The Best Bed Sheets for Getting Into the Nice Bedding Game

Whatever prompted you to evolve from a one sad pillow guy into a real grown-up, congrats! You’re adulting! You work, you pay taxes, you’ve got a mattress that eases your aching back, and it’s not even on the floor—you’ve graduated to a proper, bed-frame-owning adult. You’ve almost made it. It’s time for your crowning achievement: investing in real, honest-to-zzzs, high-quality bedding—not just whatever you saw first at the dollar store, or the hand-me-down set your mom gave you back in 2013.

It’s a verifiable fact that we spend a third of our life sleeping (or at least attempting to do so), and so while bed sheets may seem like an afterthought, upgrading and investing in this category can be utterly life-changing for your overall wellbeing. For one, you deserve it. And if you’re not far enough into your adulting journey to actually believe you “deserve” nice things, just think of how much sexier all your sleepovers will be, between sheets that aren’t patterned with cartoons from your childhood that you’re trying to pass off as ironic.

So when choosing new sheets, there’s the first step: thinking about the right fabric and weave. Do you want silky sateen; cozy, T-shirt like jersey; or breezy linen? Then, you’ve gotta think about aesthetics; are you a classic, white-sheets type, or a mustard sheet millennial? (Are you a wellness nut? Consider grounding sheets.)

Whether you run hot or cold, prefer silky or cozy, sleep with a top sheet or without, we’ve got a set you’re gonna want to get between (and then never get out of again). These sheets get top marks for their feel, quality, and color options. Read on, and leave your rumpled, pilled pile in the past in favor of more snooze-worthy pastures.

The best affordable sheet sets

If you’re new here (here being the Realm of Nice Sheets), you may still be getting your bearings and don’t quite feel ready to drop multiple Benjamins on an heirloom linen set. All good; there are some seriously good sheet sets you can snag for under a hundred bucks. For starters, we’ve got to go with Brooklinen, which has made a serious mark in the home goods world by offering cool, crispy, hotel-style 270-thread-count sheets starting at $99 for a flat sheet and two pillowcases. The bright white, graphite, or print (windowpane, skinny stripes, crescent moon) sheets work with any decor, but exude a chic-graphic-designer’s-loft vibe right out of the box.

Quince is another brand offering great affordable sheet sets, like its Organic Bamboo Viscose Sheet Set that currently retails at just $99.90—55% off!—for a queen bed. The sateen weave is made from 100% organic-bamboo-derived viscose, making it as environmentally sustainable as it is soft and cool. “I’ve never bought bamboo sheets before, but they are pure luxury compared to any other sheets I own,” reads a recent five-star review. “So soft, great for winter because they don’t feel cold climbing into bed, and I think they’ll stay cool in summer too.”

Maybe you need to Prime a set stat. No prob—there are solid sheets available on Amazon, too—like these ridiculously highly rated organic sheets from Fabdreams. Made with a 300 thread count and organic 100% cotton, they’ve accrued more than 1,200 enthusiastic reviews thanks to their cool, crisp percale weave, tasteful colors, and climate-friendly manufacturing practices, which includes 100% recyclable, plastic-free packaging. Happy sleepers say that the “quality is amazing” and that the sheets are “very soft,” “beautiful,” and great at cooling.

The best organic cotton sheet set

Parachute continuously gets top marks over and over for its garment-dyed, organic cotton sheets, which boast a solid five-star rating and forgo a flat sheet (which, for many, gets kicked to the bottom of the bed in minutes) in favor of a super-soft duvet cover, pillowcase, and fitted sheet set (although if you really want a top sheet, you can add one). Buyers describe the set as “truly the softest” and “the best sheets and comforter I have ever had.” Choose from white, a soothing shade of willow green, or creamy “bisque.”

The best percale sheets

Kick the hot clutch of night terrors to the curb with cool, breezy percale. Ideal for summer months and warm sleepers, it’s a tight, plain-weave cotton, which makes your sheets breathable and crisp, like a fresh white dress shirt would be. Riley tops best-of lists again and again with its luxurious, long-staple combed cotton percale sheets, which get softer with every wash.

The best sateen sheets

Sateen is made with a unique weave—four threads over and one under—which gives it a silky, lavish texture. Warmer and denser than percale, it’s perfect for transitioning seasons in style. Just picture the upscale rustling of luxury hotel sheets, at home every night. Pact‘s “Room Service” set will make you feel like you’re in bed at the Ritz, waiting for your morning pancakes to be brought to your door.

Boll & Branch‘s best-selling sateen sheets are another great choice, beloved for their “irresistible buttery hand-feel,” ethical production practices, and ability to remain soft, clean, and comfortable over time.

The best linen sheets

Good news for night-sweaters: Turns out linen really does cool you down. Soft, durable, and moisture-wicking (bless!), there’s a reason for all the hype. They can run pricey, but this set from Brooklinen includes fitted and flat sheets as well as two pillowcases, at a price point that won’t make you break a further sweat.

Available in 28 prismatic colors, this heirloom-quality artisanal linen set from Black-owned brand Linoto is sourced from mills in Italy and Belgium and made in the USA.

More of the best sheets for hot sleepers

There are people who like cooling sheets, and then there are people who simply can’t deal with any sheets that aren’t actively wicking Satan’s hellfires away from their condensation-covered bodies. Aside from linen, bamboo and eucalyptus are two of the best fabrics for keeping things cucumber-y in your personal nest. Honeydew Sleep, which happens to make our all-time fave pillow for side-sleepers, also makes these “scrumptious” bamboo-viscose sheets that are “far more breathable than cotton, and better at wicking away moisture—meaning you sleep cool and dry, all night long”—and they’re also delightfully soft.

Cozy Earth‘s bamboo-viscose sheets are Oprah-approved; apparently she called their sheet sets the “softest EVER” and they are specifically designed to help hot sleepers stay comfy and stop sweating.

Eucalyptus is another great fabric choice for hot sleepers, with the added bonus of being great for sensitive skin and helping to prevent body breakouts. Buffy‘s eucalyptus sheet set is fiber-dyed with plant-based ingredients like  turmeric and rose petals, sports a 300 single-ply thread count sateen weave, and is manufactured super-sustainably. We also love that Buffy lets you mix-and-match colors and patterns to make your own unique set.

The best jersey-knit sheets

Love the feeling of curling up in a warm, cozy bed that feels like a T-shirt you’ve had for years? Then jersey knit is perfect for you. They’re ultra-soft, stretchy, and easy to care for, and you can grab a great set from The Company Store, known for its high-quality jersey sheets and wide selection of colors. (Use the promo code FAMILY22 for 20% off sheets and more right now on the brand’s site.)

Slumber the winter away in flannel

Ready to snooze in flannel? It’s truly the definition of cozy, so cozy up in the warmest brushed flannel you’ll ever encounter with The Company Store’s Legends Luxury Velvet Flannel line, and you’re ready to hibernate til spring.

The best colorful bed sheets

Not everyone wants white-on-white-on-white—let’s get some flavor going, shall we? Have a mustard yellow moment with this trendy, ochre brushed-cotton set that’ll bring sunshine into your space all year long.

Marimekko is legendary for its gorgeous mid-century-modern prints, and they’ll instantly transform your room into an Architectural Digest-worthy masterpiece.

This set from Anthropologie is not your granny’s floral sheets, and nothing with Ninja Turtles either—just whimsical patterns, in sophisticated sateen, for grown-ups who are too playful for solids.

Loathe the laundromat? No problem

Whether you’re hitting the gym before hitting the hay or getting those reps in between the sheets, make the most of each wash with this antibacterial set from Miracle. Made with silver-woven cotton, they’re specially designed to keep stinky bacteria from multiplying, keeping your bedding smelling fresher, longer—three times as long, to be exact.

Goodnight, sweet prince! Your dream kingdom awaits.