Mattress Fabric Guide
Confused by the different terms used to describe mattress fabrics? From knitted and woven fabric to cotton, Tencel™, bamboo and cooling fabric, it can be difficult to know what actually matters when choosing a mattress.
The easiest way to understand mattress fabric is to look at it from three perspectives: how the fabric is constructed, what material it is made from, and how well the finished cover works with the rest of the mattress.
Construction
Knitted Fabric
Knitted fabric is made by forming yarn into a series of interconnected loops. These loops can move and open slightly when stretched, giving knitted fabric greater natural flexibility.
Foam and latex comfort layers are designed to compress and contour around your body. A flexible knitted cover moves together with these layers, allowing them to respond more naturally.
- Naturally stretchy and flexible
- Moves easily with foam and latex
- Generally softer at the surface
- Conforms closely to the mattress
- More prone to snagging or pilling than woven fabric
- Cooling and breathability depend on fiber material
Woven Fabric
Woven fabric is made using two sets of yarns. Warp yarns run lengthwise while weft yarns cross over them, creating an interlaced structure with less natural stretch.
Woven fabric was traditionally more common on mattresses because its firmer, more stable structure helped the cover hold its shape. However, it has become less common as it offers less stretch to accommodate the contouring comfort layers widely used in modern mattresses.
- Stable and structured
- Holds its shape well
- Can be highly durable
- Provides a traditional mattress finish
- Has less natural stretch
- May feel more structured at the surface
- Can restrict some contouring of softer comfort layers
Materials
Polyester
Polyester is a synthetic fiber widely used in mattress covers because of its durability, consistency and relatively affordable cost. It can be used on its own or blended with other fibers.
- Durable and resistant to everyday wear
- Holds its shape well
- Relatively affordable
- Dries relatively quickly
- The fiber itself absorbs relatively little moisture
- Moisture management depends heavily on fabric construction and engineering
Cotton
Cotton is a natural cellulosic fiber widely used throughout bedding and textiles. It has a familiar soft feel and naturally absorbs moisture released during sleep.
- Soft and comfortable
- Naturally absorbent
- Made from natural fibers
- Can be breathable in suitable constructions
- Can retain moisture once saturated
- May dry more slowly than many synthetic fibers
- Performance still depends heavily on fabric construction
Bamboo
Despite the bamboo name, the finished fiber is not bamboo in its natural form. Bamboo cellulose undergoes extensive chemical processing to produce rayon or viscose fibers, which are then used to create the fabric.
- Typically soft and smooth
- Comfortable against the skin
- Good moisture absorption
- Can create a lightweight mattress surface
- “Bamboo” does not describe one standard textile
- Usually refers to bamboo-derived viscose or rayon
- Performance varies between blends and constructions
Tencel™ Lyocell
Tencel™ is a fiber brand from Lenzing. Tencel™ lyocell is a regenerated cellulosic fiber made from wood-derived cellulose and is commonly used in bedding for its soft feel and moisture-management properties.
- Soft and smooth surface
- Good moisture management
- Helps maintain a less clammy sleeping surface
- Works well in flexible knitted mattress covers
- Generally costs more than basic polyester
- Does not automatically make a mattress cool
- Overall temperature still depends on the mattress underneath
Polyethylene Cooling Fabric
Some cooling mattress fabrics incorporate polyethylene yarns designed to transfer heat away from the skin relatively quickly, creating a noticeable cool-to-touch sensation.
- Strong immediate cooling sensation
- Rapid surface heat transfer
- Useful for sleepers who dislike a warm initial surface
- Cool-to-touch is different from staying cool overnight
- Polyethylene itself absorbs little moisture
- A thicker fitted sheet may reduce the cooling sensation
What We Use
Moisture Management
During sleep, your body continuously releases moisture through perspiration and water vapour. A good mattress cover should help manage this moisture instead of allowing excessive humidity to build up around your body.
When moisture management is the priority, we generally favour Tencel™, which provides good moisture absorption and management.
Temperature Regulation
"Cooling" can describe different effects. It is useful to distinguish between the immediate cool-to-touch sensation of a fabric and how well the mattress can dissipate heat over several hours, which is largely influenced by its breathability. Learn more about the factors that keep a mattress cool to sleep on.
We use cooling fabric made with polyethlene on selected mattresses for a stronger cool-to-touch sensation while maintaining good breathability through the night. We also use Tencel™ for its excellent breathability and moisture management, helping keep the sleeping surface drier and more comfortable.
Comfort & Surface Feel
The mattress cover is part of the comfort system rather than simply a decorative outer layer. Its softness, flexibility and stretch can influence how freely the comfort layers underneath respond to your body.
This is especially important for mattresses with foam, latex or other comfort layers designed to compress and contour around the body.
We use knitted fabric across all of our hybrid mattresses. As all of our hybrid mattresses incorporate comfort layers, the additional stretch of knitted fabric allows these layers to compress and contour more freely instead of being restricted by a less flexible cover.
Looking to Choose a Mattress?
Explore our mattress collection, with most models using Tencel™ or cooling fabric covers, or view our mattress buying guide to learn about the other factors to consider.
References
- Clothing Thermophysiological Comfort: A Textile Science Perspective — Comprehensive review of textile heat and moisture transfer, fibre hygroscopicity and fabric properties affecting thermal comfort. Supports the discussion on moisture management, breathability, polyester, cotton and lyocell.
- Moisture Vapor Permeability and Thermal Wear Comfort of Ecofriendly Fiber-Embedded Woven Fabrics for High-Performance Clothing — Experimental study examining moisture-vapour transmission, breathability and thermal properties of Tencel, bamboo and polyester-containing fabrics, including the influence of fibre and fabric structure.
- Radiative Human Body Cooling by Nanoporous Polyethylene Textile — Peer-reviewed research in Science demonstrating the use of polyethylene-based textiles for personal thermal management and cooling, supporting the discussion of polyethylene as a cooling textile material.
- Federal Trade Commission — “Bamboo” Fabrics — Consumer guidance explaining that soft textiles marketed as bamboo are generally rayon or viscose made using bamboo-derived cellulose, and that properties of the original bamboo plant should not automatically be attributed to the finished fabric.
- Wearable Cooling Textiles of Thermal Conduction and Sweat Transfer for Personal Thermal Management — Recent research showing that thermal conduction and moisture transport work together in textile cooling performance, supporting the distinction between immediate surface cooling and longer-term thermal and moisture comfort.