Photography: Nena Farrell
Other high-quality silk (or similar) pillowcase
- LilySilk 19-Momme Silk Pillowcase on sale for $40: This is the same price as the Quince pillowcase but weighs less, although it’s barely noticeable when placed side by side. If you don’t like zippers, then this silk pillowcase is perfect for you. It does come in some colors and prints that Quince doesn’t have, so you might want to look into both brands and choose based on your color preference.
- Silken pure silk envelope pillowcase on sale for $78: This pillowcase is a bit luxurious, but the Silken Pure is clearly more high-end. Medea found that it’s not as slippery as other cheaper pillowcases, but is super cool on your skin. She said it’s also very durable in the wash. She did find that she had to adjust it in the morning because it didn’t have a zippered shell.
- Kitsch Satin Pillowcase on sale for $19: This pillowcase is satin, not silk, but Medea says it’s better than comparably priced silk options. If you don’t want to spend more than $20 to $25, she recommends choosing this over the cheap silk pillowcases you find on Amazon.
organic sheet
Why buy organic sheets? If you buy an organic mattress, you may want to pair it with organic sheets. Otherwise, inorganic sheets may introduce into your life the chemicals and materials you avoid, including anything from formaldehyde and TCEP (flame retardants) to phthalates. Even if you have a regular mattress, you can still benefit from choosing sheets made from natural, organic materials.
Our favorite organic sheets
Wired reviewer Scott Gilbertson tests organic bedding and these are the best organic cotton sheets he’s ever tried. They’re soft, but not too silky, which is a feeling he doesn’t like (check out the avocado sheets below if you like them). Brooklinen organic cotton sheets are made from Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified organic cotton. They are also Oeko-Tex certified, which means they have been tested and do not contain any known toxic chemicals.
The 300 threads make it crisp and soft enough, but not so tight that you end up sleeping hot. These are a great choice for summer, or if you’re like Scott, you can sleep on the warm side even in winter.
Other high-quality organic bed sheets
- Avocado organic cotton sheets on sale for $229: These 600 thread count sheets are like sleeping on silk or satin and are made from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton from India. The only potential issue here is that because they are so densely woven, they sleep a little warmer than you may be used to. There’s also a 400-count version we haven’t tested yet.
- Avocado Organic Linen Sheets on sale for $499: These linen sheets are one of the heaviest sheets Scott has ever tried and will likely last for many years due to their heavy weight. They get softer every time you wash them, but they start out a little rougher than other sheet styles.
alternative materials
Why buy bamboo or eucalyptus sheets? The company is now also making panels from other materials, such as bamboo and eucalyptus. The latter generally requires less water than cotton and fewer harsh chemicals than bamboo to produce sheets. Because bamboo grows so quickly, it is considered an environmentally friendly resource that we can use without depleting the earth. However, this is not a perfect solution. The process of turning bamboo into fabric uses harsh chemicals that actually increase air and water pollution. Bamboo viscose is slightly better than bamboo rayon.
eucalyptus chips
We’re already fans of Buffy’s giant swinging Plow, and now we’re excited to try the company’s sheets as well. They’re light and airy yet feel warm, like you’d be cozy under your favorite blanket without making you hot and sweaty. Wired reviewer Medea Giordano said her husband had a hard time waking up when sleeping on materials like percale, even though they were cool to the touch, but commented that sleeping in them felt great. She did notice, however, that they were sliding off the side of her mattress more than some of the other sheets.
The fabric has a satin weave but is actually Tencel Lyocell, is made from a sustainable source of wood (in this case, eucalyptus), and is biodegradable.
A piece of bamboo
While Wired reviewer Medea Giordano says she prefers the crisp feel of percale, these Luxome sheets made from bamboo viscose are the softest bedding she’s ever slept on. They’re silky and drapey, but have deep pockets and elastic to keep them in place on the mattress throughout the night. They too have stood the test. We were worried that they would be fluffy like similar cheap soft sheets we’ve tried at Bed Bath and Beyond (RIP), but that’s not the case.
Other quality bamboo sheets
- Bedsure Bamboo Thermal Sheet Set on sale for $60: This is one of the cheapest sheet sets we’ve found from stores like Amazon and Walmart, and it happens to be bamboo. They’re made from bamboo rayon (rather than viscose, which is better for the environment), and while they’re not as silky and cool as the Luxome sheets above, they’re a close second.
- Quince Bamboo Linen Sheet Set for $100: Quince’s Bamboo Linen Sheets are reasonably priced for linen. They have a slightly softer, silkier feel than regular linen, but still maintain the weight and firmness you’d expect from linen sheets. It’s made from 70% bamboo rayon (not as ideal as bamboo viscose) and 30% linen. These sheets are also cooler to sleep on than other linen sheets.
- Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set on sale for $339: Similar to Luxome, these bamboo sheets are 100% bamboo viscose, but more expensive. Still, they feel incredibly soft, wonderful, and cool to the touch. They’ll warm up after about 15 minutes of lying on the bed, but it still feels like they’re melting next to you.
bamboo linen sheets
Quince’s Bamboo Linen Sheets are reasonably priced for linen. They have a slightly softer, silkier feel than regular linen, but still maintain the weight and firmness you’d expect from linen sheets. It’s made from 70% bamboo rayon (not as ideal as bamboo viscose) and 30% linen. These sheets are also cooler to sleep on than other linen sheets.
best budget sheet
Tight budget? Some of our favorite sheets are very affordable compared to other similar sets, but they cover a range of sheet styles.
Our favorite budget sheets
When I upgraded my mattress after moving to California, I popped into Target, grabbed the cheapest queen-size sheet on the shelf, and promptly left the store. Target’s Room Essentials set is made from woven cotton, and I didn’t expect them to last very long, especially since I have a claw-loving cat at home.
Four years later, I still use these sheets. After years of use, they’ve become soft, lightweight, and feel a bit like my favorite T-shirt I’ve ever worn.It pisses me off that my husband calls these “nice sheets” even though we have actual Beautiful sheets. They are affordable and very comfortable to sleep on.