There are two main reasons for wanting to buy bamboo sheets. Bamboo sheets are often cooler than cotton sheets, and they’re eco-friendly. Since bamboo grows quickly and abundantly, it’s a sustainable resource that is 10 times more prolific than cotton. That’s appealing if you’re trying to be earth-conscious. Shopping for bamboo sheets is no different than shopping for any other type of sheet. The same things still matter—thread count, weave, and quality. We researched all of those things with the Zen Bamboo Luxury 1500 Series Bed Sheets, and tested softness and durability. Read on to get our take on these sheets.
Material: Not what we hoped
The Zen Bamboo Luxury 1500 Series Bed Sheets are made of 40% bamboo rayon. The rest is polyester. This is not a great start if you’re looking for eco-friendly sheets. On the plus side, the sheet’s material felt durable. They’re a little bit thicker than other bamboo sheets, yet they manage to stay cool at night. As far as the stitching goes, it looked a little sloppy. We found multiple loose threads at the sheet’s seams, and while pulling on them did nothing, we can’t imagine that’ll be the case after a few more washes. The sheets come in plenty of different color choices: black, white, cream, sky blue, burgundy, gold, grey, brown, navy blue, purple, olive, and taupe. We got the gold color, and we loved how it went with our purple comforter.
Texture: Crisp yet still soft
While we wouldn’t say these are the softest sheets we’ve ever tried (Cariloha’s Resort Bamboo Sheets were the best), they are definitely still soft. They’re also crisp, which helps them to stay cool. Overall, the texture is pleasant, and we enjoyed sleeping on them.
Thread Count: Not sure, but probably around 250
While thread count, the number of threads per square inch, is something to take into consideration while shopping for sheets, it’s not everything. You can find high-quality sheets without a high thread count. Some manufacturers have a trick upping their thread count numbers. All they have to do is take two different fibers, combine them as one, and then continue to count them as two. Using this method does not necessarily make the sheets better, in fact, it puts them at higher risk for thread pulls. So while thread count definitely matters, look at all factors in totality. Still, the fact that we can’t find the thread count for these sheets—even on the packaging—is a little offputting, especially since many consider it an important factor at the point of purchase.
Washing: Simple and wrinkle-free
Washing the Zen Bamboo 1500 Series Sheets is simple: machine wash cold and tumble dry low. Using an iron on these sheets isn’t recommended, but a benefit of having polyester in these sheets is that it’s usually wrinkle-resistant. After sitting in a pile on our floor for a few days, they were barely wrinkled. That’s definitely a plus. Unfortunately, after one wash and about a week of use, the sheets started pilling ever so slightly. We think the main reason they started pilling so early is that the material is part bamboo and part polyester, and when you have two different fibers of unequal strength, one is bound to break, and then form a knot around the stronger fiber. This creates a pill. Depending on how the threads for these sheets were made, if the fibers are short, that can cause early pilling as well. To avoid pilling, use the gentle cycle on your washing machine and line dry the sheets instead of putting them in the dryer. Still, that’s just avoiding the inevitable. Eventually, the sheets will still pill.
Price: Affordable, but it reflects the quality of the sheets
The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Zen Bamboo 1500 Series Sheets is $69.99 for king size sheet, but you can find them retailing for around $30. That sounds like a great deal for bamboo sheets, but considering the almost-immediate pilling, loose threads, and the fact that the sheets are only 40% bamboo, it’s a little high.
Competition: Much better bamboo sheets you’ll love
Cariloha Resort Bamboo Sheets: We’ll start off by telling you that these sheets are expensive. A queen set starts at $239. But these oh-so-soft bamboo sheets are worth every penny. They almost feel like jersey sheets, but they kept us perfectly cool at night. Plus, there are lots of color options: white, blush, stone, coconut milk, onyx, blue lagoon, harbor gray, ocean mist, Caribbean mint, and graphite. They only have a 400 thread count, but they honestly don’t need to be higher. They are perfectly luxurious the way they are. Linenwalas Bamboo Sheets: These 300-thread-count sateen sheets are soft, silky, and cool. Not only are they made out of 100% bamboo-based rayon fibers, but they also have nine different colors: white, grey, pinstripes white, ivory, taupe, rose gold, Bahamas blue, lilac, or mint. On top of a great color selection, caring for these sheets is simple, although they wrinkle easily. Still, they’re well worth spending the extra cash. These queen- or king-sized sheets range from $60 to $100. These sheets were disappointing. If you want bamboo sheets, we recommend either the Linenwalas Bamboo Sheets or the Cariloha Resort Bamboo Sheets. However, if you want to get your kids bamboo sheets but don’t want to spend too much on something that’s likely to get stained, these sheets might be a good option.
