8 best women's summer pyjamas: Keep cool during balmy nights

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We love summer – who doesn't? Albeit this year's is a very different one.

As lockdown measures start to lift and temperatures rise, we'll be spending more time outside. The brighter mornings and longer evenings will mean plenty of alfresco dining, too.

The only issue is that with warm sunny days comes hot sticky nights. Cool showers and sleeping with nothing on can help solve overheating, but if that's not for you, you need to find the right pyjamas for the job, considering we spend around a third of our lives sleeping.

And there's nothing more important than knowing your fabrics when it comes to summer nightwear.

Natural materials like cotton are most people's go-to, but if you're a nighttime sweater, the lightweight fabric might not be your best option, as although it will soak up sweat, it won't really dry out.

Welcome in linen, which dries much quicker than cotton, meaning you won't wake up with a soggy top sticking to you. It isn't quite as soft intially, but does soften up with time. It keeps you cool in summer and warmer in winter, so it's a great all-rounder.

Silk, if you're willing to splash out, is the ultimate summer pj material as it's cool and moisture wicking, as well as being super soft on your skin.

If you're looking for an eco alternative to silk, check out bamboo. It can look and feel almost the same as silk, has all the same breathable properties, and is not as expensive. There's also rayon, a man-made fabric created from cotton and woodpulp, which is also widely used to imitate silk.

We've tested a range of linen, cotton and bamboo pyjamas for how comfy they were, the material they're made from, the fit, and how cool they kept us during these balmy summer nights.

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.