The bistable shell, which can hold two stable configurations without external supports or input energies, is proposed for composite shells with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as reinforcements.The SWCNTs are assumed to be aligned and straight with a uniform layout in plane but functionally graded (FG) across the thickness direction.The bistable carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (CNTRC) shells are obtained with the cooling processes of the designed CNTRC plates.The permanent internal stress fields caused by thermal effect due to the compatible deformation make the designed CNTRC plates become bistable.