Differences Between Bamboo And Cotton

The differences between bamboo and cotton is in no doubt bamboo has been becoming more popular. The reason bamboo bedding is making more bedrooms comfortable is because of a few key differences between bamboo and cotton.

BAMBOO IS SOFTER THAN COTTON

There are many comfort advantages to bamboo sheets that make them softer than cotton.

Whilst cotton sheets promise to become softer overtime and with every wash. Bamboo sheets are already silky-soft and sustain their softness no matter how long you own them. As they are also highly durable (more on that below), washing bamboo sheets will not change their luxurious feel or soft texture. So you can always look forward to slipping into the sweet comfort of your sheets.

Another advantage of bamboo sheets is that they keep you cooler than cotton sheets. As bamboo is a natural fiber, they have the ability to thermoregulate. Keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer. Cotton sheets, even high-thread count cotton sheets, retain heat more than bamboo sheets, which are light, breathable and moisture-wicking. Bamboo sheets also absorb moisture instantly and remove excess heat, which is great for hot-sweaty sleepers and keeping you cool all year round.

BAMBOO IS MORE BREATHABLE THAN COTTON

Cotton isn’t uncomfortable and sweaty, but bamboo is even better when it comes to breathability. You usually have to have a looser-woven cotton fabric to really feel this and loose-woven fabric doesn’t make for good bed sheets.

With bamboo, you get high thread counts for comfort and softness, alongside great moisture wicking and ventilation. These two properties are vital in hot or humid climates. People who sleep in bamboo bedding notice that they don’t have to keep searching for a cool spot – bamboo fibres stay naturally cool and dry.

MORE ABOUT THAT NATURAL COOLNESS

Once a material’s heat capacity is full, it’ll start to “give out” heat, which is when, in the case of bedding, you feel hot and uncomfortable. Cotton has a high heat capacity, but bamboo’s is higher so it always feels cool to the touch – around 3C cooler than cotton.

BAMBOO CAN ABSORB MORE MOISTURE THAN COTTON

We think of cotton as the most absorbent fabric available, but that’s only because we haven’t all embraced bamboo yet! Humans lose around 500ml of moisture each night through sweat and if the sheets don’t wick it away effectively, things can get a bit clammy. Bamboo can absorb up to four times much moisture as cotton.

BAMBOO IS HYPOALLERGENIC

If you suffer from allergies, then you’ll need hypoallergenic detergents, make-up and fabrics. As you spend eight hours a night in your bed sheets, it’s vital that they don’t bring you out in a rash.

Most species of bamboo are naturally resistant to pests and diseases, so growers simply don’t need to use pesticides.

BAMBOO SHEETS ARE MORE DURABLE THAN COTTON

It’s now possible to treat bamboo with a combination of mechanical grinding and lye to soften the fibres so they can be woven into an amazingly soft fabric. It’s soft, but it’s also very strong; stronger than most cotton products.

Bamboo has great tensile strength and also withstands compression much better than concrete. When these properties are woven into bed sheets, you’re getting tough and durable bedding that should last for years as long as you follow the manufacturer’s washing instructions.

BAMBOO IS MUCH MORE ECOLOGICALLY FRIENDLY THAN COTTON

Bamboo is one of our most sustainable resources. It’s actually a grass and like most other grasses it grows fast even after being cut. Cotton has to be replanted (and usually fertilised) after each harvest, whereas bamboo just carries on growing.

Some types of bamboo can grow 120 cms a day with no help other than water and sunlight. No pesticides, no fertilisers, just nature doing its thing.
Bamboo needs only a third as much water as cotton to grow, which helps us to conserve this precious resource.