit a whole line to one number.
Tell us your product, target market and retail price, and we will recommend a weight — and sample it both ways so you can feel the difference yourself.
No. It is heavier and more durable, but it costs more, feels firmer and warmer, and not every customer prefers it. 22 momme is the better default for most pillowcase and sleepwear lines.
No — it proves more silk by weight. Fibre grade, weave, finishing and sewing are separate, and matter just as much.
19.5 momme Grade 6A mulberry silk: light enough to feel weightless, dense enough to build a three-layer blackout construction.
Product, momme, size, quantity and packaging: send what you have, even a reference photo. Email [email protected] or message us on WhatsApp.