Are Twill Weave Sheets Better than Sateen Weave?

What is Bamboo Twill Weave? 

A twill weave is identified by a seeing a diagonal rib across the face of the fabric. Most jeans are woven with a twill weave because it adds durability to the fabric. A typical weave consists of a warp and a weft, which are the horizontal and vertical threads. Twill is created by passing the weft thread over and under several warp threads, rather than just one thread, like with sateen weaves. Additionally, with twill each row is offset from the previous one, which makes the diagonal rib pattern appear.  There is a front and a back to twill weave, and the front side will have the more apparent rib, while the backside will appear more flat. Because of the durability, twill weave sheets are better than sateen, as sateen is prone to pilling.

Why are Twill Weave Sheets Better than Sateen Weave:

The twill makes for a sturdier fabric that will last longer, it creates a better drape, better wrinkle resistance, and a more pliable material.  Sateen is made by 3-yarns-over and 1-yarn-under. It does make for a very smooth fabric, but less durable.

BedVoyage has chosen a very tight twill weave because it makes our bedding incredibly smooth, but also very durable. You have to look very closely to see our twill as it is so tight, but this guarantees against pilling. Pilling is described as the yarn balls that will appear under the arms of a sweater that’s been worn many times.  Or when inexpensive sheet fabric appears to have little balls and fuzzy spots that’s uncomfortable against your skin. This is where the fabric has worn against itself and loosened the threads, which then ball up. What pilling creates is an uneven and bumpy feel as you move about during the night, you definitely do notice and it keeps some people from resting deeply.

Does the Width of the Twill Make a Difference?

Some of our competitors have chosen a very wide twill weave, which you can clearly see. This means their sheets will not be as soft, sturdy or pill-proof as BedVoyage linens.  Bamboo twill weave is a good choice if you want the sheets to be more durable and last longer. Many customers have told us that they’ve had our sheets for 10+ years and are still using them! A twill weave does not compromise the incredibly silky softness of bamboo, but it does allow you to sleep on them for many years!

We have two BedVoyage collections that use the tight twill weave: our 100% Luxury Bamboo collection, and our melange Bamboo/Cotton blend collection. We’ve chosen this tight twill weave on both as it creates the softest sheets you’ll ever sleep on. They’ll be like your favorite comfy t-shirt that you can’t wait to wear, but covering your whole bed!

What is the Thread Count? 

BedVoyage uses a thread count of 300, which is very high for bamboo fabrics. Many competitors use a lower thread count, and also blend with micro-fibers. We use 100% bamboo on our luxury line and use a 50% bamboo/50% cotton blend. Both use a tight twill weave because it ensures no pilling.

When a fabric description says 800 or 1000 thread count, its telling you how many threads were woven per square inch. The higher the number, the denser the weave, which can create a very unbreathable sheet. BedVoyage linens are 300 thread count, which we feel is the sweet-spot between being silky-soft yet super breathable.  The other benefit is that bamboo sheets are extremely absorbent, so they’ll wick moisture away from your skin faster than most other fabrics.

How Bamboo Sheets Regulate Your Body Temperature:

When your sheets allow air to pass through; you stay cooler. The threads or yarns of bamboo textiles have micro-gaps and holes in them. This allows heat to pass through and not be trapped. If you’ve ever slept on super high thread count cotton sheets, you may have noticed that you were overly hot and uncomfortable.

We call it a Smart Fabric because bamboo fibers can adjust to your body’s needs. The fibers can sense if you’re overheating and will release the heat. But they can also sense if you’re cold and will keep your warmth in. With this ‘thermal-regulating’ quality; 2 people who may sleep very differently can finally be comfortable together, with just one set of magical sheets!

How is Bamboo Harvested?

The moso bamboo stalks are cut near the base of the plant and allowed to regrow for their next harvest time. Moso bamboo is a super fast-growing plant, it can grow up to 3 feet per day, you can literally watch it grow. The bamboo is grown and raised on farms, specifically for the creation of linens. There is no need for fertilizer or pesticides during the growing process, as bamboo naturally repels pests. Cotton, on the other hand, uses 25% of the world’s most toxic chemicals during its growing process. One study stated that a typical man’s cotton T-shirt can use up to 2 pounds of toxic chemicals during its production.

There are no natural forests being cut down, nor any harm to panda habitats. Panda’s staple food is bamboo, and although there are 42 types of bamboo species they eat; Moso is not one of them.

How is Bamboo Fabric Made?

The regenerated bamboo fibers are produced in a wet-spun process. Natural cellulose (in this case originating from mechanically crushed bamboo leaves and stems) is used as the raw material in a hydrolysis–alkalization process. The cellulose of the crushed bamboo is then ground up, and run through a compression machine to become sheets of ‘paper’ left to dry for 24 hours. It is then soaked in sodium hydroxide which wets the paper to become a viscose solution. This solution is then pushed through spinneret nozzles into a large tub of diluted sulfuric acid to harden the fibers. They can then be spun into fine, smooth tubular threads. Most Bamboo Viscose yarns are produced in China, India and Pakistan.

The bamboo yarns, called greige, have a lot of micro-dust and impurities in its natural state. So once the weaving is completed; the fabric is cleaned by a process called scouring and bleaching. This process opens up the fiber pores to increase the intake of the fiber-reactive dyes, so the fabric takes in the dye more evenly and smoothly. When this process is complete, it also creates the luxurious hand-feel that is so special to bamboo.

BedVoyage’s factory is a LEED certified factory, in which all chemicals used in the process of making the fabrics are reused and recirculated. No chemicals or dyes are spilled into the waterways or ground.

How Soft is Bamboo Fabric?

The special qualities of cashmere can be described as lightweight, downy, and comforting.  And the qualities or hand-feel of silk can be described as luxurious, drapey and smooth. Add together the qualities of those mentioned fabrics and you have the best description of how bamboo linens feel against your skin.

If you love cozy bed linens, then bamboo is for you. The linens are so incredibly soft to the touch that sleeping in them is simply heavenly. Once you’ve slept on bamboo, you will certainly never go back to ordinary cotton sheets.

What if I already have sheets?

Consider giving them to someone else!  You know when you have a t-shirt you ‘like’ but you have one that you LOVE? You gravitate to wearing the one you love, and occasionally put the other one on because you feel guilty that you bought it. So you wear it, but you don’t like wearing it as much as your other one.  Bamboo sheets are like that, you’ll LOVE them, and then you’ll never want to sleep on anything but bamboo ever again.  Our customers often tell us that they’ve given away their cotton sheets and will sleep on nothing but BedVoyage Bamboo Twill Sheets!