When it comes to buying bedsheets, the options have expanded far beyond just cotton. While still a firm favorite and solid choice, there are new bed sheet materials attempting to challenge its crown. Two such options are bamboo and Tencel.
There are many similarities between these two bedsheet fabrics. From raw materials to production processes to final properties, there are also many. Making a decision between the two is trickier than ever! Here is a comprehensive guide comparing bamboo and Tencel in order to help aid your decision.
What Is Bamboo?
Although bamboo is botanically classified as a grass, it is not a tree. However, the fibers are more wood-like.
Two methods can be used to turn the plant into fabric: chemically or mechanically. The mechanical method crushes the bamboo manually into a mush, then uses natural enzyme to further break it down. The fibers are then combed out and spun. Bamboo linen is also sometimes known as mechanically treated bamboo.
Chemical treatment of bamboo begins by cooking the bamboo in caustic soda or lye in a multi-step process. Its quicker, but has more environmental impact thanks to the harsh chemicals used. Bamboo produced through chemical treatment is sometimes called bamboo rayon.
What is Tencel?
Tencel can also be made from wood pulp, typically from eucalyptus or spruce trees. What makes it unique as a material is its manufacture process.
Close up of the head of Malouf Woven Tencel Sheets
It is made from regenerated fibers. This means it is made by dissolving cellulose fibers in plants with chemicals and then making them into more easily-woven fibers. Tencel is made with non-toxic and environmentally friendly solvents. This makes it particularly green.
Tencel’s closed loop process is another environmental boon.
This means that most of the solvents used during production can be recovered and don’t leak into the environment.
Benefits Of Bamboo
One huge benefit of bamboo bedsheets is their environmental soundness. Bamboo is one of the most sustainable wood resources on earth. It can grow up to a yard per year. Bamboo can grow again after it is harvested. Bamboo is also one of the fastest growing woods in the planet.
Close up of the Purple sheets, which use viscose from bamboo in their construction
Bamboo bed sheets offer many benefits, including comfort. Because they are made of longer fibers, bamboo bed sheets have a soft and smooth feel. They wick moisture away from the body, meaning you wont feel sweaty or clammy. Bamboo sheets are also very breathable. Bamboo sheets don’t trap heat near the body which is great for bed-sharing and those who live in hot, humid climates.
Bamboo bed sheets wash well at low temperature and dont require fabric softener or any special washing care. These sheets dry quickly and are ideal for people who live in small apartments that don’t have a washer/dryer. When looked after properly bamboo sheets are very durable, and can last a long time.
Bamboo sheets have many health benefits. Theyre both antifungal and antibacterial. They are hypoallergenic and resist dust mites. Bamboo sheets are also much less prone to mold, mildew and odor than traditional cotton.
Drawbacks Of Bamboo
Bamboo bed sheets can be quite expensive. Bamboo sheets are comparable to top-quality cotton in price. However, when looked after properly, like cotton, they can last a really long time.
Aesthetic-wise, bamboo bed sheets can be more prone to wrinkling, due to their softness and suppleness. The crisp feel of a bedsheet is also missing from bamboo sheets, but that’s a personal preference.
Benefits Of Tencel
Tencel is a great choice for bedsheets because it’s a good option for the environment. The eucalyptus tree is made from a sustainable energy source. Additionally, the manufacturing process does not use any harmful chemicals and prevents the solvents they use from leaking into the environment.
Tencel bed sheets also have a very smooth and soft feel. Tencel sheets have a smoother surface because they are made with long fibers. This is not only comfortable, but may be really beneficial to those with sensitive or easily-irritated skin. These fibers are hydrophilic, which means they literally love water, so Tencel is very absorbent and hygienic.
Tencel also has benefits in terms of breathability. Tencel is ideal for those who sleep warm and has a cool touch. Tencel is resistant to dye and less likely to wrinkle. Tencel tends have a more glossy and matte appearance.
Drawbacks Of Tencel
Like bamboo, Tencel can be expensive, and the range of price within Tencel is not very broad.
Tencel also lacks the feeling of crispness some desire with their bedsheets. Instead its softer and more drapey.
Because of the hydrophilic nature of Tencel fibers, it can be slightly more susceptible to mildew. This shouldn’t be an issue if it is taken care of properly.
What Are The Main Differences Between Bamboo And Tencel?
The solvent used to dissolve the wood (which transforms it into pulp) is a major difference. In chemical bamboo production, the solvent is sodium hydroxide, which is classified as corrosive. This substance won’t remain on the sheets but can cause damage to the environment.
Tencel uses N-methylmorpholine Noxide as a solvent. This solvent is not generally considered to be harmful to the environment. Tencel recycles 99%, but there is no equivalent for bamboo.Close up shot of the Nest Bedding bamboo sheets
Tencel appears to have the environmental advantage over bamboo, even though bamboo is much more sustainable and polluting than other materials.
Tencel and bamboo sheets feel similar, they are soft, smooth, and strong. Neither have the crisp feel of cotton. Due to Tencel’s small potential for mildew, bamboo might have an advantage here.
Some Sleepopolis Favorites
The Malouf Woven Tencel sheets are our favourite set of sheets in Tencel. They are high quality, scoring an A+ on our testing scale. They have the softness, smoothness, and cool feel that you would expect from Tencel. They are also reasonably priced at around £15 for a queen.
Two great bamboo bedding options are Purple and Nest Bedding. The first are made from a bamboo and spandex blend which is easier to maintain and less susceptible to wrinkling. The latter, however, are 100% bamboo fiber.
