When the temperature rises, the layers lighten up — and bedding is no different! Linen sheets are ideal for warm-weather sleeping because the fabric itself is lighter and more porous than other weaves. It's woven with fibers derived from the flax plant, which is a resilient crop that requires far less water to grow and harvest than cotton.
If you're used to sleeping on silky-soft sheets made of cotton or bamboo-derived fiber, you may notice that linen sheets tend to feel a little grainier to the touch upon first use. Linen usually softens up after a few washes, and in fact, this softness can feel even cozier than other bedding materials. Plus, linen is well known for its durability — even after years of wear — so they're likely to last much longer than your standard cotton set.
Preferences for linen textures range widely across the board, as rough sheets do not necessarily denote a lesser quality — but note that they may not be everyone’s first preference.
Linen does tend to wrinkle very easily, especially when the material is brand-new. But we think embracing its casual, rumpled look and knowing that the creases will flatten out over the course of a few nights is far more favorable to ironing your sheets. But that's totally up to you!
How We Tested
Our team tested all of the linen bedding in this guide, evaluating the products based on their overall feeling of softness and breathability. We also took factors such as size availability, color choices, and third-party certifications for chemical-free materials into consideration.
Learn more about how we test products, from the questions we ask our testing team, to the types of products we feel are actually worth testing, to the overall time we put into our testing process.
Check out which linen sheets we found were the softest, right from the first night’s sleep!
Tester Feedback: “The material has just gotten softer and more ‘lived-in’ with each wash. I’ve had these sheets for more than a year, and I’m still obsessed with them.”
The Lands' End Garment-Washed Linen Sheets meet all of our bedding needs when it comes to comfort and airiness. They have a simple, classic style, and come in a range of understated neutrals that coordinate with any bedroom.
These linen sheets are made from Oeko-Tex-certified Belgian flax, and are prewashed for a feel that’s far softer than linen’s traditionally grittier texture. They're also wonderful for hot sleepers, as the lightweight, porous material helps to cool down anyone whose body (or bedroom) temperature errs on the side of warm.
Tester Feedback: “I didn’t need any time adjusting to these linen sheets. I was pretty surprised.”
The spectrum of softness with linen sheets can be pretty wide, but we can confidently recommend Crane & Canopy’s Belgian Linen Sheets as being some of the softest sheets that we've ever tried.
Though the sheets' 100% Belgian flax material feels pretty weighty and substantial, the weave is incredibly breathable and doesn’t hold onto heat in the night.
Plus, the sheets themselves are simply gorgeous, finished with hemstitch detailing on both the top sheet and pillowcases. This set is also unique in that you can buy each piece individually to build the exact set you want.
Tester Feedback: “Right out of the box, I found that these sheets felt a little more starched than soft. Thankfully, this changed right after the first wash.”
Brooklinen's sheets are made for linen lovers who enjoy the material’s rumpled and slightly rougher tactility. These take a little bit of time to soften up — around five washes — but even in the first few nights of sleeping with them, they feel relaxed and cozy.
These sheets also have a very open weave (i.e., you can see your hand pretty clearly through the other side of the fabric), which is great for hot sleepers who need that extra airflow. Pro tip: Pair these linen sheets with a cooling pillow or mattress protector, and you'll have the perfect summertime bedding setup.
The sheets are made from Oeko-Tex-certified European flax, and they come with envelope-style pillowcases, which will keep your pillows from slipping out in the night.
Tester Feedback: “The texture is so comforting, I even enjoy sleeping with these sheets in the colder months.”
Bed Threads makes, hands down, some of the most beautiful linen sheets, and that's not just because they come in an impressive 21 different colors and patterns. This set — even when brand new — isn't grainy at all, but it has far more textural interest than your run-of-the-mill cotton percale. (You can see and feel each stitch.)
These sheets are made of Oeko-Tex-certified French flax linen, and they have the substantial thickness of a linen garment. You can't see through these sheets, though they do allow air to permeate. Even if linen is typically considered a summer material, this set's weightiness makes it perfect for all-year-round enjoyment.
Tester Feedback:“I did find them to be very soft, and they definitely softened up over time.”
Parachute’s linen sheets are great for folks who already love the feel of linen, as it wears into a super soft material over time. The brand offers sets both with and without a top sheet, for a $90-$120 difference. Meaning, if you don’t like sleeping with a top sheet, this set is a pretty outstanding value!
Parachute’s Portuguese-made sheets are made from OEKO-Tex-certified 100% European flax. Their envelope-style pillowcases lend a more tailored look to the bed as well.
Available Sizes: Twin, queen, king, and California king
Tester Feedback: “The lightweight linen is so soft, you’d hardly guess it was linen. These feel very high-quality and held up well in the wash.”
Cultiver’s Oeko-Tex-certified European flax linen sheets are undoubtedly luxe in both feel and price point, but they totally won us over. The material's rustic-yet-cozy feel really doesn’t require extra washing or breaking-in time to enjoy at its fullest. Even better? The fabric doesn't shrink nearly as much as cotton does.
Our team's tester — along with several reviewers — have noticed that these sheets have large, 18-inch corner pockets, which is great for users with tall mattresses or mattress toppers. This sizing, however, could potentially be an issue if your mattress is on the shorter side.
Tester Feedback: “These sheets were noticeably thin. I think that made them feel a little cooler and more breathable, but also a little see-through.”
Snowe’s linen sheet collection is Italian-made and meticulously crafted with a unique weathering technique that uses air to relax the linen fibers before they’re woven.
A luxe upgrade from the norm, these sheets are smooth and cooling. Yet, they're on the thinner side. For this reason, they're best reserved for summer sleeping as opposed to all-season enjoyment.
Available Sizes: Twin through king with various pillowcase size options
Tester Feedback: “They have a nice weight to them, and while they aren’t buttery-soft like the microfiber sheets I’m used to, it felt satisfying to lay my head down on this sturdy-meets-airy material.”
MagicLinen's sheets have a look that defines casual elegance. Crafted in a family-run studio in Lithuania, the material is constructed with European flax, made from nontoxic, OEKO-Tex-certified materials and dyes. It's also stonewashed for a lived-in texture, although linen newbies will probably find the texture a little gritty at first.
We love the variety that's available with this set: There's a wide spectrum of gorgeous colors and patterns, along with numerous sizing options to accommodate standard, queen, and king-sized pillowcases, as well as short (10-inch) and tall (18-inch) mattress pockets.
Melanie YatesSenior Home Decor EditorMelanie is the senior home decor editor of Best Products, where she's been researching and testing out home and bedding products since 2015 — her work can also be found on House Beautiful and Women's Health.
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