“I run hot, so I tend to fight with my sheets as much as I enjoy them,” our tester says. “I even bought one of those mattresses that claims to keep you cool and if you were to ask me if it’s doing its job, the best I could give you would be a ‘kinda.’ However, I’ve been sleeping in the Brooklinen Linen Core Set for a couple weeks now, and it’s the coolest sleep I can remember. No sweating, no thrashing, no subconscious cocooning, nothing.” The linen is a tad dry out of the package but softened up quickly, he says, which meant that there really wasn’t any sort of adjustment period. (His dog likes them too—possibly too much.)
Brooklinen’s sheets aren’t quite as free-breathing as other sets, which might be fine if you’re not aggressively hunting down the coolest sheet sets possible. A more universally annoying issue: We found these to be incredibly linty after the first wash, with the fuzzballs only abating after the fourth or fifth wash.
The Best White Linen Sheets: Jenni Kayne
“Sign me up to be swathed in anything that Jenni Kayne releases, from her luscious oversized cashmere cocoon cardigans to these wispy, white linens,” our tester says. “The California brand has perfected easygoing, minimalist vibes, and so if you’re looking for an essential white pair of linen sheets, I’d ask you to look no further.” You’ll purchase the separate pieces that you like so if you’re Team No Flat Sheet, that flies here. The pieces arrive in separate sachets for storing (if you’re someone who rotates materials by season, this is incredibly nice). With the first wash these linen sheets already feel worn-in and comfortable, and the more you sleep on them, the better that gets.
The Best Feeling Linen Sheets: Boll + Branch
Linen sheets are an absolute must for me during the summer, especially living in a tiny NYC apartment. My window AC unit tries its best, but without the breathability of these Boll + Branch linen sheets, I’d be waking up in a puddle every night. These fit my queen bed pretty generously (with more than enough room to tuck them in on three sides) and feel super high-quality. There’s something about the scratchy-soft texture of linen that puts me right to sleep.
The Best Fitted Linen Sheet: Piglet in Bed
These were a little scratchy out of the packaging, but definitely not as rough as sand paper. I liked how thick it was though, which might make it a little better for sleeping in the cooler months (or if you blast the AC during the summer). While Piglet in Bed makes some of the best patterned sheets, they have run into inventory issues so sizing and colorways are frequently out of stock.
4 Other Linen Sheet Sets We Like
Riley’s linen sheets emerged as an early favorite for us, setting the benchmark for how supremely soft and lightweight linen could be. We found that they felt remarkably similar to Parachute’s linens, but Parachute earned the tiebreaker for having a far greater size and color range. Currently, the Riley linen is only available for queen and king sizes, and in only four shades. But they are nice!
Sijo’s a relative newcomer to the bedding scene, and it’s aiming to make some of the best cooling bedding, from comforters to pillows to sheets. Its linen sheets are made from high quality French flax linen in small batches and come in a decent range of colors, from neutrals to pastels and stripes. They’re pre-washed and pre-shrunk, too. The sheets we tried were slightly rougher than other picks on this list, and not the airiest either—according to Sijo, these sheets are less temperature-regulating than its eucalyptus or Tencel sheet options. But we did appreciate how polished they look on a freshly made bed, and the brand’s commitment to sustainably sourcing its fibers.
You won’t find the best sheets on Amazon, but you can buy perfectly good sheets on Amazon. As proof, Simple & Opulence offers a fairly solid linen sheet set at a Bezos-pleasing price. Partly that’s because they’re made from a linen-cotton blend. Still, nearly 1,700 reviews have shouted out these sheets as being soft, breathable, and comfortable. As one shopper lauds: “The wrinkles smooth out easily and the comfort is second to none. Best sheets ever and well worth the price. I’m so pleased that i’m ordering again.”
We stan truth in advertising. Somewhere between the brand’s name and the sheet set’s name sits the truth: the linen is thick and has a texture on the coarser end of the spectrum. But you can test drive before you commit, because Rough Linen will kindly send you a free sample of the material so you can make sure its what you’re looking for. You don’t have many color options (just six), but we like that you can buy the bedding a la carte—in case, say, you just need a new flat sheet. Also nice: the fitted sheet comes in both standard and deep options for 14- and 19-inch tall mattresses.
What to Look For in the Best Linen Sheets
We’re weighing a whole host of factors when we hunt for the best sheets—some of which are linen-specific.
Price: The best linen sheets aren’t cheap because linen itself isn’t cheap. You can find some budget sets under $150 with clear tradeoffs, but buy-in for a great set is $200, and you can double that for the nicest linen sheets (in a queen size set). Why are linen sheets so pricey compared to cotton? There are fewer flax farms, harvesting the plant is harder, and processing it into fabric is more labor-intensive. But if you’re a hot sleeper—or you have to survive the tossing and turning of the one next to you—linen is worth the investment.
