I Tested Sheets From The 4 Most Popular Bedding Brands – Here’s The Best One
March 14, 2023
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I ventured into the world of bedding to find the best high quality sheets. I’ve come to realize that sheets are one of those purchases that you tend to upgrade in quality as you get older. In college you steal a sheet set from home to get you through. In your first apartment, you buy something reasonably priced, but cute, from Target. When you get married, you add the nicest set you can find in store to the gift registry. And by your 30’s you come to realize that a quality set of sheets is a luxury you want in life. I’m in that “quality sheets would be nice” phase so I set out to find the best high quality bed sheets.
When you first dip your toe into quality sheet shopping, you’ll notice that there’s a lot of online bedding brands. All of which, offer an array of fabric options. Which bedding brand is best? What type of sheet fabric is best? That’s what I’m here to break down today.
I tested 5 sheets (in all different materials) from the top 4 most popular bedding brands – Boll & Branch, Brooklinen, Quince, and Cozy Earth. I slept on them each for a week, some longer, tested them for temperature & softness, evaluated the prices, and ranked them in order from least favorite to favorite.
Keep in mind, personal preference does play a role in my ratings so I’ve included facts about each fabric type to help you determine what type of fabric would be the best fit for you.
#5 SATEEN
FROM BROOKLINEN
- SOFTNESS SCALE 1-10: 7
- SOFTNESS TYPE: Silky
- BEST FOR: Summer
I purchased Brooklinen’s best selling sheets – their luxury sateen set. It’s incredibly soft with a slight sheen. It has a silky feel and is slippery. This sheet set leans cool and could be a good option for hot sleepers. My first impression however, was that it feels and sounds a bit like a plastic cover. Or like the fabric on a tent or a rain jacket. These sheets are oddly loud to the touch and aren’t my personal preference. That being said, I do appreciate how soft they feel.
#4 COTTON PERCALE
FROM BOLL & BRANCH
- SOFTNESS SCALE 1-10: 7
- SOFTNESS TYPE: Buttery
- BEST FOR: Summer
4 words – crisp button down shirt. That’s the most accurate description of Boll & Branch’s Cotton Percale sheets. It feels like luxury hotel sheets with a super smooth, soft feel. It leans cool initially so I’d consider cotton percale best for summer or hot sleepers. That being said, for some reason Chris and I woke up sweaty in these sheets quite often.
Because these sheets are a stiffer fabric, they don’t fall and form to your body. And while I have zero complaints about the softness of these sheets, I much prefer sheets that aren’t as crisp. However, if you like a crisp sheet, these are your winner!
#3 SIGNATURE HEMMED
FROM BOLL & BRANCH
- SOFTNESS SCALE 1-10: 8
- SOFTNESS TYPE: Semi-Silky
- BEST FOR: Winter
I’ve heard so many people talk about the Signature Hemmed sheets from Boll & Branch so I had to try it for myself. My initial impression was that it’s an incredibly soft semi-crisp sheet with a slight sheen. I’d consider it the middle ground between silky bedding and crisp cotton. It’s chilled initially but does warm to the body temperature so it makes a great set for cold nights.
It’s clear from the moment you open the packaging to the moment you feel the fabric that presentation at Boll & Branch matters. The quality of the stitching, fabric, and even the packaging is superb. My one complaint is the price point. It’s a luxury brand with luxury pricing. And while I’m confident the quality justifies the price, I would be hesitant to spend full price on these again.
#2 LINEN
FROM QUINCE
- SOFTNESS SCALE 1-10: 8
- SOFTNESS TYPE: Buttery
- BEST FOR: Year Round (But especially winter)
I was told by a professional interior stylist – “Once you try linen sheets you’ll never go back.” And at the time I didn’t fully believe him because I’m a big bamboo sheet fan. But this year I got my very first set of linen sheets and wow, he was 100% right. The Quince linen sheets are incredible.
There’s silky soft sheets and then there’s buttery soft sheets and these are the butteriest of all the sheets I’ve tried. They have the perfect weight to them and they form around your body.
Most people are concerned about linen feeling scratchy, (I was too) but because these sheets are pre-washed, they arrive incredibly soft without any itchy feeling! And they continue to get softer with every wash. They don’t have a crisp or stiff feeling like cotton percale and in terms of temperature, they’re a great year-round option. Keep in mind, linen can wrinkle so it’s best for people who appreciate that casual comfort look.
I ranked these linen sheets at #2 for all the reasons above, but also because of the price point! They’re half the cost of most other bedding brands, but don’t lack in quality or comfort.
#1 BAMBOO
FROM COZY EARTH
- SOFTNESS SCALE 1-10: 10
- SOFTNESS TYPE: Silky to Buttery
- BEST FOR: Summer
Whenever we change the sheets and make our bed, I always reach for our Cozy Earth bamboo sheets. They’re unbelievably soft…like “how is this possible” soft. They started out pretty silky with a bit of a sheen and initially I was surprised how slippery they were. (I don’t recommend pairing bamboo sheets with a silky comforter or else the comforter will be sliding off your bed all night.) After a few washes, the silky fabric transitioned into a buttery soft fabric and that’s when the real love affair starting blossoming.
The sheets are light as a feather and they melt over your body. Not the slightest bit of crisp or stiff fabric. Keep in mind they do wrinkle easily if you leave them in the dryer for hours so it’s best to fold them or make the bed right after they’ve dried. These are temperature regulating and they tend to lean cool. So if you’re a hot sleeper, these are for you!
Cozy Earth bamboo sheets are a bit of an investment, but an investment that I would buy again in a heartbeat because the softness is just that good. Cozy Earth bamboo sheets take first place as the best high quality sheets!
MY #1 OVERALL PICK
Bamboo Sheets From Cozy Earth
BEST SHEETS FOR THE PRICE
Linen Sheets from Quince
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Danica, have you tried the Quince bamboo sheets?
I have not tried that but I’d be interested to give it a shot!
Thanks for the recommendations on sheets. I ordered the linen sheets from Quince and I can’t wait to get them.
You’re gonna love them!!
Danica- I am dying to know… how have the linen sheets handled wrinkles around the edges? Do they fold up on themselves and need to be ironed?
Hi Stephanie! I haven’t had an issue with wrinkled edges on the sheets themselves, but the pillowcases do have some wrinkled edges when you pull them out of the wash/dryer. I personally don’t bother ironing them out, but if this is a pet peeve of yours, the pillowcases would be the only thing worth ironing.