What Are Bamboo Blend Sheets?

So, you’re thinking of investing in bamboo sheets – but what type of bamboo sheets should you buy? And what are bamboo blend sheets? 

As bamboo bedding has (rightfully) grown in popularity, so has the number of variations to the typical 100% bamboo bedding we all know and love. At Linenly, we understand that, at times, all the varying choices across different types of weaves, blends, threads, and materials can be overwhelming.

Simply put, Bamboo blend sheets are bamboo sheets that are blended with other materials in a specific ratio in an attempt to realise the benefits of both materials in one product. The most common blend ratio is 70% bamboo viscose to 30% cotton, however, 60% bamboo viscose to 40% cotton is also quite common.

As Australia’s leading bamboo bedding retailer, Linenly wants to ensure that you gather all the information required to make the right purchase and find the perfect set of bed sheets for you. We’ll discuss the differences in bamboo blends and answer the question of “are bamboo blend sheets good?” so that you can make an educated purchase decision.

Bamboo blend sheets are made up of a combination of bamboo and other materials, most commonly cotton. Blending is said to make the sheet fabric somewhat stronger than 100% pure bamboo. In saying that, the reason they’re cheaper is because the total quality is not comparable to 100% true bamboo. The simple truth is that the addition of cotton fibres to bamboo takes away from the qualities that people receive from 100% pure bamboo sheets, including absorbency, resilience and feel.

While blended sheets are sold as ‘stronger’ a material, the softness of the sheets, in particular, is heavily compromised. Moreover, bamboo blend sheets are not as environmentally sustainable as 100% pure bamboo. The cotton production industry is labour intensive and involves many chemicals and the waste of fresh water. In contrast, 100% bamboo sheets have little effect on the environment during the production processes. 

Although they will remain moisture-wicking, temperature regulating, soft, and durable, among other things, bamboo blend sheets are less effective in every department once blended with another material – especially regarding softness.

Bamboo blend sheets exist to reduce production cost and attempt to harness the best qualities from both materials into one complete bedsheet. Unfortunately, as stated earlier before, this does not always come to fruition, especially when there is less than 70% bamboo viscose in the sheet. As the old saying goes, a jack of all trades is a master of none.

When you purchase bamboo blend sheets, you’re getting a more durable, cheaper fabric at the cost of comfort and softness.

Cotton is the most common material found in bedding and is famous for a reason. Whilst a bamboo cotton blended sheet will not be as effective as a 100% pure bamboo sheet, they are still relatively soft, lightweight and temperature regulating. Therefore, 70% bamboo to 30% cotton is the recommended ratio. For perspective, bamboo itself is three times as absorbent as cotton and can hold up to 300 times its’ weight in moisture. 

Linen shares many of the same qualities as Bamboo bedding, including antibacterial properties, breathability, sustainability, and softness. If there were ever a blended bamboo sheet to buy, it would be blended with low amounts of linen. 80% bamboo to 20% linen is the recommended ratio.

Microfibre sheets are notoriously fragile. When blended with bamboo, they become noticeably more durable. Microfibre material is typically thermo-regulating and hypoallergenic as well, however, it is more expensive than the alternatives. Most bamboo and microfibre blends are 40% bamboo to 60% microfibre. 

Polyester is quite a durable and lightweight material. As such, it works well when blended with bamboo. However, the positive characteristics of bamboo are reduced when blended with polyester. 

Most bamboo sheets have a thread count of around 300-400. Note that a higher thread count does not always equate to higher quality.

Thread count refers to the number of threads per square inch of fabric. While thread count can be used to compare the quality of the same fabric sheets, it is impossible to use thread count to compare sheets of different fabric. 

So, are bamboo blend sheets good? Bamboo blend sheets are good, but they are not comparable to 100% bamboo viscose or rayon sheets. On the other hand, 100% bamboo sheets are the best bed sheets on the market in terms of quality and sustainability.

If you value softness over smoothness, look for bamboo sheets with a ‘twill weave’. Otherwise, look to buy bamboo sheets with a ‘sateen weave’.

As Australia’s leading bamboo bedding retailer, Linenly only stocks products that are made up of 100% bamboo as the quality is unmatched by anything else on the market. Check out our full range of bamboo sheets today at Linenly.