Bamboo Sheets

Bamboo Sheets – A Comprehensive Guide

January 15, 2019
by Natalie Wilson – Best Bamboo Guide

When we think of bamboo, we hardly ever think “soft.” Bamboo is dense, supple, beautiful, and many useful objects can be made from it. But bamboo sheets? Is that anything like a bed of nails?

Actually, the grass plant from which bamboo sheets are made is the ideal substance for such a purpose. Viscose bamboo bed sheets are durable, yet soft, the perfect combination for a long-lasting, welcome addition to your bed linen collection. Viscose from bamboo bedding is actually considered by many to be the softest sheets that you can buy!

What are Bamboo Sheets Actually Made of?

Certainly we’re not going to be sleeping on sheets that are anything like the bamboo plants we’re familiar with, are we? It’s hard to imagine less comfortable sheets! In fact, the bamboo plant is the starting material for a process (the viscose process) that can be performed with any plant and produces the viscose bamboo fabric. This is the same process that is used to make Rayon where the starting material could be any other plant, really. That’s why sometimes you see bamboo bed sheets labeled as “Viscose” and sometimes as “Rayon.” These are actually the exact same thing. They are called 100% Bamboo sheets when the sheet manufacturer does not blend the viscose bamboo with any other fabrics (such as cotton) when the sheets are actually being created. The thing to watch out for here is that there are much cheaper (in terms of quality) sheets that are only 40% viscose bamboo, but 60% “microfiber”. This is another term for polyester. So with these sheets you are really getting sheets that are mostly polyester, which does not breath well at all. You definitely won’t get all the benefits of viscose bamboo sheets that you hear about.

So, what is this viscose/rayon process that produces bamboo bedding? The bamboo plants are dissolved in a viscose liquid (which does contain chemicals making the Oeko-Tex certification all the more important!) and then pushed through tiny openings to create the threads. The threads are then woven together into the sheets.

It may sound complicated, but really at the end the fabric it produces is unbelievably soft and comfortable. Cariloha also claims that they sleep 3 degrees cooler than cotton sheets. I have no idea how they would measure such a thing, but they seem really proud of it! I can also attest that high quality bamboo sheets feel cooler than any other type of sheet that I have tried.

Do Bamboo Sheets Have a Threadcount?

Yes and no. Yes, they do have a threadcount, but it isn’t comparable to the threadcounts you see with cotton. The two main threadcounts available for bamboo sheets are 320tc and 500tc (I believe both the Cariloha Classic and Bamboo Supply Co bamboo sheets are 320 threadcount while the Cariloha Resort sheets have a 400 threadcount). I’ve tried out 500tc bamboo sheets and they are actually less soft than the 320tc bamboo sheets.

It’s just not the same with threadcounts on cotton sheets, and isn’t really something you should be looking for in bamboo sheets. The important things to look for when buying bamboo sheets are the quality of the manufacturer and the certifications that they are actually using 100% bamboo derived viscose.

Sadly, you are not going to fine real bamboo sheets for less than $100. There are various companies on Amazon selling sheets they call bamboo, but are really polyester. These can be as cheap as $30, which is great if you don’t mind sleeping on polyester. Just be aware that if you get sheets like this, you aren’t getting actual bamboo bedding products.

Are Bamboo Sheets Really Good?

Yes! I mean, I run a website called BestBambooGuide.com, so naturally I like bamboo products. I do think the sheets are fantastic. They are definitely the softest type of sheets that you can buy, and I think they are cooler and feel better on my skin as well. While the environmental benefits are somewhat overstated (the viscose process does use chemicals), they are still way better than cotton.

Take a look below at the viscose from bamboo sheets we have compared and reviewed for you.
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