The 10 Best Cooling Sheets to Beat the Heat

Jillian Mueller
·9 min read

Jacob Fox

Best Overall

bhg - 195 Available at Saatva

Best Cooling Tencel Sheets

bhg - 175 Available at Helix

Best Ultra-Soft Cooling Sheets

bhg - 145 Available at Layla

Best Cooling Bamboo Sheets

bhg - 129 Available at Puffy

Best Eco-Friendly Cooling Sheets

bhg - 129 Available at Nest Bedding

Best Lightweight Cooling Sheets

bhg - 139 Available at Casper

Best Luxury Cooling Sheets

bhg - 185 Available at GhostBed

Best Budget Cooling Sheets

bhg - 100 Available at Tuft & Needle

Best Percale Cooling Sheets

bhg - 139 Available at Molecule

Best Eucalyptus Sheets

bhg - 199 Available at Buffy

Your bed sheets can make all the difference between deep sleep and hours spent tossing and turning with night sweats. The ideal temperature for sleep is a cool 65 degrees, and the best cooling sheets are made of breathable, moisture-wicking materials that facilitate airflow to help you maintain a comfortable body temperature all night long. Many cooling sheet sets also use temperature-regulating technologies to keep body heat away from the surface of the bed.

To help you get your best sleep (even on the hottest nights), the experts at Mattress Advisor rounded up the top-rated cooling sheet sets on the market. Here are the top 10 picks for best cooling sheets.

Best Materials for Cooling Sheets

Cotton

Cotton is a natural fiber that's affordable and machine-washable. Naturally breathable, cotton has inherent cooling properties and gets softer with each wash. Choose a percale weave with a lower thread count for a crisp feel or sateen cotton with a higher thread count for a silky-soft experience.

Linen

If you like to cuddle up with weighty sheets but don't want to wake up sweaty, linen sheets might be a good fit for you. Linen sheets are made from flax, which helps wick away moisture to keep you cool and comfortable. Linen is a naturally thick material that's also extremely elastic, breathable, and absorbent. Keep in mind, the cooling benefits of linen sheet sets come at a higher price point, so they might not be the best pick for those on a budget.

Bamboo

Softer than cotton or linen, bamboo sheets are among the most durable on the market. Bamboo fibers resist pilling over time, naturally repel moisture, and have a light, airy feel. Bamboo is also hypoallergenic and antimicrobial.

Tencel

Tencel sheets are made sustainably out of cellulose, or processed wood pulp. The eco-friendly material is luxuriously smooth and wrinkle-resistant, making it a great pick for those with sensitive skin. Tencel is also highly durable and moisture-wicking. These benefits do come at a cost; Tencel sheets usually have a heftier price tag.

Weave

Weave describes the way sheet materials are sewn together, which determines the breathability of the fabric. Percale weaves have a crisp, lightweight feel, making them ideal for cooling sheets. Sateen weaves have a silky smooth feel while jersey weaves feel soft and breathable like your favorite T-shirt.

Thread Count

While sheets with higher thread counts tend to feel more luxurious, they can also be heavy and less breathable. Hot sleepers will find a happy medium with a 300-thread-count sheet set, which balances softness and breathability.

Benefits of Cooling Sheets

Energy Savings

Sometimes even putting the air conditioning on full blast isn't enough to lower your body temperature. It's also not great for your energy bill. Breathable sheets can help dissipate body heat so you can turn down the AC, unplug your extra box fan, and save energy. You could also nix your comforter and use your flat sheets, also known as the top sheet, as your sole blanket when it's warmer.

Moisture Absorption

If you are prone to night sweats, live in a warm climate, or just turned up the heat a little too high, you have probably experienced the discomfort of waking up in the middle of the night soaked in sweat. Moisture-absorbing sheets wick away sweat to keep you cool and comfortable so you can sleep undisturbed and wake up refreshed.

Courtesy of Saatva

1. Best Overall: Saatva Organic Sateen Sheet Set

This organic sheet set provides the luxurious feel of a crisp hotel bed. The ultra-breathable cotton sheets are both Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified and fair trade certified, so you can rest easy knowing that your sheets benefit the environment and the workers that made them. Just because these sheets add a touch of decadence to your bedroom doesn't mean they are difficult to care for, either. You can skip a trip to the dry cleaner and simply toss these sheets in the washing machine—they'll actually feel softer after every wash. Although these cooling sateen sheets have a steeper price tag than other options on this list, Saatva offers financing options to help you invest in your sleep without blowing your budget.

Buy It: Saatva Organic Sateen Sheet Set ($195 for queen, Saatva)

Courtesy of Helix

2. Best Cooling Tencel Sheets: Helix Tencel Sheet Set

Tencel sheets have many great qualities already, but Helix's set stands out from the crowd. These eucalyptus sheets are made with a sateen weave that provides the softest feel possible. Although they might feel like satin, they have moisture-wicking properties that help keep night sweats at bay, deep pockets that make putting them on the bed a cinch, and a three-year warranty.

Buy It: Helix Tencel Sheet Set ($175 for queen, Helix)

Courtesy of Layla

3. Best Ultra-Soft Cooling Sheets: Layla Bamboo Sheets

Soft sheets with higher thread counts tend to trap heat. The Layla bamboo sheet set, however, is made from 100% viscose bamboo, which has the soft feeling of twice the thread count of a cotton or polyester sheet, according to the brand. Although they are silky smooth, these sheets are super breathable and thermal-regulating. They're also odor-resistant and wick moisture away quickly. Plus, the bamboo cooling sheets come with a five-year warranty and free shipping.

Buy It: Layla Bamboo Sheets $145 (originally $195 for queen), Layla

Courtesy of Puffy

4. Best Cooling Bamboo Sheets: Puffy Bamboo Sheets

These bamboo sheets from Puffy adapt to every climate, wicking away moisture on hot summer nights and providing cozy comfort in the winter, so you can sleep soundly year-round. They have a silky sateen feel and adjust to your movements as you sleep. Deep pockets help them fit easily over your mattress and keep your fitted sheet in place. Puffy also offers a 101-night sleep trial so you can test out the sheet set on your own bed for more than three months before committing. And if you fall in love with the sheets, they come with a lifetime warranty.

Buy It: Puffy Bamboo Sheets ($129 for queen, Puffy)

Courtesy of Nest Bedding

5. Best Eco-Friendly Cooling Sheets: Nest Bedding Tencel Lyocell Sheet Set

While most sheets made of natural fibers are environmentally friendly, the Nest Bedding Tencel Lyocell Sheets are made with outstanding sustainable practices. Tencel is made from renewable wood resources using a closed-loop process where solvents can be continuously reused to eliminate waste. These sheets are also smooth, breathable, and ultra-absorbent. And with excellent moisture-wicking properties, Nest's sheets will keep you sweat-free as you count sheep.

Buy It: Nest Bedding Tencel Lyocell Sheet Set ($129 for queen, Nest Bedding)

Courtesy of Casper

6. Best Lightweight Cooling Sheets: Casper Hyperlite Sheets

Joyfully slip beneath the covers with Casper's expertly designed Hyperlite sheets. Made from 100% Tencel, these sheets are not only light and breathable, but they're also silky soft. And with a unique grid weave sewn into the fabric, Casper's one-of-a-kind design is sure to impress. This weave leaves room for plenty of vent-like structures to form in the material, promoting maximum airflow while you rest. Pick from five colors, including dusty rose and fog blue.

Buy It: Casper Hyperlite Sheets ($139 for queen, Casper)

Courtesy of GhostBed

7. Best Luxury Cooling Sheets: GhostBed Luxury Sheets

Made of half Supima cotton and half Tencel fiber, these GhostBed luxury sheets offer the best of both materials. Supima cotton is extremely durable, and Tencel is ideal for cooling. These sheets provide the crisp, soft feel of 600-thread-count sheets while remaining lightweight, making them perfect for warm summer nights or hot sleepers. GhostBed's sheets are also great for people who tend to move around at night—the fitted sheet is made with an elastic grip to prevent it from popping off of the bed.

Buy It: GhostBed Luxury Sheets ($185 for queen, GhostBed)

Courtesy of Tuft & Needle

8. Best Budget Cooling Sheets: Tuft & Needle Percale Sheet Set

High-quality sheets that also sleep cool don't have to break the bank, and Tuft & Needle's sheet set is proof. These percale sheets have all the features you'd expect from a premiere set of cooling sheets, including a crisp feel with a matte finish. For peace of mind, the Tuft & Needle sheets are also OEKO-TEX certified and come with a 100-night sleep trial and two-year warranty. At only $100, however, these swanky sheets are almost half the price of some of the other options on our list. If that cost isn't in your price range, Tuft & Needle offers no-interest payment plans that start at less than $10 per month. As an added perk, this sheet set comes in five different color options, making it easier than ever to match your sheets and pillowcases to your existing duvet cover or comforter.

Buy It: Tuft & Needle Percale Sheet Set ($100 for queen, Tuft & Needle)

Courtesy of Molecule

9. Best Percale Cooling Sheets: Molecule Percale Performance Sheets

If your heart is set on a percale weave, consider sheets from Molecule. By sewing moisture-absorbing Tencel Lyocell into a crisp percale weave, Molecule sheets provide you with maximum cooling benefits. The percale weave adds extra breathability while the Tencel fibers help regulate your body's temperature by keeping your skin dry as you snooze. This type of weave also makes the sheets wrinkle-resistant and super soft.

Buy It: Molecule Percale Performance Sheets ($139 for queen, Molecule)

Courtesy of Buffy

10. Best Eucalyptus Sheets: Buffy Eucalyptus Sheets

Wake up refreshed with Buffy's eucalyptus sheet set. Made from 100% naturally dyed eucalyptus, these sheets feel cool to the touch. Eucalyptus is known for being more breathable than linen and just as soft as cotton—plus, eucalyptus plants need 10 times less water than cotton to grow. Choose from an array of soothing colors, like light blue and blush, to complete your bedroom set.

Buy It: Buffy Eucalyptus Sheets ($199 for queen, Buffy)