Pilling can make or break a set of bed sheets. No matter how luxurious the fabric is, if it starts to develop tons of small, firm balls of lint on its surface, it’s often not worth keeping. Different types of fabric may be more likely to pill than others. So where do bamboo sheets fit into this picture?
In this article, we’ll talk about why bamboo sheets aren’t likely to pill and how to keep them from pilling. We’ll also introduce you to the pilling grading system — a crucial but niche measurement of how likely a given fabric is to pill.
Additionally, we’ll explain why some bamboo sheets are less likely to pill than others and show you how to find bamboo sheets that are the least likely to pill. (As you’ll see later on, our Hush Iced 2.0 sheets made of bamboo pill less than any other sheets you’ll find on the market.)
At a glance:
Do Bamboo Sheets Pill?
The short answer is that bamboo sheets generally don’t pill. In fact, bamboo is one of the best fabrics for bed sheets. There are a few reasons for this that have to do with the bamboo itself and how it’s manufactured.
Bamboo Sheets Have Minimal Friction
One of the main factors that contributes to fabric pilling is friction. Normal use of any fabric creates some friction, since the fabric is rubbing against itself or other fabrics and materials as you use it.
But bamboo sheets have very little friction compared to other fabrics. This is because the natural fibers that make up bamboo fabric tend to be long, much longer than the fibers you’d find in other fabrics.
For instance, when it comes to cotton vs. bamboo bed sheets, bamboo sheets have longer fibers. Cotton sheets are more likely to pill, whereas the longer fibers in bamboo sheets make pilling very unlikely. Not only do the long fibers reduce friction, but they make bamboo sheets super smooth and incredibly soft. This is one reason why bamboo is such a soft fabric.
Natural Fabrics Like Bamboo Are Pill-Resistant
Second, bamboo fabric is less likely to pill because it’s a natural fabric made from the bamboo plant. Synthetic fabrics (polyester, acrylic, nylon, spandex, etc.) are more likely to pill than sheets made of natural materials in part because synthetic materials are designed to be super-strong, meaning they don’t easily shed loose fibers — so loose fibers will stick around in clumps, creating more pilling.
As a bonus, bamboo is also an eco-friendly fabric. The bamboo plant grows incredibly fast, making the production of bamboo fabric highly sustainable.
Bamboo Sheets Resist Secondary Causes of Pilling
Another benefit of bamboo sheets is that they are naturally breathable and antimicrobial. As a result, there’s less buildup of sweat and bacteria compared to other sheets, which in turn reduces the friction that causes pilling.
And because bamboo sheets are antimicrobial, they stay cleaner for longer, so they don’t need to be washed as frequently as other sheets. Frequent washing is one of the factors that contributes to pilling, so fabrics that stay clean without frequent washing are also less likely to pill.
How to Keep Bamboo Sheets From Pilling
Although bamboo sheets are unlikely to pill, slight pilling is still possible with just about any type of fabric (unless it has the highest fabric pilling grade — more on this in the next section). Thankfully, there are things you can do to make your bamboo bed sheets less likely to pill.
The best way to keep your bamboo sheets from pilling is to wash them correctly. Always read the instructions on the label, and review other suggestions for how to wash bamboo sheets to make sure you’re not doing anything that might damage the fabric.
In short, you’ll want to use mild detergent (no harsh chemicals), cold or warm (but not hot) water, and a gentle cycle. To dry the sheets, either air dry or tumble dry with low heat.
The Secret To Pill Resistant Fabrics: The Fabric Pilling Grade System
You already know some fabrics are less likely to pill than others, but did you know there’s an official pill grading system that tells you how much pilling to expect from any given fabric? There are a total of five grades, and a higher grade means the fabric is less likely to pill.
As a peer-reviewed article from Sensors explains, a grade of 1 indicates severe pilling, whereas a grade of 5 means a fabric is pill-resistant. So, opting for bed sheets with pilling grade 5 means you’re practically guaranteed not to experience pilling.
But fabrics with pilling grade 5 are very rare. How are you supposed to find bamboo bed sheets with this grade? We’ve made this easy for you: In the next section, we’ll explain what we’ve done to ensure our bamboo sheets are less likely to pill than any other sheets you’ll find — and yes, they’re one of the rare options you’ll find with pilling grade 5.
Bamboo Sheets That Don’t Pill
If you’re looking for bamboo sheets that won’t pill, you’ll love our Hush Iced 2.0 bamboo sheets. Read on to learn about some of the benefits of our bamboo sheets and why we feel confident these are the best bamboo sheets on the market.
Hush Bamboo Sheets Have Pilling Grade 5
Our sheets have earned pilling grade 5 (very rare for bed sheets!) because we worked hard to solve the pilling problem. We visited hundreds of factories, talked to countless manufacturers, and experimented with fabrics over and over again until we were sure we had a fabric that didn’t pill.
The end result is luxurious bamboo fabric (without the luxury price tag) that has many advantages over other types of bamboo fabric.
Hush Bamboo Sheets Have Extra Long Fibers
While bamboo fabrics tend to have longer fibers compared to other types of fabric, our Hush bamboo sheets have even longer fibers than other bamboo sheets. Thanks to our manufacturing process, the bamboo fibers are longer than the fibers of just about any other fabric you’ll find on the market.
As we explained above, long fibers make friction and subsequent pilling less likely. With our extra long fibers, our sheets are extra pill-resistant, not to mention super smooth, soft, and luxurious.
Hush Sheets Have a Low Thread Count with a High Thread Count Feel
In fact, our unique sateen weave gives our sheets a thread count feel of 1,500 — but the actual thread count is only 300! This makes a huge difference, because sheets with higher thread counts may feel more luxurious but are also more likely to pill. With our sheets, you get the best of both worlds: a luxurious feel with a low thread count that won’t pill.
This is also what allows us to manufacture and sell luxury bamboo sheets with an affordable price tag. Thread count is one of the main factors that contributes to the price of bed sheets, so a lower thread count means we don’t have to charge as much — but it’ll still feel like a super expensive set of high thread count sheets.
Hush Bamboo Sheets Stay Cleaner for Longer
Our manufacturing process also allows our sheets to stay cleaner for even longer than typical bamboo sheets. With our sheets, you can wash them half as often as you’re used to, but rest assured that they’re still clean.
Because you’ll be putting them in the washing machine less frequently, they’ll be subject to less of the wear and tear that comes with regular washing — and this includes pilling.
Hush Bamboo Sheets Are Made With Organic Viscose Bamboo
We take pride in the bamboo we use to make our sheets. We use only organic bamboo, and we make sure it’s harvested at just the right time of year in order for it to retain all of its natural benefits.
We also use bamboo viscose, which is a higher quality bamboo fabric than other types of bamboo fabric you’ll find. Viscose bamboo is strong, durable, long-lasting, and pill-resistant.
Try our Hush Iced 2.0 bamboo sheets to experience these benefits for yourself. And remember, if you’re not 100% satisfied after 100 nights of sleeping on our sheets, you can return them for a full refund — no questions asked.
