Hot take: The best cooling sheets aren’t just for sleepers with night sweats. And the most popular materials you’ll find in this category—linen, bamboo, and percale—are not only incredibly breathable, each textile speaks visual volumes in a bedroom as well.
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If you want to evoke an upscale but relaxed ambiance like in this laid-back Bedford Hills home, turn to linen sheets for a lived-in look and feel for your bedroom. While bamboo is just as versatile—you can find it everywhere from bohemian-inspired Hamptons getaways to moody spaces like this Jeremiah Brent–designed home—it mirrors the elegance of silk for an elevated touch. With a crisp yet soft feel, you’ll find a percale weave most often in high-end hotels, but it is an excellent choice for your home too.
Here at AD, we’re very invested in getting a good night’s rest—we’ve hosted Sleep Week for five years, after all!—and we continuously test cooling sheet sets to find the best of the best, no matter your textural preference. What’s more, the variety of fabrics on this list are designed to regulate your body temperature, wick moisture, and improve airflow during any season (we’ll never knock linen sheets in winter). And the best part (for your energy bill) is that they don’t require cranking up the AC or throwing your covers off. To take some of the guesswork out of things, we’ve written up what you need to know about the nine airiest sets of sheets and why we’re so fond of them. All that’s left for you to do is rest easy (and cool).
For your convenience, prices are given for queen-size bed sheet sets, but most brands have twin and twin XL through California king sizes available for purchase.
Inside the Article
Best Cooling Sheets, Overall
- Dozens of colors and patterns to choose from
- Affordable
- Sustainably made
Care instructions aren’t specified on the site
- Material: Patented Our SilkShape fabric
- Available sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
- Colors: 34
Design inspiration: Available in almost 35 neutral and vibrant colors and patterns, this sheet set is ideal for nearly any bedroom design—from modern to maximalist. We’d go for a Buffy eucalyptus set for a room with lots of personality.
Tester: Zoë Sessums, senior digital design editor
My sleep preferences: I am a hot sleeper no matter the time of year, so I love any sheets that give me some temperature regulation and cooling abilities. I’ve grown particularly fond of natural fibers too, so look for those in my bedding.
My experience: My first thought when touching these sheets was how soft they are—almost like silk! I also enjoyed the lovely delicate gray color, which comes from natural ingredients like turmeric, rose petals, bark, and gardenia. After sleeping on them for several nights, I did feel like the cooling claims were true—I stayed comfortable through the night.
The bottom line: I appreciate the sustainability of the materials used by Buffy; the eucalyptus, which is grown in Austria and the Czech Republic, uses 10 times less water to produce than cotton. Plus I always like a naturally dyed fabric if I’m really getting close. Finally, with the real cooling abilities and soft feeling of the sheets, I would definitely recommend them to a fellow hot sleeper.
Our Luxury-Meets-Budget Pick
- Looks like silk at an affordable price point
- Serene colors available
- Temperature regulating
- Only available in solid colors
- Material: Bamboo viscose
- Available sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
- Colors: Eight
Design inspiration: The warm hues, like terra-cotta, evoke earthy desert tones for a serene escape. Look to this set for earthy, grounded palettes.
Tester: Nashia Baker, senior commerce editor
My sleep preferences: I am usually a cold sleeper until the summer months roll around. While I like to layer up with a flat sheet and thick duvet insert and cover in the winter, I still don’t want to overheat. I usually round out my bedscape with bamboo bedding that feels breathable and comfortable to curl up under.
My experience: Breathable bedding is a must for my sleep setup, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well I sleep through the night with the Quince bamboo sheet set. This set feels smooth and cool to the touch but still cozy enough to bundle up with during the winter months.
The bottom line: You really can’t beat the luxury quality and budget prices at Quince. The fabric color variety is the cherry on top for me. I highly recommend this sheet set for anyone who likes a glossy look and feel to their bedding.
A Crisp Sheet Set
Saatva Organic Percale Sheet Set
- Light yet sturdy feel
- Several size options available
- Similar feel to a pressed dress shirt
- Material: Percale cotton
- Available sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, split king, California king
- Colors: Three
Design inspiration: The soothing muted tones and crisp, clean lines in this sheet set lend themselves best to a minimalist bedroom or anyone looking to channel a hotel-esque level of comfort.
Tester: Rachel Fletcher, commerce director
My sleep preferences: As mentioned, ideal sleeping temp is ICY. I hate being hot, so any opportunity to lessen with a cooling mattress or sheets is an opportunity I will jump at.
My experience: Percale is often likened to the feeling of a crisp cotton button-up and is said to be breathable and cool to the touch. In my quest to not turn into a rapidly melting human Popsicle every night, that sounded great to me! Saatva’s set is made of 100% organic cotton that is light but also sturdy at the same time. Of all the sheets I’ve tried, these cotton percale sheets feel the most like expensive hotel sheets that I’ve come across, and the price tag certainly reflects that! That said, they’re Fair Trade and GOTS Certified, which are things I believe in paying more for across the board. These sheets did have a cooling effect, though not dramatically so, but they’re also nicely made and seem like they’ll last forever. And I love the bluish gray hue.