Cooling sheets work by managing moisture, not by feeling cold. Ours are made from 100% eucalyptus TENCEL lyocell, a fibre that draws the heat and dampness your body gives off at night into the fabric and lets it evaporate, so the surface you sleep on stays drier. If you sleep hot, wake up sticky, or share a bed with someone who runs warm, these sheets are made for you, in Queen and King.
Do cooling sheets actually work?
Yes, when the fabric is right. Your body sheds heat overnight mostly through the evaporation of sweat. When moisture is trapped against your skin, that evaporation slows and the heat stays close to you. A cooling sheet pulls the moisture away and releases it into the air, which is why it feels cooler even though nothing about the fabric is refrigerated. TENCEL lyocell is 50% more absorbent than cotton, so it does this better than most sheets. Our guide Do Cooling Sheets Actually Work? explains how.
What is the coolest fabric for sheets?
Natural fibres beat synthetics for hot sleepers. Polyester and microfiber tend to trap heat and moisture against the body. Cotton is a solid all round fibre, but it holds onto moisture longer before releasing it. Linen is very breathable, but it is stiff when new and wrinkles heavily. Bamboo sheets feel similar to TENCEL, but most are bamboo viscose, made in an open loop process. TENCEL lyocell gives you most of the breathability of linen with a smooth, silky feel from the first night.
See the four fabrics side by side in TENCEL vs Cotton vs Bamboo vs Linen: Which Is Coolest? and What Is the Coolest Fabric for Sheets?, or read our one to one comparisons with linen, Egyptian cotton and bamboo.
How to choose cooling sheets
- Start with the fibre. Choose a natural fibre that absorbs moisture and lets it go, rather than a synthetic that holds it. Every set here is 100% eucalyptus TENCEL lyocell.
- Look for breathability. Air should move through the fabric instead of pooling under the covers. Lighter fabrics let more air through; our guide to GSM in bedding explains what the weight figure means.
- Feel the surface. The TENCEL fibre is smooth rather than fuzzy, so there is less friction against your skin through the night, which also suits sensitive skin. Read more about TENCEL bedding for sensitive sleepers.
- Check the fit. Our fitted sheets have 18-inch deep pockets with all-round elastic and secure corner straps, and hold firmly on mattresses up to 20 inches deep.
- Ask what is in the fabric. Our fabrics are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified, which means they are tested for harmful substances, and they also carry ISO and Sedex certification. The details are on our certifications page.
Cooling sheets in Queen and King
Every set has four pieces: a fitted sheet, a flat sheet and two pillowcases with envelope closures, in Queen 4PC or King 4PC. Not sure which size you need? Queen vs King sheet sizes covers mattress dimensions and fitted sheet depth. For more on choosing, see Best TENCEL Sheets for Hot Sleepers and What Are the Healthiest Sheets to Sleep On?
Cooling sheets for night sweats
No sheet can stop a night sweat or a hot flash. What a moisture wicking sheet can do is make the aftermath less uncomfortable, by pulling moisture away from your skin faster than cotton or synthetic fabric would, so you are not lying on damp sheets. Pairing it with a moisture wicking duvet cover helps on both sides of you. Read What Type of Sheets Are Best for Night Sweats? and our guide to the best duvet for night sweats.
Build a cooler bed
Sheets are only part of the bed. A heavy duvet cover traps warmth whatever your sheets are made of, so pair your sheets with a TENCEL duvet cover (our guide to the coolest duvet cover material explains why) and a spare set of TENCEL pillowcases. Or get sheets and a duvet cover together in a bedding bundle. You can also browse all of our eucalyptus TENCEL sheets.
Cooling sheets for Canadian summers and winters
We are a small, Canadian, women-owned business. In summer, TENCEL sheets help you through hot, humid nights; here are 10 reasons TENCEL sheets suit summer. In winter, most of the warmth in your bed comes from your duvet, so the same sheets work all year round. Our guide Are TENCEL Sheets Warm Enough for Winter? shows how to set them up for a Canadian winter.
Caring for cooling sheets
Heat is the one thing that shortens the life of lyocell. Machine wash cold on a gentle cycle and tumble dry low or line dry, and the sheets keep their size and their smooth, cool finish. Our guides Does TENCEL Shrink When Washed? and Can You Put TENCEL in the Dryer? go into more detail. TENCEL lyocell itself is made in a closed loop process that recovers more than 99% of its solvent; read What Is TENCEL? The Complete Guide to Lyocell Fabric.
Frequently asked questions
Are TENCEL sheets cooling?
Yes. TENCEL lyocell is breathable and 50% more absorbent than cotton, so it draws moisture away from your skin and lets it evaporate instead of trapping it. That keeps you drier, which is what makes a sheet feel cool through the night.
Do cooling sheets really work?
They do, through moisture management rather than refrigeration. A cooling fabric moves sweat away from your skin so it can evaporate, which is how your body sheds heat at night.
Is TENCEL cooler than cotton?
For hot sleepers, yes. Cotton holds onto moisture longer before releasing it, while TENCEL absorbs it and lets it go, so your skin feels drier on a warm night.
What kind of sheets help with night sweats?
Breathable, moisture wicking sheets made from a natural fibre such as TENCEL lyocell. They will not stop night sweats, but they pull moisture away from your skin so you are not lying on damp fabric.
Are TENCEL sheets good for hot sleepers?
Yes. They breathe, they wick moisture and they feel smooth against the skin. Ours come in Queen and King, with 18-inch pockets that fit mattresses up to 20 inches deep.
Is TENCEL soft and cool to the touch?
Yes. The fibre is smooth rather than fuzzy, which gives TENCEL its soft, fluid drape and the cool feel you notice when you first get into bed.
