The Best Sheets to Catch Some Z’s

Sweet dreams start with the best sheets. Or, at the very least, better sheets mean I sleep better, whether my dreams are peaceful or a hallucination of failed superpowers and the internet. The choice of bedding can make or break how comfortable you are at night, especially during the hotter seasons of the year.

But there's a lot to navigate when buying sheets for your bed. Maybe you're uncertain about which type of sheet you need or are frustrated with buying cooling sheets that still leave you sweating. Don't worry: We've slept on almost 100 sets of sheets to find out which ones are the best to sleep on, from crisp percale to silky bamboo and sateen. The right sheet set can make your bed feel like a fresh hotel room, or help you finally achieve a good night's rest without waking up sweaty or uncomfortable.

I and my WIRED colleagues have tested dozens upon dozens of options to find the best sheets in nearly every style. If you're looking for cotton sheets, our favorites are The Citizenry's Organic Stonewashed Percale ($189) and JCPenney's Wrinkle Guard 400TC Sateen Sheets ($90). Open to exploring other materials, like bamboo and linen? Don't miss Luxome's Bamboo Luxury Sheet Set ($185) or The Citizenry's Organic Stonewashed Linen ($299). Not sure what's the best kind for you? Check out our explainers below on what each sheet type means and how to pick the best set for you.

There's an endless supply of sheets out there, so I'll keep updating this guide as we test more. All of the prices shown are for queen-size sets. Don't miss our guides on cleaning your sheets and whether you need a duvet cover, plus our specific guides to the Best Bamboo Sheets, Best Linen Sheets, Best Cooling Sheets, and Best Flannel Sheets. If you're looking for bedding beyond sheets, check out our guides to the Best Mattresses, Best Mattresses for Back Pain, Best Organic Mattresses, Best Pillows, and Best Down Comforters.

Updated May 2025: We've reorganized this guide and added a few new sections, including separate cooling sheets and FAQ sections.

• Best Percale Sheets: The Citizenry Organic Stonewashed Percale Sheet Set ($179)
• Best Sateen Sheets: JCPenney Wrinkle Guard Sateen Sheet Set ($90)
• Best Bamboo Sheets: Luxome Bamboo Luxury Sheet Set ($185)
• Best Linen Sheets: The Citizenry Organic Stonewashed Linen Sheet Set ($299)
• Best Silk Sheets: LilySilk 19 Momme Seamless Silk Flat Sheet ($269)
• Best Flannel Sheets: Land's End Comfy Super Soft Cotton Flannel Sheet Set ($105)
• Best Organic Sheets: Brooklinen Organic Cotton Sheets ($239)
• Best Cooling Sheets: SlumberCloud Tencel Performance Sheet Set ($239)
• Honorable Mentions
• Sheets to Skip
• FAQs

Percale is a type of cotton weave, not a type of fabric. You might also see it called a plain weave. It looks like how you might picture a classic weave to look, with an over-under style like a checkerboard. Percale bedding is consistently crisp, cool, and lightweight, and it makes for great cooling sheets. Think of hotel sheets or your favorite button-up shirt to imagine the texture.

I wasn't always a percale fan, but The Citizenry's Organic Stonewashed Percale Sheets are one of my favorite sets to sleep on in the summer. The Citizenry uses long-staple cotton that gives it a softer feel than your usual percale sheet, but it's still super breathable to keep me cool on hot nights. This sheet set is also organic and is Oeko-Tex and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified.

• Another fantastic, long-staple set: Buffy's Supima Cotton Percale Sheets ($156) are similar levels of incredibly soft, yet still lightweight and breathable, thanks to long-staple Supima cotton. They're my other summer go-to thanks to how comfortable they keep me on a hot night. They're technically more expensive, but you can usually find them on sale.
• If you'd like Egyptian cotton: Pure Parima's Ultra Percale Sheet Set for $230 is easily the softest percale I've tried. These sheets are a little heavier, so super hot sleepers might not love them, though still lighter than choosing a sateen set while getting a closer level of softness.
• If you're looking for a truly crisp sheet: Brooklinen's Classic Percale Core Sheet Set ($189) is a great set of percale sheets that have that super crisp feel to them. They do a great job of keeping you cool while you sleep.

Curious about more percale bedsheets, or similarly cooling options? There's more percale to explore in our guide to the Best Cooling Sheets.

Sateen is a cotton weave similar to percale, but it uses a three-over-one thread style weave compared to one-over-one. Those extra threads give it a silkier feel even though it's still cotton, and it tends to be both cooler and a little heavier. They're great for summer months if you want something cool to the touch, but they also work for colder months if you aren't looking for something too heat-trapping like flannel but still want to retain some heat.

I have a few sets of JCPenney’s Wrinkle Guard sateen sheets in my linen closet thanks to my wedding registry. They’re soft and cool to the touch, with the silky finish sateen is known for without being slippery. They drape well on my bed and don’t keep me too warm, but be careful how you fold them, as they aren't completely wrinkle-free.

The craziest thing to me about these sheets is that I can barely tell the difference between them and the Brooklinen Luxe Core Set ($189), but JCPenney's sheets are almost always on sale for under $100, making them a great purchase.

• Best budget sateen: Quince Luxury Organic Signature Sateen Sheet Set ($100) comes heavily recommended from former WIRED reviewer Haley Sprankle, who said this set is the perfect combination of lightweight and sumptuous. Sateen's three-over-one weave can make it run hot, but our testers did not find that to be the case with these bedsheets.
• Another great set: Brooklinen's Luxe Sateen Core Sheet Set ($189) is similar to JCPenney’s set but more expensive. They’re also a touch silkier thanks to a higher thread count—Brooklinen has 480 versus JCPenney’s 400, so a good option if you want something extra soft.
• An Egyptian cotton splurge: The Pure Parima Triple Luxe Sateen Sheet Set Hotel Collection ($350) is for the people who want the softest sheets ever. The long-staple cotton is Cotton Egypt Association certified, and it's Oeko-Tex certified too. But most important, it's super soft without being overly heavy, and isn't slippery like bamboo or silk. It's a splurge, but if you're craving soft, these are the way to go.

Companies are making bedding from materials beyond your classic cotton and linen, and instead turning to new options like bamboo. It's made as either bamboo rayon, bamboo viscose, or bamboo lyocell to transform into a fiber and then bamboo bedsheets. Most sets we've tested are 100 percent viscose made from bamboo, though lyocell is the most eco-friendly. It's not a perfect solution eco-conscious option, but bamboo does make for a fantastic soft sheet that's super soft to the touch, plus it's nice and chilly for hot sleepers.

These bamboo sheets from Luxome truly have everything I want when I lie down in bed: incredibly soft, not too heavy for summer sleeping, Oeko-Tex certification, and deep pockets with elastic straps to keep them secure on both your mattress and around your pillow. These are one of the softest I've tried, competing with much more expensive options on the market for both bamboo and other categories. The quality really is amazing for the price; similar sheets will easily cost you over $200, if not $300 or higher.

Like most bamboo, these Luxome sheets are cool to the touch when you climb into bed, but warm up nicely around you as you settle in. Luxome's bamboo set didn't get so warm that I woke up sweating during the September heat in Southern California, though they aren't the most breathable bamboo I've tried (more on that below).

• Best cooling bamboo: Ettitude's CleanBamboo Sheet Set ($261) feels super lightweight to the touch and don't warm up as much as heavier bamboo I've tried. They're still soft, too, retaining that silky, cool feel bamboo is known for. This set is worth the splurge if you want something that's super soft, breathable, and won't leave you sweating at three in the morning.
• Great budget bamboo: The Quince Organic Bamboo Sheets for $130 might have a more affordable price tag, but have a silky feel and are organic with an Oeko-Tex certification. They've got a nice weight to them for the price, too, but are still comfortable to sleep on without getting too warm.
• The best splurge-worthy bamboo: Cozy Earth's Bamboo Sheet Set for ($330) is insanely soft and cold to the touch, with an almost jersey-like coziness to them, rather than a silky feel like sateen. They warm up after about 15 minutes of lying in bed but still almost as if they've melted around you. It's my favorite set to sleep on in the spring and fall.

If you're interested in more bamboo, check out my guide to the Best Bamboo Sheets.

Linen is a woven fabric made from flax plants. It’s a highly breathable material and doesn’t trap heat, so it keeps you cool during the summer months. It’s great for people who sleep hot. It’s rougher at first than a simple cotton set, but it should soften up the more it's washed. Linen is often expensive, but it's also more durable than cotton, so a good bedsheet set should last a lot longer. Linen isn't for everyone, but if you love linen clothing, you'll probably love linen sheets.

I've slept on a lot of linen (don't miss my entire guide to linen sheets), and the Citizenry's linen set is my Goldilocks of linen bedding. They're lightweight and breathable but still have a nice drape and softness you don't often find in brand-new linen. It usually takes a little breaking in to get to this stage, but the Citizenry's sheets feel like you've already washed them and softened them up. Thanks to great airflow, these sheets are cool enough for warm nights but not so cool that I wouldn’t use them year-round. They're also Oeko-Tex certified, meaning they've been tested for harmful substances and have been deemed harmless.

The Citizenry's linen not only feels fantastic to sleep on but comes in lots of colors to go with any color scheme your bedroom might have. Parts of the sheet set (just the top sheet, pillowcases, etc.) can be purchased individually if something happens to one of your pieces.

• Extra soft and splurge-worthy linen: Cultiver Linen Sheet Set ($480) is so soft you might not realize it's linen. My husband didn't, and he's a certified linen hater. This set is a splurge, but worth it if you want the benefits of linen and a much softer feel. They're borderline silky, which feels almost wrong to say when describing linen.
• Best breathable linen: Pottery Barn Belgian Flax Linen Sheet Set ($299) has the most breathable weave I've slept on. The airflow is great, keeping me cool even in the hottest times of year. These sheets are a little thinner than the Citizenry's but not quite as soft.
• Best heavyweight linen: Rough Linen's Orkney Sheet Set ($540) is perfect for serious linen lovers who wish for heavier linen. These are the heaviest our team has tested, with about 260 gsm (grams per square meter) of linen—most others we've tested and recommend are around 160 gsm.

Looking for more linen? Read about every set of linen we've tested and our shopping advice in our guide to the best linen sheets.

Silk stays cool and slick when you need it, so you shouldn't heat up and stick to your bed in the middle of the night. But it also is capable of insulating you decently well to keep you warm in the winter months. Silk is also better for your beauty rest and the reason why silk scarves, bonnets, and pillowcases are so popular. It absorbs less moisture from your hair and skin, so you stay hydrated and don't lose all your expensive beauty products to your pillow. It also causes less friction, pulling less at your skin during the night. If you're a side or stomach sleeper where your face makes direct contact with your pillow, silk is a great option to consider. You'll also find that silk is graded not by thread count, but by weight and density, using the term “momme.” A higher number equals more threads, a higher density, and more durability—and a higher price tag.

Our favorite silk bedding is these pieces from Lilysilk. They're soft and smooth without being freezing cold. Lilysilk is the only brand of full silk sheets we’ve tested, and it's very expensive to get a full set—you're looking at just over $500 for one flat sheet, one fitted sheet, and two pillowcases—but the brand offers each piece individually. Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano tried the fitted sheet with a percale top sheet and found it cooling and comfortable. If you can spend a little more, Lilysilk has 22- and 25-momme sets available. They're a little more durable, but 19 is still very high quality.

• Our favorite silk pillowcase: The Quince Silk Mulberry Pillowcase ($45) is a great value at $40, and it has a better weight for that price than other brands. Quince's silk pillowcase is 22-momme, where others usually have a 19-momme for that price, and that heavier weight makes it slightly thicker and softer to the touch. It has a zipper enclosure, which I liked since it kept the pillowcase looking polished, and I didn't have to worry about my pillow wiggling its way out of the case while I tossed and turned in the night.
• A zipper-free silk pillowcase: LilySilk's 19-Momme Silk Pillowcase ($45) is the same price as the Quince pillowcase, but a lighter weight, though it's barely noticeable side by side. If you prefer no zipper, though, this is the silk pillowcase for you. It does have a few colors and prints that Quince doesn't, so you might want to peruse the two brands and choose based on your color preference.
• A budget option: Kitsch's Satin Pillowcase ($19) is satin, not silk, but former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano said it's better than similarly priced silk options. If you're not looking to spend more than $20 to $25, she says to choose this one over the cheaper silk pillowcases you'll find on Amazon.

Flannel bedding is made of cotton, but the cotton fibers are brushed out to create a fuzzy texture. Those fluffed-out fibers also are what make flannel so warm and cozy to sleep on—the teased layers of cotton do a better job of retaining heat than other styles of cotton sheets, so you'll stay much warmer sleeping on these than other sheet styles. They're great for cooler climates and seasons.

These flannel sheets have a long name, but it's an accurate one. This set from Lands' End really is comfy and super soft and was the perfect combination of cozy without being too heavy. I love that these are so soft and warm without making me sweaty—a tall task for a hot sleeper in San Diego, though I did test them during the coldest time of year. I also like that it's easy to buy Lands' End as a set or purchase just a top sheet or pillowcases individually if something needs to be replaced.

• If you want brushed cotton instead: Riley's Brushed Cotton Sheet Set ($160) is soft without being as heavy or hot as full flannel, since brushed cotton only brushes out the cotton on one side of the sheet instead of both sides for regular flannel. This set is a great cozy option for hot sleepers. The queen size is sold out with a flat sheet, but you can purchase a set without one.
• Splurge-worthy, organic flannel: The Boll & Branch Cozy Flannel Sheet Set ($299) lives up to its name with its extra-soft bedding. Not only is it the softest flannel set I tried, but it's organic, too. It also runs a little warmer, so it's great for colder homes and climates.
• The popular choice: L.L. Bean's UltraSoft Flannel Sheets ($139) are definitely soft, but not as soft as our top flannel pick, and they feel lighter too. They're almost like a warm jersey rather than a flannel. If you're looking for a light but still soft bedding set, this is a good choice.

Looking for more cozy flannel? Check our guide to the Best Flannel Sheets.

If you're buying an organic mattress, you probably want to pair it with organic bedding. Otherwise, nonorganic sheets can bring the chemicals and materials you avoided—including anything from formaldehyde and TCEP (a flame retardant) to phthalates—right back into your life. Even if you have a regular mattress, you can still benefit from choosing sheets that are made of natural, organic materials. Just about any kind of organic sheet can be organic, but it depends on how its materials are sourced and what kind of chemicals the fabric is exposed to.

WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson tests organic mattresses, and these are his favorite organic sheets to pair with them. They're soft but not overly silky, which is a feeling he doesn't care for. I've also found the organic percale is just a touch softer than Brooklinen's regular percale. The Brooklinen organic cotton sheets are made from Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified organic cotton and are Oeko-Tex certified. They also have a 300 thread count.

• Softer, organic percale: The Citizenry's Organic Stonewashed Percale Sheets ($179) has everything I like in a softer percale, using long-staple cotton to make it soft while keeping it ultra soft.
• The best organic linen: The Citizenry also makes Organic Stonewashed Linen ($299), which is our favorite set of linen sheets that are organic to boot. These are lightweight and breathable, but still a little softer than your usual set of starter linen.
• Affordable, organic bamboo: Quince's Bamboo Sheet Set ($130) uses organic bamboo, and has a nice weight to it. It's not as breathable as other sets I've tried, but it was really silky and available for a great price.

This is another category where it's not limited to a certain fabric type or weave, but rather is a general category for any set of bedding that feels breathable and will keep you cool during the night. I've found that the best contenders for staying cool at night are percale, linen, and bamboo sheets, but not every set is made equally.

This set, however, is none of those. SlumberCloud's Performance Tencel Sheet Set uses Tencel, a brand of lyocell fabric, plus Slumber Cloud's patented Outlast fiber, which uses phase change material (PCM) gel to absorb heat. These sheets are a sateen weave with a four-over-one thread structure, but they feel like a lightweight silky percale. I was amazed how cooling and breathable these sheets are, even with that type of weave, and so soft at the same time. As a hot sleeper sleeping on the third floor in Southern California, I was so impressed by how cool and comfortable I stayed on these sheets.

• Best breathable linen: Pottery Barn's Belgian Flax Linen Sheets ($299) have the most lightweight weave of any linen I've tried. Linen in general is a great sheet for breathability, but I loved these sheets for how extra light they were.
• My favorite cooling bamboo: Ettitude's CleanBamboo Sheet Set ($285) feels wildly light and breathable without losing the silky feel of bamboo. These also somehow have a sateen weave, but are easily the most breathable bamboo sheets I've slept on.
• Super breathable, yet soft percale: The Citizenry's Organic Stonewashed Percale ($179) has long-staple cotton to make it much softer than regular cotton percale sheets, but still just as breathable and comfortable in hot seasons.

If you're looking for more options as a hot sleeper, check out our guide to the Best Cooling Sheets.

• Avocado Organic Cotton Sheets for $179: These 600-count sheets are like sleeping on silk or satin and are 100 percent GOTS-certified organic cotton from India. The only potential issue here is that, because they are such a dense weave, they sleep a little warmer than what you might be used to. There's also a 400-count version we haven't tested.
• Avocado Organic Linen Sheets for $499: These linen sheets are some of the heaviest Gilbertson has tried and will likely last you many years, thanks to the heavy weight. They'll get softer with every wash, but they are initially rougher than other fabrics like cotton.
• Bedsure Bamboo Cooling Sheet Set for $60: This is one of the best cheap sets of sheets we found from stores like Amazon and Walmart, and it happened to be bamboo to boot. It's made from bamboo rayon (instead of viscose, which is better for the environment), and while it isn't as silky and cool as the Luxome I recommend, it still does a nice job.
• Boll & Branch Signature Sheet Set for $289: Boll & Branch's Signature sheets take the sateen weave to the next level with a four-over-one thread pattern, making it a little extra soft to the touch. I tested the textured stripe color, which gave it a little texture to balance the softness, and it was a great set to sleep on that wasn't too hot, while still adding a little more weight and softness than lighter cotton.
• Cariloha Bamboo Classic Sheet Set for $239: These sheets are soft and comfortable, and remind me of the Luxome sheets I recommend above, but don't have the securing strap. You can upgrade to Cariloha's Retreat Sheet Set ($339), which is also super soft and comfortable and includes a securing strap.
• The Company Store Legends Luxury Luxe Velvet Flannel Fitted Sheet for $85: Velvet flannel is a popular variation of flannel, and my favorite iteration is from the Company Store. The Legends Luxury Luxe set has a fantastic soft feel to it that will keep you very cozy, and the velvet texture feels like quite the upgrade. The only downside is that this sheet is sold in separate pieces, so you'll need to add the fitted sheet ($85), the flat sheet ($85), and the pillowcase set ($54) to your cart one by one for a full set. But you could also skip the flat sheet if you've already got a duvet cover, or skip the pillowcases if you prefer a silk pillowcase.
• Coop Percale Sheet Set for $179: This sheet set is crisp, and a similar price to Brooklinen's equally crisp sheets.
• Coyuchi Flannel Sheets for $278: These organic bedsheets are fantastic and soft, but the Boll & Branch is a little softer. These are a little cheaper, though, if you want to save a few bucks.
• Garnet Hill Scallop Flannel for $159: This flannel set is adorable with its scalloped finish on the flat sheet and pillowcases. It's well-priced, too, and very warm and cozy. I liked the lighter feel of Lands' End a little better, but these are another great option.
• Garnet Hill Supima Flannel for $178: This flannel bedding is made with Supima cotton, making them nice and soft, but you'll have to purchase the fitted and flat sheet separately.
• Laura Ashley Flannel Bedding Set for $48: These lightweight flannel sheets are cozy without being suffocating, and super affordable without feeling too flimsy. They felt more like brushed cotton, but if you're running your heater at night or are a hot sleeper, these are a great cozy option that still has plenty of air flow.
• Nuzzie Forever Chill Bamboo Sheets for $199: These are my favorite budget cooling bamboo sheets. They're pretty cheap in general for bamboo, and are super lightweight compared to heavier bamboo sheets. These only come in a couple colors, though.
• Naturepedic Linen Sheet Set for $549: This sheet set has a nice weight to it while still being cool to sleep on, but wasn't as soft as other linen I've tried. It does have a ton of options to buy individual linen pieces, which is nice, comes in great colors, and is GOTS-certified organic.
• Parachute Percale Sheet Set for $269: WIRED reviewer Julian Chokkattu says these sheets feel rough at first but soften up the more they’re washed. He says they've held up extremely well after years of use, even with a dog sleeping in the same bed, but other WIRED staffers haven't had the same experience.
• Pom Pom at Home Bamboo Sateen Sheet Set for $368: This bamboo set is nice, but more expensive than similar quality bamboo you can find.
• Riley Percale Sheet Set for $260: Riley makes a nice percale set, but they’re pricey—a fitted sheet and pillowcases cost $135, and the flat sheet costs an additional $85. We liked their crispness, but Brooklinen’s are cheaper for even the organic set.
• Saatva Percale Sheet Set for $205: I love these as much as the Citizenry's above. They cost a little more, but both are fantastic percale sets that keep you cool and are crisp while still being soft.
• Target Room Essentials Easy Care Sateen Sheets for $35: This affordable set lasted me years, even with their insanely cheap price point. They felt like a favorite T-shirt more than true silky sateen, but I was really happy with these for a long time.

Not every set we slept on was one we loved. Here are some other sheets we tried and would avoid.

• Amazon Basics Microfiber Sheet Set for $17: We really wanted sub-$20 sheets to be the unexpected hero of our testing, but alas, this set is a failure. They feel (and sound!) kind of like those paper robes you have to wear at the doctor's office. We hardly lasted a night sleeping on these.
• Casper Hyperlite Sheet Set for $139: These are cooling to the touch, thanks to the lyocell Tencel material used, but they are incredibly thin and already feel worn after a handful of washes.
• Coop Comphy CoolSpa Sheet Set for $199: This set promises cooling properties, but I found myself waking up sweating after sleeping on these.
• Rest Evercool+ Cooling Starter Sheet Set for $209: These sheets promised cooling technology, but I found myself kicking them off and getting a sticky, sweaty feeling from them.

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