The 10 Best Cooling Sheets of 2023, Tested and Reviewed
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The Olive + Crate Cooling Eucalyptus Sheets are a silky, smooth, and luxurious way to stay cool all night long.
Health / Marcus Millan
Medically reviewed by Michael Menna, DOFact checked by Richard Scherr
Interrupted sleep can wreak havoc on your health and your mood, and if you tend to run warm at night, you're probably all too familiar with this problem. Casting off your covers at 3 a.m. may provide you with relief in the short run, but everyone would prefer to rest uninterrupted for their full eight hours.
Feeling hot at night can disrupt your sleep and potentially cause problems with both falling and staying asleep, according to Sarah Silverman, PsyD, behavioral sleep medicine specialist. So sending your body the right signals by keeping it cool before bedtime and during the night is important for achieving good quality rest. But a few tweaks to your sleep environment can help. Cooling sheets can keep you comfortable even if the AC isn’t cranked up, but the key is in the material: both the fabric construction of your sheets and the weave (e.g. how tightly the threads are stitched) can make or break a bedding set when it comes to letting heat escape while you sleep.
We’ve taken all the guesswork out of shopping for cooling sheets for you. We tested 38 sets of sheets in our lab and at our editors’ homes to find the ones that kept us the coolest across several fabric blends and weaves. We also evaluated how easy the sheets were to keep clean by spilling oil, coffee and foundation on the sheets and laundering them three times each. We had our editors spill water on the sheets to see how moisture-wicking they were and how quickly the sheets dried. We also evaluated the sheets based on fit, comfort and durability before rating them on a scale of 1 (being the worst) to 5 (being the best). Whether you’re looking for cotton, linen, bamboo, or some special combination, we have the sheets that will keep you sleeping comfortably.
Best Overall: Olive + Crate Eucalyptus Sheet Set
Why We Like It: These sheets effortlessly keep you cool with their lightweight eucalyptus construction and silky smooth texture.
It’s Worth Noting: We noticed a tiny bit of shrinkage after washing (but not so much it affected our usage).
Soft and silky, ultra-cooling, and affordably luxurious, the Olive + Crate Cooling Eucalyptus Sheets are our top pick on this list thanks to their dreamy blend of comfort and quality. We were impressed from the moment we took them out of the package: they were instantly cool to the touch, with a thin-but-durable construction that easily let both light and air pass through. In testing, we had no issues with these sheets not keeping us cool at night, and they held up well after washing; despite a small amount of initial shrinkage, they still fit perfectly on the bed and showed zero signs of loose threads or wear.
But really, it’s the feel of these sheets that we kept coming back to—they were so smooth, we wondered if we would ever want to get out of bed in the morning. Our only complaint is that the fitted sheet isn’t labeled, so you’ll have to play the “which end is up” game when you make your bed. Honestly, though? These sheets are worth way more than their $120 cost, since they outperform on all fronts, from breathability to durability to texture, and they even come in several different colors so you truly can’t go wrong here.
Price at time of publication: $120
Product Details:
Material/weave: 100% eucalyptus / sateen
Sizes: Twin, full, queen, king, California king, split king
Features: 18” pockets / Oeko-Tex 100 Standard certified fibers from Austria
Best Budget: Bedsure 100% Viscose from Bamboo Sheets 4 PCs Set, Queen
Why We Like It: It’s a budget-friendly way to take advantage of a well-made cooling sheet set.
It’s Worth Noting: You will have wrinkles, so unless you’re planning on ironing your sheets, your bed’s going to look a little untidy.
It’s not hard to find sheets for under $60, but it is hard to find ones that don’t fall apart after the first wash at that price point, let alone sheets that provide any kind of extra benefit like temperature regulation. That’s why we love the Bedsure 100% Viscose from Bamboo Sheets Set; in testing, these affordable sheets impressed us with their quality fit and long-lasting chill factor, making them the perfect set for someone who wants to sleep cool at night without spending a lot.
Out of the box, these sheets were wrinkly, and our biggest complaint is that they stayed that way through washing and sleeping on them. The bamboo viscose construction just seems to lend itself to a rumpled, untidy look. If you don’t care about that, though, we have nothing but compliments for this set: everything from the fitted sheet to the pillowcase fit easily on the bed, they were cool to the touch and stayed that way through the night, and they were extremely soft and cozy to sleep on. If you want a nicer sheet set, especially one that keeps you cool, but are on a tight budget, this one is a great compromise.
Price at time of publication: $55
Product Details:
Material/weave: Rayon / twill
Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
Features: 18” pockets / Oeko-Tex 100 Standard certified
Best Linen-Cotton Blend: Southern Living Heirloom Linen & Cotton Sheet Set
Why We Like It: Not only did these sheets keep us cool, their texture improved with every wash.
It’s Worth Noting: After several nights of use, you’ll probably see some wrinkles.
Linen can be scratchy and cotton can be low-quality, but the linen-cotton blend of the Southern Living Heirloom Linen & Cotton Sheet Set is really the best of both worlds. We were impressed by the texture of these sheets right away, but then we washed them a bunch of times…and they just kept getting softer. The durability of these sheets wowed us, too: no matter how much time we spent in bed or how often we washed this set, it never slipped out of place, faded or bled, or showed any signs of wear other than mild wrinkling (which was resolved as soon as they got washed again).
On top of being a buttery-soft combination fabric, the linen-cotton blend also worked wonders in keeping us cool at night. We aren’t sure whether the fabric is moisture-wicking or prevents heat from being trapped within the bedding (or both!), but either way, these sheets kept our body temperature regulated all night long and eliminated our night sweats. Call us cotton-linen converts from now on.
Price at time of publication: $179
Product Details:
Material/weave: 55% linen, 45% cotton
Sizes: Queen, king
Features: 16” pockets
Best Linen: Bokser Home French Linen Sheet Set
Why We Like It: They feel like sleeping in a soft, breezy t-shirt.
It’s Worth Noting: We noticed both pilling and color fading after a few washes.
If you’ve ever wanted sheets that feel just like your favorite breezy summer top, the Bokser Home 100% French Linen Sheet Set was made for you. Not only did these sheets “break in” beautifully with use, they managed to feel both lightweight and substantial at the same time—keeping us cool while we slept while also making us feel snug and tucked in.
With every wash, these sheets just got softer and more comfortable, and they fit the bed perfectly with zero slippage. They also acclimated to our body temperature no matter how hot or cold it was at night and eliminated night sweats. The only downside to these is that we didn’t find them to be quite as high-quality as some of the others we tested; after a few washes, they started to show signs of pilling and they dulled a bit in coloring, too. If you’re looking for comfort and quality, a linen blend set is probably a better choice, but if you want 100 percent linen this one is ultra-cozy.
Price at time of publication: $214
Product Details:
Material/weave: 100% French linen
Sizes: Queen, king, California king
Features: 16” pockets / Oeko-Tex 100 Standard certified
Best Cotton: Parachute Brushed Cotton Sheet Set
Why We Like It: The brushed texture makes the softness of these sheets superior to many other sets.
It’s Worth Noting: They match your body temperature rather than lowering it.
There’s a wide range of quality with full cotton sheets—they can be incredibly comfortable or incredibly awful (and everything in between!) depending on the type of cotton used and how it’s woven together. The Parachute Brushed Cotton Sheet Set isn’t perfect, but it comes pretty close for being 100 percent cotton; we found it to be a nice compromise between airy and heavy, crisp without being too crunchy, and perfectly soft. In fact, these were some of the softest sheets we’ve ever come across thanks to the brushed texture.
The Parachute set also performed well in terms of durability: it washed up well, fit our mattress correctly, and showed no signs of pilling. We aren’t sure these are necessarily the coolest sheets around, though—while they didn’t make us hot, they sort of matched our body temperature, so if you need sheets that actually cool you down, these probably aren’t it. They’re also on the more expensive side.
Price at time of publication: $269
Product Details:
Material/weave: 100% cotton
Sizes: Full, queen, king, California king
Features: Oeko-Tex 100 Standard certified
Best Organic: Saatva Percale Sheet Set
Why We Like It: They’re soft and smooth, not prone to wrinkling, and seem like they will hold up well over time.
It’s Worth Noting: Most people who need cooling sheets will be fine with these, but if you run excessively hot at night or don’t get a lot of airflow in your room, they might not be cooling enough.
A percale weave is designed to be thinner and airier, allowing for more airflow, and we were reasonably happy with how the Saatva Organic Percale Sheet Set performed in terms of coolness. Could they have been a bit more cooling? Yes—but only in the sense that you might not choose these if it’s the middle of summer and you sleep in a bedroom with spotty airflow or AC. Otherwise, the cooling power of these should be more than enough to get you through the night comfortably.
In other specs, we were also happy with the durability of these sheets: they fit perfectly, stayed in place, showed no signs of wear and tear, and seem like they could have some serious longevity with the right care. They also didn’t wrinkle much, boasting a nice, crisp texture that also never felt overly stiff or papery. They’re smooth and soft before and after washing, making them a great choice for the average hot sleeper (just maybe not the above average hot sleeper).
Price at time of publication: $185
Product Details:
Material/weave: 100% organic cotton / percale
Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, split king
Features: 200 thread count / 16” pockets
Best Linen-Bamboo Blend: Kassatex Linen-Bamboo Sheet Set
Why We Like It: They outperformed several other sets on this list by feeling legitimately cold to the touch.
It’s Worth Noting: They’re more expensive than any of the other options here.
In testing, the Kassatex Linen-Bamboo Sheet Set looked great, felt incredible, and could not have kept us any cooler, making them an easy winner in the category of linen-bamboo sheets.
We actually felt like these sheets were cold to the touch, and they stayed that way beyond initial contact, never warming to our body temperature. They were also super soft and lightweight, but never showed any signs of wear and tear after use (including washing): no loose threads, no shrinking, no pilling. They have a high-quality, luxurious look and feel to them that justifies their higher price point—so yes, you’ll spend more, but you’ll also be able to reap the benefits of these sheets for a long time to come.
Price at time of publication: $280
Product Details:
Material/weave: 60% linen, 40% bamboo rayon
Sizes: Queen, king
Features: Antimicrobial
Best Bamboo: Bampure 100% Organic Bamboo Sheets
Why We Like It: A less-than-average amount of wrinkles combined with noticeable softness and cooling for a budget-friendly way to enjoy bamboo sheets.
It’s Worth Noting: The colorway trends deep and intense, so if you’re looking for neutrals or pastels you might be stuck with plain white.
If you like the sound of bamboo sheets but are worried they’ll be too wrinkly (like our budget pick), the Bampure 100% Organic Bamboo Sheets take everything there is to love about bamboo sheets and put it into a sateen weave that doesn’t wrinkle every time you look at it.
In testing, these sheets were a pleasant surprise: incredibly soft and silky, with quality stitching and the signature sateen shine. They were also incredibly cool, with a lightweight breathability not often found in sateen sheets; they didn’t warm to our body temperature over time and definitely stayed cool through use. Plus, washing was a total breeze and didn’t affect the quality of these sheets at all. While some wrinkling is to be expected with bamboo, it wasn’t overly noticeable here before or after use.
Price at time of publication: $110
Product Details:
Material/weave: 100% organic bamboo / sateen
Sizes: Twin, full, queen, king, California king
Features: 16” pockets
Best Satin: Lanest Housing Satin Sheets
Why We Like It: They’re soft, silky, and naturally cool to the touch.
It’s Worth Noting: 100% polyester means static, and these sheets have a ton of it.
With their polyester construction, satin sheets aren’t the best fit for everyone on the market for cooling sheets, but satin also does come with a naturally-chilly sheen that can work for some people who sleep hot. The Lanest Housing Silk Satin Sheets have the soft, silky feel we would expect from satin sheets, along with a lightweight texture that makes slipping into bed at night a comfortable experience. And despite the fact that they’re ultra-affordable, there’s no skimping on quality here: we found no loose threads or snags (a common problem with satin sheets), and they washed up nicely.
Our biggest complaint? The polyester construction of these sheets made them incredibly staticky. While the fitted sheet stayed in place, the flat sheet moved around to the point of distraction during sleep, tangling in our legs and getting stuck in bunched-up, out-of-place positions. For the price point and coolness, we think these are a steal, but if you’re sensitive to how your sheets feel when you move around at night, you may want to skip these.
Price at time of publication: $32
Product Details:
Material/weave: 100% woven polyester
Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
Features: 14” pockets
Best Silk: Mulberry Park Silks 22 Momme Silk Sheet Set
Why We Like It: These sheets are soft and naturally cooling, and not as slippery as you might expect.
It’s Worth Noting: We’re still not convinced these sheets are really worth their exorbitant cost, even though they’re constructed well with high-quality silk.
We won’t pretend these sheets aren’t an investment, but if you’re shopping for 100% silk, you should be planning to pay more than the average cost for a sheet set. The Mulberry Park 100% Pure Queen Silk Sheet Set is made from grade 6A silk (one of the highest quality grades available) so yes, it’s pricey—but silk of this quality is both naturally cooling and pretty much guaranteed to feel luxurious.
Out of the package, these sheets impressed us with their construction; we couldn’t find any defects in the threads or stitching. They fit well on the mattress and, unlike the Lanest Housing satin sheets, there was minimal slippage as we tossed and turned during the night.
That said, although the fit and softness of these sheets was top-notch, as was the chill factor, we don’t think these are totally worth the splurge-y cost. They washed up well as long as they were fairly clean,but they didn’t pass our stain testing. If we’re going to spend $500+ on a sheet set, they need to be the best sheets we’ve ever slept on in every possible way, and these fell just a bit short for us. Unless you’re determined to have a set of real silk sheets, it might be better to stick with cotton or a linen blend.
Price at time of publication: $555
Product Details:
Material/weave: 100% 6A mulberry silk / charmeuse
Sizes: Full, queen, king, California king
Features: Multiple pocket sizes
Our Testing Process
It’s not enough to rate sheets that are fresh out of the packaging when determining how soft and cool they’ll be during sleep, so we split our testing process into two parts: in-lab testing to examine the initial quality and texture of the fabric, and at-home testing to continue that research as well see how the sheets held up to use over time.
Our at-home testing took place over three weeks, with our testers sleeping on the sheets every night. We evaluated how the sheets fit and felt at the beginning and end of testing, along with how well they stayed on the bed and how much wear and tear they showed after weeks of use. We also washed the sheets every seven days, to see if they faded, shrunk, or pilled.
When assessing the sheets in terms of coolness, we made sure to lie on them with bare skin so we could note if they felt cool when we first got on the bed and if they still felt cool several minutes later. Overall, we rated the sheets on a scale of 1 (would not recommend) to 5 (highly recommend) for quality, texture, breathability, durability, and overall value.
We also consulted with two sleep experts to help us identify the most important things to look for in cooling sheets and how they could help you get a better night’s sleep:
Sarah Silverman, PsyD, behavioral sleep medicine specialist
Lauri Leadley, CCSH, clinical sleep educator and founder of Valley Sleep Center in Arizona.
What to Know About Cooling Sheets
Who May Benefit From Cooling Sheets
It may come as a surprise to know that the list of reasons for feeling hot during the night is extensive; there are medical conditions that can cause it, for sure, but some people just run hot (especially if they’re also sleeping in heat-trapping pajamas or blankets!).
Dr. Silverman says you might benefit from using cooling sheets if you:
Have fluctuating hormones due to pregnancy, menopause, or menstruation
Have a high metabolism
Keep your bedroom too warm or sleep close to a partner
Eat, drink, exercise, or take certain medications too close to bedtime
Are fighting off illness
Have chronic stress or anxiety
Have low blood sugar
Have thyroid issues or sleep apnea
Material to Consider
Repeat after us: breathable and natural. When shopping for cooling sheets, you don’t want anything that’s too tightly woven or made from synthetic materials, like polyester.
“The ability to regulate your core body temperature during the night can make a huge difference on your overall sleep quality, so breathable materials are optimal to promote cooler temperatures,” Dr. Silverman says.
She also explains that this means choosing materials like cotton, linen, silk, or bamboo, because synthetic fibers tend to be less breathable and end up trapping more heat during the night.
Weave
You may not have thought much about how your sheets are constructed when shopping for bedding before, but if you’re waking up hot at night, the weave of your bedding could be to blame.
Percale sheets are the gold standard for airflow, because they’re constructed in a lightly overlapping manner that promotes breathability.
Sateen sheets are silkier, but thicker, which means they could trap a bit more heat if you’re not conscientious about the material.
Twill sheets are durable, but tightly woven in a ribbed pattern so they usually won’t let as much airflow pass (though there are exceptions, like our budget pick).
Flannel sheets are usually a heavier-weight cotton that’s also brushed for comfort and softness. But—you guessed it—they’re designed to trap heat.
Meanwhile, it’s also worth considering the overall weight and color of your sheets, says Lauri Leadley, CCSH, clinical sleep educator and founder of Valley Sleep Center in Arizona: “Lightweight and lightly-colored bed linens are more breathable than linens made of silk, satin, or polyester, and promote ventilation and airflow in the bedroom.”
How Much You Can Expect to Pay
Most of the sheets on our list cost somewhere between $100 and $200, which is par for the course for cooling sheets according to Leadley, who adds that truly luxury sets could run you closer to $375 or more.
A few of our top picks on this list are more budget-friendly, like the Brielle Home 300 Thread Count Tencel Lyocell Sateen Sheet Set, and a few—like the Kassatex Linen - Bamboo Sheet Set—are a splurge, but in general, you should expect to spend up to $200 for a high-quality set of cooling sheets.
More Cooling Sheets to Consider
Pottery Barn 400-Thread-Count Organic Percale Sheet Set: These were crisp and cool to the touch, but weren’t overly soft and faded noticeably after washing.
CALIFORNIA DESIGN DEN 5-Star Hotel 600 Thread Count 100% Cotton Sheets Set: They run a little small and shrink some in the wash, plus the fabric quality just isn’t there in terms of softness; they’re not the best overall value.
Saphyr Soft Washed Pure Linen Sheet Set at Saphyr: These sheets regulated temperature well and would work for multiple seasons, but we just didn’t love their feel—we think they would need a lot of time to break in for max comfort.
Your Questions, Answered
What material is best for cooling sheets?
The sheets we featured on this list are made from cotton, bamboo, linen, eucalyptus, or some combination of those materials. That’s because they are all considered natural fibers, rather than synthetic ones, so they will work the best when it comes to letting heat escape rather than trapping it in. But the weave is also important; flannel sheets can be made from cotton, for example, but they won’t be cooling the way a cotton percale set may be because flannel is more tightly woven.
Are bamboo sheets cooler than cotton?
Cotton and bamboo sheets work similarly when it comes to keeping you cool at night, but cotton sheets may have a slight edge. Some bamboo sheets are a blend of natural and synthetic fibers, like viscose, which could make them slightly less successful at promoting airflow while you sleep.
Are cooling sheets worth it?
If you sleep hot, we think cooling sheets are worth it. When you’re able to keep things cool at night, says Dr. Silverman, your body is better able to regulate its temperature—that equates to less disruption and wake-ups during night, which will make you feel better in the morning when the alarm goes off.
One caveat: cooling sheets won’t solve an underlying problem that’s causing excessive warmth while you sleep.
“It’s worth seeing a doctor if night sweats or feeling hot are happening on a regular basis,” says Dr. Silverman, “especially if you suspect [it is] due to an underlying medical condition, including a sleep disorder.”
Who We Are
Sarah Bradley has been a freelance writer since 2017, tackling health commerce articles, product reviews, and shopping guides on everything from dry skin moisturizers and wart removers to menstrual cups and toothbrushes for braces. She has written about bedding with cooling properties before, so she understands the basic mechanics of how different types of fabrics and weaves can affect airflow, plus she’s a sensitive sleeper that knows how important it is to be comfortable at night.
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