Best bed sheets: Create your perfect sleep experience from just £8
Improve the quality of your sleep with our pick of the best bed sheets around
Good bedding is the foundation of your sleeping setup and, surprisingly, the bed sheets that are right for you may not be perfect for someone else – it’s a personal choice. Fail to do your research properly, and there’s a chance you’ll wake up in the middle of the night to find yourself feeling clammy and sweaty, or shivering your way into the morning.
So how do you find the best bed sheets? It usually depends on your sleep style. Fans of crisp hotel sheets might enjoy sleeping on Egyptian cotton or percale with a heavy weave, while those who feel the chill at night will love getting cosy on brushed cotton, which effortlessly retains body heat. Or maybe you’re a hot sleeper, in which case your preference will be for more breathable, moisture-wicking materials such as bamboo and linen.
We’ve searched out the best cotton, linen, bamboo and brushed cotton sheets to ensure your next night’s sleep is the best one yet – no matter the weather.
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Best bed sheets: At a glance
- Best bamboo bed sheet for hot sleepers: All Bamboo | From £28
- Best luxury bed sheet: Savoy Fitted Sheet | From £50
- Best bed sheets for cold weather: Brushed Cotton Fitted Sheet | From £34
- Best bed sheets on a budget: Habitat Cotton Fitted Sheet | From £8
How to choose the best bed sheets for you
What does thread count really mean?
Thread count is a measure of how many vertical and horizontal threads run across a square inch of bedding. As you may expect, a higher thread count means a more dense piece of fabric, which also indicates good durability and softness. However, sheets with a lower thread count aren’t necessarily of poor quality.
Decent bedding will usually have a thread count that’s somewhere between 200 and 600. Anything from 600 to 800 will be noticeably soft; anything above 800 and you won’t notice a significant difference in quality. Opt for a thread count above 180 to ensure the sheet won’t wear out quickly.
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What type of material are bed sheets made from?
Bed sheets are available in a variety of fabrics and fibre, but most fall into the following categories:
Cotton – Timeless and classic, sheets made from 100% cotton or a cotton blend are durable, soft and easy to maintain. Egyptian cotton is made from extra-long fibres, which means the yarn is stronger and lasts longer.
Bamboo – Organic, breathable and seriously soft, sheets made from bamboo are recommended for those with allergies or sensitive skin.
Linen – Airy and breathable, with a looser weave than other fibres. Linen is also a great option for those who aren’t keen on ironing, preferring the crumpled look instead.
Tencel – An eco-friendly fabric that requires less energy to produce than cotton.
Polyester – A good option for the budget-conscious, it won’t shrink on an accidental hot wash.
Brushed cotton – Also known as flannel, one or both sides of the sheet are brushed to raise the fibres; these hold in body heat.
How much should I spend?
In the main, the size of your bed and mattress is the biggest indicator of how much you’ll be spending on sheets. Fitted sheets can be priced anywhere from £10 to £400, so it’s a relatively easy product to buy on a tight budget.
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The best bed sheets you can buy in 2023
1. All Bamboo Bed Linen Luxury Fitted Sheet: The best bamboo bed sheets for hot sleepers
Price when reviewed: From £28 | Check price at Amazon
Bamboo bedding is something of an outlier when it comes to bed-sheet materials, but it shouldn’t be. Bamboo is a far more sustainable crop than cotton, making it a great option for eco-friendly sleepers. It’s naturally hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial and odour resistant, too, which will be welcome news to those with sensitive skin and allergies. But the best aspect of a bamboo sheet is its ability to regulate body temperature. Bamboo wicks away moisture and is super-breathable, resulting in the somewhat magical ability to keep you cool in summer and warm in winter.
Bamboo fabric has a wonderfully smooth and silky feel that becomes softer the more it’s washed, even without the use of fabric softener. Note that the material can feel stiff and hard on emerging from the washing machine, but will quickly soften once dry.
A downside of bamboo bedding is that it wrinkles rather easily and can experience natural shrinkage in the wash, although we haven’t found this to be the case. Some customers have mentioned that the sizing of these All Bamboo sheets is a tad off, so we would suggest measuring your mattress before you buy. That said, if you have a particularly deep mattress, it might be the perfect fit – and with a price range of £28 to £39, these sheets are super-affordable, too.
Key features – Sizes: Single, double, king, super king; Colours: Natural White, Pure White, Soft Grey; Material: 100% bamboo viscose; Thread count: 300; Washing instructions: Cold or warm machine wash on a gentle cycle
2. Savoy Fitted Sheet: The best luxury bed sheets
Price when reviewed: From £50 | Check price at The White Company
If you’re after gorgeously luxurious sheets but without the matching price tag, head over to The White Company. These fitted sheets are made from 100% Egyptian cotton with a 400 thread count: they’re soft to the touch, not too silky-smooth, and are also impressively crisp. Price-wise, these are mid-range: the single sheet costs £50, with the emperor at £95.
Part of the Savoy Collection, which is The White Company’s best-selling range of bed linen, the fitted sheet matches with a duvet cover and pillow cases, all of which are finished with a subtle trim of densely stitched cord to make your bed look stylish and elegant. Now you just need a turn-down service and your hotel-at-home experience is ready to go!
Key features – Sizes: Single, double, king, super king, emperor; Colours: White; Material: 100% Egyptian cotton percale; Thread count: 400; Washing instructions: Machine wash
3. Brushed Cotton Fitted Sheet: The best bed sheets for cold weather
Price when reviewed: From £34 | Check price at Dusk
On chilly nights there’s nothing better than snuggling into some cosy bedding – and brushed cotton is the perfect choice. These fitted brushed cotton sheets from Dusk have been gently rubbed on the face side, raising the fibres to make the fabric both breathable and heat-retaining. Their super-soft touch feels like a worn-in t-shirt, while the elasticated finish all the way round provides a tight fit to your mattress.
A potential downside of brushed cotton sheets is that they can pill and bobble rather quickly, so it’s worth doing your research before buying. Luckily, Dusk has a great reputation for its high-quality bedding, so these sheets should see you through many winters to come. We’d also suggest washing these fitted sheets before use to get rid of any lingering packaging smells.
Key features – Sizes: King, super king; Colours: White; Material: Brushed cotton; Washing instructions: Machine wash at 30-40°C
4. Habitat Cotton Rich Plain White Fitted Sheet: The best bed sheets on a budget
Price when reviewed: From £8 | Check price at Argos
For comfortable bedding without having to flash the cash, you can’t go wrong with these plain fitted sheets from Argos. With prices starting at just £8 for a single, up to a very reasonable £15.50 for the super king, these are functional sheets made from 100% cotton. They’re soft, durable and easy to launder; but only the corners are elasticated, and the single has a depth of 28cm, meaning it isn’t deep-fitted.
There are 10 appealing colourways to choose from, including Mustard, Leaf Green, Dove Grey and Duck Egg – all of which match the colours shown on the website (something that isn’t always a certainty!). The sheets wash well, without any shrinkage, although there is a risk that the darker colours may run a little on their first wash. Any subsequent washes shouldn’t result in any colour loss, however – and, as an added bonus, the fabric barely creases, so you could feasibly get away without having to iron them.
Key features – Sizes: Single, double, king, super king; Colours: White, Grey, Leaf Green, Navy, Blush Pink, Black, Mustard, Duck Egg, Charcoal, Cream; Material: 60% cotton, 40% polyester; Thread count: 180; Washing instructions: Machine wash at 40°C
5. Linot 100% Washed Linen Fitted Sheet: The best low-maintenance bed sheets
Price: From £50 | Check price at La Redoute
These beautifully natural and lightweight linen sheets from La Redoute look their best when they’re slightly wrinkled, so put away the iron and relax into some seriously low-maintenance bedding. Since the weave of linen is a little stiffer than cotton, it can take linen sheets some time to soften; but they’re adept at moisture-wicking and keeping you cool throughout the night.
There’s a glorious range of 24 colours to choose from in the Linot range, and these particular sheets have a 30cm depth, making them especially suited for deep mattresses or those who use a mattress topper. Note, too, that these are elasticated all around the edge, making it easy to tuck the sheet in tightly – although it may prove a problem when trying to fold up the sheet for storage. Price-wise, they range from £50 to £95, so while linen sheets may feel like an investment, they’ll certainly last the distance.
Key features – Sizes: Single, double, double+, king, superking; Colours: White, Carbon, Grey-Khaki, Midnight Blue, Grey-Green, Taupe, Prussian Blue, Dusty Pink, Opaline, Natural, Ecru, Grey Chambray, Grey Blue, Light Grey, Golden Khaki, Burgundy, Saffron, Forest Green, Terracotta, Glacier Green, Ochre Yellow, Nude, Chambray Brick, Tile Red; Material: 100% linen; Washing Instructions: Machine wash at 40°C
