Hot sleepers are probably used to kicking off the covers every night — but it doesn’t have to be like that. Cooling comforters that are breathable, promote airflow with mesh pockets, and wick your sweat can make a world of a difference. And when you’re sleeping with something so soft and airy, there’s never a shortage of cool spots to find with your feet.
Many adults have security blankets. They just come in the form of the absolute need to sleep under a comforter or a sheet, even on nights when it’s hotter than the kitchen on Chopped.
The explanation is similar to the science behind weighted blankets: Blankets are associated with higher levels of serotonin and dopamine. Feeling even the slightest bit bundled can cause deep pressure stimulation, which helps to regulate your parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems (the things in charge of our bodies while we’re at rest and on the go).
But a cool temperature is another main key to a restful sleep. If you and your significant other are in a perpetual argument about the temperature of your room at night, whoever votes for cold is technically right. The National Sleep Foundation suggests that 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal room temperature at bedtime. Body temperature regulates our circadian clock, and hot rooms make it hard for your body to drop to its optimal temperature for REM sleep.
During months when even AC can’t manage that, what should you do? Skip the comforter, plus the feel-good chemicals and calmed nervous system that come with it?
Nope. Just invest in a cooling comforter.
How do cooling comforters work?
A cooling comforter is primarily used to keep the under-cover climate airy and moisture-free, but it won’t replace air conditioning. If you’re expecting a comforter laced in some proprietary, blue cooling gel that feels like an everlasting icepack, you’ll be disappointed.
Being lightweight certainly helps, but many puffy, thick comforters are much more cooling than a thin one filled with lumpy polyester.
Materials can tell you a lot about a comforter’s airflow. Natural fibers like cotton, bamboo, and eucalyptus are much more breathable than synthetic ones, which trap hot air and can conjure static charge. Down comforters (made with goose or duck feathers) are the epitome of cloud-like bedding, but they’re also known for their insulation. Fill power is the fluffiness measurement: the denser the down clusters, the warmer the comforter. For best cooling results, find a fill power of 600 or less.
Aside from breathability, you may also be looking for a comforter that keeps perspiration or allergic reactions at bay. Here are the factors to keep in mind:
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Sweat management: Bamboo, eucalyptus, and merino wool are naturally efficient water absorbers. When it comes to bedding, this property translates into moisture-wicking, which pulls sweat away from the body and sends it to the outer layer of the sheets or comforter to evaporate. (Tencel is a newly popular viscose fiber derived from bamboo or eucalyptus pulp that is made from plant cellulose — and those plant fibers love sucking in moisture.)
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Softness: Sweaty sleepers aren’t the only ones who may want to look for such materials, of course: Bamboo and eucalyptus also happen to be wildly soft and more sustainable than even organic cotton. Those who dream of the slippery glide of silk sheets might consider a bamboo or eucalyptus comforter, as those fibers typically have a finer yarn and make for a smoother weave pattern.
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Thread count: This term refers to the number of threads in one square inch of your bedding. It can be a factor ini determining whether your comforter feels smooth or like a crunchy button-up shirt, but don’t let it dictate a level of luxury. Bamboo and cotton have differing yarn structure and weave patterns, so comparing their thread counts isn’t quite apples to apples. Ettitude says that a standard 300 thread count in bamboo is the equivalent of 1000 thread count of the finest cotton sheets.
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Hypoallergenic: For the longest time, the rule for allergy-prone folks was to steer clear of down bedding because of its likelihood to attract or house dust mites. Dust mites can technically make a home in any type of bedding, but it’s still possible to have a reaction to feathers — not to mention that the quills can be irritating to sensitive skin.
If you’re still hot after all of this, a cooling mattress pad can help tackle the climate between your body and the mattress.
After lots of careful research and studying hundreds of online reviews, here are our picks for the best cooling comforters:
1. Casper Humidity Fighting Duvet
One of those fluffy down comforters that everyone wants, filled with sweat-wicking merino wool.-
Fill:
Duck down, merino wool -
Shell:
100% cotton -
Machine washable:
Yes
Waking up in a pool of sweat isn’t fun for you, the person you’re sleeping with, or the sheets you just washed. But when you’re already sleeping in minimal clothing and without a blanket even covering your toes (*shudders*), what more can you do to stay cool? Casper’s innovative Humidity Fighting duvet could be your game changer.
Inside the airy, 100% cotton shell lies a layer of ethically-sourced down fill and, wait for it, merino wool. Primarily known as being warm and occasional itchy, wool might seem counterintuitive to cooling — but merino wool is actually quite breathable and one of the best natural moisture-wicking materials out there. This duvet is so light that it’s probably not enough insulation for chilly sleepers in the winter.
If you’re not digging the aesthetic of the sewn-in rectangle chambers, use the duvet as an insert and pair it with an equally-cooling cover.
Prices range between $350 and $450 depending on your bed’s size.
2. Buffy Breeze
Combat night sweats with the moisture-wicking properties of eucalyptus wrapped in up in a cloud.-
Fill:
Eucalyptus -
Shell:
Eucalyptus -
Machine washable:
Dry cleaning and spot cleaning are recommended
Both the Buffy Cloud and Buffy Breeze are puffy, have a glorious 300-thread count that feels similar to silk, and create a ~breeze~ every time you move. Aside from its fun squiggly pattern, the Breeze sets itself apart with 100% eucalyptus fill (compared to the Cloud’s recycled polyester fill). When you compress the comforter, you can feel air puffing out the sides and moving through the fabric, which aids in temperature regulation. Reviewers swear by the Breeze’s ability to keep them from overheating at night — including people who sleep with someone who’s a walking space heater.
You know eucalyptus as the stuff koalas eat, but the bedding world knows it as a naturally-breathable fiber that’s just as soft as but requires less water to source than cotton. Lyocell (the technique used to process eucalyptus tree fibers) apparently guarantees that 99 percent of the water used can be recovered and reused again. Most of the process is done by hand rather than using machinery, which significantly reduces CO2 emissions.
Prices range between $179 for a twin to $259 for a king.
3. Brooklinen Lightweight Down Comforter
The internet’s favorite sheet brand brings you a down comforter that’s ultra soft and light as a feather. (Literally — there are feathers in there.)-
Fill:
Goose down -
Shell:
100% cotton sateen -
Machine washable:
Safe for the dryer, but refreshing by hang drying is recommended
Feathers are the thermal insulator that birds rely on to keep cold air out and body heat in — so at first glance, down comforters seem antithetical to a cool sleep. But with a lightweight down comforter like Brooklinen’s, hot sleepers don’t have to give up that fluffy cloud feeling.
Down comforters aren’t automatically heavy. (In fact, down is typically more breathable than synthetic down alternative fills.) The warmth depends on the loft power, or the amount of space that the down fills up. A 700-plus fill power is lofty and warm, while a fill power of 600 (like Brooklinen’s) or below allows heat to flow and escape through the fabric. The airy clusters are enclosed in Brooklinen’s famous cotton sateen shell, which provides a subtle, slippery feel that’s perfect for finding the cold spots with your toes.
Brooklinen sources all of its duck down from an eco-friendly Hutterite farm. This Canadian down is never a result of live plucking and has been washed five times to reach the highest level of fluff possible. It has also been treated with ultra-fresh antimicrobials to decrease the chance of attracting allergy-triggering dust mites.
Prices range between $199 for a twin to $299 for a king.
4. Cuddledown
Get the fluff of down without feeling suffocated with this synthetic, mesh-ventilated comforter.-
Fill:
Synthetic down-alternative -
Shell:
100% combed cotton -
Machine washable:
Yes
Down comforters have long been revered for their ability to take a bed from drab to luxurious. What’s not luxurious are the quills that stick out, the occasional smell, or the washing instructions that are usually a pain. If you want the puff with a little less maintenance, we don’t blame you for going the down-alternative route.
Fill made of synthetic fibers (especially microfiber) don’t always aerate the under-blanket situation as well as cotton or other natural fibers. Cuddletown’s temperature-regulating comforter is not only a down-alternative, but its gray mesh pockets make it a cooler microfiber alternative as well. Perforated squares sewn throughout the comforter create climate zones, which regulate air temperature around the body and keep hot air flowing up and out.
As you could expect, a comforter with holes isn’t the coziest all-season comforter (that is, unless you always sleep hot and everyone else in your household votes to crank the heat). Chilly air can pass through easily and it’s not a heavy comforter as it is.
Prices range between $239 for a twin to $399 for a king.
Instead, a down-alternative, breathable comforter that’s still wallet-friendly and easy to wash is a smoother route for everyone — and doesn’t run the risk of quills poking out. This all-season comforter by Linenspa appears on countless lists of best comforters all across the internet, including a number of cooling-specific ones. The lightweight microfiber fill provides heat dissipation for warm nights but gets cozy enough when the weather turns cool — a lifesaver when it comes to maintaining a kid’s bedroom. Pair it with some silky, sweat-wicking bamboo sheets or a bamboo duvet cover for the full experience.
The combo of children and white comforters is an accident waiting to happen. The Linenspa is reversible and easy to match to a room’s theme, available in solid colors like navy and mocha plus striped patterns. For parents, the fact that it’s machine washable is a selling point in itself.
Prices range between $29.99 for a twin and $64.99 for a king.
6. Cozy Earth Bamboo Comforter
Ultra soft and tightly woven to prevent dust mites, a bamboo comforter is great for people with allergies.-
Fill:
100% bamboo viscose -
Shell:
100% bamboo viscose -
Machine washable:
Yes
Other suggestions surrounding hypoallergenic bedding focus on thread count: The more tightly-woven the fibers, the less chances that dust mites have to squeeze through. Though bamboo is extremely breathable, bamboo fabrics still tend to use tightly-packed weaves and are less likely to tear and pill than cotton. Cozy Earth says that its bedding skips traditional weaving all together, and is instead crafted from long fibers that stretch across the entire length of the comforter. Bamboo is known for its smooth, buttery feel that’s less likely to irritate skin and cause dust mite-attracting skin cells to shed. That soft surface doesn’t stick to skin either, and Cozy Earth says it’s 50% less humid than other comforters.
People with allergies should plan on washing bedding once a week. A comforter that can be thrown in the washing machine and the dryer is a must. Be sure to wash your comforter before using it to get rid of any lingering chemicals, dyes, or weird smells.
Prices range between $383 for a twin and $527 for a king.
7. Ettitude Organic Bamboo Duvet
A moisture-wicking, eco-friendly duvet that creates a dreamy match for your cooling comforter.-
Fill:
N/A -
Shell:
100% organic bamboo -
Machine washable:
Yes
Most cooling comforters are white — white comforters get dirty easily — and most white comforters are a huge pain to clean. If you’re not attached to that all-white bedding hotel room vibe, a cooling duvet cover like the organic bamboo one from Ettitude is a heavenly solution. Bonus: It’s machine washable.
Putting a cooling comforter inside a duvet will totally defeat the purpose if that duvet doesn’t have thermoregulating properties as well. If your comforter is 100% cotton or has special air pockets to promote airflow but your duvet is microfiber, your body heat has nowhere to escape. Bamboo is breathable like cotton and great at drawing sweat away from your body — two features that work together with your comforter to avoid a steam trap.
Depending on the material and thread count, some cooling comforters are a rough and borderline crispy. Ettitude’s bamboo lyocell fabric is lustrous, silky, and exactly what you’d want to roll in after a hot day. The lyocell process that turns bamboo pulp to fibers is a closed-loop system where 99% of the water and chemicals are reused, you can feel good about this purchase.
Prices range between $104 for a twin to $134 for a king.
8. Gravity Cooling Blanket
Weighted blanket diehards can now achieve that calming swaddle without overheating on humid nights.-
Fill:
Fine-grade glass beads -
Shell:
Faux Tencel -
Machine washable:
Only the duvet cover (not the weighted insert)
Weighted blankets attempt to mimic the therapeutic pressure of a hug, cuddling, or even a pet on your lap. People are finding that Deep Touch Pressure Simulation (the same idea behind swaddling babies) could help to lull you to sleep by relaxing your nervous system — subsequently reducing anxiety or insomnia.
That level of bundled works for the cold, but the mere thought of sleeping under a 20-pound blanket on an 80-degree night may make you start to sweat. A cooling weighted blanket was essentially an oxymoron until Gravity had the idea to add a cooling cover.
The iconic weighted blanket has been reimagined for warm weather, now enclosed in a moisture-wicking duvet. Admittedly, the faux Tencel material in the new cover won’t inherently produce chills, and the blanket won’t float on you like a sheet. (That’s an unrealistic expectation, anyway.) However, the Gravity Cooling Blanket is noticeably more breathable than your average throw and the glossy sheen feels cool on skin. The glass beads that give it its weight don’t retain heat and are stitched in a grid to stay evenly distributed.