Sheets That Help You Stay Cool
Want cooler sleep?
First, the obvious
Avoid synthetics or semi-synthetics like bamboo (discussed later). Even when blended with natural fibres, synthetic fibres trap heat and repel sweat, leaving you hot, clammy and uncomfortable.
They also don't regulate temperature, so when it's hot outside, you're hot. And when it's cold outside, you're cold.
And this advice goes for everything on and in the bed like throws, mattresses and mattress toppers, as well as any items you wear to bed. Always check the label to be sure, as even tiny percentages are best avoided.
Avoid bed clothes
Items worn close to the skin like PJs, nighties or t-shirts, stop temperature regulating sheets from doing their job. Honestly, if you insist on wearing clothes to bed, give up on heat regulation now!
The one exception is heat generating body parts. For some, thighs generate heat, for others it's a burning back. Adapt this advice to your body and avoid covering heat generating body parts with clothes.
And if you must sleep in something, sleep in cotton percale underwear (never sateen). Then read the rest of this guide to find bedding that regulates temperature, it does a better job than clothing.
Avoid the duvet dance
Duvets are like on/off switches; you wake-up hot, throw the duvet off, then wake-up cold. All night!
Instead, use multiple light layers like a top sheet, a duvet cover with a light inner or no inner, a wool blanket and/or throw - remember, no synthetics.
That way, each person in the bed can find their perfect Goldilocks temperature by peeling back the right amount layers for them.
This advice is also not only great for hot and cold sleepers in the same bed, it's also great during shoulder seasons, when ambient temperature tends to fluctuate more night-to-night.
Avoid Sateen
While many people think Sateen is a finish used to make sheets feel silky or soft, Sateen is actually an alternative weave. The problem? It's a closed weave so traps heat. When you see stores advertising Sateen sheets as cool, run a mile! Honestly, these are people who aren't hot sleepers themselves, or have never tested different types of sheets.
While Sateen looks gorgeous in photos and in-store, it's horribly hot. However, there's a small percentage of people who insist on the silkier, softer feeling that Sateen delivers. So if that's you, you have a decision to make; silky or cool. We haven't found a way of getting both unless you sleep in real silk sheets which cost $$$$$!
Everyone is different but in our testing, we found Sateen sheets as hot as poly/cotton however, because they were cotton, Sateen didn't leave us sweaty like synthetics. For lovers of silky sheets, Sateen certainly feels better but it's as hot as poly/cotton - sorry!
Avoid high thread count
First, lets talk quality. Unless you're paying $1500-$2500 NZD for high thread count sheets, then thread count has nothing to do with quality (yes, you can buy $2500 sheets!).
That's because quality comes from the cotton, yarn, weaving and finishing, not the thread count. But you're not crazy for avoiding low thread count sheets found in many stores, they often look terrible. However, that just means they sell bad low thread count sheets, nothing more.
The problem for hot sleepers, is that higher thread count sheets are thicker, and thickness for any reason is hotter. Also, most high thread count sheets are woven in Sateen which traps heat. So with high thread count Sateen sheets, you get a base weave that traps heat, and thickness which traps even more heat. It's a one, two heat-punch. Ouch.
For us hot sleepers, we want see-through sheets because lighter fabrics release heat. The trick, is to find good ones.
Avoid bamboo
Bamboo bedding isn’t 100% natural. It’s a semi-synthetic known as rayon and there are several types/brands including model, viscose, lyocell and Tencel® - all are rayon derivatives.
Rayon starts as plant cellulose, often bamboo, which is chemically processed to create a yarn. Despite claimed cooling properties, rayon sheets (we tested Tencel®) didn't regulate heat and made us hot. They also seemed to repel moisture, leaving us sweaty and uncomfortable.
If you don't find bamboo hot, we'd suggest you don't sleep as hot as us, and if you love bamboo, enjoy! But like all synthetics, it's hotter, even when blended with natural fibres.
Avoid Linen
Avoiding Linen goes against conventional wisdom, as most people swear Linen is cooler than cotton. If this was true, we'd sleep in Linen.
But after sleeping in Linen, we found that while it's definitely cooler than high thread count cotton, we didn't find it cooler than low thread count cotton.
We think this is because thicker sheets are always hotter, it's sort of like wearing jeans in summer. If you love linen, who cares what we say but linen isn't cooler than all cotton. We only ever use Linen in winter, it's that warm for us.
As a side note, we tested several linen sets (all expensive) and at best we felt like we were sleeping in clothes, and at worst, it felt like a hessian sack. Linen never has that fresh, crisp feeling. However, softer Linen has been processed more. This processing not only negates sustainability claims, it doesn't seem to last as long. This could be why a handful of people at home shows told us their French/Belgium Flax Linen didn't last much more than a year. But cards on the table, after discovering Linen was warmish, we didn't investigate it further, so your experience may differ. If it works for you, then perfect but it isn't the coolest.
Avoid thick sheets
OK, we've touched on this a few times but because we all judge textile quality based on thickness, it's worth repeating; thicker fabrics trap more heat.
This is specifically what makes quality cotton more expensive. People want fine, breathable fabrics that are strong. So whenever the resulting fabric is thin but also strong, cotton which delivers breathable, strong fabrics, becomes more sought after and therefore, much more expensive.
Everything starts with the quality of the cotton, so counter intuitively, sheets made from better cotton, can appear thinner, especially when woven for coolness. And once again, if you sleep hot, you want see through sheets, they release body heat and better regulate temperature. Again, the trick is to find good ones.
Cool and crisp sheets
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The Classic Hotel Sheet
Shop The Classic Hotel SheetOur most popular sheet. Open, light, cool and crisp. Woven in Europe and used by discerning hotels in hotter climates like Portugal, Spain and Mexico.
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The Egyptian Hotel Sheet
Shop The Egyptian Hotel SheetThe same light, cool and crisp recipe as The Classic but made from the top grade of Egyptian cotton. Woven in Europe for those who demand the very best.
