To learn more about how we test bed sheets and other sleep accessories, check out our detailed sleep testing methodology.
What to Look for When Shopping for Bed Sheets
While your personal preferences should stay top of mind when selecting a new set of bed sheets and curating a comfortable night’s sleep, there are a few details to consider that can help you narrow down your options.
Materials
Bed sheets are made with a variety of materials, including (but not limited to) cotton, linen, bamboo, and silk. Classic cotton bedding and linen alike are known for their breathability, but while cotton is soft from the start, linen is a bit coarse at first and grows softer with time and use. It’s also hard to beat linen’s durability. Meanwhile, eco-friendly materials like bamboo tend to provide a silky, cool sheen, and luxurious silk offers excellent temperature regulation (often at a premium price point).
Weave Style
Percale and sateen are the two most common weave styles in the realm of bed sheets, both of which are a detail for cotton sheets exclusively. A percale weave results in a crisper feel and a matte aesthetic, and it tends to feel light and breathable, making it a smart choice for warmer seasons and hot sleepers. Conversely, a sateen weave is silky and shiny in both look and feel. It’s a bit thicker and heavier than percale, making it more suitable for the colder months of the year and sleepers who don’t struggle much with temperature regulation.
Thread Count
By definition, thread count measures the amount of individual yarns present in a square inch of fabric. While some consider thread count in assessing a bed sheet’s quality, experts often suggest looking beyond this number for several reasons. First, thread count doesn’t speak to the quality or durability of the actual materials used. A higher thread count achieved with a poor-quality fiber doesn’t make for a high-quality durable sheet. Second, it’s often not a detail available for non-cotton sheet options. For instance, linen and bamboo sheets are often measured by GSM (grams per square meter) instead to speak to the fabric’s overall weight. So feel free to peek at thread count, but this detail doesn’t need to be a dealbreaker for a set of sheets that seems to check all your boxes otherwise.
A Note on Microfiber Sheets
Microfiber is a budget-friendly option when it comes to buying a new set of sheets. Super thin and lightweight, these sheets are made of a combination of materials ranging from polyester to wood pulp. While we have tried a few sets of microfiber sheets, we generally don’t recommend microfiber as a material because we feel like there are plenty of other higher quality sheets to choose from instead.
