Buying decent sheets is confusing and almost laughably so. What is sateen? Someone told me thread count doesn’t matter anymore — is that true? What in the world is a "ply," and why are there staples in cotton?
All fair questions and all the result of a decades-long practice by brands bamboozling customers in hopes they’d just buy bedding without thought. Luckily, the reign of the thread-count scammers and quality skimpers is ending. In their place: a wave of direct-to-consumer brands that skip out on distribution and stocking costs in favor of materials and craftsmanship. And with them, mega brands, too, have become at least a bit more honest about their affordable offerings. We tested out the most notable sheet sets from the most popular brands (and then some) to find out which ones do their job the best to complement the investment you put into your mattress and maybe even your bed frame.
How We Tested
Since we started testing, we've tried out 50 different sets of sheets, resulting in the list you see here which includes our favorite sheets made linen, bamboo, cotton and so on. From how the sheets felt after ten washes to how they felt right out of the box, our testers have spent many nights sleeping on their sheets observing texture, elasticity, breathability and more.
Although not the most important factor, we wanted to also consider the design of the sheets as well. Are the sheets aesthetically pleasing? Do they have any stylish features, like texture, pattern, etc.? Do they come in a variety of colors?
And finally, a mark of good sheets is that they only get better with time. So our testers washed the sheets, dried them and washed them again, looking for any signs of pilling, fading or general wear and tear. And although no set of sheets will work for every person, the picks below come pretty darn close.
Riley Percale Sheet Set
- Material: 100% long-staple cotton percale
- Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
For sub-$150, the Riley Home Percale Sheets are a steal, especially with their premium features like long-staple combed cotton and an understated Baratta stitch. Our tester loved how on a humid summer night, these sheets stay crisp, cool and buttery smooth. And her boyfriend (who is a very hot sleeper) quickly proclaimed these his favorite sheets. Our tester has been sleeping on them for several months, and they've worn like iron. After several washes, they're still just as luxurious as they were out of the box and are slowly gaining a soft, worn-in feel, which our reviewer enjoys. Her one warning would be to get them out of the dryer as soon as you can unless you like sleeping on wrinkly sheets.
The sheets are not made of Supima, but you’d be forgiven if you thought they were. If you grew up on cotton sheets, this is a high-quality, lightweight set to invest in. The range of colors, the smoothness of the sheets and the overall feel of them make these the best sheets for your money, whether you’re a broke college student or a billionaire.
Cultiver Linen Sheets
- Material: 100% European flax linen
- Sizes: Twin, Queen, King, California King
Once you have sheets like this, it's hard to go back to anything else. Even when staying at luxury hotels, our tester realized that while the accommodations are nice, the sheets kinda suck in comparison to these — and that really nice linen sheets truly make life (and sleep) better. These sheets from Cultiver are given an enzyme wash to naturally soften them a bit before the first use. They're made from 165GSM OEKO-TEX-certified European flax, making them heavier than some competitors and meaning they will last longer if treated well. The great thing about linen is that it's breathable and good for both hot and cold sleepers (it's good year-round, too). It's cool to the touch, moisture-wicking and can absorb up to 20% of its weight in water before it feels wet.
Some people may not like that linen sheets get wrinkly, but that doesn't bother our tester because they're so comfortable and help him get a better night's rest — more so than any cooling mattress pad or high-tech fabric. Our reviewer has tested two sets of these Cultiver sheets. After a year of use, the sheets have softened a bit — as they've worn and the fibers have broken down, they now have characteristics of being 'micro-brushed' — but there are no rips, runs or thin spots. In the close-up photo, you can see a pillowcase that's been used for 15 months and one used for 1 month. Cultiver offers a range of natural, dusty, pastel colors — the kind that will continue to look good as the linen ages. While these are expensive, they are most definitely worth it.
Target Threshold Organic Cotton Solid Sheets
- Material: 100% organic cotton
- Sizes: Twin, Full, Queen, King
This one wasn’t even close. Target’s hyper-affordable Threshold-branded sheets easily outclassed the likes of Amazon’s best-selling Mellani sheets, the Amazon Basics line itself, two sets of sub-$50 Walmart sheets and two Ikea sets.
Cheap sheets make their cheapness known in a variety of ways — some show lousy stitching and begin to fray after one wash; some arrive with an off-putting chemical smell; others simply feel crappy to lie on. The Threshold sheets set themselves apart by retaining the basic reasons you’d buy a percale set in the first place — our tester said they were crisp, cool, easy to clean and reasonably moisture-wicking. And at $65 for a queen (or considerably less during Target's frequent sales) and with no weird chemical smells, there’s little to no competition at this price point.
Parachute Linen Sheet Set
- Material: 100% European flax linen
- Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
If you haven't slept on linen before, what are you waiting for? The naturally cooling material from your favorite summer shirts also makes an excellent material for sheets, especially during the hot summer. And Parachute's linen sheets are our favorite that won't cost a complete fortune like Cultiver's (though they're still pretty pricey). Our tester notes that Parachute's linen sheets are a bit rough and scratchy at first, like all linen sheets, but they're actually softer than most others we've tested, leading to a shorter break-in period. One other thing to note when breaking these sheets in that is a bit unusual is the amount of lint these sheets shed. Our tester routinely woke up from his first several sleeps in these sheets covered in lint, and the dryer trap was so full of pink lint after laundering the first time it looked like a segment of fiberglass insulation. The lint takes a couple of washes to stop shedding, and after that, it's not an issue, but it is a bit of an annoyance at first.
With linen sheets, just like with linen clothing, you accept the negatives with the positives. These sheets are super cool and breathable, much more so than cotton, and they get softer and softer the more you use and wash them. But the tradeoff is they're pretty much always wrinkly. This is often considered part of linen's charm when it comes to clothing, but it doesn't translate quite as well to the bedroom — it just makes your bed look kind of messy. Still, once you get past the wrinkles and the linty break-in period, our tester says you'll be left with a blissful high-end sleeping experience. Not only are these sheets cool and comfy, but the high-quality dyes used make for some beautiful colors that give a premium look, despite the wrinkles. The back-envelope design of the pillowcases adds to the high-end feel, and these have become our tester's go-to summer sheets.
Brooklinen Organic Core Sheet Set
- Material: 100% GOTS-certified extra-long-staple organic cotton
- Sizes: Full, Queen, King, California King
Brooklinen's Classic Core Sheets were already some of the best percale sheets on the market, but the brand recently upped the ante by releasing a version made with 100% GOTS-certified extra-long-staple organic cotton. These sheets are mostly the same as the regular percale, but are a touch more luxurious (there's a slightly higher thread count and a longer staple cotton is used) in addition to being made from all-organic material. And if you're a fan of the crisp and soft sheets you find in the bed of a nice hotel, then our tester says you'll love these too.
Brooklinen's Organic Core Sheets are crisp, smooth and quite soft to the touch. If you've slept on percale sheets before (and you almost certainly have) then these will feel familiar, but probably a step up from what you're used to. Our tester likes the comfy familiarity of these sheets; they're the type that just make him say ahh upon sliding into them after a long day. They're breathable and sleep quite cool, which is great for our tester who is a hot sleeper. But they're also on the thin side — you can see through them a bit when held up to the light — so they're probably not the best choice for chilly nights or people who prefer to be warm and cozy in bed. They also wrinkle quite easily, like other percale sheets, but our tester finds they do fend off wrinkles better than cheaper percale sets he's tried.
Ettitude Signature Sateen Sheet Set
- Material:100% bamboo lyocell
- Sizes: Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
The biggest downside of traditional cotton sateen sheets is they sleep hot. Our tester, a notorious hot sleeper, loves the soft feel and sleek look of sateen but can't stand the heat. But he found a solution — and his new personal favorite sheets — in Ettitude's Signature Sateen Sheets. Instead of cotton, these sheets are made from silky cooling lyocell derived from moisture-wicking bamboo (most lyocell, like Tencel, is made from eucalyptus), and they're some of the coolest sheets our tester tried. The combination of the smooth silk-like look and feel of these sheets with their immense cooling properties (they even feel cool to the touch) has our tester singing the sheets' praises to anyone who will listen. The sheets also come in a reusable bag made from the same material, which our tester has been using as a shoe bag when he travels.
But despite our tester's love of these sheets, they are decidedly not for everyone. Much to our tester's chagrin, his wife is among those who dislike these sheets. The shiny look and slippery feel are just too out-there for her, as she prefers the traditional dull texture and heavier feel of cotton percale and linen. But if you're a hot sleeper who's open to trying something different, and you love the idea of silk sheets or cotton sateen but know you'll sweat to death under them, then give Ettitude's Signature Sateen Sheets a try. The brand offers a 30-night sleep trial, so what have you got to lose?
Sijo LuxeWeave Linen Sheet Set
- Material: 100% GOTS-certified organic French flax linen
- Sizes: Full, Queen, King, California King
These sheets are made from natural flax linen from Normandy, France. They’re breathable and have been durable during our testing. They look good and are noticeably cooler than cotton sheets, making them ideal for hot sleepers or summer nights. You can pop them into the washer and dryer, but like other linen sheets, they wrinkle easily (though somewhat less so than some competitors). Our tester's main gripe is that they are a bit rough in the beginning but get softer with every wash and over time. For that reason, she didn’t love them at first but the fact that they do get softer and keep her cool at night has made her want to buy them again and again.
As nice as the cooling and ever-increasing softness are, our tester's favorite thing about these sheets is that they’re organic and non-toxic. They’re free from harmful chemicals, pesticides and GMOs. Our tester says she sleeps easy (and cool) knowing she's not inhaling any hazardous dyes or fumes. On the downside, our tester notes that these sheets don’t have much elasticity, so when using them on a mattress like a Purple Mattress they can get bunched up compared to stretchy sheets (like Purple's own SoftStretch Sheets further down this list) that move along with the flow of the mattress.
Coyuchi Climate Beneficial Cotton Soft Washed Sheet Set
Out of the bag, the first thing our tester noticed about these Coyuchi sheets was how sturdy they felt. There seems to be a fixation on how “soft” sheets are, and while our reviewer wouldn’t say that Coyuchi’s sheets aren’t soft, he'd be more likely to describe the texture as having a pleasant starchiness to it. The cotton is nice and thick but is still very breathable and feels great on your skin. Details like the double-needle contrast stitching and the durable material give the impression that these sheets will last a long time. They’re made from the brand’s 100% Climate Beneficial cotton, and Coyuchi is a founding member of the California Cotton and Climate Coalition (along with brands like Outerknown and Carhartt) which it claims supports local farms and has the potential to restore the soil. Our tester has noticed that these sheets come out of the washing machine feeling just as good as before, if not better. He has the Alpine White with Pewter Stripe which has a great classic look, and the sheets quickly develop a nice lived-in feel without looking too wrinkly or worn.
Overall, our tester has loved sleeping in these sheets — probably more so than any other sheets he's had in the past. They’ve kept him cool at night, and while they’re not the softest sheets our reviewer has ever felt, he's come to really appreciate the thick cotton texture. There’s no question that these sheets are very high-quality, though with the king-sized's $548 price tag, they sure better be. You can certainly find excellent sheets for a fraction of the price, but for anyone in the market for high-quality sheets that are made to last from a brand that places an emphasis on sustainability, Coyuchi feels like a great fit.
Buffy Breeze Sheet Set
- Material: 100% Tencel eucalyptus lyocell
- Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Hot sleepers are a common breed, and they'll be happy to know that the solution to their problem is Buffy's Eucalyptus Sheet Set. Eucalyptus might not be the first material that comes to mind when it comes to bedding, but you may be more familiar with Tencel, the name brand of lyocell. These sheets are made of lyocell, which is derived from eucalyptus, and it's incredible at keeping sleepers cool at night while also being completely biodegradable (these sheets are even dyed with natural materials).
They also happen to be the softest sheets our tester has ever slept on, somehow walking the line between super cozy and amazingly breathable. Get these sheets if you're sick and tired of sweating through your bedding at night.
Boll & Branch Percale Hemmed Sheet Set
- Material: 100% organic long-staple cotton
- Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, King w/ standard pillowcases, California King, Split King
Though not the sheets that made the brand famous, Boll & Branch’s percale sheets are stellar. They launched in April of 2018, and out of the mountain of percale sheets one of our reviewers tested, this set stood out to him for a couple of reasons. The sheets are a bit airier than the company’s signature sheets, which made for a cooler (but still cozy) sleeping experience. The percale sheets are also made using a plain weave (one-under, one-over) with the brand’s signature organic long-staple cotton and utilize two very fine plys (layers) that give structure while maintaining maximum breeziness. It all adds up to a fantastic percale option that's good for a variety of sleepers (though they may be too slight for super cold nights).
Brooklinen Linen Core Sheet Set
- Material: 100% European flax linen
- Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Linen sheets are notoriously expensive, so “affordable” is relative here. Starting at $259 for a Twin set (but often on sale, including hefty discounts for first-time buyers), Brooklinen’s set is as airy as you’d want it to be, but the weave isn’t too loose either, as was common in testing cheaper linens. When compared with most of the other linen sheets we tested, the Brooklinen set was significantly softer from the get-go, but they still need a little bit of time in the wash before getting that worn-in linen feel. The relatively low cost, less aggressively textured feel and a great variety of colors and patterns — including frequent limited-edition options that feel extra special — make Brooklinen’s set a rock-solid linen starter set.
Purple SoftStretch Sheet Set
- Material: 63% rayon from bamboo viscose, 27% polyester, 10% spandex
- Sizes: Twin/TwinXL, Full, Queen, King/California King, Split King
Purple changed the game in the mattress world, and the brand's done the same in bedding. Just as described in the name, our tester loves how soft and stretchy these sheets are, which is thanks to their bamboo-derived rayon, polyester and spandex blend makeup. The extreme elasticity of the sheets — these are by far the stretchiest sheets our reviewers tried, they're practically like a rubber band — helps them to hug the bed very snugly, which means making the bed is less of a chore. Yet they're unbelievably soft and smooth with hardly any texture, offering a microfiber-like feel.
An unexpected feature of the sheets is that they're also pretty cooling, especially when paired with a grid-topped Purple mattress, but the synthetic fibers involved make them a bit less cooling than linen or lyocell sheets. One drawback of the sheets' stretchiness, however, is how easily they can entangle you, particularly if you move around a lot at night. One tester found the top sheet's ability to entrap him in the night to be extremely frustrating, while another tester didn't have much of an issue with it, so your mileage may vary.
Coyuchi Cloud Brushed Organic Flannel Sheets
- Material: 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton
- Sizes: Twin, Full, Queen, King, California King
When you see Coyuchi's name on a set of sheets, you know you're getting something special, and you won't find better flannel sheets anywhere than these (and the price reinforces that). These sheets are GOTS-certified organic and are made from a beefy six-ounce flannel, which is thicker and warmer than what you'll find on most flannel sheets. Our tester describes them as the most luxe sheets she's ever slept on, and notes that they have yet to pill even after many washes. She loves the sheets' velvety texture, as well as how "luxuriously thick and smooth" they are.
But don't think that these sheets are only for freezing cold nights. Despite their cozy warmth, they maintain a high level of breathability, with our tester noting that her hot-sleeping boyfriend didn't complain about the sheets since they don't get too hot or stuffy. Our tester also appreciates the beautiful muted colors available, but does wish the sheets were cheaper. She thinks you're getting what you paid for, but given that most people will only use these during the winter, $300+ for a king-size set is a bit of a tough pill to swallow.
My Sheets Rock The Regulator Sheet Set
- Material: 100% bamboo rayon
- Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King, Split King
Lucky for our tester, these sheets did in fact rock. As the name implies, these sheets are designed to be temperature-regulating, making them perfect for cold and hot sleepers alike. Because they're made from high-quality bamboo rayon, the sheets are ultra-cooling and silky smooth. "I run hot year-round, even in deep winter, so sheets that help me stay cool are an essential buy," our tester said.
The sheets also had a hidden detail that blew our tester away: Inside each corner of the fitted sheet, there are tags labeling which side of the bed it should go on, such as "front left." Our tester also loved how stretchy and versatile these sheets were and even found that a full-size fitted sheet was able to fit a queen-size mattress. Needless to say, making the bed was a breeze just like sleeping in the sheets.
Thuma Percale Suite Sheet Set
- Materials: 100% cotton
- Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Thuma, the brand behind one of the best beds you can buy, also makes some pretty great bedding in the form of linen and percale sheets. Our tester tried both sets, and they were both soft, luxurious and comfortable. But the percale sheets in particular blew her away. Right out of the box, the 100% cotton sheets were so smooth our tester says it felt like she was sleeping at a five-star hotel. The percale was a little stiff but not uncomfortably so, and it softened with each wash. These percale sheets feel a little more structured than others our reviewer has tried, which helps them stay snug and secure on her bed throughout the night. Thuma also added little tags inside the fitted sheet marking which sides were meant to go at the top or bottom of the bed, which was a thoughtful detail that makes making the bed a whole lot easier.
Read our full Thuma bed sheets review.
Peru Pima Percale Sheet Set
- Material: 100% cotton
- Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Frankly, buying sheets on Amazon is annoyingly tedious. The all-caps descriptions are fluffy, figuratively speaking, and there’s virtually no way to reprimand brands that try to mislead you. The pima cotton these sheets are made from is not Supima-certified, but it is extra-long-staple cotton nonetheless — and for a really, really solid price at that. Peru Pima has been making these sheets for quite some time, too, and even has its own website that’s manned by people who respond to customer service requests. These sound like low bars to hop, but Amazon may very well be the biggest remaining offender in the old bedding-misinformation scheme.
Target Threshold Performance Sheet Set
- Material: 100% cotton
- Sizes: Twin/Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Given how uncomfortable cheap sateen sheets tend to be, the comfortability of this uber-affordable performance-minded set from Target was a major surprise. Target’s sateen offering blew other similarly-price sateen sheets out of the water in both softness and looks. In fact, apart from a bit less natural wrinkle resistance, they were on par with some more expensive cotton sateen sheets we tested. The biggest marks against them according to our tester pertain to breathability, where they’re easily eclipsed by more premium options. (In other words, these definitely sleep on the warmer side and aren't ideal for hot sleepers.) But for the absurdly low price of around 50 bucks for a full set, not everything can be perfect.
Things to know before shopping for sheets
What’s the best thread count for sheets?
“Pumped-up numbers with inferior, multi-ply yarn, the [thread count] numbers are often lies to begin with. A higher thread count doesn’t equate to better quality. Stay within the 200 to 300 range and you’ll be good,” says Jimmy McDonald, cofounder of Authenticity50.
Every sheet maker we spoke with echoed a similar sentiment. Thread count just isn’t a good measure of quality as a standalone figure, apart from exposing sellers who are (probably) trying to rip you off. If you see any sheets above with a thread count of 500 or above, regardless of material or weave, feel free to take that as a big red sign that says “BS.” There are only so many threads you can squeeze into a square inch of fabric, so these higher thread counts are either adding plies to their sheet and counting those as double or artificially weaving in more threads, which is only going to make for a hotter, heavier sheet anyway.
What’s the difference between percale and sateen sheets?
The vast majority of people sleep on percale — it’s crisp, cool and versatile. Its balanced weave allows air to flow through the sheet and allows the sheet to stack in areas and “float” above the skin, creating more avenues for air to keep you cool.
Sateen isn’t without its own strengths, though. Its predominantly vertical, unbalanced weave gives it less rigidity than percale, allowing it to fall and drape on a bed more attractively than other weaves. It’s a better choice for people with significantly more sensitive skin, as it’s much smoother to the touch than other popular bedding weaves and materials.
Sateen’s downsides pertain to durability and its knack for insulating too much heat. The imbalanced weave of sateen makes it more likely for pilling, sheen loss and tears to occur, so it will typically show wear more quickly. The weave is also responsible for a detracted airflow, meaning you’ll be warmer than you would be under percale.
What is “Egyptian cotton,” and why does the type of cotton matter?
Egyptian cotton is probably the most famous type of cotton, and rightfully so — real Egyptian cotton is extremely long-staple cotton that can be wound into a long, tight and soft yarn that makes for durable, cozy textiles. Unfortunately, odds are the sheets you bought, even if they say they’re made with Egyptian cotton, aren’t. Truth is, there aren’t many good ways to determine if a set of sheets is using all real Egyptian cotton, as brands often use a trace amount to claim it as a marketing tool.
Supima cotton is an American-grown variety of true Egyptian cotton, and the fabric must be certified by the American Supima Association to call itself Supima (find an updated list of brands that use Supima here). Most premium brands will use one version or another of long or extra-long staple cotton, which is a good indicator the company is using quality materials. As noted above, the longer the staple, the greater the fabric’s durability. It’s also useful to check for a GOTS certification to make sure you’re getting sheets made without any toxic materials and in an ecologically-friendly way.
Why do linen sheets feel scratchy at first?
While percale and sateen sheets are traditionally made from cotton, linen is made from flax, which is a different plant altogether. Where cotton is extracted in a fluffy ball called a boll, the fiber used to make linen is a bast fiber that more resembles what you’d expect from a plant product. Bast fibers are taken from the core of the flax plant and, as such, are not fluffy or pleasant initially — but their tensile strength is naturally higher than cotton.
The roughness of linen sheets when they ship to your home isn’t indicative of their quality — you have to give linen time to break into its charm. Softer qualities are brought out over time through wash and wear. A good rule of thumb with linen (and all sheets, really) is to give it a good wash right when you get it to start that process.
