Creating the optimal sleep environment to encourage a long, restful slumber begins with the right bedding.
Once you have invested in a mattress with just the right firmness level, a duvet to suit the season and pillows that offer comfort and support in equal measure, it’s your choice in sheets that deserve your attention next.
Few things compare to the sumptuous feeling of slipping into a set of fresh, crisp linen where all your troubles and cares simply melt away – but this is not something that should be reserved solely for laundry day. With the right luxurious bedding, you can experience this on a nightly basis and throughout lazy mornings and duvet days.
A respite away from the world, your bed is a sanctuary and should be treated as such by draping your bed in sumptuous fabrics, quality constructions and enviable thread counts. Also look out for brands boasting sustainability credentials, whether that’s partnering up with the Better Cotton Initiative or donating to charities.
What does thread count mean?
Thread count refers to the vertical and horizontal threads per square inch (aka how tightly woven it is). This doesn’t necessarily attest to the quality of the product but instead gives a suggestion on feel. But as a rule of thumb, higher thread counts – 750+ - are denser whereas lower thread counts may be more airy and lightweight. The material used is much more important when it comes to choosing bedsheets.
What fabric should your bedsheets be?
Cotton is the most common material but for opulence, you may prefer silk or newer on the fabric block, eucalyptus. Egyptian cotton is renowned as being the best type of cotton in the world, offering a higher thread count but still maintaining its durability and breathability.
As a word of warning, you may find the selection of bed linen sets below even more challenging to leave in the morning so maybe opt for a back-up alarm, just in case.
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Aeyla Eucalyptus Silk Sheet Set
Cosy up to the irresistibly soft Aeyla bed sheets. Created using eucalyptus, the linen is ideal for hot sleepers and warm summer nights as it’s naturally sweat-wicking and will regulate your body’s temperature.
The brand compares it to a 1000 cotton thread count and sources the material from regenerative forests in Austria and the Czech Republic with a process that uses 10 times less water than cotton - so there’s a sustainability nod too. With each purchase, there’s a donation to Young Minds.
It’s also Oeko-Tex certified and the fabric is so soft that it should prevent hair breakages and skin creases in much the same way that a silk pillowcase will so you can get your beauty sleep. The sheets come in stone, pastel pink and white and the set includes a fitted sheet, a duvet cover and either one or two pillowcases depending on the size you opt for.
Buy now £139.00, Aeyla
The White Company Symons Double Row Cord Duvet Cover
These silky bedsheets bring the five-star hotel feel to your home. They may just be the dreamiest bedding that we’ve ever felt in our life, combining style and function with the sophisticated double-row cord trim.
Made in Portugal and top of The White Company range, these are luxury in sheet form with a 1000 thread count Egyptian-cotton sateen construction that has a lovely soft skin feel and provides an elegant matte finish. The cord comes in silver, white or mink.
Buy now £185.00, The White Company
Yves Delorme Triomphe cotton duvet cover
The name Yves Delorme is almost synonymous with luxury - whether you’re looking at the brand’s towelling robes or its bedding. This cotton duvet is so soft it’s almost silk-like in its construction, turning your boudoir into the optimal environment for horizontal relaxation. Harnessing its 150 years of expertise, the Parisian label excels in the silky cotton sheen and the designs are kept simple, elegant and classic to stand the test of time. We are big fans of the dove grey but there’s taupe or white too.
Buy now £209.00, Selfridges
Soak & Sleep Pure Mulberry Silk Bedding
Is there anything more opulent than silk bedding? Rest your head like royalty in the sumptuous feel of these 100 per cent Mulberry silk bed sheets. While they feel extremely decadent, there’s practicality to silk too. Firstly, the fabric is naturally temperature regulating so offers that cold-side-of-the-bed feel for longer and it provides less friction for your hair as you toss and turn throughout the night. Due to the material, you should also get a better absorption of your skincare products.
Buy now £60.00, Soak & Sleep
Cuddledown Pure Cotton Sateen Bedding Set
These buttery soft sheets from Cuddledown will take you one step closer to achieving ultimate comfort. Cosiness and style combined, the sheets have a cotton sateen construction with sink-right-in appeal. The finish is almost shimmery in appearance which heightens the luxury element.
The linen comes in pared-back colours, ranging from ivory to steel, is OEKO-TEX certified and adheres to the Better Cotton Initiative. The set comes complete with a duvet cover, two standard-size pillowcases and the option of a fitted or flat sheet.
Buy now £157.68, Cuddledown
Mix & Match: Linen Bedtime Bundle
Not only do linen sheets offer a beautifully natural, slightly creased look – but the various patterned options offered by Piglet in Bed further remove any need for time-consuming ironing habits. While traditionally used in the summer, hot sleepers will rejoice for 100 per cent stonewashed French flax linen all year round.
Buy now £263.00, Piglet in Bed
Panda Bamboo & French Linen Bedding - Earth Collection
Combining bamboo with linen gives this bedding set from Panda an edge, utilising both textiles' natural properties. Expect incredible softness and airiness with a temperature control that works the whole year around. A host of neutral colours are available including this soft grey, aptly dubbed Silver Lining.
Buy now £195.00, Amazon
Dusk Pimlico Duvet Cover 800 TC Egyptian Cotton
Dusk is making it more difficult than ever to get out of bed in the morning with the exquisite feel of the Pimlico set. The bedding named after the West London area has the same upscale reputation as its namesake with an 800 thread count Egyptian cotton material and the timeless stripe design that will suit all manner of interior design schemes.
Buy now £40.00, Dusk
Bedfolk Linen Bedding Bundle
Luxury bedding label Bedfolk puts quality at the forefront. The brand creates its linen collections from Belgian and French flax in Guimarães, Portugal with a muted palette. With the ability to pair with any bedroom interiors, the sheets have an effortless appearance that also saves you on the ironing time. The fabric is super soft on the skin and gets even more so with wear. It is also Oeko-Tex certified so you doze off in comfort, content in the knowledge that your sheets are free from any harmful chemicals or synthetics.
The sheets come in rust, ink, rose, moss, clay and the snow hue pictured and the set includes the duvet cover and two pillows with the option to add a fitted or flat sheet.
Buy now £229.00, Bedfolk
Magniberg Mother linen king duvet cover 240cm x 220cm
The Swedish brand takes a playful approach to your bed's adornment with an array of pastel and vibrant hues. Blossom Pink, Lemonade, Baby Blue and Fresh Green are just some of the colourways on offer as well as more neutral hues like the blue option pictured.
Crafted from European linen, it makes for a lightweight, breathable and airy option to welcome in the warmer weather with subtle detailing coming in the way of mother-of-pearl button closures.
Buy now £300.00, Finnish Design Shop
Hampton & Astley Egyptian Cotton Sateen Luxury Duvet Cover and Deep Fitted Sheet Set With Two Pillowcases, Pink
Giving real bang for your buck, Hampton & Astley has found a way to craft a hugely luxurious sleeping environment without costing an arm and a leg. With a 300 thread count, it has a quality feel using Egyptian cotton yarn that provides a silky effect.
It comes in three shades; pink, white and grey and with the soft design, you’ll find it even more difficult to leave bed come morning time.
Buy now £115.10, Hampton & Astley
scooms King Size Egyptian Cotton Bedding
Complement any bedroom aesthetic with a fresh white set of Egyptian Cotton sheets from scooms. With the quality construction, you’d think that these would cost far more than what the price tag reveals and that’s due to the four-yarn-over and one-yarn-under weave design.
This offers a beautifully soft texture and that luxury sateen finish. The sheets have a 600 thread count to maintain their durability and an Oxford design with silky marrow stitch piping.
Buy now £110.00, scooms
Beddable Cloud Grey Move-in Set
Start the morning ready and rearing to go after a full eight hours in the utmost comfort thanks to the luxury bedding at Beddable. The brand specialises in chic home textiles with an array of textures, which gives a natural feel.
The name - Cloud Grey - refers to both the shade and material with the elevated comfort levels that will encourage you to drift off into a dream-like state. OEKO-Tex certified, with a crisp cotton construction and smooth skin feel, this bedding will fill you with joy every time it shows up in your sheet rotation. The matte finish and laid-back look give it an effortless quality.
The set comes with a duvet, duvet cover, fitted sheet, two pillows and two pillowcases so you are ready to hunker down in an instant.
Buy now £144.52, Beddable
White Bamboo Bedding Set
Another value-for-money set that includes one duvet cover and two pillowcases, this bright white set of 100 per cent viscose bamboo sheets shimmer under soft lighting like a blanket of fresh snow. Certainly fit for royalty, the bedding set comes in a bamboo dustbag for safe and clean storage when not in use. For a truly opulent hotel-like look, why not opt for the slightly pricier dove grey satin stitch bedding set, which features a luxurious double border across both the duvet and the matching pillowcases?
Buy now £100.00, Truly
