The Citizenry’s linen not only feels fantastic to sleep on but comes in lots of colors to go with any color scheme your bedroom might have. Parts of the sheet set (just the top sheet, pillowcases, etc.) can be purchased individually if something happens to one of your pieces.

• Extra soft and splurge-worthy linen: Cultiver Linen Sheet Set ($480) is so soft you might not realize it’s linen. My husband didn’t, and he’s a certified linen hater. This set is a splurge, but worth it if you want the benefits of linen and a much softer feel. They’re borderline silky, which feels almost wrong to say when describing linen.
• Best breathable linen: Pottery Barn Belgian Flax Linen Sheet Set ($299) has the most breathable weave I’ve slept on. The airflow is great, keeping me cool even in the hottest times of year. These sheets have the same weight as the Citizenry’s, 160 GSM, but feel more airy and not quite as soft.
• A great organic find: Organic linen is tougher to track down than organic cotton, and my go-to set is now Coyuchi’s Organic Relaxed Linen Sheet Set ($598). It’s got a heavier weight at 185 GSM, but feels just as breathable as The Citizenry’s and feels fairly soft, too. Coyuchi says it colors its linen sheets with low-impact dyes, and there’s an undyed option if you’d like to avoid dyes altogether.

Looking for more linen? Read about every set of linen we’ve tested and our shopping advice in our guide to the best linen sheets.

The Best Silk Sheets (and Pillowcases)

Silk stays cool and slick when you need it, so you shouldn’t heat up and stick to your bed in the middle of the night. But it also is capable of insulating you decently well to keep you warm in the winter months. Silk is also better for your beauty rest and the reason why silk scarves, bonnets, and pillowcases are so popular. It absorbs less moisture from your hair and skin, so you stay hydrated and don’t lose all your expensive beauty products to your pillow. It also causes less friction, pulling less at your skin during the night. If you’re a side or stomach sleeper where your face makes direct contact with your pillow, silk is a great option to consider. You’ll also find that silk is graded not by thread count, but by weight and density, using the term “momme.” A higher number equals more threads, a higher density, and more durability—and a higher price tag.

Our favorite silk bedding is these pieces from Lilysilk. They’re soft and smooth without being freezing cold. Lilysilk is the only brand of full silk sheets we’ve tested, and it’s very expensive to get a full set—you’re looking at nearly $700 for one flat sheet, one fitted sheet, and two pillowcases—but the brand offers each piece individually. Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano tried the fitted sheet with a percale top sheet and found it cooling and comfortable. If you can spend a little more, Lilysilk has 22- and 25-momme sets available. They’re a little more durable, but 19 is still very high quality.

• Our favorite silk pillowcase: The Quince Silk Mulberry Pillowcase ($45) is a great value at $40, and it has a better weight for that price than other brands. Quince’s silk pillowcase is 22-momme, where others usually have a 19-momme for that price, and that heavier weight makes it slightly thicker and softer to the touch. It has a zipper enclosure, which I liked since it kept the pillowcase looking polished, and I didn’t have to worry about my pillow wiggling its way out of the case while I tossed and turned in the night.
• A zipper-free silk pillowcase: LilySilk’s 19-Momme Silk Pillowcase ($55) is the same price as the Quince pillowcase, but a lighter weight, though it’s barely noticeable side by side. If you prefer no zipper, though, this is the silk pillowcase for you. It does have a few colors and prints that Quince doesn’t, so you might want to peruse the two brands and choose based on your color preference.
• A budget option: Kitsch’s Satin Pillowcase ($19) is satin, not silk, but former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano said it’s better than similarly priced silk options. If you’re not looking to spend more than $20 to $25, she says to choose this one over the cheaper silk pillowcases you’ll find on Amazon.

The Best Flannel Sheets

Flannel bedding is made of cotton, but the cotton fibers are brushed out to create a fuzzy texture. Those fluffed-out fibers also are what make flannel so warm and cozy to sleep on—the teased layers of cotton do a better job of retaining heat than other styles of cotton sheets, so you’ll stay much warmer sleeping on these than other sheet styles. They’re great for cooler climates and seasons.

These flannel sheets have a long name, but it’s an accurate one. This set from Lands’ End really is comfy and super soft and was the perfect combination of cozy without being too heavy. I love that these are so soft and warm without making me sweaty—a tall task for a hot sleeper in San Diego, though I did test them during the coldest time of year. I also like that it’s easy to buy Lands’ End as a set or purchase just a top sheet or pillowcases individually if something needs to be replaced.

• Splurge-worthy, organic flannel: The Boll & Branch Cozy Flannel Sheet Set ($349) lives up to its name with its extra-soft bedding. Not only is it the softest flannel set I tried, but it’s organic, too. It also runs a little warmer, so it’s great for colder homes and climates.
• The popular choice: L.L.Bean’s UltraSoft Flannel Sheets ($139) are definitely soft, but not as soft as our top flannel pick, and they feel lighter too. They’re almost like a warm jersey rather than a flannel. If you’re looking for a light but still soft bedding set, this is a good choice.
• Best budget flannel: Laura Ashley’s Cotton Flannel Sheets ($80) are another lightweight set, and were solidly soft for such an affordable price point. They weren’t too warm, but I preferred that as a hot sleeper, or homes that run a heater but still want cozy bedding. They actually reminded me a lot of L.L.Bean, but lighter.

Looking for more cozy flannel? Check our guide to the Best Flannel Sheets.

The Best Organic Sheets

If you’re buying an organic mattress, you probably want to pair it with organic bedding. Otherwise, nonorganic sheets can bring the chemicals and materials you avoided—including anything from formaldehyde and TCEP (a flame retardant) to phthalates—right back into your life. Even if you have a regular mattress, you can still benefit from choosing sheets that are made of natural, organic materials. Just about any kind of bedding has potential to be organic, but it depends on how its materials are sourced and what kind of chemicals the fabric is exposed to.

My favorite sateen set, Coyu is back as the star of our organic sheets guide. This set uses GOTS certified organic cotton is soft and cozy without being too cozy, and feels like broken-in percale rather than slippery sateen. That’s likely thanks to the plant-based (and USDA approved) softener Coyuchi uses on these, and I found myself going back to these again and again during my summer testing.

• Softer, organic percale: The Citizenry’s Organic Stonewashed Percale Sheets ($189) has everything I like in a softer percale, using long-staple cotton to make it soft while keeping it ultra soft.
• Affordable, organic bamboo: The Aeptom Organic Bamboo Sheets ($138) are not only affordable and fantastically comfortable, but pack are Oeko-Tex certified and use FSC certified bamboo for eco-conscious bamboo bedding. While it’s a sateen weave, Aeptom uses ultra fine fibers that make this set feel fantastically lightweight.
• Highly decorated linen: Naturepedic’s Organic Linen Sheets & Pillowcases ($499) are a rare find. Organic linen surprisingly tough to find—even primarily organic brands like Avocado don’t currently have an organic linen offering. But Naturepedic’s has a nice weight to it while still managing to be super breathable, and packs certifications from GOTS, Made Safe, and UL Greenguard.

Want to better understand how to shop for organic bedding, and see more options? Catch our guide to the Best Organic Sheets.

The Best Cooling Sheets

This is another category where it’s not limited to a certain fabric type or weave, but rather is a general category for any set of bedding that feels breathable and will keep you cool during the night. I’ve found that the best contenders for staying cool and keeping away night sweats are percale, linen, and bamboo, but not every set is made equally.

This set, however, is none of those. Slumber Cloud’s Performance Tencel Sheet Set ($249) uses Tencel, a brand of lyocell fabric, plus Slumber Cloud’s patented Outlast fiber, which uses phase change material (PCM) gel to absorb heat. These sheets are a sateen weave with a four-over-one thread structure, but they feel like a lightweight silky percale. I was amazed how cooling and breathable this set is time and time again, even with that type of weave, and so soft at the same time. As a hot sleeper sleeping on the third floor in Southern California, I was so impressed by how cool and comfortable I stayed on these.

If you’re looking for more options as a hot sleeper, check out our guide to the Best Cooling Sheets.

Best Affordable Sheets

Great budget sheets should still last you years to come. The Bedsure GentleSoft Bamboo Cooling Sheet Set ($64) is impressively affordable for a comfortable, long-lasting bamboo set. WIRED reviewer Julia Forbes reaches for it more than any other set she has, and says that these bamboo sheets manage to have a silk-like feel without smothering her in heat. What helps with that is the twill weave, which is similar to percale in that it’s one over one threads, but has a diagonal rib pattern that gives it a better drape. It’s a slightly warmer weave than percale, but isn’t as warm as a three-over-one sateen. This set is more affordable since they use bamboo rayon over bamboo viscose, and viscose is a slightly better process. Still, viscose is a type of rayon, so it’s not hugely different.

She says Bedsure’s GentleSoft have lasted her well after years of use, even with her dogs scratching at them. What was originally an impulse purchase is now one of our favorite bamboo sheet sets, and easily one of the best affordable sets of bedding on the market. It’s even got an Oeko-Tex certification, something you don’t often see at cheaper price points, and have deep pockets for up to 16 inch mattresses.

• Often on-sale sateen: The JCPenney WrinkleGuard Sateen Sheet Set ($80) is soft and cool to the touch, with the silky finish sateen is known for without being slippery. This sateen set is supposed to retail for $200, but this set is almost always on sale for around $90, making them a great budget purchase that’s still high-quality.
• Affordable coziness: Laura Ashley’s Cotton Flannel Sheets ($80) are a super lightweight flannel set, and were solidly soft for such an affordable price point. I actually prefer them to the popular L.L.Bean flannel.
• Super cheap cotton: Target’s Room Essentials Easy Care Sateen Sheets ($35) lasted me years, even with their insanely cheap price point. They felt like a favorite T-shirt more than true silky sateen, but I was really happy with these for a long time.

Comparing Our Favorite Bedding

Curious what makes each of our favorite bedding sets different? Wondering which ones come in just a king size or the larger California king, or hunting for an extra-long twin? Here’s a breakdown of the types, materials, certifications, and how large of mattresses they can fit.

More Great Sheets We’ve Tested

• Avocado Organic Cotton Sheets for $179: These 600-count sheets are like sleeping on silk or satin and are 100 percent GOTS-certified organic cotton from India. The only potential issue here is that, because they are such a dense weave, they sleep a little warmer than what you might be used to. There’s also a 400-count version we haven’t tested.
• Avocado Linen Sheets for $494: This linen set is some of the heaviest Gilbertson has tried and will likely last you many years, thanks to the heavy weight. They’ll get softer with every wash, but they are initially rougher than other fabrics like cotton. These used to be organic, but they no longer are.
• Brooklinen Organic Cotton Core Sheet Set for $239: This is a good organic set if you like a crisp, light sheet. It’s got both an Oeko-Tex and GOTS certification to confirm this set is organic, and I think the organic set is a touch softer than the non-organic Classic Percale Core Set ($199).
• Brooklinen Washed European Linen Core Sheet Set for $359: These are Brooklinen’s latest version of its linen core bedding, and while they’re a solid linen set, our picks are softer (and often a little cheaper, unless these are on sale, which Brooklinen frequently is.)
• Boll & Branch Signature Sheet Set for $289: Boll & Branch’s Signature bedding takes the sateen weave to the next level with a four-over-one thread pattern, making it a little extra soft to the touch. I tested the textured stripe color, which gave it a little texture to balance the softness, and it was a great set to sleep on that wasn’t too hot, while still adding a little more weight and softness than lighter cotton.
• Cariloha Bamboo Classic Sheet Set for $239: These sheets are soft and comfortable, and remind me of the Luxome bamboo, but don’t have the securing strap. You can upgrade to Cariloha’s Retreat Sheet Set ($339), which is also super soft and comfortable and includes a securing strap.
• The Company Store Breathable Washed Linen Sheets for $317: These sheets are a great set, and one of our picks in the Best Linen Sheets guide. The sheets have a nice heft to them but are still plenty breathable for summer nights, and parts of the set can be purchased separately if you don’t want entirely linen bedding or damage part of your set. It’s also Oeko-Tex certified.
• The Company Store Legends Luxury Luxe Velvet Flannel Fitted Sheet for $85: Velvet flannel is a popular variation of flannel, and my favorite iteration is from the Company Store. The Legends Luxury Luxe set has a fantastic soft feel to it that will keep you very cozy, and the velvet texture feels like quite the upgrade. The only downside is that this sheet is sold in separate pieces, so you’ll need to add the fitted ($85) and flat sheet ($100), plus the pillowcase set ($54) to your cart one by one for a full set. But you could also skip the flat sheet if you’ve already got a duvet cover, or skip the pillowcases if you prefer a silk pillowcase.
• Coop Percale Sheet Set for $199: This set is crisp, and a similar price to Brooklinen’s equally crisp bedding. It didn’t stand out otherwise, but wasn’t a bad set.
• Coyuchi Flannel Sheets for $278: These organic bedsheets are fantastic and soft, but the Boll & Branch is a little softer. These are a little cheaper, though, if you want to save a few bucks.
• Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set for $308: This bamboo set is insanely soft and cold to the touch, with an almost jersey-like coziness to them, rather than a silky feel like sateen. They warm up after about 15 minutes of lying in bed but still almost as if they’ve melted around you. It’s my favorite set to sleep on in the spring and fall. It’s a splurge, though, and other similarly priced bamboo sheets come with some organic certifications.
• Garnet Hill Scallop Flannel for $179: This flannel set is adorable with its scalloped finish on the flat sheet and pillowcases. It’s well-priced, too, and very warm and cozy. I liked the lighter feel of Lands’ End a little better, but these are another great option.
• Garnet Hill Supima Flannel for $227: This flannel bedding is made with Supima cotton, making them nice and soft, but you’ll have to purchase the fitted and flat sheet separately.
• Nuzzie Forever Chill Bamboo Sheets for $119: These are my favorite budget cooling bamboo sheets. They’re pretty cheap in general for bamboo, and are super lightweight compared to heavier bamboo bedding. These only come in a couple colors, though.
• Parachute Percale Sheet Set for $259: WIRED reviewer Julian Chokkattu says these sheets feel rough at first but soften up the more they’re washed. He says they’ve held up extremely well after years of use, even with a dog sleeping in the same bed, but other WIRED staffers haven’t had the same experience.
• Pom Pom at Home Bamboo Sateen Set for $368: This bamboo set is nice, but more expensive than similar quality bamboo you can find.
• Quince Luxury Signature Sateen Set for $90: This set comes heavily recommended from former WIRED reviewer Haley Sprankle, who said this set is the perfect combination of lightweight and sumptuous. Sateen’s three-over-one weave can make it run hot, but our testers did not find that to be the case with this bedding set. It’s only available in a twin size now, though, and it’s marketed as organic but only has an Oeko-Tex certification.
• Quince Luxury Bamboo Sheet Set for $130: This set has an affordable price tag, plus a silky feel and an Oeko-Tex certification. (They also list the bamboo used as organic, but don’t have any organic or sourcing certifications to pair with it.) They’ve got a nice weight to them for the price, too.
• Riley Percale Sheet Set for $260: Riley makes a nice percale set, but they’re pricey—a fitted sheet and pillowcases cost $135, and the flat sheet costs an additional $85. We liked their crispness, but Brooklinen’s are cheaper for even the organic set.
• Riley’s Brushed Cotton Set for $160: This brushed flannel set is soft without being as heavy or hot as full flannel, since brushed cotton only brushes out the cotton on one side of the sheet instead of both sides for regular flannel. This set is a great cozy option for hot sleepers. The queen size is still sold out with a flat sheet, but you can purchase a set without one (and it’s cheaper!)
• Riley Organic Cotton Sheet Set for $260: This was a nice, lightweight set, though my husband and I both had weird dreams for a few nights while sleeping on these. (Maybe it was deeper REM?) The 300 thread count was light, but felt a touch warmer than the other percale I recommend. There’s an Oeko-Tex certification listed on the product page, and Riley confirmed the cotton is GOTS certified to make these sheets fully organic.
• Saatva Percale Sheet Set for $205: I love this percale bedding as much as The Citizenry’s. They cost a little more and aren’t on sale as often, but both are fantastic percale sets that keep you cool and are crisp while still being soft.
• Sleep Number True Temp Sheets for $210: These are a good set of cooling sheets. The True Temp felt a little stiff when I initially unboxed them, but softened up immediately after the first night. These sheets feel a little heavier than my top cooling picks, but neither my husband nor I woke up sweaty, and we were both happy with how much softer the set got after that first wash and night on the sheets.

Sheets to Skip

Not every set we slept on was one we loved. Here are some other sheets we tried and would avoid.

• Amazon Basics Microfiber Set for $16: We really wanted sub-$20 sheets to be the unexpected hero of our testing, but alas, this set is a failure. They feel (and sound!) kind of like those paper robes you have to wear at the doctor’s office. We hardly lasted a night sleeping on these.
• Casper Hyperlite Set for $139: These are cooling to the touch, thanks to the lyocell Tencel material used, but they are incredibly thin and already feel worn after a handful of washes.
• Coop Comphy CoolSpa Set for $219: This set promises cooling properties, but I found myself waking up sweating after sleeping on these.
• Rest Evercool+ Cooling Set for $209: These sheets promised cooling technology, but I found myself kicking them off and getting a sticky, sweaty feeling from them.