Are You Getting Real Bamboo Sheets?
In addition, the raw material bamboo is an eco-friendly plant, as its growth is water efficient and does not require the use of pesticides. Bamboo sheets are typically made of regenerated cellulous using bamboo pulps since the raw bamboo fiber is too coarse to serve the bedding purpose. This has raised concerns around environmental pollution during the manufacturing process. However, if the production occurs in a closed loop and the solvent applied is completely recycled, the environmental impact is in fact minimal.
I. How to Tell Fake Ones Apart
The supply of bamboo bedding in the market is definitely not scarce and displays a wide range of options and prices. As consumers the last thing we want is to pay a fair amount for fake products. So, this guide is created to help you identify fake bamboo bedding based on our experience and understanding of the bamboo fabrics. The tips are not exclusive, but hope at least some of them would provide useful insights.
01. Wash Label or Packaging
Many products are described as bamboo material on websites, but their label tells a different story. Unfortunately, sellers either have never seen the actual product or didn't bother to cover it up in most cases. So, one of the easiest ways to spot a fake bamboo sheet is to look at the packaging and the wash/care tag.
02. Wash/Care Instruction
Another trick to identify fake bamboo bedding is to look closely at the wash labels. Bamboo bedding requires delicate care. Genuine manufacturers have strong incentives to provide detailed and specialized instructions on the product label, or they may suffer from reputational damage and financial losses for damaged bamboo bedding from improper cares.
So, if your bedding has a 100% bamboo label but care instructions that resemble the ones for polyester, then it's a red signal. Fake products often provide inadequate and very general washing instructions, such as allowing the use of chemicals or high-temperature water. Genuine bamboo would find a hard time in washer and dryer if chemical bleach and hot water are used, as those practices can easily lead to damage by causing holes and pilings.
Therefore, such inappropriate instructions are signals that either the manufacturers are irresponsible or the material is not authentic bamboo.
03. Check the Price
The price range for bamboo bedding in the market is surprisingly wide. It can go as low as $20-30ish to $250 or even higher for a typical sheet set. While no one wants to pay an exorbitant amount for a product, we should also remember that there is a lower price limit, or businesses will go out of business for constantly running a deficit.
As a brand that is familiar with the production cost and the industry average for bamboo fabrics, we can say that unfortunately, quality bamboo sheets don’t come cheap.
If you find the price of bamboo bedding close to microfiber, it’s an alarming signal of fake products. It’s worth noting that if a bamboo sheet costs $50 to produce, a microfiber sheet costs between $5-$8 to manufacture.
II. Texture - Types of Counterfeits with Bamboo Sheets
The most common counterfeits with bamboo bedding include the following:
Made Out of Microfiber or Polyester
Fake bamboo sheets are made straight out of polyester or microfiber, which costs a nominal fraction to manufacture compared to genuine bamboo material. These beddings imitate the softness and feel delivered by the texture of bamboo fabric up to a great extent.
But if you’ve ever touched bamboo sheets, you could tell the difference simply by touching. Fake bamboo bed sheets are not as silky soft, breathable, and cooling as the real ones are. Fabrics like polyester and microfiber trap heat notoriously.
Made from Regenerated Cellulose other than Bamboo
Bamboo fabrics are regenerated celluloses extracted from bamboo, and they inherit some merits of the genuine material such as being sustainable and anti-bacterial. But many other plants can also be used to produce regenerated cellulose that doesn't have favorable properties like bamboo.
When relying on other plants, such as upland cotton, to regenerate cellulose and produce fake bamboo sheets, the production cost tends to be lower. But the end product you get would also be short in cooling, anti-bacterial, and hypoallergenic properties.
Put simply, authentic bamboo sheets feel silky soft and have a distinct cooling feel to touch. These should be highly breathable and do not cause overheating.
III. Rule of Thumb when Buying Bamboo Sheets
- The sheets can be made from 100% bamboo, or bamboo blended with other materials like cotton, linen, and polyester. Each of them comes with different textures and properties that suit different needs. So, read the product description carefully.
- Be alarmed when you see the ultra-low price unless the business is selling at a loss, such as running a clearance event.
- Read reviews as a starting point. You may find indications of the quality of the sheets. You may even find users postings pictures of labels showing that it’s 100% microfiber or polyester.
- Be critical when interpreting the text on the wash label. As explained above, read the wash label carefully for specific and delicate care instructions.
IV. Wrapping Up
Hopefully, this bamboo sheets buying guide will help you find the right product you're looking for. Bamboo makes ideal and skin-friendly bedding for all seasons. So, be mindful when shopping!
