The Complete Guide to Buying Summer Sheets: Everything to Know
Did you know that on average, we spend 26 years of our life asleep? Even more astounding is the fact that we spend seven years just trying to get to sleep. All in all, that adds up to 33 years of our lives spent in bed.
If we're going to spend that much time in our beds, we want to be sure that our beds are as comfortable as possible.
Even if you have the perfect mattress, if you're too hot in bed, you're not going to get the best night's sleep. As summer rolls around, choosing the right sheets can make a huge difference.
Read on as we present our guide to buying summer sheets.
Fabric
One of the most important decisions when buying summer sheets is the fabric. Certain fabrics are much better suited to the summer months than others.
Let's take a look at some of the best summer sheet options.
Cotton
High-quality cotton sheets are light and breathable, making them an ideal choice for the summer months.
Breathability is an important consideration as it allows cool air to flow through your sheets. If your sheets aren't breathable, then cool air can't flow through them, and heat from your body will get trapped, making you feel warmer.
The beauty of cotton sheets is that they are a great choice all year round, not just for summer.
TENCEL
TENCEL is a type of rayon. These are cellulose fibers made by dissolving wood pulp and forcing the mixture through small holes to create threads. These threads can then be spun into fibers.
TENCEL has some properties that make it ideal for summer sheets. It's highly breathable, just like cotton. TENCEL sheets also have high levels of absorption, so it's able to absorb sweat from your body during the night, to help you stay cool and dry.
Percale
Percale is a form of cotton made with a specific weave.
These weave gives percale sheets a smooth finish that is cool to the touch. This makes percale sheets ideal to climb into on a hot summer's night.
Sateen
Sateen is made from cotton fibers that have been treated to give them a smooth, reflective surface.
Sateen gives you the benefits of cotton sheets combined with the silky feel of satin sheets. They do retain heat more than some other sheets on this list, but the smooth material can make things seem a little cooler.
Silk
Silk sheets are another great summer sheet option.
Silk sheets are highly breathable, allowing cool air to flow around your bed. They're also absorbent, although silk mix sheets can be a little more absorbent. This means silk sheets can help to keep you dry in warm weather.
Linen
Linen sheets are also highly breathable, which makes them a good choice for summer.
Linen sheets are also moisture-wicking. That means that rather than absorbing moisture, they draw moisture away from the skin, but then the moisture remains on the surface of the sheet so that it can evaporate. This helps to keep you dry during the night.
Bamboo
Bamboo sheets also have moisture wicking properties. It means that bamboo sheets can help to keep you cool and dry during hot nights.
Bamboo sheets are also breathable, allowing cool air to circulate more easily. If you're looking for summer sheets, bamboo sheets can be a great option.
Thread Count
The thread count of sheets is a measure of how many threads are in one square inch of fabric. The higher the thread count, the more threads are in the sheet. This makes the sheets more durable, but also makes them less breathable.
When you're looking for bedsheets for summer, it's important to find a happy medium. You shouldn't choose the lowest thread count you can find, as these sheets will be low quality and are unlikely to last long. Low thread count sheets also tend to be less comfortable to sleep in.
You don't want to go too high on the thread count, either, as you want to be sure that your sheets remain breathable and allow cool air to flow.
Ideally, look for sheets with a thread count somewhere in the 200 to 400 region. This should be the ideal combination of good quality, comfortable sheets, with a decent level of breathability.
Color
The color of sheets that you choose can also have a big impact on how comfortable your sleep is.
Light colored sheets reflect the light that comes into your room during the day, helping to keep them cooler. It means that when it comes time to get into bed, you won't be sliding into sheets that have been warmed up by the heat of the sun throughout the day.
If you use dark sheets, these will absorb heat throughout the day. Your bed will feel much warmer when you climb into it. If you do want to use dark sheets, be sure to keep the drapes closed throughout the day so that your sheets don't absorb any heat from the sun.
Are You Thinking of Buying Summer Sheets?
If you're thinking of buying summer sheets, you're in the right place.
We offer a wide range of sheets, duvets, and complete bed sets in a range of cooling materials, including cotton, bamboo, TENCEL, and silk. We provide free delivery and a 30-night sleep trial, so you can make sure your bedding is a perfect fit.
As well as bedding, we also have a wide selection of pillows, protectors, mattresses, comforters, bed frames, and more.
Check out our bedding range today.