Are Bamboo Sheets Cooling? Better Alternatives

We write this article to help you separate facts from personal opinions about bamboo sheets. To understand whether bamboo sheets are cooling or not, several considerations need to be made. For instance, what other fabrics are blended with it and what thread count is ideal for bamboo sheets?

In this article:

  • Are bamboo sheets cooling?
  • How bamboo sheets keep you cool.
  • What bamboo sheets won’t keep you cool?
  • Best thread count for cooling bamboo sheets.
  • Problems with bamboo sheets.
  • More pros and cons of bamboo sheets.
  • Bamboo vs cotton sheets (summary)

First, we go through the good news.

Bamboo sheets are generally light. They have a smooth feel and are breathable.

Are Bamboo Sheets Cooling?

Yes, bamboo sheets are cooling because they are breathable and absorb sweat from the body. These sheets can absorb up to 40% more moisture than cotton, making them cooler than cotton sheets. The ability to prevent drenching at night makes them ideal for people who sweat a lot at night.

Being made from a natural fiber, bamboo fabrics allow moisture to escape from your skin.

These sheets are also very pliable. In that case, they tend to drape close to a person’s skin and absorb more sweat compared to satin or cotton. However, these bamboo sheets are not as suitable for keeping you cool as silk sheets.

If you’re unable to find silk pillowcases, which are often a bit costly, the second best alternative for hot sleepers is bamboo.

How Bamboo Keeps You Cool

Bamboo keeps you cool because by absorbing sweat and retaining about 90% of its weight. They are breathable, meaning the sheets allow better air circulation between the skin and the surrounding. Also, they are light and feel better on the skin.

Other experts also agree that bamboo has antimicrobial properties.

Since they can keep sweat away from the skin, these sheets prevent microbial growth thus reducing your risk of developing acne.

The only problem is that bamboo sheets cannot absorb a lot of sweat at a go.

However, they still do a more than average job of keeping you cool and lessening discomfort associated with high body temperature while sleeping.

The ability of a fabric to absorb sweat is what makes it capable of regulating body temperature. The more sweat it can hold, the cooler the sheets are, but all these depend on how pure the bamboo is. Some bamboo sheets are not 100% pure and they will not offer the best cooling.

Bamboo Blends that Don’t Keep You Cool

Bamboo sheets are effective for cooling if the fabric is a blend of bamboo and rayon. If you’re prone to night sweats, you might want to stay away from bamboo/lyocell or bamboo/viscose blends. These latter combinations have a significantly reduced cooling ability.

They are also not quite as effective in absorbing sweat.

Are Bamboo Sheets Good for Hot Sleepers?

Yes, bamboo sheets are suitable for hot sleepers because they are great at absorbing moisture. Since they are breathable, bamboo sheets will allow for airflow and keep the body cool.

Bamboo sheets are suitable for hot sleepers if they are 100% organic fabrics.

They are quite breathable and will keep you cooler throughout the night.

Typically, bamboo sheets will be 3 degrees cooler than cotton sheets.

That is because the fabrics allow body heat to escape to the outside of the sheets.

What is the Best Thread Count for Bamboo Sheets?

An ideal thread count for bamboo sheets is between 250 and 350. For maximum comfort, these sheets don’t need higher thread counts because bamboo fibers are much softer than cotton.

One of the most common misconceptions linked to Egyptian cotton is that bed sheets need to have a thread count of about 800 – 1,000. However, this is not true. When looking for a breathable and cooling bed sheet, don’t consider the thread count too.

It shouldn’t be a concern if your bamboo sheets have a low thread count. More pros and cons of bamboo sheets are discussed below.

Bamboo vs Cotton Sheets: Pros and Cons of Each?

Let’s begin with the good things about bamboo sheets. There are plenty of advantages of using bamboo sheets other than cooling for hot sleepers.

Benefits of Bamboo Sheets

The benefits of bamboo sheets include:

  1. Bamboo sheets are durable.
  2. They are soft and luxurious.
  3. Breathable and ideal for people who sweat in their sleep.
  4. Bamboo sheets are hypoallergenic.
  5. Inhibits the growth of microbes by absorbing moisture from the skin.

Durable

Bamboo sheets last for long compared to other breathable organic fabrics such as silk. In fact, you can wash a set of bamboo sheets up to 1,000 times.

Bamboo sheets are soft

Even though you don’t need bamboo sheets with high thread count, they are soft and get even softer after multiple washes.

Regular sheets will lose their sheen and become scratchy over time but that is never the case with bamboo. Their feel simply gets more pleasant and skin-friendly.

Bamboo sheets are Breathable

Yes, bamboo sheets are cool, even cooler than cotton. As previously indicated, they are about 3 degrees cooler than cotton.

Being breathable, bamboo fabric also allows body heat to escape keeping you cool at night.

Hypoallergenic properties

Although you can find some organic cotton fabrics that are hypoallergenic, all sheets that are 100% bamboo have this hypoallergenic property.

You can be sure that you will be able to control sneezing, coughing at night, and wheezing.

Bamboo sheets also naturally repel dust mites that cause allergies.

Antimicrobial properties

Just like other rayon sheets, bamboo sheets have antimicrobial properties. This is solely based on the understanding that bamboo sheets whisk moisture away from the skin. By absorbing the moisture, it eliminates the environment that creates bacterial growth.

A recent elaborate study found that bamboo fibers don’t have antimicrobial properties.

So, the shape of bamboo fibers cannot inhibit the growth of microorganisms.

Environment friendly

Bamboo sheets are made from bamboo, a plant that is mostly considered environmentally friendly.

The plants can grow in various types of soils and don’t require much water.

Problems with bamboo sheets

There are a few cons of bamboo sheets. Some of these problems with bamboo sheets include expensive costs, limited varieties, and slightly high maintenance compared to cotton.

Another obvious problem with bamboo sheets is that they are not good during winter.

Cotton, on the other hand, is usable all year round.