23 best bed sheets for a luxury snooze in 2024, reviewed by editors
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Finding the best bed sheets that are stylish, durable, and wash well can be hard, but with warmer on the horizon, it's worth investing in some new breathable sheets to keep you cool during sweltering hot nights of the summer.
The average person spends around one third (!) of their life in bed – and while a luxe bed frame, quality mattress, supportive pillow and sumptuous duvet will all give the gift of a good night’s sleep – they're nothing if your bed sheets are prone to piling (or too scratchy).
But how can you know whether bed linen will stand up to the test in the best bed sheets category? Is it the thread count? The fabric? The brand? Do you need to fork out on luxury sheets to emulate the feeling you get when you crawl into a five star hotel bed – or can you get good quality sheets on a budget? Enter: our comprehensive edit of the best bed sheets.
In our quest to give you a persistently blissful night's sleep, we've compiled definitive guide to the best bed sheets on the market right now, with a little help from Farah Arshad, Head of Design and bedding expert at DUSK. From Egyptian cotton bed sheets, linen bed sheets and silk bed sheets (snap up a silk pillowcase to go with them) to the most cooling sheets that can regulate your body temperature, the softest bed sheets are just a click away.
What is the best material for bed sheets? | What is the best thread count for bed sheets? | How can you make your bed sheets last longer? | Best place to buy bedding UK | What sheets do 5 star hotels use? | How we tested the best bed sheets | Our full reviews.
What is the best sheet material for beds?
When choosing the material of your bed sheets, you should consider both the fiber content and the construction.
- Cotton bed sheets are the most popular, because cotton fiber is durable with a soft feel against your skin. Egyptian cotton bedding tend to be the most popular sub-category within the cotton sheet group.
- Polyester bed sheets are more affordable than cotton, plus, they're resistant to shrinking and are more wrinkle-resistant than cotton. That said, they have more of a matte finish and don’t feel quite so high-end. If you want the best of both worlds, you can find cotton polyester blend top sheets.
- Linen bed sheets are a popular choice in summer because they're breathable, light and airy. Linen sheets are also great if you like that laidback, boho feel to your bedroom – and they look on-trend with rattan furniture and complimentary linen bedding.
- Regeneration cellulose - which you’ll likely see referred to as "viscose" or "lyocell" when you’re shopping. These fibres are made using plants to create eucalyptus or bamboo sheets. They're super soft (sometimes softer than cotton) and more eco-friendly.
- Microfiber: soft and fairly affordable, if a little flimsy.
- Flannel: brushed flat sheets, often made of cotton or polyster, that feel warm and cosy in the winter.
- Sateen: like cotton sateen, often silky smooth and shiny in appearance.
- Percale sheet sets: percale is a breathable, basic and lightweight weave that's one of the most popular.
- Jersey: is a stretchy material, similar to what your favourite white t-shirt is made of. You can most commonly pick up cotton jersey bed sheets (which are soft but less durable than cotton sateen or cotton percale).
What is the best thread count for sheets?
On top of the construction and fiber content, when you're buying bed sheets, you'll notice the thread count is often referenced, too.
Thread count is a way of measuring the number of vertical and horizontal threads per square inch of your bed sheet. The higher the thread count, the more threads there are within the fabric and the denser the bed sheet will feel.
Generally speaking, bed sheets with a higher thread count will have a more luxurious feel – and the majority of the top-rated bed sheets in this edit fall somewhere between the 300 and 500 thread count mark. That said, you can get some really great 200 thread count sheets that are washable and soft.
How to make your bed sheets last longer:
Farah Arshad, Head of Design at DUSK, says there are a few things you can do to ensure your bed sheets stand the test of time. "Although it's common to use hot water to wash bed linen, heat can cause damage in the long term, shrinking the fabric, fading the colours and making stains stick," she says.
Instead, luxury bed sheets should be washed at 30 degrees, which also reduces wrinkling in cotton, making your bed sheets easier to iron. "When washing, ensure you separate whites, treat stains straight away and avoid overloading your washing machine." Anything else, we asked? "Never use bleach, which can be a tempting short term solution but over time can cause white bed sheets to yellow."
Best place to buy bedding UK
When it comes to bedding and bed sheets, specifically, there are a few brands that we immediately look to. For luxury, think The White Company. Alternatively, if you're after high quality on a more modest budget, look to Dusk. Your happy mediums? They come in the form of good 'ole M&S and John Lewis & Partners, with La Redoute coming in a close third. Other brands to note include:
What sheets do 5 star hotels use?
Here's the low down – having had our fair share of stays in the likes of the Four Seasons, Jumeirah and Relais & Chateux, we've finally discovered the key to that uninterrupted hotel night's sleep.
It consists of a holy trinity of 300+ thread counts, 100% cotton and either a sateen or percale finish. You. Are. Welcome. Our favourite picks? Browse them now…
How we tested the best bed sheets:
By using reviews from buyers who've actually put the time into trying out the bed sheets, together with data on what you, the reader, have been searching for. We've also been researching which products feature high-quality versus less durable materials – e.g. polyester vs. cotton – before we curated what we feel is a round up of the very best fitted sheets and flat sheets available to buy today. We've rifled through the good and bad comments (and there are some bad ones), so you don't have to, plus we – as a team of 30+ fashion, interiors and beauty experts – happen to know a thing or two about which homeware brands have earned their respective top spots as the best in the interiors business. Plus, of course some of us have tested a fitted bed sheet or three, so we have some dos and don't knowhow, too (namely: make sure it's tumble dry friendly). Our aim is to find you pieces which will last for more than a year (at the least) and, should anything about a product signal that that's not the case, you'll be the first to know – happy shopping!
For more from our Commerce Editor Sophie Cockett, follow her on Instagram @sophiecockettx. For more from GLAMOUR UK's Commerce Writer Mayola Fernandes, follow her on Instagram @mayolafernandess.