What is a Cooling Blanket? A Guide to Korean Cooling Bedding
Cooling blankets have become increasingly popular in Korea. It is pretty much one of the must-have items during the summer time. Rather than having simply making a blanket thinner, cooling blankets and cooling products have come into the market that use specially selected fabrics designed to feel cool when they come into contact with your skin.
As Korean summers can be both hot and humid, cooling blankets and bedding items have become a popular seasonal category - from cooling blankets and pads to pillows and other summer bedding items.
But how does a cooling blanket actually work? And is it really different from an ordinary summer blanket?
What is a Korean Ice Cooling Blanket?
A cooling blanket is a summer blanket made with fabric designed to create a cool touch when it comes into contact with your skin. Cooling blankets focus on helping heat move away from the skin while providing a lightweight and comfortable layer for sleeping.
Many Korean cooling blankets use functional synthetic fibres such as polyamide, spandex, Tencel™ Modal or Duraron.
Find Out more about Tencel™ Modal >
Find Out more about Cool Fabric Duraron >
Contact Cooling Technology
As soon as your skin get contacted with Korean cooling blankets, your skin feels cooler as the heat moves away upon the contact. Certain fabrics can transfer the heat relatively quickly, creating the refreshing sensation you notice immediately after touching them.
A cooling blanket can feel noticeably cooler than an ordinary fabric when you first lie down or move to a different part of the blanket.
Cooling Blanket vs Regular Summer Blanket
| Cooling Blanket | Regular Summer Blanket | |
| Main Purpose | Cool-touch Comfort | Lightweight coverage |
|
Initial Touch |
Noticeably cool | Depends on material |
| Heat Transfer | Designed for faster Heat Transfer | Usually not specifically designed for cooling effects |
| Moisture Management | Often quick-drying | Depends on fabric |
| Feel | Smooth and refereshing | Conventional, cotton-like, soft or textured |
| Best For | Hot and humid nights | General summer use |
A regular lightweight blanket can still be very comfortable during summer. A cooling blanket simply adds another feature: the cooling sensation of the fabric itself.
What Fabric is Commonly used in Cooling Blankets?
Polyamide is commonly found in functional cooling fabrics because it can provide a smooth surface, durability and effective moisture management when it comes to cooling blanket.
Some cooling blankets use 100% polyamide, while others combine polyamide with spandex or specialised cooling yarns.
Spandex may be added to provide flexibility and help the fabric maintain its shape, while different yarn structures and fabric constructions can influence how the material feels against the skin.
Does a Cooling Blanket Stay Cold All Night?
The cooling effect is at the maximum when your skin first touches the fabric or when you move to a different area of the blanket. It helps transferring heat from your skin rather than keeping you cool whole night.
Good cooling fabrics are designed to help dissipate that heat rather than trapping it, helping the sleeping surface remain more comfortable.
This is also why cooling bedding works well when combined with air circulation from a fan or air conditioner.
Maximum Cooling Effect when used with Fan or Air-conditioners
A cooling blanket does not need an air conditioner or fan to work, but it helps the best as heat is transferred from you skin into the fabric, airflow can help that heat dissipate into the surrounding environment.
For very hot Australian nights, the combination of cooling bedding + airflow can be particularly comfortable.
Cooling Blankets for Australian Summers
Australian homes experience very different summer conditions depending on location.
Some areas experience dry heat, while Sydney and other coastal regions can also experience warm and humid nights.
Cooling blankets can be particularly useful for:
- People who tend to feel hot
- Warm and humid summer nights
- Air-conditioned bedrooms
- Rooms using fans for air circulation
- Anyone who prefers lightweight summer bedding
The cooling blankets have been becoming increasingly popular throughout South East Asian countries too. Now, it may be the time for Australia.
Korean Bedding Is a Little Different
In Australia, it is common to use a quilt or duvet insert inside a removable quilt cover.
Many Korean blankets, however are designed as finished bedding product that can be used directly without a separate quilt cover. The surface fabric, filling, quilting and design are already combined into one complete blanket.
Korean Cooling Blankets are the same, they are ready to be used and they can be machine washed with cold water.
For customers discovering Korean Bedding for the first time, you can refer to our blog on Korean Blankets.
How to Wash a Cooling Blanket
As a general guide:
- Wash separately using cold or cool water
- Select a gentle washing cycle
- Use a mild detergent
- Avoid bleach and harsh detergents
- Avoid high-temperature washing
- Air dry naturally where possible
- Avoid ironing or exposing the cooling fabric to excessive heat
- Avoid tumble dry
High temperatures can potentially effect functional fibres and the structure of cooling fabrics, so gentle washing and natural drying are recommended.
What Sizes do they come in?
Cooling blankets come in many different sizes and designs, including colourful patterns and character designs suitable for family bedrooms.
- Mini - 100 x 150cm
- S/SS - 160 x 210cm
- Q/K - 200 x 230cm *
* The maximum size for K is 200 x 230cm.
Korean bedding often combines functional fabrics with playful patterns, florals and character illustrations, making them both practical and decorative.
Explore Korean Cooling Blankets in Australia
Cooling blankets offer a different approach to summer. Instead of simply using a thinner blanket, it combines lightweight with cool-touch fabric technology to create a refreshing surface for warmer nights.
At Kozy House, we select Korean cooling blankets in different materials, patterns and sizes for Australian homes.
As each cooling fabric can feel slightly different, visiting us in person is also a great way to compare the textures and cooling sensations to explore more about Korean Summer Blankets.
You can visit Kozy House (Shop 17, 8 Dutton Lane Cabramatta NSW 2166) in person. Or else, you can still explore more range of our Korean Summer Bedding items online.