The Most Comfortable, Lived-In Linen Sheets You Can Buy

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Nothing says luxury quite like the rumpled, effortless look of linen bedding, which is incredibly lightweight, soft, breathable, and moisture-wicking. We researched dozens of linen sheet sets, evaluating them on feel, construction, durability, and breathability. After consulting experts and editors, we found that the best overall linen sheet set is the Parachute Linen Sheet Set, which stands out for its soft yet durable feel, top-notch construction, and range of color options.

Here, the best linen sheets on the market.

Best Overall

Parachute Linen Sheet Set

4.9
Parachute Linen Sheet Set

Parachute

Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Material: 100% European flax | Mattress Depth: 16 inches | Certifications: Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX

Divinely soft and never scratchy, Parachute bedding will have you ditching your old top sheet and subscribing to the European sleep model: duvet and fitted sheet only. Parachute bedding is milled by artisans in a family-owned factory in northern Portugal, and whereas other manufacturers will sometimes rely upon chemicals to soften their fabrics, Parachute avoids synthetics altogether. Instead, Parachute’s linen is "garment-dyed and washed to relax the fibers, resulting in a softened fabric which becomes more supple with each wash,” says Kaye.

The Parachute linen sheets come in a range of 10 muted, stylish hues that promise to get better with age. Unlike other linen sheets that are pre-softened, Parachute's are still highly durable and won't rip after a few months. Parachute is also known for its bundles, which let you pull off a casual, pulled-together look very easily.

Best Budget

Quince European Linen Sheet Set

4.2
Quince European Linen Sheet Set

Quince

Sizes: Twin, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Material: 100% European flax | Mattress Depth: 16 inches | Certifications: Not listed

Linen is more expensive than cotton and polyester, so it's hard to find a genuinely affordable set that's actually good quality. Although it's more expensive than other sheet sets, Quince's linen bedding is much more affordable than other options on the market, and it has that quintessential lightweight, relaxed style.

Like all linen, these sheets offer insulation and breathability for year-round comfort, and like some of the pricier picks, they're garment-washed and free of harmful chemicals. Plus, like their soft linen, Quince's 365-day return policy will have you sleeping a little more soundly.

Best Splurge

Cultiver Linen Sheet Set

Linen Sheet Set With Pillowcases - White

Cultiver

Sizes: Twin, Queen, King, Cal King | Material: 100% European flax | Mattress Depth: 16 inches | Certifications: Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX

Australian brand Cultiver is known for their laidback, colorful linen sheets, which are pre-washed to have a vintage feel straight out of the box. The brand offers a huge range of dreamy, muted colors (there are 20 choices in all), including bluestone, sage, cinnamon, and even a few striped options. They're expensive, but perfect for mixing and matching, so no matter the palette of your room, you have options you can integrate seamlessly.

Best Colors

The Citizenry Stonewashed Linen Sheet Set

4.2
The Citizenry Stonewashed Linen Sheet Set

The Citizenry

Sizes: Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Material: 100% French flax | Mattress Depth: 15 inches | Certifications: Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX

The linen sheet sets from The Citizenry come in a wide range of colors in that perfectly-imperfect vein of wabi-sabi charm. The natural imperfections and textured look advertise the natural materials and craftsmanship involved in production, while the eyelet detailing offers subtle sophistication. The deeper colored hues on offer, like slate blue and charcoal, set The Citizenry apart from other brands who hew closer to neutrals.

Best Customizable

Linoto 100% Linen Sheet Set

4.2
Linoto 100% Linen Sheet Set

 Amazon

Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Material: 100% Linen | Mattress Depth: 14 or 18 inches | Certifications: Not listed

Roy G. Biv doesn’t have anything on the spectrum of color available at Linoto. Similarly, they offer the widest range of linen sheet sizes that you’ll find on the web: 13, to be exact. They’ve got it all, from Twin, Full, Double, Queen, and King, to Cal King, Split King, Split Queen, Twin XL, European Queen, European King, Olympic King, and Split Cal King.

Plus, you can choose from varying sheet depths and pillow types (e.g., envelope pillowcases or back-loading shams.) They’re even happy to help with custom sets. (With these options, even Goldilocks could find something that fits just right.) Linoto’s linen sheets are made right here in the USA, with flax sourced from Belgium and Italy.

Best Organic

Coyuchi Organic Relaxed Linen Sheets

4.4
Coyuchi Organic Relaxed Linen Sheet Set

Coyuchi

Sizes: Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Material: 100% French flax | Mattress Depth: 15 inches | Certifications: Made Safe

In any sustainability contest, linen outstrips cotton—flax requires a fraction of the water that cotton does, and it’s pest-resistant, which minimizes the number of chemicals required to maintain it. Coyuchi bolsters the sustainability of their linen by partnering with farmers in France who include flax as part of a larger slate of organic crops and rotational practices. To boot, they use low-impact dyes that are better for the environment and those with skin sensitivities.

However, with Coyuchi you’re not just getting a cleaner conscience, you’re getting linen woven from long and strong yarns, which makes for a weightier and softer linen than most competitors. Their linen is woven to a sturdy 185 GSM weight, which registers at the high end of the ideal GSM scale for linen (which consensus finds is somewhere between 170 and 190). They're definitely a splurge, but you'd be hard-pressed to find better quality.

Best Deep Pocket

Snowe Linen Sheet Set

Woman reading paper in bed with Snowe linen sheet set

Courtesy of Snowe

Sizes: Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Material: 100% Belgian flax | Mattress Depth: 17 inches | Certifications: Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX

For those with bigger mattresses or fluffy feather toppers, you’ll need a sheet set with more generous sizing that can accommodate the added depth. Snowe's linen sheets, which have an impressively 17-inch pocket, do the trick. You'll also love their buttery-soft feel, which Snowe achieves by using air-whipping technology to relax the linen without washing it. You can get these sheets in a crisp white, an ash gray, or a slate blue—though the color options are limited, the palette is great for a minimalist who likes neutrals.

Best Linen Blend

Kassatex Linen-Bamboo Sheet Set

4.7
Kassatex Linen-Bamboo Sheet Set

Kassatex

Sizes: Queen, King | Material: 60% linen, 40% rayon from bamboo | Mattress Depth: 18 inches | Certifications: Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX

Like linen, bamboo is a sustainably-minded textile source; it grows quickly and requires minimal pesticides, fertilizers, or irrigation. But given that linen is itself sustainable, why combine them? In short, the bamboo magnifies the softness of linen, giving it even more of a drapey, cool-to-the-touch feel. At the same time, it preserves much of the casual, effortless aesthetic of pure linen sheets. In short, this is a fabulous option for those who aren't totally sold on linen, or those who want something a little more hefty and soft.

Final Verdict

Overall, we recommend Parachute's Linen Sheet Set as our top choice. Made with French flax and milled in Portugal, the quality and craftsmanship are unassailable. And because they avoid using artificial softeners and enzymes during production, their linen sheets are unlikely to pill or shed. If you're looking for something more affordable, we recommend the Quince Linen Sheets. They’re also milled from French flax by a manufacturer who skips the artificial softeners, but this way you get a 365-day trial window to test them out.

What to Look for in Linen Sheets

Material

First off, forget about thread count. “Thread count is largely a marketing gimmick,” warns Parachute CEO and Founder, Ariel Kaye. Research bears this out: individual manufacturers disagree over how to count individual plies (or purposely inflate them), plus even realistically high thread counts of delicate threads will hasten pilling.

Traditionally, the highest quality linen is derived from flax grown in silty soil and oceanic climates (namely, Belgium and France, and sometimes the Netherlands.) Look for linen that is made from European-grown flax and is OEKO-TEX certified to ensure the final product is made without the use of potentially hazardous materials.

Feel

Roughness is not an indication of poor-quality linen; in fact, high-quality linen is typically rough at first but softens with each subsequent wash. This is the type of heirloom linen that's expensive but will last for many, many years, holding up to washing and frequent use. Linen that has been artificially softened with chemicals is more liable to pill or shed, so although it will be soft right out of the box, it probably won't last very long.

Price

Flax is grown and harvested almost exclusively in Western Europe where climate and soil conditions are optimal, and many heirloom linens are also woven by artisans in centuries-old mills in Portugal. Thus, linen is pricier than cotton or synthetic alternatives, which are grown and produced worldwide. Though labor-intensive and costly to make, linen typically outlasts other fabrics (like cotton, with its shorter fibers). Your linen purchase could be around for another thirty years.

FAQs 

How should you wash linen sheets?

Generally, cold or lukewarm water and the gentle cycle are the way to go. If you want to extend the lifecycle of your new bedding (and, no doubt, you do), you should always follow the care instructions provided with your product. And you should probably be washing your sheets more often than you think: every 7-10 days, says Kaye.

How do you soften linen sheets?

Purchasing bedding that is already soft is advisable. The best way to determine this is to check the length of the staple fiber: the longer the staple, the softer the hand-feel. If your newly purchased linen sheets feel a little crisp, you can try putting them through a warm cycle with a cup of baking soda (in lieu of detergent). Excepting that, try a gentle detergent formulated for delicates and a bit of patience. Linen sheets become softer and airier with each wash.

What are the benefits of linen sheets?

Linen is a natural fabric made from the flax plant, and it’s a stronger and more durable alternative to cotton. It’s also more pest-resistant and sustainable, requiring less pesticide, fertilizer, and water than cotton. And there are individual benefits to upgrading your bedding, which Kaye emphasizes: “Linen is naturally antimicrobial, it wicks away moisture, and it’s resistant to static, so it doesn't harbor bacteria and won't cling to hair. Because of its lightweight and airy qualities, these sheets are extremely breathable and a great pick for those who sleep hot.”

Why Trust MyDomaine? 

For this roundup, writer Leslie Joblin considered more bedding than found in the story of the "Princess and the Pea". She considered basic features such as staple length and fabric caliber, hand feel, color/size ranges, and various certifications, plus she consulted experts, editors, and product reviews.