Light or Dark Nightwear – Does the Colour Matter?

Short answer: The colour of your nightwear matters less than the material, but it is not irrelevant. Dark nightwear hides marks and stays neat longest, while pale nightwear asks a little more of the wash. For sleep itself, it is the breathability of the fabric that decides comfort.

Colour does not make the night cooler

Pale colours reflect more light than dark ones, but that applies in sunlight and not under a duvet. In a dark bedroom there is no measurable difference between how warm pale and dark nightwear is. Weight and material decide the temperature.

Dark stays neatest

Dark colours hide marks from cream, toothpaste and coffee, and they do not show when the fabric has gone slightly grey over time. A dark set therefore looks new for longer than a pale one, even when both have been worn equally. See the range under nightwear.

Pale asks more of the wash

Pale nightwear should be washed separately and more often if it is to keep looking clean. Yellow comes from perspiration and cream, grey from being washed with coloured laundry. It is not difficult, but it is one extra wash a week.

When colour actually matters

If the nightwear also has to work outside the bedroom, the colour suddenly matters a lot. A dark, plain set works for opening the door to the post or walking down a hotel corridor. A pale or patterned set reads more clearly as nightwear in the same situation.

Dark nightwear and pale bedding

Dark nightwear can release colour onto pale bedding in the first couple of washes, especially if the bedding is new. Wash the dark set twice before it is used with a new pale sheet. After that the colour is fixed and the two can share a bed without trouble.

Colour and moisture

On a warm night, light grey and pale blue show moisture most clearly, because the contrast between wet and dry fabric is greatest there. White and very dark colours hide it best. That only matters if others see the nightwear, but it is worth knowing.

For the men's range

On the men's side black and navy are the most worn colours, and they are also the ones that stay neat longest. See the range under bamboo nightwear for men and choose the same colour twice if the sets are to be mixed over time.

For the women's range

On the women's side most nightdresses come in both pale and dark tones. See bamboo nightdresses for women and choose a dark one for everyday and a pale one for the weeks when the bedroom is warmest and the nightwear should feel light. See also washing guide for bamboo clothing.