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In our line of work, finding the best bed sheets is not a casual purchase experience. It’s a search for an essential element of your entire sleep experience. Everybody needs sleep, but it’s not always so easy to get it. It’s an elusive subject for many, especially in cases where our homes are our offices, our beds are our desks, and drifting off to sweet dreams can be an impossible task.
Approaching the design of a kitchen or living room tends to be more about the necessities—what fridge will fit there? How big is the gallery wall?—but building your bedroom is an entirely different science, based purely on individual needs where all of the elements must align to make it your own. Add in the needs of sharing that space with a significant other and you’ve got a proper design challenge on your hands. Enter Sleep Week, five full days of slumber-related content from the Clever team.
We’ve spent countless nights testing the latest and greatest sleep offerings on the market—from California king and twin XL sheet sets to Egyptian cotton sheets and options from all kinds of retailers—training for just this moment. But first things first: a deep dive into the sheets of our dreams. From hotel-quality, 500-thread-count percale weaves and organic cotton sheets to eco-friendly sustainable picks, discover the very best bed sheets with thorough, honest reviews from our editors. Get excited to lie down.
Browse them all, or jump to the material of your choice:
Please note that all prices reflect queen-size sheets, but different sizes are available for purchase.
Linen is a fantastic material to sleep on. Why? It’s naturally bacteria resistant, ventilating, moisture-absorbing, and anti-allergenic. For being such a light and airy material, it’s actually quite a hard worker. Linen is especially great for hot sleepers, as the sheets don’t retain heat and will keep you cool through the nastiest of heat waves. And even though linen will wrinkle easily, it’s not a bad look: it’s an effortless material that looks best when lived in. Best part? There are plenty of affordable options on the market, as well, in a world of pricier offerings.
Material: 100% European flax
Col0rs available: White, light grey, terracotta, charcoal, sand, washed olive, tobacco, desert sunset, mist, indigo blue, sage, soft blush, bordeaux, natural/white, mist/white, terracotta/white
Bed sheets reviewer: Erika Owen, contributor
What attracted you to these bed sheets? Honestly, there are so many great colors to choose from. I love a color theme, especially in my bedroom. I went with the sage, which is deliciously subtle and seems to match with everything. I am always a fan of linen sheets, as they’re naturally breathable and moisture-wicking and I’ll keep them on the bed year-round. I also love that Quince sheets are free of harmful characters and toxins (plus, their loungewear is a total dream).
How do they fit your bed? Fantastically! The fitted sheet fit tight to my mattress without any excess fabric. I’m not generally a fan of flat sheets, so more often than not you won’t find that one on my bed unless we’re going through the steamiest of heat waves.
What’s it like sleeping on these bed sheets? They always seem to be cool, which is a feat in our apartment, where the temperature varies wildly. I loved the lived-in, wrinkled look they pick up after a sleep or two. The sheets also feel like they’ll hold up for years to come.
Did the sheets live up to your expectations? Yes, they do! I can’t really speak for the flat sheet, as I don’t use one often, but if it’s anything like the fitted sheet, I’d say go for it.
Would you recommend the sheets to a friend? I would. I wish there was a duvet cover in the set, but I will probably end up purchasing that next.
Pros: Comfy feel, great lived-in look, rich color options
Cons: Duvet cover not included
Washing Instructions: Machine wash on a gentle or delicate cycle with similar colors in cold water. Line dry or tumble dry on low. Use a steamer or warm iron, if needed.
Material: Linen
Colors available: White, cream, petal, haze, charcoal chambray, charcoal chambray, and white stripe
Bed sheets reviewer: Madeleine Luckel, design editor
What attracted you to these bed sheets? I really felt like linen sheets had become all the rage. This was a couple years ago, and while I toyed with the vision of a perfectly wrinkled dove gray set, I’m much more of a white bedding person. Brooklinen was one of two brands I was aware of making the type of linen sheets I wanted.
How do they fit your bed? Well, or I guess in a normal way. I have the hardcore bundle, which comes with two extra pillowcases and a duvet cover. The duvet cover often feels a little big for my comforter but I think that’s my quilt’s problem. (And yes, the duvet cover does have corner ties.) The pillowcases fit well too, but my favorite thing is probably that the pesky fitted sheet has clearly labeled tabs that say “long side” and “short side.”
What’s it like sleeping on these bed sheets? It’s really nice. When I got these I thought white linen sheets year-round might be a slightly bold move, since I don’t live my life on a Greek island, but the nature of the fiber is versatile and temperature regulating.
Did the sheets live up to your expectations? Yes, but they are a little bit thin. I’m fine with this, but it’s just something to keep in mind if you are picturing a super dense weave.
Would you recommend the sheets to a friend? Yes.
Pros: Labeling on the fitted sheet for easy use, super-soft material, temperature-regulating design
Cons: Duvet cover runs a bit big, slightly thin sheet design
Washing Instructions: Machine wash on a cold setting with like colors. Do not bleach and tumble dry on a low setting. You can iron these sheets on low, if necessary.
Material: Organic linen
Colors available: White, ivory, natural oatmeal, flax, espresso, pale blue, indigo, navy, lavender, burgundy, Malbec, mint, golden green, grape leaf, terra cotta, red, warm grey, graphite, black, Santorini, turquoise, butternut, powder pink, thistle, aubergine, and harvest gold
Bed sheets reviewer: Erika Owen, associate director of audience development
What attracted you to these bed sheets? I’m a hot sleeper and I feel like I’ve been on the hunt for a pair of sheets that won’t cause me to overheat for my entire life. I had heard that linen was a great material for sleeping and wanted to give it a try.
How do they fit your bed? They run pretty large! I have a full-size bed and the flat sheet does pool over the edge of my mattress and bed frame. The fitted sheet is a much better fit, but does stretch after a while. I haven’t found this to be a massive issue.
What’s it like sleeping on these bed sheets? No matter how warm it is in my bedroom, these sheets are constantly cool. I love slipping into them every night. I also love the lived-in look they constantly have, thanks to the easy wrinkling. That may not be for everyone, but it takes the pressure off of making sure everything else in my bedroom is super organized and clean.
Did the sheets live up to your expectations? They sure do! I love the white sheets I bought, but I am tempted to buy them in more colors given what a massive part of my sleeping ritual they’ve become. (Seriously, I have trouble falling asleep on non-linen sheets sometimes, thanks to how cool they keep me at night.)
Would you recommend the sheets to a friend? Yes, I would recommend these to friends who also have issues with overheating in the middle of the night.
Pros: Great for hot sleepers, temperature-regulating design
Cons: Runs large, sheets have a bit of stretch
Washing Instructions: These are pre-washed, so you won’t experience a ton of shrinkage. If you have colored sheets, wash them in cool water. Wash white and neutral sheets in warm water. Tumble dry on the lowest heat setting and remove when they are still a bit humid to allow for air drying.
Material: 100% French flax linen
Colors available: Ruby, rust, terracotta, oatmeal, turmeric, olive, khaki, sage, drift, mineral, petrol, ink, lavender, pink clay, rosewater, white fog, charcoal, and pinstripe
Bed sheets reviewer: Zoë Sessums, associate editor
What attracted you to these bed sheets? I’m always on the hunt for linen bedding and love when there are lots of different colors—I chose the blue-gray mineral option.
How do they fit your bed? Great! They’re not too snug, so you get that perfectly slept-in rumple that I think is essential to a linen-bedding look.
What’s it like sleeping on these bed sheets? I’ve become a real linen-sheet convert and love the structure and sturdiness of these while still maintaining some softness. I feel like they’re going to age well.
Did the sheets live up to your expectations? For sure. The heft and quality are supreme—you really get what you pay for. I’m also pleased with the color, it being a rich blue/gray color.
Would you recommend the sheets to a friend? I would! I like that you can choose a set with a duvet, you can go for a bold color, and it ships quickly. Get into the linen life!
Pros: Great color options
Cons: The price is an investment
Washing Instructions: Wash between using, on a cold and gentle cycle using liquid detergent. Tumble dry on low and do not bleach, dry clean, or iron the sheets.
Material: Linen and Egyptian cotton
Colors available: White, natural, mustard, capers, raven
Bed sheets reviewer: Elise Portale, contributor
What attracted you to these bed sheets? I’m sort of a sucker for linen sheets, especially in the summertime, when the breathability and weightlessness are great for sleeping through heat waves. Also, you hear the phrase Egyptian cotton thrown around all the time, but rarely do you find it offered by a company with actual ties to Egypt. Kotn is not only invested in a good product, but also in the impact of their business, investing in their cotton farmers, an ethical supply chain, and sustainable materials that are naturally biodegradable. And not just that: Kotn also donates a portion of every order toward funding education in the farming communities they work with. Have you read anything in this review that’s not to like yet? Because I haven’t.
How do they fit your bed? I have a full-size foam mattress, so generally sheet sets are fairly loose on it. The Kotn fitted sheet is no exception. Linen and cotton are quite pliable, so even though the sheet fit perfectly at first, it stretched and got a little bunchy over time. It wasn’t enough to affect my comfort by any means, but if you want that taught bedsheet look, you might be disappointed.
What’s it like sleeping on these bed sheets? If you like smooth and texture-less sheets, these are not for you. But if you’re like me, and the light weave of linen feels luxurious, you’re in for a treat. I got this set in white, which gave my bed a real hotel-on-vacation vibe both visually and physically. This set might actually seem a little odd to some people—it’s just a fitted sheet and pillow cases, no top sheet—but I had actually just switched to my summer coverlet and found the lack of top sheet the perfect combination. They’re soft, cool, and the color and texture held up quite well under a week of sweaty nights (gross, but you know it had to be said).
Did the sheets live up to your expectations? As a linen lover, I have quite a few duvets and sheet sets of the fabric and I was surprised at how much stiffer the Kotn linen was compared to my other sets. At first, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel sleeping on it, but I really did end up enjoying the extra texture and crispness to the sheets. They have made my early summer nights quite comfortable, and for whatever reason, I love the pillowcases most of all. I also have never really owned white sheets before, and the color combined with the looser weave of the fabric meant that any pattern or color on my mattress or pillows would show through. If you go with white (and this sort of thing matters to you), I’d recommend getting a solid white pillow protector cover to prevent anything showing through.
Would you recommend the sheets to a friend? The answer is yes, but with an asterisk. For anyone who loves linen and textured fabrics, especially ones who are hot sleepers and prefer minimal coverage during warmer months, this is a guaranteed recommendation. However, for anyone who is used to high thread count cotton or microfiber sheets, the weave of the Kotn linen might feel too rough in comparison. Also, anyone who is caught up in the need to have a top sheet between them and their duvet or coverlet is going to be disappointed.
Pros: Created by a brand that prioritizes ethical supply chains, temperature-regulating design
Cons: Stiff material feel for first few nights, thin material that shows patterns on mattress and pillows underneath
Washing Instructions: Machine wash cold and tumble dry.
Via Clever
