Satin feels cool to the touch, whereas silk warms up with body heat. For those who prefer to sleep on a cool surface, satin is the better choice. Satin is easy to launder and will look beautiful for years. Silk's thin, delicate fibers usually require hand washing and hanging to dry, and will degrade over time.
Satin is made from synthetic fibre and is not breathable. Pure silk on the other hand is breathable and temperature regulating which means it would keep you cool on a hot night and warm on a cold one.
The first, and most significant, advantage of silk bedding is it simultaneously prevents overheating and keeps cool sleepers warm. When you sleep under traditional bedding, most of your body heat and sweat are trapped under the covers with you. However, silk bedding efficiently vents this heat and moisture away.
Silk will typically last longer because it's higher quality. If you with satin because it better aligns with your budget, it's still a huge upgrade from a cotton pillowcase. And if you're really concerned about the slight loss of moisture, Onuoha suggests giving your curls a quick oil treatment.
Natural fibers like silk or cotton satin are great choices for summer, as they are soft, lightweight, and breathable. Avoid heavy and thick satin fabrics, as they will trap heat and make you feel uncomfortable.
Temperature regulation
Because satin is a man-made fibre, and often synthetic, it lacks the same breathability you find with silk, and so doesn't regulate temperature quite as effectively. Silk is a natural temperature regulator, thanks to the tube-like fibres that allow air to efficiently flow through.
Silk sheets are cold
But the cellular structure of silk protein makes it naturally insulating and temperature regulating. That means your silk sheets will keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. They are a fantastic choice for staying comfortable year-round in any sleeping conditions.
Silk is a natural insulator also, trapping small amounts of air between the fibres to keep you warm when it's cold outside, yet it also vents excess heat when you overheat. So it feels cool and light on those stuffy summer nights and the perfect temperature on a winter's day.
Real silk fades when exposed to sunlight
Because silk is a natural textile, it is prone to fading when left in sunlight – whether left out on the washing line or by a window. With this in mind, it's important to air dry your silk sheets, pillowcases, and duvet covers inside and away from the sun.
The fabric is smooth, silky, and very elegant and luxurious. Your skin won't stick to satin sheets as it would on cotton. It's hypoallergenic, which also means it's more hygienic. It's cooling, which makes it perfect for hot summer nights.
That said, it's worth noting that silk isn't as absorbent as its cotton or linen contemporaries and choosing to wear a silk slip or skirt may result in sweat stains on a very humid day.
Make sure that you use lightweight silk. You may have a question like 'What is summer silk? ' The answer is that the silk that is breathable enough for summer and won't make you sweat is called summer silk. However, the low absorbency of silk means that sweat stains will be easily visible.
Cotton sheets are lightweight, soft and breathable, allowing for air to circulate to your skin. As a result, these are one of the best bed fabrics for summer. In fact, natural fibers like cotton are known to be the coolest material to sleep in.
Linen is perfect for summer because it feels light on the skin and wicks away moisture even better than cotton. In our guide to the best linen sheets, we recommend the Cultiver Linen Sheets. This set is one of the softest we've tried and comes in the widest range of colors and prints.
DON'T put your silk items in the dryer if you can help it. Heat can damage delicate silk fibers. If dryer is absolutely necessary use only 'air' setting for 15 minutes or less with NO fabric sheets or dryer balls. Remove sheets and pillowcases before completely dry.
The very nature of the silk fabric is that it can cling to your skin, which can lead to uncomfortable nights if you're already feeling overheated. So even though they allow for enough airflow at night, they may still be uncomfortable if you're already running hot.
Silk traps heat and gets too hot to sleep in for some, especially in summertime when you want to cool off in a smooth cooling fabric when you go to bed after a long hot day. Bamboo is a breathable fabric and a lot more comfortable, temperature-wise than silk.
Silk and satin – often get confused for each other, they look similar but what are the differences between the two? Despite their similar appearance the biggest difference is that satin is a weave and not a natural fibre, whereas silk is a natural fibre fabric.
Silk is a natural protein fibre. It is so smooth and has a natural temperature regulating property. Protein fibre has the ability to sync with our skin, which creates an insulating feeling that warms our body.
Silk wicks away and absorbs moisture from your skin. Along with reducing that sticky, sweaty feeling, this also prevents your skin from drying out.
For people who get hot during sleep, choosing sheets made of bamboo, cotton, or linen — breathable fabrics that wick away moisture from the body and help maintain a comfortable temperature — can help.
Satin. A long time ago, satin was made of silk. But now, it's mostly polyester and rayon, neither of which are breathable. So even though satin feels cool to the touch, it's not a good fabric for summer.
In all its shiny glory, satin pillowcases miss out on the temperature-regulating properties that can help improve sleep comfort. To be fair, polyester satin is cool when it's cold. But when it's hot, it's scorching. Given its non-breathable fabric and dense weaving, all the moisture only gets trapped inside.
Because satin is usually made from synthetic fibers for affordability, it's not particularly breathable. When used to manufacture bedding, satin sheets can trap heat and cause you to sweat more.