Jogging Sets in Cotton vs. Bamboo – The Difference

Short answer: A tracksuit set in cotton is the familiar classic, but bamboo viscose wins on softness, breathability and freshness. Cotton is robust and well tested, while bamboo feels softer against the skin and can be worn several days in a row without feeling used.

The inside is the whole difference

Sweat fabric has a brushed inside, and that is what the skin touches. Cotton's short fibres give a pile that collapses after a few washes. Bamboo viscose's long fibres give a pile that stays soft. See bamboo tracksuit sets for women.

Breathability in a thick fabric

Sweat fabric is thick whatever the fibre, but cotton holds the moisture where bamboo viscose carries it on. In a heated room that means one set turns clammy after two hours, while the other can be worn a whole evening without being noticed.

Odour between washes

A tracksuit set is washed less often than a T-shirt, so odour matters more here. Bamboo viscose keeps the surface drier, and bacteria have poorer conditions. A set can often be worn three evenings in a row, where a cotton set has to be washed after two.

Durability and pilling

Cotton is stronger when wet and takes hotter washing. Bamboo viscose has to be washed at 30 degrees but pills less, because the fibres are long and smooth. With gentle washing the two last about equally long, and pilling shows most on the cheap set.

Weight and drape

Bamboo viscose is heavier than cotton at the same thickness, so the set falls straight down instead of standing out. That is the single reason the same cut looks neater in bamboo, and why the set can be worn outside the home.

The price and what you get

A set in bamboo viscose usually costs a little more than a comparable one in cotton. In return it can be worn one more evening between washes and does not turn hard after a season. The cost per wearing ends up closer than the price tag suggests.

When cotton is enough

If the room is cool, the set is worn once a week and washed at 60 degrees out of habit, cotton is a sensible choice. The difference only shows when the set is worn for many hours and several days in a row.

The pieces on their own

The difference is greatest in the top, because it lies closest to the core of the body. If you want to test the material without replacing the whole set, start with a bamboo sweatshirt for women and keep the trousers until they wear out.

Washing the two

Cotton takes 40 degrees, while bamboo viscose has to be washed at 30 and kept out of the tumble dryer. So do not wash the two materials together if you wash hot. See bamboo tracksuit sets for men and bamboo sweatpants for women. See also bamboo vs. cotton T-shirts.