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Best Cooling Sheets 2025

Body temperature must drop by approximately 1-3°F for sleep to initiate and be maintained through the night. Sheets that trap heat or wick moisture poorly interfere with this thermoregulation, causing waking in the second half of the night when body temperature naturally rises. For hot sleepers, choosing the right sheet material is one of the most impactful (and underrated) sleep investments.

Thread count myth: Higher thread count does not mean cooler or better sheets. Very high thread count (800+) typically indicates thicker, denser weaves that trap more heat. For cooling performance, material type and weave structure matter far more than thread count. A 200-thread count percale cotton sheet will sleep cooler than a 1,000-thread count sateen.

Material Comparison for Hot Sleepers

Material	Cooling	Moisture Wicking	Feel	Price
Linen	Excellent	Excellent	Textured, crisp	$$$
Percale Cotton	Very good	Good	Crisp, cool	$$
Bamboo (Rayon/Viscose)	Very good	Excellent	Silky, soft	$$
Tencel (Lyocell)	Very good	Excellent	Smooth, drapes well	$$-$$$
Sateen Cotton	Moderate	Moderate	Smooth, silky	$$
Microfiber/Polyester	Poor	Poor	Soft, smooth	$

Our Top Picks

Best Overall Cooling: Parachute Percale Sheet Set

Parachute's percale cotton sets use long-staple Egyptian cotton in a one-over-one-under percale weave that maximizes airflow. The result is a crisp, cool feel that warms up slightly through the night but remains comfortable for most hot sleepers. OEKO-TEX certified, no added chemical finishes.

Material: 100% long-staple cotton, percale weave | Price: ~$200 (Queen set)
Best for: General hot sleepers, year-round use, those who want a crisp feel
Check Price on Parachute

Best for Night Sweats: Ettitude Bamboo Lyocell Sheets

Ettitude's bamboo lyocell sheets excel at moisture management — the material actively wicks moisture away from the body and dries quickly, which is critical for night sweats rather than just general warmth. The feel is notably softer than percale cotton. Climate-beneficial production process (closed-loop manufacturing).

Material: 100% bamboo lyocell | Price: ~$160-$240 (Queen set)
Best for: Night sweats, menopause-related hot flashes, those who prioritize moisture wicking over crispness
Check Price on Ettitude

Best Linen: Brooklinen Linen Core Sheet Set

Linen is the best cooling material available for sheets — its natural fiber structure creates micro-gaps in the weave that allow excellent airflow, and it wicks moisture very effectively. It softens significantly with each wash. The tradeoff is texture: linen has a more rustic, textured feel than cotton or bamboo that not everyone finds comfortable. Brooklinen's linen is among the softer options available.

Material: 100% European linen | Price: ~$250-$310 (Queen set)
Best for: Extreme hot sleepers, warm climates, those who like the linen aesthetic
Check Price on Brooklinen

Best Budget: Amazon Basics Percale Cotton Sheet Set

The Amazon Basics percale cotton set is a genuine surprise at its price point — the percale weave performs meaningfully better for heat than the brand's microfiber alternatives. It's not as refined as Parachute but delivers the cooling benefit of percale construction at a fraction of the cost.

Material: 100% cotton, percale weave | Price: ~$40-$50 (Queen set)
Best for: Budget-conscious hot sleepers, guest bedrooms, those trying percale for the first time
Check Price on Amazon

Best Tencel: Saatva Lofton Sheet Set

Tencel (lyocell) is derived from wood pulp in a closed-loop process that makes it one of the more environmentally sound sheet materials. It shares bamboo's moisture-wicking properties with a slightly more structured feel. Saatva's Lofton set uses a blend that provides the moisture management of Tencel with added softness.

Material: Tencel lyocell blend | Price: ~$215 (Queen set)
Best for: Those who want bamboo's moisture wicking with slightly different texture, eco-conscious buyers
Check Price on Saatva

Frequently Asked Questions

Both are excellent, with different tradeoffs. Linen has superior airflow due to its natural fiber structure — it's the coolest option available. Bamboo (particularly lyocell) has better moisture wicking, making it superior for night sweats and those who sweat significantly rather than just running warm. If your primary problem is sweating and damp sheets, bamboo lyocell is the better choice. If you run hot but don't sweat excessively, linen may feel cooler. Most hot sleepers who try both prefer one distinctly over the other — it comes down to personal texture preference as much as performance.

Phase-change material (PCM) technology — used in some premium sheets and mattress pads — genuinely does provide a cool-to-touch sensation and absorbs heat during the first part of the night. However, once the material is saturated (it can only absorb a finite amount of heat), the benefit diminishes. PCM sheets are noticeably cool initially but may not maintain that feeling through a full 8-hour sleep period for very hot sleepers. They're a real but limited technology. For sustained cooling throughout the night, material breathability and moisture wicking matter more than any cooling additive.