How to Avoid Buying Bad Bed Sheets — The Marketing Myths to Avoid, and a Detailed Guide to Style and Materials

I used to be pretty terrified of buying new bedding, as silly as it sounds. The good stuff from luxury brands is expensive, with king-size sets running into the realm of several hundred pounds or dollars. Spending that on something you don’t vibe with when it comes to actually getting a good sleep? Less dream, more nightmare.

However, over the last few years, I’ve gotten serious about learning what makes ‘good’ bedding. I’m an interior stylist by trade, so I’m already pretty comfortable with which textiles deliver on what you want your bedroom to feel like. Yet, for a lot of my work, I’m making beds up that are never slept in, with sheets that are fresh out of the pack, and that I never see washed.

So, over the last year, not only have I personally tested lots of the best bedding brands for Livingetc, but I’ve also made it my business to talk to experts in the industry to give my suggestions for bedding some real credibility. For this guide on how to choose bedding, I’ve talked to scientific researchers who specialize in textile comfort, industry veterans who have worked for almost every bed linen brand worth knowing over decades, and even color consultants to help better understand what effect your stylistic choices have on how you actually sleep.

So, this is how to pick your next bedding set and not end up with buyer’s remorse.

Materials

Before we delve into the different types of bed sheet materials you have to choose from, I want to dispel a few things about them. Some of these ideas, often stemming from marketing myths, you may already know, while some I even discovered myself when talking to experts in these topics.

So, Does Thread Count Really Matter?

You might have heard this before, but the idea that the higher the thread count, the better the quality of the sheets is a myth that you need to dismantle in your mind before you buy. Thread count refers to the number of horizontal and vertical threads in a square inch of the material, so it certainly changes the characteristics of the textile itself, but not necessarily for the better.

“Thread count matters, but it's only one part of the quality equation,” Paul Donegan, founder of The Linen Consultancy, tells me. “As a general guide, 200 to 400 thread count already represents good quality cotton bedding. 600 to 800 and even higher thread counts are commonly found in premium products, provided high-quality fibres are used.”

Higher thread counts may sound attractive, but they can be misleading. Some brands offering 1,000 thread count sheets can legally advertise as such, but they may be made of cheaper materials and by slightly misleading ways of counting fibers of ‘multi-ply’ yarns. In fact, I read an interesting story about a class action lawsuit against Bed, Bath & Beyond back in 2008 specifically against this way of classifying thread count.

“Above thread count, the quality depends far more on the fiber itself and the manufacturing process than on the number printed on the label,” Paul explains. If you want a reference point for what top-quality 1,000 thread count sheets would actually cost, a full set of Frette’s Ultimate sheets will set you back over £3,000, but it’s quality you can feel — well, apparently. I’ve unfortunately not had the pleasure of testing, but reviewers say they’re incredibly smooth and soft, but also ‘heavy’, down to that weightier thread count.

So, if not thread count, what else should we be looking for? “Buyers should consider fiber quality, weaving, finishing and overall craftsmanship,” Paul explains. “It's also worth looking at how responsibly the product is made, including sustainable production methods, environmental practices and the manufacturer's commitment to social responsibility.”

What Does ‘Breathable’ Mean in Relation to Bedding?

You’ll often hear bedding referred to as ‘breathable’ on retailers’ websites, and it’s something that we can all sort of imagine, right? We know that feeling of sleeping in bedding that feels hot and sticky, so breathability feels important. We want that airflow through to keep us feeling cool, and apparently, some textiles are better than others at doing so.

But, keen to understand what it really means, and how textiles are actually ‘breathable’ are defined, I ask Dr Rachel McQueen, a professor of Textiles & Apparel Science at the University of Alberta, on a Zoom call to help me better understand.

“In both apparel and bedding, ‘breathability’ is a bit of a misnomer because all woven fabrics are porous and allow air to escape,” Rachel explains. “The real comfort factor isn't breathability; it's whether the fibers are physically taking in your insensible moisture. Polyester doesn't do that much at all, but water-loving fibers like cotton and silk do, which drastically improves your sleeping comfort.”

Therefore, ‘breathable’ is an imprecise marketing term because it can refer to several different mechanics of heat and moisture at work, including absorbency and wicking.

Okay, so What Does Moisture Wicking Mean in Terms of Bedding?

Over to Dr McQueen for the science part on this one. “When we talk about bedding for hot sleepers, we’re often looking at how our body’s moisture interacts with the fabrics surrounding us,” Rachel tells me. “Moisture-wicking fabrics relate to the idea that when you perspire to the point that you have liquid sweat, the fabrics next to your skin draw that liquid away.”

There’s a slight difference between absorption and wicking. Absorbent textiles hold onto moisture more, while wicking textiles move it away faster so it can evaporate. Cotton and linen are both ‘hydrophilic’, meaning they love water, but cotton absorbs, while linen wicks, and it’s all down to how their fibers are structured.

The real benefit of textiles that wick moisture? “You may not feel as much liquid sweat right up against your skin,” says Rachel. “By taking that sweat away from your body, bedding can really help improve your comfort. When our skin is wet, we feel discomfort — it feels sticky, and the wetness triggers thermal receptors, which can then even make you feel cold due to evaporation.”

“People sometimes say wicking fabrics cool your body,” Rachel says, “but I don't necessarily know how true that is because cooling requires evaporation directly on the skin.” The science isn’t quite there to back the idea that bedding can actually cool you down, but, rather, it can increase your overall comfort level.

Cotton

Good for: Crisp, hotel-style bedding, affordability, easy to care for
Bad for: Absorbs rather than wicks, varying quality, can look cheap

When you start looking at cotton bedding, you’ll almost immediately come across the terms percale and sateen as differentiators, and the main difference lies in the weave.

“Percale uses a simple one-over, one-under weave, creating a crisp, cool fabric with the classic fresh feel often associated with luxury hotels,” Paul explains. “Sateen uses a different weave, allowing more threads to float on the surface. This creates a softer, silkier fabric with a subtle sheen and a slightly warmer, more enveloping feel.”

So are percale or sateen cotton sheets better? “Neither is inherently better. It simply comes down to personal preference,” Paul says.

You’ll likely also be tempted by Egyptian cotton when it comes to cotton sheets, but is this another marketing term taken hold, or is it worth investing in? Well, it’s all down to long vs. short ‘staples’, basically the length of the cotton fiber.

“The longer the fiber, the smoother, stronger, and more durable the fabric tends to be, while also producing less pilling over time,” Paul says. “Extra Long Staple (ELS) Egyptian Cotton is widely regarded as one of the world's finest cottons precisely because of its exceptionally long fibers.”

Muslin bedding is also a type of bedding, generally made from cotton, but characterized by a looser, more open weave.

Linen

Good for: Relaxed, lived-in look, better comfort for hot sleepers, effortless luxury
Bad for: More expensive for quality sheets, more regular washing to keep comfort levels up

Linen bedding is known for its beautiful natural texture, where even a slight wrinkle (I still wouldn’t go overboard) feels luxurious and elegant. It’s a more lived-in look, for sure, but knowing that linen often means quality and expensive, it feels elevated at the same time.

So, what to look for. Is thread count as important for linen as it is for cotton? “For cotton, both thread count and fiber length are important quality indicators,” Paul explains, “But with linen, quality depends much more on the flax fibers, the weaving process, the finishing techniques, and even the garment washing applied during production. Linen and cotton also use different measurement systems, so comparing their thread counts directly can be misleading.”

Flax fiber is naturally hydrophilic, but it also wicks this moisture away, absorbing from your skin and releasing quickly so that sheets never feel damp, heavy, or cling to the skin.

The one thing I’ve noticed during testing of linen sheets that I don’t think enough people talk about? Linen fibers are stiffer and have less elasticity than cotton, so you’ll find they don’t ‘bounce back’ so much after use. That means, I find, linen sheets stretch and can soon feel loose from your duvet after only a few nights’ sleep, something that, in my experience, reduces comfort significantly. If you’re the sort of person who likes to change your sheets twice a week, you won’t notice, but if you’re a once-a-week person, you might find comfort starts to dip by the end of the cycle.

Bamboo

Good for: smooth textiles, moisture-wicking.
Bad for: hard to find in a range of colors, often expensive

If you don’t like that slightly crisp feel of cotton, or the initial roughness of linen, bamboo is loved for its almost-silky softness. I’ll be honest, I haven’t tested bamboo bedding at all, but Livingetc’s Amiya Baratan regularly refers to them as among the most comfortable sheets she’s tested. It sounds very ‘natural’, but largely it’s been highly processed by the time this material has become a good bed set.

Lyocell / Tencel

Good for: silky feel, ‘cool’ feeling
Bad for: Harder to care for, more expensive

Lyocell is a type of bedding material made from harvested wood pulp that, like bamboo, has a soft, silky texture. Because of this surface, it has the sensation of feeling cool to the touch, so it is often touted as bedding brands' ‘cooling’ sheets.

Tencel is a specific brand name for lyocell, and another type of material called Modal, and can be a sign of superior fiber origin, processing, or manufacturing standards using this material. This, however, is not guaranteed and should still be given some research.

Care instructions can vary, but while this material can be tough, its washing requirements may be more demanding, and it won’t necessarily outlast a good quality cotton sheet in comparison.

Silk

Good for: luxurious-looking finishes, debatable ‘skincare’ qualities
Bad for: hard to care for, not a texture for everyone

So, we all know that silk is the pick of skincare gurus for keeping your skin clear and wrinkle-free, but does science actually support it? “It seems to be more marketing hype than actual science,” says Dr McQueen. “I've had first-year textile science students want to base their assignments around how silk pillowcases are great for your hair and how cotton is terrible, but trying to actually explain that using textile science is pretty thin.”

“I would say the reason silk is touted as beneficial is primarily due to its physical form. Silk bedding is manufactured using a long filament, and silk is a very fine fiber, which makes it feel incredibly smooth. It's often made into a satin weave, making it very shiny and sleek. Those manufacturing elements give it those smooth properties.”

“Silk is also a protein fiber, so it is absorbent and helps with thermal regulation by taking in and releasing moisture. But I wouldn't necessarily say a silk sheet is fundamentally better for your skin than a really high-quality cotton sheet. High-quality cotton can also be spun into very fine yarns and woven into a dense, smooth satin weave. The main challenge with silk is that you have to be so much more careful when washing it.”

Polyester

Good for: affordability, easy to clean
Bad for: hot sleepers, static

You might have noticed that, so far, I’ve largely referred to polyester and other manmade materials with disdain, and realistically, while they’re often more affordable, you’d be better investing in something equally affordable, like cotton, than polyester sheets.

So, why are they not a good choice? “If you have polyester bedding, you create massive static charges,” says Dr Rachel McQueen. “Because the environment is dry and the polyester fiber doesn't take in moisture, you can literally see sparks when you flick the sheets back at night.”

“But mostly, it's the fact that it doesn't absorb moisture,” the academic continues. “People might think a non-absorbent sheet is great if they sweat, but you actually want your bedding to absorb some moisture. Even if you aren't a hot sleeper, your body is constantly releasing invisible moisture vapor as you sleep. If your bedding isn't absorbing that vapor, liquid moisture will start to build up. This is what makes polyester sheets feel so clammy — especially where your body is pressed heavily against the mattress with no airflow.”

Style

As much of your choice of material should be based on your sleeping habits, how you want your bed and your bedroom to feel is as much of a criterion for the Livingetc reader. As a stylist, I’ve dressed hundreds of beds in my time, so this is where I step up with my advice.

Below is a quick guide to which material I’d choose, based on the type of bedroom atmosphere you’re looking to create, plus my verdict on common bedding styles and whether you should choose them for your room.

How Do You Want Your Bedroom to Feel?

RELAXED
Linen, linen-blend, or muslin

HOTEL-LIKE
Cotton percale, Egyptian cotton if you can

LUXURIOUS
Silk is a little much, but a cotton sateen can elevate a room

COZY
Linen, or if you’re a cold sleeper, something like a brushed cotton

MINIMAL
Linen, cotton percale, bamboo, or Tencel

RUSTIC
Washed linen or bamboo

FRESH
Cotton percale or a crisper linen

SOFT & DREAMY
Muslin or brushed cotton for texture

POLISHED
Cotton sateen, or a crisp percale

Common Styles, Explained

What Bedding Colors Should You Choose?

From a style perspective, this is a hard question to answer, but don’t leave your choice of bed sheets until last when designing a bedroom. They take up quite a lot of your scheme.

My personal opinion? Don’t choose pure white. They show dirt quickly and can feel a little stark. A very soft off-white or beige is my personal pick.

However, if you need more of a steer, think about how you want your bedding to make you feel.

“The best bedding colors make you feel tranquil and ready to unwind in the evening and energized in the morning,” says Daniela Araya, an interior designer and color consultant. “Typically, we associate bedrooms with cool-tone colors like blue, green, and purple because of their calming properties, but warm colors can also work for bedding. It’s all about selecting the right undertone to work in your room.”

Interior stylist and design psychology coach Amber Dunford also suggests that the best bedding color depends on your body's overall temperature when you sleep. “If you tend to run hot in temperature as you sleep, you may want to incorporate bedding in colors found on the cooler side of the color wheel,” says Amber. “Colors like blue and green can psychologically cool down your bed and provide the perception of a cooler sleeping environment.”

She continues: “The opposite is true for those who feel cold throughout the night or sleep in cooler rooms. In this instance, layering warm colors like rust orange or red can mentally warm up bedding.”

Honestly? That might all depend on how suggestable you are to your surroundings, but it’s an idea worth considering.

How Do I Know If Bedding Will Last?

Many indicators of whether bedding is good quality and will pass the test of time is in the textile and manufacturing process itself, but aside from reading the assurances, these can be pretty hard to identify for yourself.

However, in the testing process of bedding for Livingetc, I was given a rigorous testing brief by editor Hugh Metcalf to better understand whether the manufacturing of the sheets showed signs of durability and attention given to the finer details. Hugh is a former editor of Love Sewing magazine, so he knows his way around a stitch. Here’s what he asked me to look out for when testing bedding.

How are seams constructed? The joins of sheets don’t really take as much stress as clothes, but they’re still a good sign of the care and attention given. You’ll find high-strength French seams in top-quality, luxury bedding, while most mass-market styles will likely have an overlocked edge. “A French seam fully encases the raw edge of the fabric so it won't fray in the wash, but it takes longer to construct and costs more than a simple overlocked seam,” explains product developed Lucy Guy. .Be wary of sheets with single-stitched seams, and look for neat, small stitches wherever overlocking hasn’t been used.

Are stress points reinforced? Corners, openings, and areas around buttonholes, for example, are the areas most likely to be stressed when using bed sheets. Look for reinforcing stitches, like bar tacks, which again suggest a well-constructed bed linen.

Is the weave even? I suggest holding the fabric up to the window and looking for consistent density in the fabric. Thin patches, irregularities, snags, or skipped threads would suggest a poorer quality of fabric.

Buttons and buttonholes: the first place I look. Often, even expensive bedding has rudimentary buttonholes and simple clear plastic buttons. Zips, push closures, and even fancier button finishes all suggest an attention to detail.

Which Bedding Type Is the Most Hygienic?

Dr Rachel McQueen thinks we’re a little too obsessed with hygiene around our sheets (but more on that later), but her only warning is about manmade materials when it comes to the oils we secrete from our bodies. “Polyester will attract and absorb oils much more heavily than natural fibers,” the professor says. “Oils will still end up on cotton and linen sheets, but if you sleep against polyester, it tends to take up our natural body oils much faster. Crucially, it is also much harder to clean those oils out of polyester than it is from cotton or linen.” This isn’t a hygiene problem, per se, but it will create conditions that make your sheets feel less fresh over time.

“The oils coming out of our skin are often what produce odor. As those oils break down, they produce a distinct, unfresh smell.”

Price vs Quality — This Is What You’re Paying for

Bedding brand Rise & Fall caught my attention, as it offers like-for-like costings of its own products against other brands, such as Piglet in Bed and The White Company, on its wbsite. So, if we’re looking at very similar products, how can prices afford to vary so much?

“When people are shopping for bedding, I think it’s easy to focus on the material and thread count, but those are really just the starting point,” says Lucy Guy, a senior product developer for Rise & Fall. “There’s a lot that goes into how a fabric feels and performs, from the quality and length of the yarn through to the way it’s dyed and finished. Even things like color matching and seam construction can make a real difference to the finished product.”

As well as the construction itself, harking back to that French seam costing more than an overlocked edge, testing, quality control, and certification all cost money, and aren’t something that you necessarily get from cheaper sheets.

Lucy Guy

Lucy Guy is Rise & Fall's senior homeware product developer. With previous experience at Soho Home and The Conran Shop, she specializes in creating premium products that combine modern design with everyday functionality. Working closely with suppliers and makers, she leads product development across the brand's homeware, with a focus on quality materials, comfort, and lasting performance.

“I think the biggest misconception is that if two products have the same material written on the label, they’re necessarily comparable,” Lucy says. “Cotton is a good example: the quality and length of the fibers can vary significantly, which has a big impact on the softness, smoothness, durability and overall feel of the fabric.

The way that material is processed matters too. Dyeing, washing and finishing can all be done in different ways, and there can be significant differences in the chemicals and treatments used. Organic and non-organic materials may look very similar once they’re made into a sheet, but the standards and processes behind them can be very different.”

Lucy also refers to production volumes, which allow bigger brands to bring the unit cost down, however, small production runs can be efficient as they’re more precise, and avoid wastage.

Marketing Myths to Beware

According to Paul from the Linen Consultancy, there are plenty of ways that brands drive up prices, with dubious marketing claims. “Consumers should also be cautious of claims such as ‘Egyptian Cotton’, ‘Hotel Quality’, ‘Luxury’, ‘Premium’, or ‘1000 Thread Count’ when they're not supported by clear information about the fiber origin, cotton grade or manufacturing process,” Paul explains. “It is important to verify the origin of the raw materials and the certifications that support them, particularly when it comes to the yarn.”

“A reputable manufacturer should be able to provide evidence of the origin and quality of the raw materials used, most of which should come from fully traceable sources and recognized quality classifications,” he adds. “Ultimately, outstanding bedding is defined far more by the quality of its fibres, weaving and finishing than by an impressive marketing slogan.”

FAQs

What Certifications Should You Look for in Bedding?

Some of the most recognized certifications include:

“OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 confirms the product has been tested for harmful substances,” explains Paul Donegan, founder of The Linen Consultancy; however, this doesn’t necessarily mean it qualifies as ‘organic’. A better certification is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), which “certifies organic fibers together with strict environmental and social standards,” Paul explains. This certification applies not only to what the plants are treated with, but also to the entire supply chain, and fair trade labor is also part of its requirements.

How Often Should You Wash Your Sheets?

People often fall into one of two camps when it comes to washing their sheets. Nervous regularity, or nonchalant sporadicity. But what’s the real answer to how often you should wash your sheets? “I feel it's really important that people don't get freaked out thinking bacteria has gone into their bedding and is just growing rapidly,” says Dr Rachel McQueen. “They're mostly just surviving or persisting. Unless they have a major nutrient source, they aren't necessarily going to increase a whole lot.”

“Odor is a really important trigger for people deciding it's time to wash their items,” she adds. “With bedding, you have the transfer of skin cells, which is a potential nutrient source [for bacteria], but you also have body oils.”

“How often people want to change their sheets is very individual. People have different thresholds for cleanliness. Sometimes it's a learned behavior — you wash them once a week because that's what your mother taught you. Other people may have skin sensitivities and need to wash their sheets more frequently.”

Are ‘Antimicrobial’ and ‘Antibacterial’ Bedding Worth It?

When it comes to bedding that’s labeled as ‘antimicrobial’ or ‘antibacterial’, it's more than a marketing term, “provided they have actually added an antimicrobial agent to the fabric,” Rachel explains. “However, my skepticism comes from questioning how effective they truly are outside of a lab. In a lab test, it shows antimicrobial properties, but in reality, a lot of bacteria will likely still survive on the fabric.”

“I'm also cautious about whether we actually need it. Is it impacting our natural microflora? Is that good or bad? I am quite cautious around the use of antimicrobials in consumer textiles. The supposed benefits probably don't outweigh the concerns. I am a much bigger proponent of simply washing your sheets when they need washing.”