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Telegraph
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Telegraph
Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set review: These sheets are my heroes on a hot night
Score: 9/10 We like: Soft, breathable material Fast drying Easy to iron Keep you cool in hot weather We don't like: The fabric feels quite thin What is the Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set? The Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set is made from 100 per cent bamboo. Bamboo bedding is gaining popularity for several reasons. It is more sustainable than fabrics like polyester, as bamboo grows quickly and requires fewer resources. It is also hypoallergenic, moisture-wicking, temperature-regulating and antibacterial. Appealing properties all year round, but especially welcome in warm weather. Sloth London is a small, independent UK brand. This set is available in double, king and super king sizes. Prices start at £105 for a double duvet set, which includes a fitted sheet and two pillows. While this places it at the luxury end of the wider bedding market, it is mid-range for bamboo sheets, which tend to come at a premium. You can also buy a separate set of pillowcases for £25. JUMP TO: How we test bamboo bed sheets To help you navigate buying sheets online, I slept in each of the seven bamboo sets for at least a week, washing them three times. I used the Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set the most, with four weeks of use and six washes so far. I had planned to pass it on to friends, but I loved it so much, especially in the warmer weather, that I kept it. When I wasn't sleeping, I judged the sets based on comfort, design, breathability, ease of care and fabric quality. I paid particular attention to how cool they kept me when the temperature rose, and whether I stayed warm when it dropped. As a busy working parent, I was also interested in whether they needed ironing. Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best sleep product. No manufacturer ever sees Telegraph Recommended reviews before publication and we don't accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews, nor do we allow brands to pay for placement in our articles. All reviews are based on independent expert opinion and our hands-on testing. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more. Comfort Score: 10/10 I am a warm sleeper and dislike sheets that feel too synthetic. Bamboo bedding often has a shiny, silky finish but not this one. The Sloth London set is cotton-soft with a matte feel. I'd never owned a full matching set before and it made a real difference. The sheets kept me cool and comfortable from all sides. They didn't rustle, didn't make me sweat and didn't slide off in the night. My sleep wasn't disturbed once. They didn't just avoid getting in the way, they genuinely improved my sleeping experience. I slept well every night I used them. Design Score: 9/10 The Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set has a minimalist look. It comes in plain white or with a choice of contrasting navy, grey, yellow, mint or peach piping. This makes the set look more interesting while still keeping it understated. The pillowcases have shallow pockets underneath, holding the pillow in place without buttons. As someone who normally finds their fitted sheet has come loose on at least one corner by mid-week, I was impressed with the bottom sheet. I tested a king-size set and the elastic corners kept it perfectly tight on my double bed. The duvet cover has plastic buttons with wood-effect finish. Wooden ones might have been nicer from a sustainability angle, but these still look premium. I liked that the buttons sit on the underside of the duvet cover as opposed to the end, tucking them out of sight. Breathability Score: 10/10 As a warm sleeper, I'm always on alert when the temperature hits 25C. But even during this summer's hottest nights, I never woke up feeling sweaty or too hot. I used the sheets both with a duvet and without from spring through to summer and the same applied. With a toddler who isn't keen on sleeping, I'm in and out of bed a lot. Every time I returned to bed, the sheets felt crisp and cooling, helping me to resettle into my next window of sleep. As the material is thin and soft, it never felt like it was clinging to my skin. When it's warm, my sheets feel sweaty by day three, but this set didn't even feel dirty after a week. They retained that first-day freshness right up until their next wash. Score: 9/10 Sloth London recommends washing these sheets at 30C. I was concerned that the peach piping might run slightly during washing but that hasn't been the case. I don't have a tumble dryer, and my main gripe with my cotton bedding is that it takes it a while to dry. Although it's not recommended to tumble dry bamboo sheets, I wouldn't have needed to with these. It took half the time of my cotton sheets to dry this set. On a warm day they were ready to go back in the airing cupboard after an hour on the washing line. I have washed these six times now and found that if I hang them up on the line on a day with a light wind, I can get away without ironing them. On the occasions where they are too creased to pass, they are easy to iron either on a steam setting or without. Fabric You will notice that the material is thin straight away. It's so thin that you can see the edging and labels of my Simba pillow through it. Don't let that put you off though. If you can look beyond this, you'll reap the breathability and ease of drying benefits of this bamboo set that I have already mentioned. The fabric composition is 100 per cent bamboo rayon and has been OEKO-TEX certified. This certification shows that it has been produced in socially responsible workplaces and tested to ensure it does not contain harmful substances. Bamboo rayon is created by extracting cellulose from the bamboo and spinning this into fibres. It is technically a man-made fabric created from natural resources. Technical specifications The Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set achieved impressive scores in testing, but there are other independent bamboo bedding brands worth considering too. We have compared the specs against Panda London's bamboo offerings. Should you buy the Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set? I had to mark these sheets down due to how thin the fabric was and the limited choice of colours available, but otherwise, these sheets are as close to a 10/10 as I think you will get. It is a soft, comfortable bedding set that will keep warm sleepers cool in all weathers and washes brilliantly. Yes, if: You are a naturally warm sleeper who wants to feel cool You are looking for soft, high-quality sheets You are interested in the eco-credentials of bamboo fabric No, if: You get cold in the night You don't like white sheets Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set FAQS What temperature should you wash them on? Sloth London recommends washing its bedding at 30C, preferably on a delicate wash. They do not specify the need to use a particular washing detergent. The bedding should be line dried, but if you need to tumble dry, do so on a cool and low setting. Is bamboo better than cotton? If sustainability is important to you, bamboo bedding has its benefits, as the fast growing plant requires less water for cultivation than cotton. However, transforming the raw bamboo into a textile involves chemical processing. Bamboo duvet covers and sheets are also generally more expensive, with their durability somewhat unproven in comparison to cotton ones. Both cotton and bamboo are breathable and can help regulate your temperature. Bamboo tends to feel silkier, so it is also down to personal preference on texture. What are the advantages of bamboo? Bamboo fibres are hypoallergenic, moisture-wicking and anti-bacterial. They can also help to regulate your temperature for a cool and comfortable night's sleep. Bamboo bedding currently tends to be available from smaller brands that are OEKO-TEX certified, which brings the benefits of knowing it has been made in responsible workplaces and tested to ensure it does not contain harmful substances. Bamboo is also fast and efficient to grow, making this a good sustainable option too, especially compared to plastic-based fabrics like polyester.
Telegraph
09-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Telegraph
Are bamboo sheets worth it? We tested the best bamboo bedding to see if it's a summer essential
The products or services listed have been independently tested by our journalists. We will earn a commission from the affiliate links in this article. Bamboo bedding is becoming increasingly popular, and it's far more comfortable than it sounds. Made from fibres derived from the fast-growing bamboo plant, it feels silky soft, regulates temperature, and is hypoallergenic. Bamboo bedding is less widely produced than cotton bed sheets and duvet covers. However, Jane Wood, Lecturer in Fashion and Textiles at The University of Manchester, considers it a good option for eco-conscious shoppers owing to its more sustainable textile production processes and the plant's fast-growing times. The downside is that 'it is marketed at a higher price point'. Prices start at around £60 for a double duvet cover while a full bedding set costs at least £100. Leading brands include Panda London and Sloth London. For this guide, we've tried the best bamboo bedding, including pure bamboo sets and cotton, viscose and linen blends. Read our verdict below, or see our top five at a glance. We update our guides regularly, so you may see new additions appear. The best bamboo duvet covers and bed sheets: At a glance How to choose the best bamboo bedding Bamboo fibres are hypoallergenic, antibacterial and moisture-wicking, but not all bamboo bedding offers these benefits. That's because, as Wood explains, textile manufacturers don't use 'the bamboo fibre freshly picked from the bamboo plant'. In its natural state bamboo is 'stiff and inflexible', making it less durable and 'harsh and scratchy'. 'Bamboo is therefore chemically processed to remove these negatives. It's not the bamboo fibre itself that's in fabric, but an extract called cellulose, which is dissolved out and spun into fibre,' Wood continues. 'This is similar to how fibres such as viscose, Tencel or lyocell are produced.' This doesn't take away from bamboo bedding's eco-credentials, though. Bamboo grows quickly, and Wood notes 'environmentally friendly solvents' are used during processing. It's 'more sustainable than synthetics like polyester.' Beyond design, look for OEKO-TEX certification. It confirms that the bedding was produced in socially responsible workplaces and tested for harmful substances. Some brands provide a thread count, referring to the number of threads in a square inch. A higher number can signpost better quality, but it is of less importance here than for cotton bedding, as bamboo textiles are naturally much softer. Bamboo bedding is worth buying if you want to avoid synthetics and dislike cotton or linen. It stays cool, soft and gentle on sensitive skin. Looking for more cooling bedding? We've reviewed cooling blankets, a cooling mattress topper and cooling pillows. How we test bedding sets We know that shopping for bedding online is difficult when you can't see or feel the fabric. But you can rest assured that we have tried all of the bamboo bedding in this guide up close. Each set of sheets has been slept on for at least a week and washed three times. When testing, we evaluated each bedding set based on five key criteria. Comfort: Anything that itched or stuck to our skin when we rolled over didn't make the cut. Design: Bamboo sheets have a silky feel and can slide around, so the bottom sheet and pillowcases need to be the perfect fit. The fastenings can't be too fiddly for wash day either. Breathability and temperature regulation: We tested through early spring into summer to check that the sheets kept us cool when it's hot and warm when it's cooler. Care: All the bamboo bedding we tested was recommended to be washed at 30C. We kept an eye on how the sheets looked after washing to ensure no colour fade or loose stitching. Fabric: All of the sheets in this guide are made from bamboo, but some are pure and some are blends. Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best sleep product. No manufacturer ever sees Telegraph Recommended reviews before publication and we don't accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews, nor do we allow brands to pay for placement in our articles. All opinions are based on independent expert opinion and our hands-on testing. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more. The best bamboo duvet covers and bed sheets of 2025 1. Best Buy Bamboo Sheets: Sloth London Bamboo Bedding Set This is a brilliant bedding set for the summer. It's cool, crisp and fresh even on warm evenings. I noticed and particularly appreciated this during a night of disturbed sleep with a teething toddler. There's nothing better than getting back into cold sheets when it's hot. The fabric is pretty thin, so I could see the detailing of my Simba pillow beneath it. This makes it feel slightly less premium, but I was grateful that it was so lightweight when the first heatwave of the year hit. I haven't used it in the winter yet, so I can't comment on the brand's claim that it will keep you warm in cold weather. Masters of its trade rather than a Jack of all, Sloth London only sells one set of bamboo bedding. There isn't a choice of colours and they're all white. The only point of difference between each set is coloured piping. This touch gives plain sheets a hotel feel and a bit of personality. Of all the bedding I tested, these dried the fastest on the line and were the least wrinkled when I brought them inside. I didn't need to iron them at all and any remaining creases dropped out after one night. They're beautifully soft and retained this after washing. Key specifications These sheets had me from the moment the bedding and bottom sheet arrived rolled up inside little bags that made them look like fancy toilet rolls. It's a handy touch for minimising packaging when posting and good to know how small you can fold them for storage too. I don't think I'll ever have the patience to put them back into the bags, but it's handy to know it's possible if you're short on space. I was even more sold the first time I slept on them. The fabric has a woven texture and is thicker than some of the others on this list. Going to bed felt like climbing into the sheets at a fancy hotel and the bedding kept me cool in heatwave temperatures. Design-wise, it's simple with no edging or trims. There aren't any features other than wooden buttons on the base of the duvet. Although I plumped for plain white, the bedding comes in a range of colours, so it would appeal to someone with a more adventurous interior taste. The con for me is that because it is a European company, the size options are listed on its website in cm rather than standard sizes. It took a bit of Googling and studying the size chart to find the right one. The admin is a small price to pay for a peaceful night's sleep in affordable sheets, though. Key specifications 3. Best Bamboo Blend Sheets: Panda London Bamboo & French Linen Bedding Set £159.95 Buy now Price at Panda The Panda London Bamboo & French Linen Bedding Set was the first set I tried. I normally sleep on cotton sheets and these felt like an immediate upgrade. Even my husband, who rarely comments on the products I'm testing, told me how well he had slept in them on a sticky spring evening. The linen content is relatively low at just seven per cent but it's still the first thing you notice when you look at and touch the fabric. Because it is blended with bamboo, it's softer and less stiff than 100 per cent linen bedding, but it retains the crisp, airy qualities that make the textile so lovely. The two fabrics feel like a natural pairing, supporting each other's moisture-wicking and temperature-regulating benefits. Plus, linen is more durable than cotton, earning this set extra points for longevity. All of the bamboo sheets in this round-up said they didn't need to be ironed but for the most part, I didn't find that to be the case. This was one of the exceptions. The natural texture of this set meant that any creases felt like a deliberate choice rather than an indication of laziness. The bedding washes well and dries quickly, both indoors and outside on the line. But I found a couple of loose buttons tumbling around the washing machine, so just double-check that these are secure before putting a wash on. Key specifications If you're committed to cotton bedding but want to dip your toe into a bamboo blend, these are the sheets to try. They're also one of the cheaper options on this list. Cotton, like bamboo, is a more sustainable, naturally breathable fabric with moisture-wicking properties. Bamboo amplifies these benefits and makes it feel silkier. The result is super soft sheets that are less stubborn to iron than 100 per cent cotton. The fabric of this set is thicker and more substantial than several other bamboo bedding sets I tried, but it didn't make me too warm. I needed more steam from my iron to press out the creases, though. As bamboo sheets aren't the focal point of Dusk's business, the range isn't extensive. There are currently only two colours to choose from and they don't sell bamboo bottom sheets. It would be nice to see a broader range in the future. But the design is simple yet effective, with a contrast trim and clear plastic buttons – a point of difference as most on this list have wooden buttons. A detail I particularly liked is the extra panel at the foot of the duvet, which tucks the buttons on the underside rather than at the end. This looks neat, but annoyed my tall husband slightly as he could feel them beneath his feet. Key specifications 5. Best Bamboo Sheets for Hot Sleepers: Sheet Story Ackly Bamboo Bedding Sleeping in these sheets felt like sleeping in my comfiest cotton t-shirt. Team with the best mattress and you're on to a winner. They're extremely soft and don't feel at all synthetic, unlike some of the silkier sets I tested. I would highly recommend them for warm sleepers or anyone who doesn't like fabric sticking to them. Getting into this set after a day of commuting in a heatwave was a joy. I'm a sucker for good branding and with its clean design and bold monochrome logo this set is aesthetically pleasing. The metal plaque with the brand name at the foot of the duvet set it apart from the other designs. I'm always worried about the potential for toddler choking hazards in my house though, so I snipped it off. I didn't think I'd ever be someone with strong opinions on pillowcases, but these are particularly good. The deep pocket encases the pillow well and made for a crisp, neat finish on sheet change day and throughout the week. This is the only set I tried that is available in patterns as well as plain colours. The cotton content made them a little stubborn to iron. However, they line dried without too many creases so it wasn't a huge problem. Key specifications 6. Best Bamboo Sheets for Softness: Panda London 100% Bamboo Bedding Set These are extremely silky, which will either appeal to you or immediately put you off. They were a total treat to slip into, but I became less keen when I found my duvet had slid off the bed at 3am. The softness comes from the bamboo rayon (another word for viscose) strands that have been woven into a satin weave for extra glossiness. I'd liken it to the feel of my best silk pillowcase. Panda London, as you might have guessed by its name, specialises in bamboo bedding. That means it has invested in providing five different practical and on-trend colours for shoppers to choose from. I tried a vintage pink set, which felt especially feminine with the satin-like fabric. The downside of the colour and the fabric was that every little thing marked the bedding. My nighttime skincare left an unsightly dark patch on my pillow come morning and my body lotion was imprinted on the bottom sheet until the next wash. If this will annoy you, consider another colour. I washed this set three times and it got softer every time but still retained its shine. It was the easiest of the round-up to iron. I barely had to use the steam setting and it took less than two-thirds of the time it takes to iron my normal cotton sheets. Win-win. Key specifications 7. Best Bamboo Sheets for Winter: Pretty You Bamboo Bedding Set If you're someone who wants their bedtime experience to feel as indulgent as possible, whether you're in bed or sleeping on a sofa bed, then you will love these sheets. They are the silkiest of the round-up, even after three washes. They also come oversized and shrink after the first wash for a better fit on your duvet and mattress. I was sceptical about this claim at first, but impressed with the difference one wash made. As they're so glossy that they're verging on slippery, Pretty You London has taken steps in the design process to keep them in place. The bottom sheet has tightly ruched edges as well as four additional elastic tabs to go over the corners. This is especially helpful for keeping your best mattress topper snug. Inside the duvet cover are ties that you can attach the brand's own duvet too. A nice touch, but it will only work if you buy its duvet, or your current duvet has loops. I am a warm sleeper and found that I woke up feeling hot and bothered in these, so I personally wouldn't recommend them for their temperature-regulating properties. But, they're lovely for colder evenings teamed with the best electric blanket. If you're also prone to getting too hot at night, try swapping the bottom sheet for a cotton one. Even though I woke up a bit sweaty the sheets didn't feel clammy afterwards and stayed fresh throughout the week. Key specifications What does bamboo bedding feel like? Bamboo bedding will feel different based on the weave and whether it has been blended with another fabric. 'If it's in a sateen weave then it will feel silky, but only like cotton does in the same weave type,' explains Wood. 'If bamboo is in a plain weave structure it will feel the same as a basic cotton sheet.' The bamboo rayon sheets are the silkiest in our round-up. Are bamboo bed sheets better than cotton or linen bed sheets? It depends on your criteria. If it's breathability and temperature-regulating qualities that you're most concerned about, Wood says that linen, cotton and bamboo are all 'excellent at both.' If it's eco-credentials, this is harder to quantify. 'It is generally accepted that bamboo is less durable than cotton, which means bamboo will wear out more quickly,' Wood continues. 'Bamboo can be more sustainably produced than cotton, but if it needs replacing sooner then it is a balancing act between initial practices and longevity.' It's also down to a personal preference for particular textures. Is bamboo bedding hypoallergenic? Most of the bamboo bedding we tested claimed to be hypoallergenic, but Wood says there is 'limited evidence' to support this. 'Bamboo bedding does not use the raw fibre,' she explains. 'It is heavily processed so unlikely to retain any of its natural properties.' How do you wash bamboo bedding? Bamboo bedding is best washed at 30 degrees, preferably on a gentle cycle. Ideally, you shouldn't tumble dry bamboo sheets but if you can't air dry then do so on the lowest setting.
