Research report
Bed linen buying guide
Not sure what kind of bed linen to buy? Here’s what to consider.
Picking the best buy from the rows and rows of bed sheets at the shops can almost be enough to keep you up at night. Along with price, you have to consider a range of other factors from thread count to fabric type.
To help you sleep easy, we take you through the lingo you need to know when shopping for sheets. We also sent five sheets to the lab to see how different thread count sheets perform for durability and pilling (those annoying little balls of fibre caused by wear that can make your sheets feel a bit like sandpaper).
Buying tips
Go prepared: know the size of your bed and measure your mattress to be doubly sure of the right fit. The depth of mattresses can vary and if yours has a pillow-top, you’ll want to make sure the sheets fit.
If the sheets aren’t on display at the store, take them out of the pack and see how they feel. Bear in mind that once sheets are washed a few times they’ll soften up.
Check the stitching on the wide hem of the top sheet and on the pillowcases. Stitches should be small, tight and free of loose ends.
Check the label for the thread count and the ply of the yarn. If it’s not stated, ask. You can also ask whether the sheet has been tested for pilling and durability, and what the results showed.
If you want to splash out on some pricey sheets but are unsure if you’re choosing the right ones, buy the pillowcases first and see how you like them.
Sheets made from natural fibres will breathe better. Cotton is the obvious choice. If you like wrinkle-free sheets, 100 percent sateen cotton sheets are less prone to creases.
Thread count
On the front of the pack, you’ll usually find the sheet’s thread count. It tells you the number of threads (both vertical and horizontal) in a square of fabric. It’s either shown per 10cm2 or per square inch.
We found thread count can range from 180 to 1000.
A decent sheet should have a reasonable thread count. But here’s the rub: a higher thread count doesn’t always mean better quality. For example, sheets made with a thinner yarn will have a higher thread count because there will be more threads per 10cm2. However, thin yarn may mean the sheet won’t wear as well.
As well as thread count, the quality of the fibre, ply, weight and weave all influence how well your sheets will stand up over time.
Certification ticks
When you’re shopping for sheets, you might spot products with organic or other environmental certifications. What do they tell you?
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) logo and the Organic Content Standard (OCS) were the main marks we found.
There are two GOTS certifications: GOTS Organic certification requires a product to have at least 95 percent organic fibres, while the GOTS Made with X% organic label requires at least 70 percent.
The OCS also has two logos. The OCS 100 logo means the product has at least 95 percent organic material while OCS Blended only requires a minimum of five percent.
You might find the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) logo. It signals the manufacturer is using at least 10 percent sustainably sourced cotton, with a plan to use 50 percent within five years.
Some manufacturers also opt for Bluesign or Oeko-Tex certification. These schemes set health and environmental standards relating to chemical use in textile manufacturing.
Shopping advice
Keep these tips in mind when choosing bed linen.
- Figure out exactly what sized linen you need. Measure the length, width and depth of your mattress. Modern mattresses have added depth from 'pillow-tops' – so to avoid sheets popping off the corners, make sure you get a good fit.
- Pick linen with natural fibres that breathe. Cotton is the obvious choice: good-quality cotton sheets will get softer with wash and wear. But if you like your sheets wrinkle-free and hate ironing, a polyester-cotton blend may suit you better ... or look for cotton sheets with a non-iron finish.
- Check the seams on the wide hem of the top sheet and on the pillowcases. Stitches should be neat, tight and fairly small.
- If there is no sample on display, take the sheets out of their packaging and see how they feel. Go with what feels best to you, remembering that fabrics feel different once they've been through the wash a few times.
- High-quality bed linen has usually been singed and mercerised. Singeing (burning the tiny fuzz from the surface of the fabric) prevents pilling. Mercerising (using caustic soda to swell then shrink the fibres) increases the lustre and strength of the fabric. If you don't like the thought of sleeping between chemically-treated sheets look for organic cotton.
- Generally, best-quality bed linen comes at a price. A sheet with a sky-high thread count at a rock-bottom price is likely to be too good to be true. Aspects such as fibre quality and construction may have been sacrificed to achieve the bargain price.
- If you are looking at making a serious investment but you're not quite sure which linen is right for you, buy the pillowcases first and see how you like them.
Common terms defined
Thread count
Thread count simply means the number of threads (both vertical and horizontal) in a square of fabric – either per 10cm² or per square inch. Bed linen made and sold in New Zealand usually displays thread count per 10cm².
A reasonably high thread count (over 180 threads per 10cm²) is good, as closely woven fabric wears well and shrinks less. However – and this is where it gets confusing – a higher thread count doesn’t always mean better quality or greater durability.
A thinner yarn produces a higher thread count as more threads can fit into each 10cm² of fabric. The fabric will be soft and smooth, but it’s also more delicate and may not last as long. Durability depends on the strength and quality of the fibre and the quality of the weave.
Ply
This refers to how many yarns are wrapped together into a single thread – single-ply fabrics use threads made from 1 yarn, while 2-ply fabrics are created using 2 yarns twisted together to make 1 thread.
Fabric that’s 2-ply (or more) is heavier, stronger and more durable than single-ply. The trade-off is that the fabric may not have the soft, silky feel of a high-thread-count, single-ply sheet.
Checking the label
It’s standard practice to count each individual yarn when calculating thread count. So a sheet labelled “1000 thread count” could technically be 250 threads per 10cm², woven with 4-ply thread.
When you’re buying bed linen, check for the thread count and the ply of the yarn. If it’s not specified, ask.
Combed cotton
Fibres are combed and the short ones are removed to make a smoother fabric.
Long-staple cotton
Varieties that grow unusually long fibres (27-29mm).
Percale
A closely woven (at least 225 threads per 10cm²) plain-weave fabric (100 percent cotton or a polyester-cotton blend) with an equal or similar number of vertical and horizontal threads.
Plain weave
The simplest weave structure: single vertical and horizontal threads woven under and over.
Sateen
A weave that has more threads on the surface of the fabric – usually 4 threads woven over 1 thread. It has a smoother, silkier feel than plain weave fabric.
Egyptian cotton
True Egyptian cotton is grown along the banks of the Nile River. Its long, fine fibres make a uniform, strong and smooth thread when twisted into yarn.
The words “Egyptian cotton” can simply be used as a marketing ploy. Much of what is labelled “Egyptian cotton” also contains cotton grown in other parts of the world.
So check the fine print. Unless the label says “100% Egyptian cotton” it may contain only a shred.
Gabrielle Hoffman, bed linen buyer for Christchurch department store Ballantynes, advises: “Price is usually a good indicator – genuine Egyptian cotton sheets will be more expensive”.
But you don’t have to rely solely on price to make sure you are getting the real thing – look for the Egyptian cotton “Authentic Seal of the Egyptian Government” on the packaging.
Other options
Cotton grown in Egypt isn’t the only high-quality cotton. Long-staple cotton grown elsewhere under similar climatic and geographic conditions is arguably of equal quality. For instance, pima cotton grown in the south-west states of the US.
And cotton seems to be shoppers’ current fibre of choice. Gabrielle’s noticed a trend away from synthetic threads towards natural fibres: “Although we always try to keep polycottons on the shelf, the trend is more towards 100% cotton.”
Ethics concerns
The Observer Magazine in the UK has reported that child labour is rife in the cotton plantations of the Nile Valley. Children as young as 7 are paid a pittance to work long days exposed to harmful pesticides, to satisfy the rest of the world’s demand for luxury bed linen.
Jargon buster
Combed cotton has the short fibre removed, which creates a more regular and less hairy yarn, and therefore a smoother fabric.
Egyptian cotton doesn’t necessarily come from the banks of the Nile. It may just mean the bed linen is made from long-staple cotton. An Egyptian Cotton “gold seal” on the pack tells you the fibre was grown in Egypt (although the sheets may have been manufactured somewhere else). The logo is the trademark of the Egyptian Ministry of Industry and Foreign Trade and the Alexandria Cotton Exporters’ Association.
Fabric-finishing is applied to some sheets to reduce pilling and creasing. Generally, this improves the durability of the sheets. Sheets are singed (burning the tiny fuzz from the surface of the fabric) to reduce pilling or may be mercerised with caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) to increase the lustre and strength of the fabric. Mercerising also makes the fabric more receptive to dyes.
Flannelette sheets are generally made from cotton but are brushed to create a softer and warmer feel.
Long-staple cotton comes from varieties of the plant that grow long fibres. Percale and Egyptian cotton sheets are typically made from long-staple cotton.
Percale, or plain weave, means the yarns are closely woven in an over-under pattern (much like lattice on a pie). Percale sheets are more likely to have a lower thread count (200 to 300) and their texture is crisp and cool.
Sateen sheets (or satin weave) have fewer interlacings to give a smoother and silkier feel than percale. Because the weave is prone to snags, manufacturers may put more threads in to compensate, which makes the sheets stronger, but also heavier and warmer.
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Member comments
Ewa D.
16 May 2021
Cotton products
So many people are now switched to 100% cotton, but unless it is organic I won't buy. Cotton and tobacco are two crops that sit on top of the list if it comes to pestiside and other nasty chemicals use.
Hera W.
09 May 2021
Fitted sheets
I have bought fitted sheets several years ago that are darted or 4 corner fitted which is my preference as opposed to elastic fitted sheets - sits perfectly on my Q bed and easier to iron. I have tried several outlets to buy these. Have you come across brands that have corner fitted sheets?
N R.
08 May 2021
Actual linen
I would have liked actual linen fibre sheets to have been included.
I love my linen sheets, they are so quiet compared to cotton, and they feel lovely, but they are not the quality of the old fashioned ones which could be passed down generations. Modern ones wear out comparatively quickly. Please consider adding linen sheets into your buying guide.
Anne K.
08 May 2021
100% Cotton - Sheridan/Actil Commercial
Hard to get now and very expensive, but I love these commercial quality sheets. Heavy and crisp to start with but they soften with age and washing (I line dry). Used to get them many moons ago from the Sheridan outlet on the North Shore but they now have the poly/cotton only. Nope, only cotton for me as I sleep hot.
Dawn V.
08 May 2021
Totally agree Actil were the best sheets
Yes totally agree, the 100% cotton sheets were fabulous. Haven't seen them in an age and nothing really has matched upto these yet.
Lyn C.
08 May 2021
Pilling despite good brand name
Bought flannelette set from Sheridan but pilling started after only a few washes. They refused to exchange unless I appeared in person in Wellington ( I live in Hawkes Bay)
Miles R.
08 May 2021
Yep not impressed with sheridan
Our flannelette have turned into dust balls after a few washes, absolutely horrible to sleep in now, feel like your breathing in dust
Michele M.
08 May 2021
I love my bamboo sheets
I bought a couple of pairs of bamboo sheets about 2 years back.
I absolutely love them. They always feel crisp when I wash them and put them back on the bed and they've never pilled.
I bought them in one of Briscoes' rare sales and they weren't expensive either.
Peter I.
08 May 2021
Bamboo vs Rayon: the marketing masterclass
S’funny. Call it rayon and it sounds a little Florida-leisure suity; call it bamboo and it sounds natural, earthy & positive.
Tried bamboo pillow cases and they seemed great, retaining their feel and look for ages. Then went back to the joy of a good quality soft yet crisp 400TC pure cotton and wondered “What was I thinking?!”
Fiona M.
19 May 2020
Sheets.. Crisp vs silky
Hi, I prefer a crisp sheet, they are proving hard to find as most are sateen or soft.
I would love to know who has Crispy sheets, what brand etc.
Nicola F.
21 May 2020
Crisp sheets
Sounds like you might want a percale cotton sheet, if you like it to have a crisp finish. Baksana or Seneca brands are worth checking for these.
Shannon H.
14 Dec 2020
crisp sheets
I've just bought some crisp percale sheets from https://www.thehotelsheet.co.nz/ - def recommend checking them out!
Michele M.
08 May 2021
Bamboo sheets
See my comments above.
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