Whether you’ve got cats, dogs, or other types of pets, the chances are you can’t resist a cuddle in bed from time to time – until it comes to cleaning the hair, fur, and animal dander off your sheets and duvet cover!
Fortunately, there are bedding options out there that are naturally resistant to pet hair, keeping you safe from allergens and ensuring you don’t need to spend an age brushing your bed on a morning. But what type of fabric makes the best pet-hair resistant bedding?
In this article, we’ve reviewed the best and worst fabrics for pets and animals, from a practical, comfort, and hygiene perspective, as well as the advantages of inviting your furry friends into bed at night. So, without further ado, read on to discover the best pet-friendly fabrics.
Pet hair resistant fabrics
To get us started, let’s take a look at the most popular pet-hair resistant bedding fabrics, each designed to prevent a build-up of animal dander and dirt. From linen to bamboo and microfibre, which bedding should you buy for a pet-friendly home?
Linen sheets
One of the longest-lasting and durable bedding textiles, linen has been a popular favourite for quite some time. But did you know it’s also one of the best pet-hair resistant fabrics, and the ideal choice for dog and cat owners?
Antimicrobial, breathable, and temperature regulating, linen keeps you and your pet cool, while keeping bacteria, mites, and mould at bay – perfect for when your hairy dog comes in for cuddles!
Bamboo Sheets
An eco-friendly choice that’s as tough and long-lasting as it is breathable and temperature-regulating, bamboo is a popular, pro-planet bedding pick that your pets will love.
Not only is it luxuriously smooth and hypoallergenic, meaning you’ll not have any problems with pet dander and other common allergens (loose hair is repelled immediately), but bamboo bedding is also naturally moisture-wicking, so both you and your furry friends will be cool and comfortable all night long.
Cotton sheets
A versatile and popular bedding fabric that’s both cooling and breathable, cotton is also extremely competent at resisting pet fur and dander (as long as its weave isn’t too loose, of course!).
But not only that; cotton bedding is also incredibly easy to clean, so if you do begin to find the odd hair here and there, just throw your sheet, pillowcases, and duvet cover in the machine. What’s more – if you choose high quality cotton, like authentic Egyptian cotton, you’ll find your bedding gets softer with each cycle.
Microfiber sheets
A weave of ultra-fine threads, synthetic fabrics such as microfibre make excellent pet-hair resistant bedding.
Naturally hypoallergenic, soft, and long-lasting, microfibre is a strong all-rounder – though its main drawback is the way it retains heat; while the warm cosiness is often a welcome treat during the cold winters, your furry and thick-coated friends might struggle to cope when the temperature begins to rise.
The worst fabrics for pet hair
We’ve looked at the best fur-resistant fabrics for animal owners, but which textiles should you perhaps avoid if you’re looking for pet-friendly bedding? From velvet to silk and flannel, we’ve outlined the reasons why not all materials are suitable for your cats and dogs.
Velvet
Though its long list of benefits include being luxuriously soft, cosy, comfortable, and warming, velvet actually ranks among the worst fabrics if you’re looking for pet-hair resistant bedding.
This is because velvet is infamous for almost-attracting pet hair and fur, which is less than ideal if you want to share the bed with your cats or dogs. If you’re insistent on choosing velvet bedding, though, you can get rid of hair and dander with a quick hoover once or twice a week – though, if fur begins to build up, don’t be afraid to vacuum more frequently.
Silk
While silk might have its plaudits (and for good reason, it’s exceptionally soft, cooling, and comfortable), it might not be the best choice for pet owners. Unfortunately, for all its benefits, silk is a delicate fabric that’s highly susceptible to damage, holes, and tears from clumsy cats and dogs.
However, that said, if you can find a way to protect your bedding from pet teeth and claws, silk (or eucalyptus silk, for an ethical alternative) can be an excellent and luxurious choice.
Flannel
Though flannel is undisputedly a popular and common bedding choice thanks to its cosy design, it might not be the best pick for dog and cat owners. While the fabric’s loose weave ensures it’s a breathability, helping to manage and regulate your body temperature as you sleep, it’s this open weave that means hair easily sticks (and is difficult to get rid of!). On top of this, your furry friends might have a tougher time keeping cool with flannel, and they can quickly overheat if over-layered.
Pros of sleeping with pets
There are a number of benefits of sleeping with pets, from the emotional to the physiological, so it’s worth bearing the pros in mind before you next-dismiss your dog to the spare room!
1. Can improve mental health
This one won’t necessarily come as a surprise, especially if you’re a pet owner, but sleeping beside your furry friends, whether you have a cuddly dog or a reluctant cat, can help to reduce feelings of loneliness and contribute to improved mental health.
In fact, countless scientific bodies have studied the strong relationship between pet companionship and reduced levels of anxiety and depression, with the simple presence of cats and dogs proven to offer therapeutic benefits at the very least.
2. Promotes calmness and security
Just as sleeping with pets can improve overall mental health, you’ll also likely enjoy an increased sense of calmness and security when with cats or dogs.
One of the main reasons for this is the increased production of ‘oxytocin’ you experience when laying alongside furry companions. Oxytocin is a hormone that evokes positive feelings and interactions, which, when combined with their rhythmic breathing and warmth, is proven to subconsciously make your feel more comfortable and secure – especially if you otherwise live on your own.
3. Get an immunity boost
Rather than triggering allergic reactions or night time sneezing, studies show that sleeping with pets, and regularly exposing yourself to shed hair and dander, can actually help to strengthen your overall immune system and boost your ability to combat future infection.
Of course, it’s not only hair and skin cells your pet is shedding either; it’s no secret that animals get dirty, whether it’s playing in the garden or enjoying a long walk in the park, and it’s this small-but-regular exposure to dirt and allergens that help improve our own immune systems.
Best weave for cat and dog-proof bedding
We’ve compared two of the most popular weaves - percale and sateen - to help you choose your next pet-friendly bedding bundle.
Not Sure What To Choose? Discover Our Bedding Bundles Fit For Every Bedroom
Percale
A percale weave follows a ‘one over-one under’ thread pattern, making for an exceptionally tight and neat textile. This is ideal for anyone looking for pet-hair resistant bedding, as the fur and dander are less likely to become engrained in the fibres. It’s also a cool, crisp, and comfortable choice, which is very animal-friendly, especially in the summer months.
Sateen
Sateen weaves come with a ‘three (or four) under-one over’ thread pattern, giving it a luxurious, ultra-soft feel that’ll keep you cosy and comfortable all night long. With a silky texture, sateen weave fabric is also especially good at resisting pet hair and fur, making it popular among animal owners.
Best sheet ply for those who sleep with pets
Before we delve into the best ply-type for pets, it’s important to have a firm understanding of what ply actually is. Essentially, a ply is a single fabric thread, that can be made up of one or more twisted fibres.
So, ‘two-ply’ indicates that a thread is made up of two smaller fibres that have been twisted and combined (three-ply refers to three combined fibres, etc), while single-ply threads are made from a single fibre.
But which ply is best for pet-friendly bedding, and does it actually matter?
Does ply matter when choosing pet-hair resistant bedding?
It’s important to pay attention to the ‘ply’, because a fabric’s thread count might not tell the full story. For instance, 200 thread count bedding could refer to 200 single-ply threads or 100 double-ply threads. As to whether single- or double-ply is best, there are a couple of things to consider:
Single-ply bedding is typically more breathable than two-ply, due to double-ply sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases having tightly, twisted fibres and a compact weave. This can be friendlier for furry companions who need to regulate their temperature throughout the night.
Two-ply bedding is often thicker than single-ply bedding, which can make it warmer and cosier. However, while thoughts of being tucked up in bed on a cold winter’s night might sound good, your pets might prefer something a little cooler!
At Ethical Bedding, our luxury bedding is made exclusively with 300 thread count single-ply eucalyptus silk, ensuring a cooler, comfortable, and cosy night sleep for you and your furry friends.
So, there we have it – the best (and worst) fabrics and bedding types for pet owners! Hopefully, you now feel confident choosing your next set of sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases, but if you’re looking for even more expert insight, why not head on over to the Ethical Bedding blog where we’ve got lots more interesting articles like this.
