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In a quest for the best sheets, you should know there's no single hallowed set that will please everyone. Some people are blazing infernos at night, while others run perpetually cold. Sometimes, when love gets in the way, those two types of people have to share a bed.
The Best Sheets, According to GQ
- The Best Percale Sheets: Coyuchi, $278
- The Best Sateen Sheets: Cuddledown, $232
- The Best Flannel Sheets: L.L. Bean, $159
- The Best Linen Sheets: The Citizenry, $299
- The Best Cooling Sheets: Sijo, $175
- The Best Patterned Sheets: Brooklinen Luxe Core,
$199$169 - The Best Budget Sheets: Target Threshold, $55
Certain people get seasonal with their sheets, breaking out linen in the summer or flannel in winter—while others prefer the a crisp percale or swishy sateen all year 'round. Some of you weirdos just want to order everything you can from Amazon, bedding included. Whoever you are, however you sleep, we've spent years testing sheets (hard job, we know) to find the best across a wide variety of fabrics, styles, and seasons.
Editor's note: All prices shown are for complete queen sets (including a fitted sheet, flat sheet, and two pillow cases) unless otherwise noted.
The Best Percale Sheets: Brooklinen
Brooklinen's classic sheets were most people's first introduction to the brand when it kickstarted the DTC bedding category. Though the brand has expanded far beyond tastefully unisex bedding at this point, its original percale sheets are still some of the best out there, and we appreciate that they come in a bevy of handsome prints, like these stripes. They hold up well wash after wash, feeling crisp and cool all seasons of the year. And we appreciate the little “long” and “short” tags saving us from remaking the bed once we realize we've put the fitted sheet on sideways.
Coyuchi has been setting the standard for eco-friendly practices in bedding since it launched in Northern California in the '90s. And while other brands talk a big game about sustainability, Coyuchi brings the receipts. Coyuchi's organic percale sheets, which nabbed a GQ Sleep Award this year, take this commitment a step further by using GOTS-certified organic cotton that can be sent back to the brand to be renewed or upcycled when it's on its last threads. The handfeel is even softer and crisper than other percale varieties thanks to a plant-based softener that the long-staple cotton sheets are tumbled in before being shipped out. Our tester notes that they're light without feeling threadbare, and that their durable weave soldiers on even after several trips through the washer and dryer. As a hot sleeper, he says these are even breathable enough to trounce eucalyptus. We'd still suggest Brooklinen for sheer variety and value, but for an upgrade pick, you can't get any better than Coyuchi.
The Best Sateen Sheets: Cuddledown
The name sounds like it came from a toddler and the website looks like a Hallmark movie written in HTML, but we have to admit: Cuddledown makes great sheets. Its sateen set nails the slightly silky feel you want, and comes in nearly every color you can imagine. That variety extends to its sizing, too: There's even options for college-ready twin XL sheets or a “deep” fitted sheet if you have a particularly thick mattress or love a mattress topper. Cuddledown is the perfect upgrade sheet set for someone that wants something smooth like butter.
Cuddledown's sateen set is slightly smoother and silkier than Riley's, and at full price a complete Riley set is actually more expensive (though it's cheaper if you're a topsheet truther). But the brand's periodically-updated color selection feels more modern for your bachelor pad, which helped them earn a nod in this year's GQ Sleep Awards. All colorways feel like they could work together, preventing the dreaded duvet-sheet mismatch, and we especially dig the pinstripe designs. Riley even adds a baratta stitch along the perimeter of the flat sheet and pillowcases—a tone-on-tone flourish that makes the set feel more high-end.
Italic prides itself on making high quality versions of things you love (from cashmere pants to cookware) at wholesale prices, working with the factories behind brands like Lululemon and Le Creuset to bring A-grade goods at B-still-your-heart prices. Realistically, where a product is made is less relevant than what it's made from, and how it's made, but these luxe sateen sheets—supposedly sewn by the same sheet supplier for the Ritz Carlton—do actually deliver. Our tester found these sheets to be luxuriously smooth, with a nice weight. The sheets lost their out-of-the-box luster after just one wash, but remained smooth and cool to the touch after plenty more runs through the machine.
The Best Flannel Sheets: L.L. Bean
L.L. Bean has been in the sheets game for a long time, and based in Maine for even longer, so yeah—it knows flannel. As much as we liked the brand's percale sheets above, Bean's flannel sheets are in a league of their own: soft, warm, and as sturdy as its duck boots. Some owners report pilling after a while, but that's hard to avoid if your flannel sheets have been in use for years. If there's a downside, it's that these super soft sheets only come in the lumberjack-special checked pattern, in four colors. (And if you're living in Siberia or thereabouts, L.L. Bean has a seriously thick set of chamois flannel sheets, too.)
If you're looking to spend a little less, Tar-zhay, maker of our very favorite budget sheets, also sells a killer, GQ Sleep Award-winning flannel set. The retailer has been pumping out cozy threads (in plenty of seasonal patterns and fabrics) for years, and paying just $35 for an absurdly cozy set of sheets gets you quality that's better than anything else from the competition. Unfortunately, these sheets have proven so popular that they frequently run out of stock—but bargain-seekers can't be choosers.
The Best Linen Sheets: The Citizenry
If traditional linen's burlap-lite texture turns you off but you really want its easy-breezy feel, give The Citizenry's linen sheets a chance. The brand's known more for its interior design goods, but its bedding deserves attention even if you don't vibe to the ersatz boho vibes in the furniture sections. Straight out of the packaging, the linen is soft and gentle to the touch—and it gets even more so after the first wash. The Goldilocks weight somehow makes for a great bedding option in both the dog days of summer and in the chilliest winter nights. Linen won't even be buttery smooth like sateen, but the barely-there texture feels like a steal at this price, knowing how expensive linen sheet sets can be. As proof, check out this next set…
Like The Citizenry's linen sheets, Cultiver's come pre-washed. That means they're going to feel softer than untreated linen straight out of the box and won't need to be broken in with a couple of spin cycles before you stretch them over your mattress. Compared to the Citizenry's sheet set, Cultiver's is a substantial uptick in price—but for the money, you're getting sheets that are somehow both a bit smoother and a bit more airy. If you're a truly hot sleeper and/or a big baller, Cultiver's linen sheets are worth the price.
After years of testing (and sleeping), Parachute's linen bed sheets still hold up. They're remarkably durable, so they won't snag or tear even after months and months of REM cycles. They're not cheap (good linen isn't!), and aren't quite as breathable as the set from The Citizenry above. But if you're looking to escape whites and beiges, Parachute's sheets come in 13 colors. Like all good linen bed sheets, these will only continue to break in the more often you wash them (which we hope is every week or two). And so long as you pay attention to the care label, you'll be rewarded with years of blissfully un-sweaty shut-eye.
The Best Cooling Sheets: Sijo
Linen is airy, but because its a natural fiber, it will still feel warm to the touch, and will absorb sweat or humidity. The best cooling sheets, lately made of a eucalyptus-based Tencel or lycocell, feel cool to the touch and wick sweat away from the body, where it can evaporate. Time and again, we've found the best cooling sheets to be the best eucalyptus sheets: Sijo's hot-sleeper-friendly AiryWeight bedding. One tester described these sheets as “a silky envelope,” yet still extra-breathable even on steamy August evenings. Tencel fabric tends to be hardy, and that's the case with these: “I’ve sent them through the wash twice now (they come pre-washed for softness regardless) and so far they’ve held up beautifully,” a tester said.
The Best Patterned Sheets: Brooklinen
No matter the style of sheets (from percale to sateen), Brooklinen always seems to have some handsome prints on deck, particularly when it drops new seasonal styles. Its sheets and duvet covers feature a variety of bold but not too polarizing patterns that are generally designed to be unisex. (We like the “graphite and steel oxford stripe” and “windowpane” options.) These luxe sheets felt a little less smooth than our favorite sateen options, but unless you’re doing a blind test, you probably wouldn’t notice the difference. And at this price, you're looking at one of the best deals around.
If you're leaning more towards a linen blend for your summer sheets, then Garnet Hill has a selection of tasteful prints—from floral patterns to the stripes seen here—that feature a lived-in feel. Despite being pre-washed, they're a little rougher out of the box than our favorite linen picks above, but they're also wildly breathable—wash them a few times early on, and they'll serve you well when the temperature creeps up. You buy each piece of the set separately, which means you can channel your inner decorator by mixing-and-matching the undeniably enthusiastic patterns—or, more practically, buying extras if, say, something tragic happens to your pillow case.
The Best Budget Sheets: Target
We’ll level with you: the rest of the sheets on this list are pretty expensive. Considering that you’ll spend a third of your life nestled between them, we think they’re worth it. (Invest in your comfort!) But if you’re not at a place to do that right now—or if you need something for your kids—these OEKO-TEX certified cotton sheets from Target are one of the best budget-friendly options on the market. They aren’t as soft or breathable as some of the more primo versions listed above, but they hold up well after years of use—and unlike other microfiber or jersey sheets, they don’t feel like your performance gym underwear. They’re the perfect sheets to buy if you’re just starting off on your own—and once you’ve worn them in, they’ll still be great on that guest bed.
We know some of you are absolute Prime addicts who live or die by two-day shipping. So yes, you can get good sheets on Amazon. No brand with only consonants in its name can match up to the Brooklinens and Stowes and L.L. Beans of the sheet game, but Mellanni's Hotel Luxury sheet set is a win in a Bezos-built sea of mediocrity (as its 340,000-plus reviews will attest). Amazon's most popular bedding option is made from a wildly soft microfiber, which keeps the price low. Follow the care label, and the sheets will survive more washings than most under-$100 sets. (Plus, Mellanni offers up a lifetime warranty.) It's worth noting that Mellanni's set comes only with a deep-pocket fitted sheet—if you don't have a fairly thick mattress (say, 10 inches deep or more), it's likely the bottom sheet will slip and slide.
What's the best thread count for bed sheets?
Thread count denotes the number of threads woven into one square inch of fabric. Contrary to all the marketing hoopla, a higher thread count doesn't guarantee higher quality sheets—nor does it mean they're softer or more wrinkle-resistant. (If you prefer cooling sheets, you'll actually want a lower thread count.) According to certified sleep coach Daniel Noyed, the baseline thread count for quality sheets (whether it's crisp percale or soft eucalyptus) is at least 200. A thread count between that and 600 is the general sweet spot. One big exception, he says, are linen sheets, whose airier, less-dense weave can drop into the double digits.
What matters more than thread count is the quality of the fabric itself, and that can be trickier to determine depending on the brand's transparency—and whether you can feel the sheets for yourself.
What sheet fabric is best?
Sheets come in a range of fabrics and finishes. The best fabric for you depends on the texture and breathability you're looking for. It's entirely possible you'll want different fabrics for different seasons (if you live in a place where those exist).
Percale: The basic white tee of bedding, it's a crisp cotton that tends to run a little bit lighter and cooler than cotton sateen (see below). If you're looking for a year-round option that's super breathable, a percale weave is the perfect place to start.
Sateen: The other common cotton sheet fabric has a glossy look that's reminiscent of satin (hence the name). Sleepers gravitate toward it for its sleek texture, with a silky finish and a slight sheen to it, which can impart a high-quality feel. Sateen sheets are a bit warmer than percale, so they're a great all-season option, especially if you tend to sleep cold. For the fastidiously tidy, sateen’s smoother surface makes it less prone to wrinkles than percale and that most rumply of fabrics, linen.
Linen: The hot sleeper's first stop is usually linen sheets. They're loosely woven from flax fibers and feel a tad rougher to the touch than cotton, but that loose weave lets the hot air out, and the extra texture keeps the fabric from “sticking” to skin. Some linen sheets can feel extra rough out of the bag, but good linen continues to get softer over time as its washed and the threads break in.
Eucalyptus and Bamboo: Both are made from pulped trees—and more importantly, both are used to make the best non-linen “cooling” sheets, because these semi-synthetic cotton alternatives wick moisture and feel a little cooler to the touch. They're also hypoallergenic and anti-microbial, which is nice. You'll often see them referred to as “lyocell” (the term for any semi-synthetic fabric made from wood pulp) or “Tencel” (a brand name for lyocell-based fabric). We haven't included any bamboo sheet sets here, as we find eucalyptus to be just as cooling, but less wrinkle-prone and silky-slick.
Flannel: On the opposite end of the breathability spectrum sit flannel sheets. They tend to be soft and cozy, like your favorite checked shirt, right out of the box. If you—or your house—runs cold, they can be a godsend.How we tested
How we test bed sheets
The GQ Recommends team tests hundreds of products every year, and we pay close attention to the fast-growing sleep market. For the GQ Sleep Awards, we test out the latest sleep products to keep our readers (and ourselves) as well-rested as possible. That includes smart sunrise alarm clocks and AI-powered sleep tech, plus of course lots and lots of bed sheets.
When searching for the absolute best, we weigh one factor above all else: How they feel against the skin. We want to know how comfortable they are on your first night's sleep, but also how they soften up after a few spin cycles. Once we've scored them for comfort and body feel, then we consider factors such as longevity and breathability.
Certain categories also require specific testing during the review process. For cooling sheets, we tasked our hottest sleepers with evaluating how well they staved off night sweats. For flannel sheets, we check to see if the fabric resists pilling and provides the soft and cozy feel we expect from the fabric. Lastly, style and value is always a consideration here at GQ. Thus, we looked for bedsheets that came in multiple colorways to suit your bedroom, plus ones that could be justified for their price points.
How we chose these products
When we be began this process, we basically ignored thread count and used fabric quality—long-staple cotton, Egyptian cotton, flax plant fibers—to designate the best contenders. Then we called them in and crashed hard on them over a series of nights to decide which made for the most blissful sleep, and which left us resting fitfully.
When making final cuts or evaluating new-to-market sheet sets during updates to this guide, we evaluate each option based on the key characteristics of the fabric: The most crisp percale, the silkiest sateen, the airiest linen, the coziest flannel. We're looking for stellar sheets that consistently lead to a great night's sleep and also hold up after washes (no pilling or stretching).
Over the past years of testing, we've delisted previous winners from Snowe because of frequent stocking issues, along with options from brands like Buffy that don't feel quite as soft or breathable as their peers. We've also avoided sheets made of microfiber and bamboo, which are less eco-friendly than cotton and Tencel. Here's more info about why you should trust our testing and product picks.
Lori Keong is a contributing writer and editor at GQ, where she heads up special projects for the GQ Recommends team (like the GQ Sleep Awards) and covers lifestyle, design, and wellness topics. She's tested numerous bedding brands and mattresses in the past, from plushy-yet-supportive hybrid beds to lots and lots of fluffy pillows. Timothy Beck Werth is an experienced journalist and editor who works for GQ as a contributing writer. He's also reviewed products for sites such as SPY, Mashable, and The Daily Beast.