Once you have bought the perfect mattress and bed frame, you will want to buy the best types of bed sheets. Out of all the types available in the market, there are two hotly debated over most of all. The battle for the best bed sheets is about bamboo vs cotton.
Those who know about bed sheets also know that we will have to talk about the different varieties of bamboo and cotton sheets and their properties in bamboo vs cotton.
Additionally, we will also inform you about the advantages and disadvantages of these bedsheets. There is a lot of material we will need to go through about bedsheets, so let’s not dillydally and get right into it.
Table of Contents
Bamboo sheets
While cotton is relatively easy to believe that it can make luxurious bedsheets, bamboo, on the other hand, isn’t that easy to understand. Anyone who knows what a bamboo plant looks like will be hardpressed to figure out how you can weave bamboo fiber into soft fabrics.
In the debate of bamboo vs cotton, multiple factors show why bamboo might be the best.
One of the key features of natural bamboo fibers is their length which helps to make fabrics made from it much softer, really durable, and quite supple. Furthermore, these fibers can make a bedsheet that keeps its color and repels body oils.
Types of Bamboo sheet
Bamboo from Rayon/Viscose
The first of the bamboo sheet types is the bamboo rayon. The process used to make the bedsheets that feel velvety soft is due to the silky smooth texture of rayon. The natural texture of the rayon in viscose material through chemicals.
However, the use of chemicals is a cause for concern since chemicals such as carbon disulfide can be harmful. Recently, the Federal Trade Commission(FTC) has made it mandatory to change “100% bamboo” to “rayon made from bamboo.”
Tencel Bamboo (Lyocell)
As an alternative to the Rayon viscose bamboo sheets, you can get bedsheets manufactured from the lyocell process. These bamboo sheets are found under the brand name Tencel. The second option we are talking about is a more eco-friendly option.
The Lyocell process has a much lower water consumption than other options. Also, the natural fabrics are the same regenerated cellulose fiber processed using non-toxic solvents. The sheets and other products are labeled as Bamboo Lyocell.
Bamboo Linen
Our final type of bamboo sheet is bamboo linens. The process for bamboo linen is the same as cotton linen. This process, however, produces bed sheets that aren’t as soft as the viscose process or the Lyocell process.
Yet these bamboo linen sheets are durable even though they require higher maintenance. This means lots of ironing! Fabrics or bedsheets made from these linens are labeled as Bamboo Linen.
Cotton sheets
Cotton has been a staple for luxurious clothes and sheets for hundreds of years. In the debate of bamboo vs cotton, multiple factors show why cotton might be better.
A critical factor in cotton fibers is the type of cotton plant used since lower quality cotton plants have shorter fibers. These shorter fibers make for cotton products that aren’t as soft or durable.
For the most durable and soft cotton sheets, you will need long-staple cottons such as Pima cotton or Egyptian cotton. For many decades maybe even centuries, the best of the best cotton sheets were made using high thread count Egyptian cotton.
Types of cotton sheet
Percale
These cotton sheets are weaved in a one over and one under pattern. A big benefit of this type of sheet is its high breathability and moisture absorption, which really helps out hot sleepers. This type is really durable and becomes softer with each washing.
Sateen
The main characteristics of a sateen cotton sheet are that it will be luxuriously soft and have a glossy sheen. Another recognizable property of these cotton sheets is their weave. The weave is typically one under and three or four above.
Twill
We can find denim and gabardine with twill cotton as well as bedsheets. Twill cotton is weaved in diagonal parallel ribs. These diagonal ribs help add texture to the sheets, so it’s not as soft as other types of cotton. However, it’s more durable than others.
Bamboo and cotton sheets: Comparisons
Thread count
Anyone that knows their fabrics for clothes and otherwise knows that thread count is a significant factor. In general, thread counts are defined as the number of threads in one square inch of fabric.
For the most part, the higher the thread count is, the softer the overall piece of fabric will be. The fabrics that make bamboo sheet tends to be softer than most types of cotton but not always. There are cotton sheets with high thread counts, such as Egyptian cotton.
Temperature control
By temperature control, we are talking about the fabric’s breathability we are discussing. Different fabrics have different levels of breathability, so you need to understand in bamboo vs cotton which one is more breathable.
The cotton sheets tend to hold on to heat better and longer between cotton and bamboo. Those cotton sheets with a really high thread count will be way more breathable than bamboo sheets. However, they will also have a much higher price point than others.
Comfort
Everyone wants to sleep on a comfortable bed with soft and comfortable sheets. Therefore everyone is looking for comfortable sheets. In the bamboo vs cotton debate, both sides have reasons for being comfortable.
Out of the two types, bamboo sheets are consistently comfortable at any price point and last longer. On the other hand, cotton sheets can be comfortable if you buy the more expensive higher thread count ones.
Cost
Cost is the factor that will make or break your will to purchase anything anywhere. This holds true for bedsheets as well, sadly. For the most part, the price of bamboo will be a bit more expensive for the lower thread count ones.
But if you were to increase the thread count, then the price of cotton sheets would be much higher than the bamboo ones. In general, the price of a bamboo sheet will be between $50 to $200, and the cotton ones can be between $50 to $500 or more!
Durability
Another point of discussion in our bamboo vs cotton debate will be these sheets’ durability and lasting time. Due to the natural flexibility of bamboo fibers, bamboo sheets generally last much longer than cotton sheets.
However, you need to take much greater care of bamboo sheets to make them last a long time. When you wash these bamboo sheets, you need a gentle cycle in cold water. Since the cotton sheet is more durable when wet, you can wash them more times, but it may tear under stress.
Like washing mattresses, you need to be careful with these sheets. Remember when cleaning memory foam mattresses you need to use the water at a particular temperature.
Environmentally friendly
In the 21st century buying anything recyclable or reusable is something everyone is looking for. Therefore, people buying bedsheets are looking for green or environmentally friendly ones. We will need to find the greener option in this bamboo vs cotton discussion.
From an ecological POV, bamboo sheets are the best choice since it has less impact on the environment. Also, the solvents used to make these sheets are eco-friendly as well. Compared to them, cotton sheets are more hazardous to humans.
Availability & Care
Whenever you go to a store for products such as mattresses and bedsheets, you and I are bombarded with more and more options. So in bamboo vs cotton, when it comes to choices or availability of these sheets, there are more than enough.
The options are available in percale, sateen, or twill weave for bamboo sheets. And the bamboo material used is rayon, modal, lyocell, or bamboo linen. Furthermore, the options are percale, sateen, or twill weave for cotton sheets. The cotton material used is Egyptian cotton, Pima cotton, and regular cotton.
Health benefits
In a bamboo vs cotton sheets article, you might wonder why we are talking about health benefits. Health benefits come into play if we consider the features and properties of bed sheets.
Bamboo sheets tend to give better health benefits since it has moisture-wicking capabilities. This helps to keep your skin dry and healthy. On the other hand, unless it is 100% organic, cotton will use many pesticides and herbicides that are harmful to humans.
Bamboo vs cotton: Advantages
Bamboo | Cotton |
Durable | Extremely soft |
Soft and supple | Greater breathability |
Eco-friendly | Machine washable |
Generally cheaper | Higher thread counts |
More comfortable |
Bamboo vs cotton: Disadvantages
Bamboo | Cotton |
May wrinkle | Tear with stress |
Uses some chemicals | Uses more pesticide and herbicide |
Will need gentle cleaning | Higher thread count expensive |
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Is bamboo softer than cotton?
Due to the flexibility of the natural fibers of bamboo, bamboo sheets tend to be softer than cotton sheets. Cotton contains spurs and barbs. However, cotton sheets bamboo sheets with higher thread counts can be soft, but they will be costly.
How many types of cotton are there?
There are many different types of cotton, but there are five common types. These five common types of cotton are:
Egyptian cotton sheets
Sea Island
American Prima
Asiatic
American Upland
Is cotton fabric toxic to humans?
For mass production of cotton, the cotton farmers have to use multiple different types of pesticides and herbicides.
Can bamboo fabric be washed?
You can wash most fabrics; however, each requires a different way to wash them due to their construction. You will need to wash bamboo bedding really gently with cold water to keep their structure and color for bamboo fabrics.
For the best example try following how you might wash and dry a waterproof mattress cover.
Conclusion
In our debate about bamboo vs cotton, we have explored many areas for both bamboo sheets and cotton sheets. Each type of sheet we talked about has its own advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, they each come with their own features that might interest you more than other types.
So from here at homishguide, we hope you can now decide between bamboo and cotton for your preferred sheets.
