Microfiber Sheets Pros and Cons [Benefits vs Side Effects]

What is Microfiber and How is it Made?

A microfiber is a man-made synthetic fiber that has been created in an advanced laboratory using chemicals. The making of microfibers is much faster, easier and cheaper than other fabric alternatives which are the reason the textile industry has bloomed over the last couple of years.

The most commonly known microfibers are made from polyesters, polyamides like nylon or a polyester and polyamide hybrid. A lot of microfiber sheets are polyester. You can read more about the pros and cons of polyester sheets here.

Microfibers are often much thinner than silk fibers yet when woven together, they create a much stronger, durable fabric than silk. However, easier production, smaller costs, advanced technology come with some inconveniences to the environment.

Microfibers are made with non-biodegradable chemicals, so they cannot be recycled which creates a lot of waste.

However, they use a very little amount of water to make microfibers and none of the chemicals are toxic.

How Durable Is Microfiber?

While it might not be the most luxurious of fabrics, microfiber sheets are tightly woven together. So tight that if you spill something on it, instead of absorbing the liquids from the spill, you can just wipe it off and it will be good as new.

Microfibers are man-made and that usually means the fibers don’t like to absorb water which helps it dry easy and also are incredibly wrinkle resistant.

A couple of shakes after getting out of the washer & dryer and you may not need to iron the sheets.

How to Wash Microfiber Sheets: Microfiber Care Instructions

Just like I mentioned above, the wrinkle-resistant microfiber sheets are much easier to care for than most other fabrics.

You can toss the sheets in the washing machine with your regular cycle and they will come out the same color, size and shape with minimal wrinkles.

The man-made microfibers can stand high temperatures without deforming your sheets even though the fabric is really thin. That aspect of the sheets comes in handy when you are lacking closet space because microfiber sheets can be folded small and because they are fine, require less space.

Are Microfiber Sheets Comfortable?

The comfort of your microfiber sheets depends on the thread count. I am sure you have already heard about the higher the thread count, the better the sheets. This is the case when it comes to microfiber sheets.

One other thing to check is the denier of the sheets. For fibers to be considered microfiber, the denier has to be smaller than 1 denier.

To put that into perspective, ½ of a hair strand is 1.25 den. To make sure that the sheets you are getting are microfiber, check the product description of your item before purchase.

How breathable is microfiber?

Microfiber sheets are not the most breathable of fabrics, therefore, can cause discomfort if you are a night sweater. Check out my article about the best sheets for hot sleepers.

Although they might be a bit hot to sleep in during summer, microfiber sheets will keep you warm and cozy during winter months without maxing your heat bill.