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Best cooling bedding, tried and tested by hot sleepers
We've found the best cooling pillows, duvets and sheets for a chilled night's sleep
Tested by Blossom Boothroyd and Kim Hawley
Having the best cooling bedding that's breathable is important for a good night’s sleep all year round, not just for summer, especially if you're going through the menopause or you tend to run hot at night. In fact, it’s a must-have if you want to stay cool, calm and collected and minimise any heat-induced tossing and turning.
Choose the right fibres (we've broken down the best below), and you can notably improve the air flow in your bed. This should help regulate your body temperature and give you a better-quality night’s sleep.
There’s even bedding out there that’s designed to be cool-to-touch – one of the pillows below has an always cool side. The stuff of dreams!
The best cooling bedding for 2025
We’ve gone through the results of all our sleep tests, from bedding sets and pillows to mattress toppers, to find the ones to turn to when night sweats or heatwaves strike. Here are our top picks at a glance:
For every item of bedding we test at the Good Housekeeping Institute, we ask panellists to judge any temperature-regulating and cooling claims. To put this list together, we've gone through all the results across our tests (over 300 of them in this year alone) and pulled out the ones that were rated most highly for both.
All prices are for a double set. Where items are sold individually, we’ve listed the price for the duvet cover.
Score: 98/100
Despite being designed for summer, this is actually our highest rated duvet overall. Our panel loved it. One said it was the “best quilt ever”, with many praising its cloud-like comfort and excellent body temperature regulation.
And even in chillier weather (they tested it in February), they still found it just right. “We no longer wake up from being too warm,” said one tester. “It's lightweight, so it kept us cool at night without sweating, but thick enough to still provide warmth even on cold nights.”
It has Simba’s unique cool-touch fabric on one side (icons tell you which side is which), and it’s filled with fibres made from recycled plastic bottles. In the lab, our testers awarded it high marks for ease of washing and overall design. Their only quibble was how long it took to line dry – but if that’s all, we’ll be adding it straight to our shopping carts.
Read our editor's full Simba Summer Hybrid Duvet review.
Key Specifications
| Fabric | Polyester filling, cotton cover with Stratos finish ono one side |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | Single, double, king, super king |
| Care | Wash at 40C, tumble dry on low, don't dry clean |
Score: 96/100
This is not just our best pillow for hot sleepers; it’s also one of our best buys overall. That’s because, according to our testers, there was “nothing to dislike”. The firm foam filling was supportive with just enough softness for slight give, while its bamboo cover washed well in the lab.
Now onto its cooling properties. This is the double-sided pillow we mentioned in our intro, with a cooling gel pad on one side and soft bamboo on the other. So, on nights when you need something warmer it shouldn’t leave you shivering, but when you need to lower your temperature, a quick flip will make all the difference. Our testers found this feature very effective, saying it “worked wonders,” was “icy cool,” and “great at regulating temperature”. Sold.
Key Specifications
| Fabric | Memory foam filling, cooling pad on one side, bamboo cover on the other |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | One size – 60 x 40 x 11 cm |
| Care | Pillow case machine washable at up to 40C, line dry, and wash inside out |
Dunelm Dorma Egyptian Cotton 400 Thread Count Percale Bedding
Score: 95/100
If you don’t have hundreds of pounds to invest in your bedding, these soft Egyptian cotton sheets are a stand-out choice. They have a lower thread count of 400, but our testers still loved the way they felt against the skin, with one telling us they “seemed to adjust to body temperature very quickly.”
They come in a wide array of colours, and maintained their quality and vibrancy after washing. The fit was also impeccable. You may need to whip out your iron, but there’s much to love about these affordable and breathable sheets.
Key Specifications
| Fabric | 400 thread count Egyptian cotton |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | Single, double, king, super king; items available individually |
| Care | Machine wash, tumble dry on low, iron on medium |
Score: 92/100
This excellent-value topper features air mesh sides to encourage airflow and prevent overheating while you snooze. Testers scored it highly for breathability, with one saying: “I tend to overheat at night, but I’ve experienced fewer restless, sweaty wake-ups.” One satisfied panel member has even bought another one for their spare room!
The topper was true to size and stayed put thanks to sturdy straps. It’s also machine washable, although it may be a tad bulky for standard-size machines.
Key Specifications
| Fabric | Polyester, hollowfibre |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | Single, double, king, super king |
| Care | Removable, washable cover |
Score: 90/100
We know, if you’re feeling too hot, the last thing you want to do is snuggle under a blanket. But this design, which has a cool-to-touch side (it’s jersey on the other) may actually help. "Covering myself with the blanket when I had a hot flush seemed counterintuitive, but it definitely had a cooling effect that lasted several minutes – enough to allow the flush to subside," said one cool customer.
It’s lightweight, so could make a good alternative to a duvet if you need something cooler. It’s easy to store away when it’s cold too and it didn’t shrink or fade in the wash. That said, the seams had twisted slightly by the fifth cycle. It’s not big enough for two either and it didn't work for everyone, but most of our testers liked it, finding it kept them cool at night and reduced night sweats.
Key Specifications
| Fabric | Cotton |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | One size - 152 x 178 cm |
| Care | Machine washable |
Ethical Bedding Eucalyptus and Bamboo Duvet (Light/Medium)
Score: 90/100
This duvet has a eucalyptus silk cover and is filled with a bamboo and recycled plastic bottle filling. It’s about seven togs, so it may still be too hot for balmy summer nights. But if you want something lightweight for autumn, winter and spring, then the relatively thin design should do the job.
Our panel praised its comfortable, luxurious feel and most found it breathable. In the lab, testers recorded slight shrinkage, but the filling was still evenly distributed.
Key Specifications
| Fabric | Eucalyptus silk cover; bamboo and recycled plastic bottle filling |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | Single, double, king, super king, emperor |
| Care | Machine wash cold |
Score: 89/100
This slinky set is made with organic bamboo, which is naturally moisture wicking, so it’s little surprise we received glowing reviews for its temperature regulation. One tester said, “I never felt too hot or cold,” and another told us the fabric felt breathable, which meant they “didn’t experience hot sweats” like they sometimes do.
Testers declared the set soft and comfortable, and were generally satisfied with its fit, although the sheet wasn’t quite big enough for deeper mattresses. In the lab washing machines, its overall quality was hard to fault too.
Bamboo also boasts better environmental credentials – because it's fast growing, it can regenerate more quickly than many other plants.
Key Specifications
| Fabric | Bamboo |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | Single, double, king, super king; set includes duvet cover, fitted sheet and pillowcases |
| Care | Wash at 30C, line dry |
Score: 85/100
This clever piece of kit is ideal for hot sleepers on the go. Simply slip the gel pad into your pillowcase and enjoy the instant cooling effects. You can even pop it into the fridge to keep you comfortable on particularly sweaty nights.
According to panellists, it had the desired effect, providing sufficient relief around the head and shoulders. One panellist told us their middle-of-the-night hot flushes had stopped since using the product and another said: “I wake up less in the night and have much more consistent sleep.”
There no was rustling or noise overnight and it was easy to clean (wipe it down and put in the washing machine). For some, it was a little heavy and one tester noted it slipped around in their pillowcase. Overall, though, a great buy for those who run hot.
Key Specifications
| Fabric | PVC, memory foam |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | One (60cm x 40cm) |
| Care | Machine wash |
Slumberdown Cool Summer Coverless Comfort Duvet
Score: 84/100
Whether you’re dealing with menopausal night sweats or you’re just a hot sleeper, this coverless duvet boasts breathable, cool-to-the-touch fabric, which is designed to draw heat away from your skin and keep your body temperature well-adjusted. It’s also ultra lightweight, so you can use it in bed, on the sofa or even take it on trips.
Testers described it as “a great summer duvet” and praised its cooling capabilities. The fabric was soft and comfy to sleep under and the filling was spread evenly. The best part? Thanks to the coverless design, you can simply pop it in the washing machine to freshen up – no need to faff around with bedsheets and poppers. It does take slightly longer to dry, though.
Key Specifications
| Fabric | Polyester |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | Single, double, king, super king |
| Care | Machine wash at 40C or lower, tumble dry on a low, cool setting |
Score: 83/100
This cooling blanket from Oodie – the brand best known for its cosy blanket hoodies – was a big hit with the hot sleepers on our panel. The fabric is designed to absorb excess body heat and pull sweat away from the skin, keeping you dry and fresh as you snooze.
“I’m menopausal and suffer with extreme night sweats but this has been a game-changer for me,” said one tester. Another commented: “I swapped my duvet for this blanket during recent heatwaves, and it’s been a lifesaver!”
Everyone praised the soft, breathable fabric and appreciated the blanket’s generous size (if you opt for queen), which is large enough to cover two people in bed comfortably. It washed well, dried in a flash and comes with a neat drawstring bag for stashing away during winter or taking on holiday.
The bold, colourful designs divided our panel, but you can opt for classic grey if you prefer something understated.
Key Specifications
| Fabric | Nylon, elastane, polyester |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | Single, queen |
| Care instructions | Hand wash or machine wash cold |
How we test cooling bedding
To find the best bedding for hot sleepers, we enlisted a panel of testers to try them out, night after night, at home. Whether they tried a pillow, duvet or bedding set, testers slept with them for several weeks, then shared their verdicts with us via a detailed survey covering everything from design to how easy they were to clean or wash and how breathable the products were at night.
At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we collated the results and conducted our own wash tests, checking for any shrinkage, change in quality and colour fading.
Why trust the Good Housekeeping Institute
Having tested products for over 100 years at the Good Housekeeping Institute, we know exactly what to look for when it comes to the top sleep products, from the best weighted blankets to the most innovative sleep gadgets.
The ones in this list have all been rigorously tested by our team of experts in the lab and reviewed over several weeks by our panel of at-home testers.
All the feedback is then passed to our sleep and wellness editor, Priyankaa Joshi, who uses it to bring you these easy-to-read reviews. Priyankaa draws on her extensive knowledge of the market and is always on the lookout for the latest launches to test.
She works closely with Blossom Boothroyd, our homes testing manager, and Kim Hawley, our senior sleep and wellness tester, who oversee all our sleep tests.
More Tried and Tested sleep buys
What is the best bedding for hot sleepers?
Whether you’re a long-term hot sleeper, your night sweats are new or you're battling a heatwave, here are the options to consider.
Bedding sets
Natural fibres are generally more breathable at night, which is why you’ll find a lot of linen and cotton sets on our list. This is because their fibres allow air to circulate, keeping you cooler while sleeping. Both can crease though, so you may need to iron them if you don’t like the lived-in look.
We’ve also featured Bamboo and Tencel in our list above, which are breathable and moisture-wicking, making them trusty picks for sweaty nights.
Crucially, if you run hot at night, you should avoid polyester sheets because they can trap heat, raising the temperature of your bed further.
Cooling pillows and duvets
We’re seeing more and more innovation in the bedding industry where items are cool to touch. The designs can vary – often with pillows you’ll find that one side has a gel pad which absorbs heat, drawing it away from you. We’ve also found a Silentnight blanket that has a cool-touch fabric on one side, making it a good duvet swap.
As with bedding sets, natural fibres such as wool and bamboo are a great choice for temperature-regulating duvets and pillows. They’re naturally breathable with moisture wicking properties. For duvets, consider the tog rating before you buy, so that you don’t opt for something too heavy.
How to keep cool at night
What are the optimum temperatures and conditions for the perfect night’s rest? “An ideal bedroom temperature should be around 16-18°C, as higher temperatures make it difficult to fall asleep,” explains Lisa Artis, Deputy CEO of The Sleep Charity.
“Your body temperature needs to dip slightly before you go to sleep, which is why you may struggle to drop off when you’re too hot. It’s important to cool both your body and the bedroom.”
When it comes to your bed, Artis says that “comfort is a major factor in getting a good night’s sleep,” so you need to ensure every element (from support to breathability) works for you. “If you’re not comfortable in bed – because you’re too hot or too cold – your sleep won’t be as deep, you’ll move about more and will wake up feeling tired and unrefreshed,” she adds.
If you’re regularly overheating at night, it’s worth looking at your mattress (note that memory foam is notoriously warm) and making sure you have the right duvet tog. Simply using a cotton sheet may also help, as can investing in a good, quiet fan and putting ice in front of it to circulate cooler air.
Artis says wearing cotton nightwear can also make a difference. “It’s breathable and stays comfortably cool against skin,” she explains. “This is better than wearing nothing at all as natural fabrics will absorb perspiration.”
Other simple changes she suggests include opening windows and doors to create a draught, tying up long hair so it’s away from your neck, having a cool shower before bed to lower your body temperature and drinking cold water during the evening.
“Avoid too much caffeine, alcohol or a big meal before bed,” she adds. “They can all make you feel hot and steamy in the middle of the night through dehydration and over-active digestion.”
Finally, fridges are your friends – Artis advises popping a pillowcase in the fridge and taking it out just before you go to bed, or doing the same with a pair of socks. “Cooling your feet lowers the overall temperature of your skin and body,” she says. Filling a hot water bottle with ice cold water and taking it to bed with you is another handy trick.
Priyankaa is our sleep and wellness expert, specialising in expert-tested reviews and roundups on the latest health and fitness products. From walking boots to running machines, Priyankaa has written about hundreds of products and is passionate about providing in-depth, unbiased reviews. Plus, as an avid runner and gymgoer, she knows exactly what to look for when finding the right gymwear, fitness tracker or earphones.
Priyankaa has an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and over five years’ experience in health and fitness journalism. Priyankaa has written for Stylist’s Strong Women Training Club, where she regularly wrote about diversity in the fitness industry, nutrition tips, training advice and her experience completing various fitness challenges. She has also written for a variety of publications including Business Insider, Glamour, Bustle, Metro, HuffPost UK, gal-dem and more. Outside of work, Priyankaa can usually be found trying out a new gym class, seeking out London's best eats or watching a Spanish TV show in a bid to keep up her language skills.
Blossom is passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for GH readers. As head of the homes testing team, she has led reviews across multiple categories, from pizza ovens, and smart plugs to portable fans and hobs. She enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols to ensure we’re testing them against their claims. Her aim is to find the top-performing products on the market, to help take the hard work out of housework. Blossom’s most notable accomplishment in the lab has been toasting 528 slices of bread in her quest to find the best toasters money can buy. In her free time, she openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.
Kim Hawley is our health and fitness product tester. Her career in fitness has spanned over 30 years. Prior to joining the Good Housekeeping Institute, she worked as a personal trainer, writer and fitness instructor for some of London’s most prestigious health clubs, including The Harbour Club, David Lloyd and The Chelsea Club. Passionate about women’s health and fitness, especially in pre/post menopause, she is also a Level 4 PT and holds a professional nutritional qualification. Kim is responsible for rigorously testing everything from cross trainers to smart watches.
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