Bamboo Bedding – A Guide to Buying and Sizes

Short answer: Bamboo bedding is bought on two things: the measurement of the duvet and the type of sheet. Get those two right and the rest is taste. Get them wrong and the duvet either swims inside the cover or gets pulled up to your ears because it is too short.

Measure the duvet first

Measure the duvet from seam to seam, not diagonally. Most duvets measure 140x200 centimetres, but 140x220 has become just as common as beds have grown longer. The whole decision comes down to those two numbers.

The standard size

140x200 is the classic single duvet, and most sets are sold in that size. See bamboo bedding in 140x200 if the duvet is the old standard and the bed is no longer than 200 centimetres.

The long duvet

If you are tall or the bed is 210 centimetres long, 140x220 is the right one. See bamboo bedding in 140x220. Those twenty centimetres count clearly for anyone over 180 centimetres who otherwise lies with cold feet.

The double duvet

If you share a duvet, 200x220 is the usual measurement. The full range sits under bamboo bedding, and here it is worth measuring, because double duvets come in more sizes than single ones do.

The sheet

A bamboo fitted sheet with elastic all the way round stays put, where a flat sheet has to be straightened every morning. Measure the depth of the mattress, because a fitted sheet for a thick mattress hangs loose on a thin one.

How dense the fabric is

Thread count says less for bamboo viscose than for cotton, because the fibre itself is smoother. A bamboo set with a lower thread count can feel softer than a cotton set with a higher one, so the number is not what to choose on.

How it feels the first night

Bamboo viscose feels cool when you lie down and warms up within a few minutes. That is the sensation most people buy it for, and it is clearest in summer, where a cotton set can feel warm from the start.

How many sets

Two sets are enough for one bed. One on the bed and one in the cupboard while the first is washed. Three sets only make sense if someone in the house perspires heavily at night and needs changing more than weekly.

Colour lasts longest in the dark

Pale colours turn greyish from sunlight and from too much detergent. Dark colours fade if dried in the sun. If a set is to keep its colour for years, dry it indoors or in shade, whatever colour it is. See also bamboo bedding gives you a better night's sleep and bamboo bedding versus percale cotton.