Buying bamboo sheets online for the first time can be a total nightmare!
Although they are commonly advertised as being light, soft, and breathable. Many first-time buyers are shocked to find their sheets have none of the qualities they were promised by the seller.
So, does that mean that ALL bamboo sheets are bad? Or were you sold a set of fake bamboo sheets?
To help you avoid being disappointed or even ripped off, I’ve put together this guide to the most common reasons to avoid bamboo rayon sheets and why they are NOT worth it at all!
What Makes Bamboo Rayon Sheets Bad?
Bamboo rayon sheets are bad for the environment because, unlike natural bamboo sheets, rayon requires a lot of chemicals to produce. They also lack in quality and don’t have all the benefits compared to other types of bamboo sheets.
1. Producing bamboo rayon can be harmful to the environment
The production of most types of fabrics isn’t very environmentally friendly. They all use chemicals to speed up the process, with rayon being one of the worst offenders. Because it requires so many chemicals during production, having a negative impact on the environment.
After interviewing over a dozen bamboo manufacturers, I learned that only a handful of them are truly “green” companies. Others just want to make money without any regard for the environment.
Most bamboo rayon is made using chemicals such as;
- Aqueous sodium hydroxide
- Sulfuric acid
- Carbon disulfide
Not only are these chemicals bad for the environment, but they’re also dangerous to work with. Some are known for being toxic and corrosive, while others are known for being carcinogenic.
Rayon is usually made from bamboo grown in China, which often has a poor record of allowing chemical run-off into waterways. Not only does the run-off threaten the supply of drinking water, but it also threatens all the wildlife in the area.
2. Sheets made from bamboo rayon are lower in quality
When my wife and I first tried bamboo sheets, it was because of all the hype about how great they are. They were supposed to be luxurious, comfortable, eco-friendly, etc.
All of these promises are mostly true for natural bamboo fabric. But not so much with rayon sheet sets. Bamboo rayon has a very different texture than that of real bamboo fabric. It’s also less breathable, absorbent, and durable. So, you won’t get the same luxurious and spa-like experience as you would with real bamboo.
Many manufacturers also use low-quality fibers in their rayon sheets. These fibers often go through rigorous chemical treatments to make them soft and feel high-quality. But this process makes them much less durable than natural bamboo fabric. So, it’s much easier to damage and stain rayon sheets than it is to damage and stain natural bamboo fabric.
3. Rayon from bamboo does not resemble natural bamboo fabric
All the processes and chemicals used to produce bamboo rayon go against the grain of what makes everything else made from bamboo so great.
Natural bamboo fabric is soft and silky, much like your favorite silk or satin sheets. Bamboo fabric gets softer with every wash and lasts a long time (several years in most cases).
But all that goes out the window when they make sheets from rayon. Instead of producing natural bamboo fibers, manufacturers take shortcuts to make cheap rayon sheets.
They use false labeling and advertising to trick consumers into thinking that they’re getting a good deal. Some even claim that rayon from bamboo is more eco-friendly than natural fabric.
But all of that is just marketing jargon and a gimmick to get you to buy their product.
So, while it’s true there are some genuinely good sheets out there that are a blend of bamboo and cotton, they’re still inferior to real bamboo sheets.
Bonus: Bamboo Sheets That Are Good for You!
Now that you know why some bamboo sheets are considered to be bad, I want to point out which ones I recommend!
 | Cariloha Bamboo Sheets |
| Check Price |
  | Pure Bamboo Sheets |
| Check Price |
  | Zenlusso Organic Bamboo Sheets |
| Check Price |
These companies only use natural, sustainable materials in their bamboo sheets to produce something truly unique and luxurious.
Reasons To Avoid Bamboo Rayon Sheets
Final Thoughts
So, keep in mind that not all bamboo sheets are bad!
Different companies use different methods to produce bamboo fabrics. Most sheets made from bamboo rayon might be less expensive, but they lack the natural quality and benefits of real bamboo viscose sheets.
