Supima Cotton vs Bamboo Sheets – Bed sheets and bed linens are personal statements. They have custom thread counts, designs, materials, and benefits that all require consideration when purchasing.
Slipping in between soft, clean freshly laundered sheets is one of the quiet joys of life. High thread counts, all-natural fibers, and even design elements such as personalized monograms or minimalist lines foreshadow a good night’s sleep on luxurious sheets.
Currently, the most difficult decision when buying bed sheets is between materials. The highest quality options on the market are luxurious Supima cotton sheets and silky, sumptuous bamboo sheets.
Supima Cotton vs Bamboo Sheets
What Is Supima Cotton
What Are Bamboo Sheets
Cooling • Weave • Maintenance
What Is Supima Cotton?
Supima Cotton is a certified designation of superior quality 100% home-grown American Pima cotton that is only grown in the dry regions of America [1].
Cotton comes in many lengths. The Gossypium barbadense species is responsible for long-staple cotton that grows unusually long, silky fibers. Supima cotton has the longest cotton fiber, averaging 1.5 inches. Common cotton fibers have a length of one inch or less.
Supima Cotton is the softest and most durable cotton currently on the market. Because of its high quality and extra-long staple fibers, Supima Cotton is even superior to Egyptian cotton. It is sometimes described as “els cotton” for its extra-long staple (els) yarn size.
Supima Cotton vs Bamboo Sheets
What Is Supima Cotton
What Are Bamboo Sheets
Cooling • Weave • Maintenance
What Are Bamboo Sheets?
Bamboo plants are harvested and manufactured into a bamboo fiber which is then woven into trendy, high-quality bed sheets.
First, bamboo plants and flax are crushed to produce cellulose which is then subjected to either chemical or mechanical processing.
Chemical processing converts the cellulose using highly toxic chemicals harmful to humans and the environment. The resulting synthetic fiber is no longer considered bamboo fiber. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission mandated the fiber be termed “rayon made from bamboo [2].”
Most bamboo sheets on the market are manufactured chemically and called bamboo rayon or viscose.
Mechanical processing is more eco-friendly (albeit more expensive) and combines the cellulose through the use of a machine and natural enzymes to produce 100% bamboo fiber.
Mechanically processed products are costly and rare as they have a longer and more labor-intensive production process.
Four Kinds Of Bamboo Fabric
- Viscose or bamboo rayon is the most common bamboo fabric on the market. It is produced using highly toxic chemicals in a process that is harmful to the environment
- Tencel bamboo utilizes reconstituted bamboo cellulose in a more eco-friendly process that uses non-toxic chemicals
- Bamboo linen is the blended product of bamboo and linen fibers similar to cotton linens. It is the only 100% bamboo fiber
- Bamboo blends are mostly composed of 70% bamboo fibers, 30% cotton, or 60% bamboo rayon and 40% cotton fibers
Supima Cotton vs Bamboo Sheets
What Is Supima Cotton
What Are Bamboo Sheets
Cooling • Weave • Maintenance
Supima Cotton & Bamboo Sheets Origins
Supima cotton is authenticated every step of the journey from plant to product. From farmers to retails stores, consumers can be assured they are receiving genuine Supima cotton products with no mislabeling or false claims [3].
The Supima Organization licenses farmers, manufacturers, retailers, and other industry stakeholders to ensure that these bed sheets are 100% Supima cotton.
Buyers of bamboo fabric are subjected to labels issued by manufacturers and retailers as there is no specific bamboo organization [4]. Directives from the Federal Trade Commission govern retailers. However, Australia’s Tencel Bamboo is one branded label of which you can be certain of its provenance [5].
Supima Cotton vs Bamboo Sheets
What Is Supima Cotton
What Are Bamboo Sheets
Cooling • Weave • Maintenance
Supima Cotton vs Bamboo Sheets – Moisture Wicking & Cooling
Moisture wicking is the ability of a bed sheet or a duvet to pull moisture away from the body, reducing the chance of sweating and overheating between the sheets.
Bamboo bed sheets have efficient moisture-wicking properties. However, cotton is generally regarded as the best among natural fibers in keeping sleepers cool and fresh throughout the night.
Supima Cotton vs Bamboo Sheets
What Is Supima Cotton
What Are Bamboo Sheets
Cooling • Weave • Maintenance
Supima Cotton vs Bamboo Sheets – Weave
Most bamboo bed sheets use Sateen or twill weave. Sateen weave makes bed sheets silky and luxuriously soft. It is more delicate than its twill counterpart.
If the bamboo bed sheets are twill-woven, they are more durable though less soft. Twill weaves are similar to denim and therefore looser. Eventually, this can cause shrinkage after several washes.
Supima extra-long staple fiber makes it very durable, resistant to pilling, and luxuriously soft. Thus whether Supima cotton bed sheets are percale woven or Sateen woven, they will maintain their durability and softness.
Tomorrow Sleep’s Supima bed sheets are percale woven. This gives it another edge as percale woven sheets increase breathability and control the heat keeping your body cooler.
Supima Cotton vs Bamboo Sheets
What Is Supima Cotton
What Are Bamboo Sheets
Cooling • Weave • Maintenance
Supima Cotton vs Bamboo Sheets – Maintenance
Supima cotton does not require any special handling is always machine washable, so you’re in for ultimate convenience with the Tomorrow Sleep sheet set.
Bamboo bed sheets require special instructions for cleansing. Avoid bleach, and dry and wash on a gentle cycle. Some bamboo sheet manufacturers encourage air drying their sheets.
Both Supima cotton and bamboo bed sheets may require ironing for that crisp look. Bamboo linen needs heavy ironing as it wrinkles in the same way as cotton linen pants.
Supima Cotton vs Bamboo Sheets
What Is Supima Cotton
What Are Bamboo Sheets
Cooling • Weave • Maintenance
Supima Cotton vs Bamboo Sheets – Which Is Best For You?
100% all-natural Supima cotton bed sheets are an excellent choice when it comes to breathability. All natural 100% bamboo fabrics remain ecologically-sound, but Supima certified provenance assures that their products are 100% American grown.
Supima cotton bed sheets are generally more available and offer a wider variety than all natural bamboo sheets. The superior choice for style, variety, luxury and maintenance is 100% Supima cotton sheets.
Supima Cotton vs Bamboo Sheets
What Is Supima Cotton
What Are Bamboo Sheets
Cooling • Weave • Maintenance
Resources:
[1] Supima; The Cotton.
[2] US Federal Trade Commission; How to Avoid Bamboozling Your Customers, August 2009.
[3] Tomorrow Sleep; 5 Benefits Of Supima Cotton Sheets.
[4] US Federal Trade Commission; Bamboo Fabrics, May 2016.
[5] Respecterre; The difference between TENCEL® and viscose from bamboo, December 26, 2015.