The Ultimate Guide to Buying Bamboo Sheets

Top 3 Things to Think About

If you haven’t already tried bamboo sheets, you’re probably wondering what all the fuss is about.

Traditionally, high thread count Egyptian cotton was all the rage in luxury bedding. Fast forward to 2019, and ultra-soft, eco-friendly bamboo is the modern way to softer sheets and better sleep.

With sleep experts recommending we spend at least 8 hours wrapped up in sheets every night, you’ll want to make an informed decision when picking your bamboo sheets.

Here are three key things to look for when buying bamboo sheets.

1. Fabric Composition

First, you need to ensure the sheets you are looking at are made from 100% organic bamboo. Any blended versions such as cotton-bamboo will not offer all the amazing benefits that you are likely after when looking for in bamboo sheets.

You should also ensure that your sheets are Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certified, meaning they are free of harmful substances and chemicals. And if possible, try to only buy bamboo fabric manufactured using a closed-loop process, without the use of harmful chemicals.

If possible, also ensure your bamboo sheets are panda friendly – made from a type of bamboo that is different to the the type of bamboo which pandas eat.

 

2. Type of Weave

The type of weave is important as it will impact shrinkage, durability and the feel of your sheets.  Most bamboo sheets are made from either twill weave or sateen weave textile. Try to avoid bamboo sheets not specifying weave type. Twill weave sheets are a little thicker and said to be slightly more durable than sateen weave.

If the softness of the fabric is your main concern then you should opt for sateen weave. Bamboo sheets made from sateen weave bamboo offer unparalleled softness and have a beautiful lustre unique to sateen weave bamboo. Another benefit of sateen weave is that they shrink less than twill weave.

3. Shrinkage

Most textiles – including bamboo, cotton and linen – will shrink with washing. So you’ll need to find out if the bamboo sheets you have in mind are pre-shrunk or generously sized and designed to shrink to standard size with washing.

As mentioned above, twill weave will shrink more than sateen weave. Also, cheaper versions of bamboo sheets tend to have significant shrinkage, meaning fitted sheets and pillowslips may not fit after wash. Premium bamboo sheets on the other hand will fit your bed perfectly after a few washes.

 

Always follow the care instructions provided to keep the bamboo fibres intact and ensure maximum longevity of your sheets.

But wait… what about thread-count?

When choosing cotton sheets, thread count is important (although not nearly as important as often made out to be). But because bamboo fibres are different to cotton fibres, thread count will work differently in the two fabrics. So when comparing bamboo and cotton sheets, 350 thread count bamboo is equivalent to 1,000 thread count cotton.

However, the quality of the weave and fabric are much more important factors to consider when selecting sheets as opposed to thread count.

We’ve done the work for you

At The Bamboo Shop, we offer a range of the highest quality, sustainably produced bamboo sheets. Our collection has been curated with quality, comfort, style – and our planet in mind.