With so many sheet fabrics to choose from, it’s hard to know which material would give you a fabulous night of sleep. What’s the difference between eucalyptus and cotton sheets? Which would come out on top for comfort between tencel vs bamboo?
By looking into the similarity and difference between eucalyptus and bamboo sheets compared to cotton, you’ll get a full understanding of which sheet should be cuddled up to you when the lights go out each night.
Sheets Material Guide
To know which sheet would be best for you, you need to know more about them. Here are the bedding fabrics this article will cover.
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Tencel: Tencel can also be called lyocell. This fabric is made from eucalyptus trees. It’s a relative newcomer to the sheet industry. While sheets made out of cellulose fibres from wood may not sound like they would be comfortable, they absolutely are, and eucalyptus bedding has been gaining traction the past few years.
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Cotton: Cotton has been a mainstay in the sheet industry since it was first started. People have used cotton for thousands of years. Cotton can vary greatly in quality, with Egyptian cotton sheets and Pima cotton being the most sought after cotton sheets.
- Bamboo: Bamboo is used to make sheets because of how quickly it grows. These sheets are highly sustainable, although it can take a good deal of resources and chemicals to complete the production process of turning the bamboo into material for sheets.
Eucalyptus Vs. Bamboo Vs. Cotton Comparison
Do you want to know the pros and cons of tencel sheets vs cotton? Or maybe you’re more curious about the comparison between eucalyptus sheets vs bamboo? Either way, we’ll compare them so your buying choice will be easier.
Thread Count
You’ll hear a lot of people who are particular about which sheets they use talking about thread counts. But the thread count can be misleading when you’re looking at various fabrics.
The feel of the type of fibre you’re considering can be just as important as the thread count. For instance, bamboo is naturally soft. So a thread count of 300 to 400 is still a super soft and comfortable sheet when it comes to bamboo bed sheets.
Likewise, a thread count of 300 to 500 will get you a luxurious feeling sheet when you’re looking at tencel sheets.
With cotton sheets, thread count tends to vary more. Some people prefer the feel of ultra-pricey sheets that have a thread count of 1,000 or more. But there are great cotton alternatives that only have a thread count in the 300 to 500 range.
Comfort and Coolness
All three materials are soft to the touch. Bamboo is known as a comfortable feeling fabric for sheets. But, if you think a crisp sheet is comfortable, you’ll want to turn to cotton rather than bamboo bedding or eucalyptus. Cotton is naturally stiffer, which creates that crisp feel.
If you like a luxurious type of sheet, tencel is your best pick. It has the same soft feeling that silk does.
What about the cooling features of eucalyptus tencel sheets vs cotton? Both are breathable fabrics that help cool down a hot sleeper. But eucalyptus has the added benefit of being a fabric that feels cool to the touch. Due to this, eucalyptus is the better pick for sweaty sleepers who are looking for a sheet set.
Health
When it comes to your health, sheets play a role, especially with allergies factored in.
Cotton isn’t a hypoallergenic sheet. That means it doesn’t do you any favours at decreasing the symptoms of any allergies or sensitivity you might have for mould, dust mites, mildew, or odour.
Tencel and bamboo sheets are much better alternatives when it comes to allergies or sensitivities. That’s because both of them are hypoallergenic as well as antifungal and antibacterial fabrics.
Care and Durability
If you don’t want to put a lot of time into caring for your sheets, tencel might be your best bet. They don’t wrinkle as much as cotton and bamboo sheets do. That’s good news for people who detest ironing or simply don’t have the time to do it.
Cotton is the next best choice, although they do wrinkle more than eucalyptus sheets do. Bamboo is more prone to wrinkling, although not to the extent of linen sheets.
When it comes to washing, cotton sheets are the easiest to maintain. You can stick them in the washing machine and tumble dry on low.
Both tencel and bamboo are also easy to care for, but they don’t do well with high heat. You should only wash them in cold water, and never use bleach for tencel. That can degrade the fibres, which means they won’t last as long as they would with proper handling.
As far as durability goes, cotton wins. It can stand up to decades of service if you treat the sheets well. It’s a hardy alternative for bedding.
Tencel and bamboo can also last for a long time if they are handled correctly. All three fabrics are durable options for those who like to get years of long-lasting performance from their sheets.
Environmentally Friendly
Tencel is the superstar in this category. Eucalyptus grows quickly and easily, which makes it a sustainable alternative for sheets. Plus, eucalyptus sheets don’t require harsh chemicals to the extent that bamboo and cotton do.
Neither cotton nor bamboo can compete with tencel when looking at how environmentally friendly they are. Cotton requires too much water to produce and can contribute to pesticide run-off issues. This is a serious concern that has attracted a lot of media attention.
While bamboo is a sustainable plant, just as eucalyptus is, bamboo sheets require the use of a lot of chemicals to produce. This process is not good for the environment.
Cost
When you factor in how long each of these types of sheets would last, their annual cost is still quite low. And you can’t put a price on a great night of sleep.
But, overall, cotton can be the cheapest if you opt for a lower-end product. At other times, cotton can be the most expensive sheets if you go for high-quality Egyptian cotton. Higher-end cotton sheets, bamboo, and tencel are all comparative in price.
Calling It a Night
With all these options for comfortable sheets, you’re bound to find one that will help you drift peacefully off to sleep. By considering all these factors, you’ll be able to decide whether you should opt for cotton, tencel, or bamboo sheets.