How to shop for summer quilt covers: cotton or polyester?

Date Posted:29 November 2016

Summer is fast approaching, and 2017 is just around the corner with less than one month to go. Why not take this time to revamp your bedroom?

With rising temperatures comes hot and sweaty nights, and the last thing you need is a warm and thick quilt or a quilt cover that lets you down by not being light and cool enough.

Typically, cotton is the superior choice for those hot and sleepless nights, as its natural breathable properties will keep you covered but at the same time not suffocate you with your own body heat. Cotton also absorbs moisture really well, so when you sweat through the night, it will help move the sweat from your body onto the material itself. However, despite being the most breathable fabric, cotton also has its downsides.

Cotton is able to absorb moisture (sweat) by directly absorbing it into its fibers. However, the end effect is that the material ends up sticking to you (this is how wet t-shirt contests are possible). For clothing, this is not necessarily an unwanted quality, but for sleep, a thin layer of cotton is not always comfortable.

This is where adding a bit of polyester into a quilt cover can help.

It is a myth that polyester has no cooling properties at all, and due to this, is not ideal for warmer weather.

If you were to take an equal weight of cotton and polyester together, you will have much more cotton. Polyester is thinner (thus lighter) than cotton, which makes it less likely to trap in heat.

Polyester helps to balance some of the negative qualities of a cotton shirt as well.

In addition, a polyester blend is more resistant to shrinking, strong against most harsh chemicals, mildew and abrasion, and is generally more resilient.

Polyester is also more afforable than cotton.

When combined together, a poly/cotton microfiber blend is therefore ideal for the consumer who wants something stylish, practical, adaptible to the conditions, and most importantly, affordable.

At Manchester Direct, our Luxton and Ricoco range are filled with plenty of microfiber quilt covers. Shop now!