How Many Sets of Nightwear Do You Need?

Short answer: Most people manage well with three to five sets of nightwear: one on the body, one clean in the wardrobe and one in the laundry basket. If you choose nightwear in bamboo viscose, you can often do with fewer sets, because the fabric stays fresh longer between washes.

The rule of thumb: three sets

Three sets is the minimum that works without tying the laundry to a particular day. One is worn, one is clean and one is waiting to be washed. Below three sets you have to wash twice a week, and that rarely fits into a normal week.

When five sets make sense

If you perspire a lot at night, or the household only washes once a week, five sets is the number that makes the sum work. It is also the number at which no set has to be worn three nights in a row between washes.

The material changes the number

Bamboo viscose moves the moisture away from the skin, so the fabric does not turn clammy after one night. A set can usually be worn two to three nights, where a cotton set has to be washed after two. See the range under bamboo nightwear for women.

Summer and winter count separately

A short set for summer and a long one for winter are not five sets but two times two or three. Most people therefore end up with more sets in the drawer than they actually use in a given month. That is not waste but two wardrobes.

The least used set

There is nearly always one set at the back of the drawer that never gets chosen. It is usually either too warm, too short or has a waistband that presses. Get rid of it and buy a second of the one you actually wear every week.

For guests and the hospital bag

Besides the everyday sets, it is practical to have one neat set ready, packed or easy to find. It does not have to be new, but it should be intact and plain. See bamboo nightwear for men and the women's range in the same colours.

What it costs per night

A set worn two nights a week for three years has been used over three hundred nights. Even a more expensive set therefore lands below a few pence per night, and per use it is one of the cheapest things in the whole wardrobe.

Washing and rotation

Use the sets in order rather than grabbing the top one every time. Then they wear evenly and fade at the same pace. Wash at 30 degrees without fabric softener. The whole range is under nightwear, where both women's and men's models are gathered. See also washing guide for bamboo clothing.

Frequently asked questions

How many sets of nightwear are enough?

Three as a minimum and five if you perspire or only wash once a week. Below three you have to wash twice weekly.

How many nights can a set be worn?

Two to three nights in bamboo viscose if it is aired in between. In cotton it should be washed after two nights, because the fabric holds the moisture.