CoolMax fabric sucks. But that’s good if you’ve got night sweats or a hot memory foam bed. Find out what it’s made of, how it works, fabric care tips, a CoolMax mattress cover, and cheaper options available to buy.
And sometimes people are just looking for a good, waterproof mattress protector when they come to this page, so here’s some just for you…
(Buying from links on this website sometimes adds a bit of cash to my lumpy mattress fund. It doesn’t cost you more. And helps me spread sweet dreams everywhere.)
What is Coolmax?
CoolMax is a trademarked material created in 1986 by DuPont Textiles and Interiors (now renamed Invista). It’s one of several synthetic fabrics that are engineered to wick sweat away (a fancy way to say suck) from the skin and dry quickly. It was originally developed for high-exertion sports clothing but has recently made its way into bedding like sheets and mattress covers.
So how can fabric worn by mountain climbers on Everest help you cool a too-hot bed (one of the most common memory foam mattress problems) in an otherwise great bed or ease your hot flashes or night sweating? And why is it a good thing that it sucks?
What Is CoolMax Fabric Made Of?
CoolMax is made of specially spun and molded polyester. Its special shape allows it to evaporate moisture quickly. Here’s a cross-sectional image of CoolMax(R) polyester fibers from the prior version of the CoolMax Brand page they took the images off, but I thought that they were good illustrations of the structures. Notice the small channels that run lengthwise along the entire length of the thread. There’s a video on there now that shows the different types of fibers they’ve designed.
These microchannels are the secret to CoolMax fabric ‘suckiness’.
How Dupont’s CoolMax Fabric Works
The micro-channels in each CoolMax fiber create capillary action that sucks sweat and other liquids into itself and spreads the wet out over a larger surface so that the moisture will evaporate quickly. The small channels on each fiber are tiny enough that attractive inter-molecular forces in the moisture and the tendency for liquid to adhere to the thread’s surface overcome the effects of gravity and the liquid is drawn up through the narrow channels and spaces between the CoolMax fibers.
Evaporation cools surfaces. In short, CoolMax really sucks. And that’s good for you if hot flashes, night sweats, or a too-warm memory foam mattress are keeping you awake.
Is CoolMax Fabric Care Difficult?
No. This DuPont fabric resists wrinkling, fading, and shrinking. It’s machine washable and dryable. Just avoid washing with chlorine bleach or water-softening additives.
COOLMAX MATTRESS PAD REVIEW
All range CoolMax Fiber Hypoallergenic Quilted Mattress Pad
Is your bed comfortable? Don’t need much extra padding? Get this basic mattress cover. It provides all the moisture-wicking capabilities of CoolMax without adding anything but a thin layer of fabric quilting to the top of your mattress.
Choose Your Fitted Sheets Carefully. Users report that this cover does a good job of keeping the moisture and heat build-up from memory foam beds to a minimum. But those that have heavy fitted sheets that they sleep on top of do not get the moisture and temperature benefits. Give away those flannel bottom sheets and make sure that you only sleep under-insulated and fuzzy blankets, not on top of them.
Easy to clean – Although this is NOT a waterproof mattress protector, it can easily be removed for cleaning and reattached. The skirt is elastic.
The manufacturer recommends washing it in commercial-style front-load washing machines and dryers. Use the gentle or delicate settings. Fill with cold water. And use a mild detergent.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a front-load commercial machine. There are user reviews that indicate that they’ve washed and dried this cover in their home top loading machines successfully.
SleepBetter Iso-Cool Memory Foam Mattress Topper
This memory foam mattress cover is just slightly cool when you get into it. But it does not remain cold.
Buyers like them. It doesn’t seem to matter whether they’re living in dry Arizona or humid Texas or Florida. Most report that they stay at just the right sleeping temperature all night.
The Outlast(R) technology uses a completely different method of cooling than CoolMax. Outlast has millions of little filled bubbles laid on a sheet. These bubbles absorb the heat from your body, then slowly radiate it out later. This evens out the temperature swings that you feel and reduces both sweating and chills.
The machine washable cover is 100% cotton with a 300-thread count quilted cover. It’s stuffed with 11-ounce polyester fiberfill and the Outlast layer. The cover includes a very elastic Spandex extension that allows it to stay firmly placed on extremely thick mattresses, even up to 20 inches.
Rotate the Outlast cover periodically to keep the fiberfill fluffed up and to maintain the warranty in good standing. Promise that you’ll read the warranty for once and do what it says, ok?
This memory foam pad adds almost 6 inches to the height of your bed. Between the 3 inches of XX-pound memory foam and almost 3 inches of polyester fiberfill, it’s a tall topper. You may need to go buy some deep pocket sheets.
Why Not Just Get CoolMax Sheets?
Because I can’t really see the sense in buying sheets that cost more than $100 for a queen set that buyers don’t really like. People complain that pure CoolMax fabric sheets are scratchy.
Then they try to fix the problem by washing them with fabric softener. And that wrecks CoolMax and is therefore not recommended by DuPont.
Cariloha Classic Bamboo Sheets
The best alternative is to purchase a good set of sheets (like these) and either the Allrange or the Iso-Cool memory foam mattress pad. That way sleeping won’t suck anymore.
The bamboo fibers that are used in weaving these sheets are twice as soft as cotton. And much, much softer than the scratchy feel of Coolmax fabric sheets.
This 4 piece set is also good for the planet. Bamboo grows like crazy without a lot of fertilizers. Its a grass. So when you cut it to make sheets, it just regenerates from new shoots.
Other alternatives to control allergies
One last idea to help prevent sleep that sucks. If you have dust allergies you might sleep better if you have a cover that helps control them. Find some good ones here.
Do you agree with my conclusions about mattress protectors made with CoolMax fabric? Speak your mind in the comments below.
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