Silky Soft Bedding Without the Silk Price – Bamboo Sateen Explained

Short answer: Bamboo satin is bamboo viscose woven in a satin weave. The weave leaves more threads lying on top of the surface, and that is what gives the smooth, almost silky feel. It is a way of weaving rather than a different material, which is why the price does not follow silk's.

What satin actually is

Satin is not a fibre but a way of weaving. In a satin weave the weft thread jumps over several warp threads at once, so fewer crossings break the surface. The result is a fabric that reflects more light and feels smoother under the hand.

Why it feels like silk

Silk feels smooth because the fibre is long and even. A satin weave creates the same long, unbroken surface with a different fibre, and when that fibre is already smooth like bamboo viscose, you get close without silk's price or care.

What it is not

Bamboo satin is not silk, and it does not behave like silk in the wash. It takes machine washing at 30 degrees, where silk usually has to be hand washed or dry cleaned, and that is the practical difference most people notice.

How it feels in bed

The surface is cool for the first few minutes and warms up from the body. The satin weave means the fabric glides against the skin rather than gripping it, and that shows most clearly if you turn a lot during the night.

Who it suits

It suits people who sleep warm and people who dislike a sheet gripping the skin. See the range under bamboo bedding and the matching bamboo fitted sheet in the same quality.

The same fabric in nightwear

The same weave is used for nightwear, and that is often where people meet it first. See nightwear if both the innermost layer and the bedding are to have the same smooth surface against the skin.

The drawback of satin

The long threads on the surface can catch on a rough nail or a ring and pull a thread out. That is not a sign of poor quality, it is a consequence of the weave, and it applies to real silk too.

How to make it last

Wash at 30 degrees without fabric softener, and do not wash it with zips and hooks. Hang it to dry. Hot tumble drying is the first thing that takes the sheen out of the surface again.

The colour looks different

The satin weave reflects more light, so the same colour looks deeper in satin than in an ordinary woven fabric. A grey in satin reads as a darker grey on screen, which is worth remembering when choosing from a photo.

The rest of the home

The other soft things in the same material sit under home and homewear in bamboo if bathroom and bedroom are to feel the same, and washing becomes simpler when everything takes the same treatment. See also better sleep with bamboo.