When purchasing sheets, everyone gravitates toward Egyptian cotton. Manufacturers make sure to include this on the label. People will look through many sheets and settle on the ones made from Egyptian cotton. It has been king of the softest sheet material for a long time. But for the first time Egyptian cotton has a little competition and it comes from a surprising source. The competition is from none other than bamboo. Yes. I did say bamboo.
Who would have thought that this funny looking tropical plant would have a use like this? Believe it or not, that tough fibrous plant produces some of the softest fabric around. If you lay Egyptian cotton sheets and bamboo sheets next to each other, it will be hard to choose which one is softest. Some will say the Egyptian cotton is still best. Others will insist that the bamboo wins out.
Besides softness, there are other things that make bamboo very appealing. For example, we know that Egyptian cotton is made of cotton. Everyone is familiar with cotton and probably wears cotton fabrics all day long, or uses them in their house somewhere. Well, it turns out that bamboo actually breathes better than cotton. And because it breathes better, it is much better at regulating a person's body temperature while they sleep. When a person begins to sweat, cotton absorbs the moisture and then puts it back on them. This causes them to pull the covers up and then take them off. When they get chilled they have to pull the covers up again. But bamboo is very good at absorbing that same moisture and wicking it away from the sleeper. So a person snoozing under a bamboo sheet would not have to continually add and remove the covers in order to regulate the temperature. The bamboo does it for them.
Another difference between cotton and bamboo is its "greenness." Many bamboo sheets are naturally hypoallergenic and are all are very bug resistant. Cotton is neither of these. For those with sensitive skin or allergies this is a big plus for bamboo. Since bamboo is naturally bug resistant, pesticides are not required during the growing process. Cotton is always under attack from various pests. This means that growers must continually resort to pesticides to keep the pests at bay. So using bamboo is beneficial to those with sensitive skin or who might have a reaction to any pesticide residue that is left on the sheets. Certainly the manufacturers wash the cotton thoroughly to try and remove as much as they can. But with bamboo there is no need to even worry about it at all.
Lastly, there are many out there who want to go greener these days. This means that bamboo has even more appeal for them. The bamboo crop grows really fast. And on top of fast growth, it produces a lot more fiber per acre than cotton does. This puts bamboo ahead as a more highly renewable source than cotton. Even cotton fans wish that cotton were easier to grow and could produce more cotton per acre.
So, who wins? Bamboo has more points in its favor when talking about environment and production. However, some will always prefer the feel of cotton. But wait! You may not have to choose after all. It turns out that some manufacturers are already experimenting with blends of Egyptian cotton and bamboo. Imagine just how soft your sheets or comforter sets and duvet covers could be with both of these fabulous fabrics!
Who would have thought that this funny looking tropical plant would have a use like this? Believe it or not, that tough fibrous plant produces some of the softest fabric around. If you lay Egyptian cotton sheets and bamboo sheets next to each other, it will be hard to choose which one is softest. Some will say the Egyptian cotton is still best. Others will insist that the bamboo wins out.
Besides softness, there are other things that make bamboo very appealing. For example, we know that Egyptian cotton is made of cotton. Everyone is familiar with cotton and probably wears cotton fabrics all day long, or uses them in their house somewhere. Well, it turns out that bamboo actually breathes better than cotton. And because it breathes better, it is much better at regulating a person's body temperature while they sleep. When a person begins to sweat, cotton absorbs the moisture and then puts it back on them. This causes them to pull the covers up and then take them off. When they get chilled they have to pull the covers up again. But bamboo is very good at absorbing that same moisture and wicking it away from the sleeper. So a person snoozing under a bamboo sheet would not have to continually add and remove the covers in order to regulate the temperature. The bamboo does it for them.
Another difference between cotton and bamboo is its "greenness." Many bamboo sheets are naturally hypoallergenic and are all are very bug resistant. Cotton is neither of these. For those with sensitive skin or allergies this is a big plus for bamboo. Since bamboo is naturally bug resistant, pesticides are not required during the growing process. Cotton is always under attack from various pests. This means that growers must continually resort to pesticides to keep the pests at bay. So using bamboo is beneficial to those with sensitive skin or who might have a reaction to any pesticide residue that is left on the sheets. Certainly the manufacturers wash the cotton thoroughly to try and remove as much as they can. But with bamboo there is no need to even worry about it at all.
Lastly, there are many out there who want to go greener these days. This means that bamboo has even more appeal for them. The bamboo crop grows really fast. And on top of fast growth, it produces a lot more fiber per acre than cotton does. This puts bamboo ahead as a more highly renewable source than cotton. Even cotton fans wish that cotton were easier to grow and could produce more cotton per acre.
So, who wins? Bamboo has more points in its favor when talking about environment and production. However, some will always prefer the feel of cotton. But wait! You may not have to choose after all. It turns out that some manufacturers are already experimenting with blends of Egyptian cotton and bamboo. Imagine just how soft your sheets or comforter sets and duvet covers could be with both of these fabulous fabrics!
About the Author:
Norita Sieffert has traveled the globe in search of handy tips and helpful hints from people of various cultures. She has gleaned knowledge on a variety of topics such as using bamboo and Egyptian cotton. To read more interesting facts on a variety of topics, visit her articles page. To browse her outstanding selection of bamboo sheet sets, visit her online home dcor store.
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