The Best Flannel Sheets for Chilly Nights

If you aren't familiar with Supima cotton, it's a long-staple cotton grown in the United States that promises softer fabrics, better strength, and less pilling thanks to its longer fiber. You're likely more familiar with Egyptian cotton, which is a more popular long-staple cotton. Long-staple means that the fiber is longer, and longer fiber makes the cotton stronger and less likely to pill since you have fewer cotton ends. It makes it softer, too, since you'll touch more of the silky cotton fiber rather than fiber ends.

It's thanks to that Supima cotton that I found the Lands' End Luxe Supima Cotton Heathered Flannel Sheets so soft. They're heavier than our top pick, both in the weight of the flannel and in the overall feel of the sheets on a bed, so they're a good choice if you need something extra warm. Long-staple cotton does tend to have less airflow, too, so it's no surprise these are some of the warmest sheets I slept on. Still, I loved the super-soft feel, making this heavy flannel feel delightfully cozy instead of scratchy or suffocating, and especially loved these sheets during the coldest nights of the year.

Includes a fitted sheet, flat sheet, and two pillowcases.

Flannel already has some texture to it, thanks to the brushed-out cotton fibers you'll find on both sides of the sheet. If you're looking for a more velvetlike softness, though, several companies make a velvet flannel that promises to last longer and pill less, all while retaining warmth and a cozy texture that will feel like velvet instead of fluffy cotton. My favorite set comes from the Company Store. The Company Store has made a few different lines of velvet flannel, and the Legends Luxury Luxe set has a fantastic soft feel to it that will keep you cozy.

The velvet feel, in my opinion, doesn't make a huge difference, since it's still made from cotton (while true velvet is made from silk). But side by side you can feel there's a different texture, and it feels a little denser than your classic fluffy flannel. It feels warmer, too, due to that denser design that can retain more heat. I still prefer more classic flannel, but if you're looking for something soft and dense, this is the set I'd recommend.

The only downside? You have to purchase the parts of these sheets individually. It's annoying. For that reason alone, I'm probably more likely to buy the Lands' End heathered set above if I wanted a super soft, extra warm flannel sheet set with some extra texture to it, but to each their own.

The Fitted sheet, flat sheet, and pillowcases are all sold separately.

While all flannel has brushed cotton, brushed cotton sheets aren't necessarily true flannel. Flannel sheets require the cotton to be brushed out on both sides of the sheet, while brushed cotton sheets will only have one side brushed out. Brushed cotton sheets tend to be much lighter than true flannel, since you have half as many brushed-out fibers. It's a good option for hot sleepers, though my favorite for my fellow hot sleepers is the L.L. Bean sheets below.

Some brushed flannel feels like it's just soft percale, but I found myself loving the flannelly softness of Riley Home's sheets while being much lighter than true flannel. They still retain a solid amount of heat even with only one side brushed out, but these are a super soft, super lightweight sheet for anyone who wants to be cozy but not too cozy. You can also choose to exclude a top sheet, which is a good choice if you already have a duvet cover you like.

Includes a fitted sheet, flat sheet, and two pillowcases. Can choose to exclude flat sheet.

These L.L.Bean sheets are some of the most popular flannel sheets out there. While they're good sheets, I never feel like I get the full flannel experience from them. These sheets have always felt somewhere between a flannel and a soft jersey sheet to me, rather than a true fluffy flannel (but not as light as brushed cotton sheets, either).

It's a much more breathable sheet, however, and I think that lightweight, breathable design is what makes it so popular. Plenty of people are hot sleepers (myself included!), and this sheet set promises the softness of flannel without keeping you as hot as true flannel would. If you're a hot sleeper who's just looking for soft sheets and don't need as much help staying warm at night, these are a nice option. They're well-priced, too.

Includes a fitted sheet, flat sheet, and two pillowcases.