Why I won't sleep without my satin bonnet

I'm calling it: every curly-haired girl should either own or be seeking a satin or silk bonnet. Or, she will be, once she hears how much I love mine.

Every night, like a true Jane Austen-era lady, I don a satin bonnet to help maintain my curly hair overnight. And yes, I do also have a silk pillowcase, but with curls like mine, it doesn't cut it. If I want them to be anything other than somehow both flat and frizzy in the morning, I need my purple bonnet on overnight.

NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.

Chlins Reversible Satin Bonnet

Just $9.25 here

Yanibest Satin Bonnet

$15.25 on Amazon

Why is a satin bonnet such a necessity?

I started wearing a satin bonnet about a year ago when I embraced my natural curls and (mostly) gave up hot hair tools.

While my curls were pretty quick to return, I soon learned they were even more maintenance than regular drying and straightening. The amount of products required, the strict rules around air drying versus diffusing – I quickly realised I wasn't going through the routine every day.

So, I spotted the curly girls on TikTok wearing these bonnets and invested a whole $12 in this game-changing accessory.

For me, I wear it to prevent friction and waking up with frizzy hair that has no curl definition. The hair is safe inside the bonnet and doesn't get trapped between my head and the pillow. I can now go a few days before re-doing my curls.

However, there are other benefits too! A bonnet will lock in moisture and keep your hair from drying out quickly. It can also help lock in any products you've put in your hair overnight.

Is silk better for your hair?

While satin is usually a composition of fabrics woven into a silk-like material, silk itself is a natural fabric. It's commonly seen to be slightly better, given it's hypoallergenic and very gentle on the hair and skin. However, it comes at a higher price point, which was the only reason I chose to have a satin bonnet.

While the cost-per-wear will diminish quickly, silk can feel costly upfront. The choice is yours to make, but there's no con to using satin over silk.

Check out these silk options:

Shhh Silk Sleep Bonnet

$70 on The Iconic

Daisysilk 22 Momme 100 Pure Mulberry Silk Hair Bonnet

Yours for $35.20

Desmend Long Hair Care Classic Bonnet

$27.99 here

Any cons?

The only one I can think of is that it might slip off if you're a restless sleeper. If that's the case, you're going to want to make sure it's secure. A lot of the bonnets on Amazon can be secured with a tie around their edging, or an adjustable strap. Mine doesn't have this, so if I feel like it's going to slide overnight, I'll secure it (gently) with some bobby pins. You don't have to hurt yourself to keep it in place – the secured with a tie around their edging should be a pain-free experience.

How do you wear the bonnet?

It's pretty straightforward, but figuring out what to do with the hair underneath can be a bit confusing.

Some people like to go the 'pineapple' method, which involves tying your hair on top of your head (creating the look of pineapple leaves). If you're doing this, you need a silk or satin scrunchie to alleviate kinks as best as possible. I also wouldn't recommend twisting the scrunchie more than once. This method works pretty well on my hair – I haven't noticed any intense kinking the morning after a night of 'pineapple' hair.

You can also just tuck all your hair up into it. If you have a lot of hair, it's worth getting a bigger bonnet.

Shhh Silk Oversized Silk Scrunchie

$24 on Adore Beauty

If you have straight hair…

This ode to my bonnet has had a big focus on my unmanageable curls, but if you're lucky enough to have straight hair, a bonnet is still not a bad idea. I still wear mine overnight if I've had a blowout or straightened my hair because it makes it last longer.

Another great reason to get one is for popping over your heatless curl setup. Whether you like heatless curl rods, or if you braid around a singular rod, or even do sock curls, you'll be more likely to achieve a decent curl with a satin bonnet over the top. It'll keep your hair from coming loose due to friction against your pillow, so the overall look in the morning will be more consistent. 

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