A lavish set of bed sheets
is the ultimate quiet luxury, offering a soft place to curl up at the end of a long day. Woven from high-quality cotton, linen and viscose, the best luxury sheets will make you feel like you're staying at a five-star hotel every night of the week.
To find them, my fellow home writers and I looked for brands that focus on premium fabrics and durability (and price their bedding to match). Then we put these high-end sheets to the ultimate test: We assessed their look and feel, soaked them with water to gauge their moisture-wicking abilities, and subjected them to several laundry cycles to evaluate any color fading or shrinkage. In the past few years, we've tested over 60 sets of sheets ... all in the name of a better night's sleep.
In this story
Best luxury sheets for 2026
Kristin Granero/Yahoo
Material:Oeko-Tex-certified long-staple cotton | Sizes:Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Colors:Fresh Moss (shown), Storm, Abyss and 19 other shades/patterns | Max mattress depth:Up to 14 inches | Care instructions:Machine wash cold with like colors, tumble dry low
I chose these sheets as my overall pick because, to me, they hit the sweet spot for beauty, durability and affordability — at least for the luxury category. The set arrives neatly folded and wrapped in a paper band with the Brooklinen logo. The sheets, made of Oeko-Tex-certified long-staple cotton, are soft and cool to the touch. They're crisp like Brooklinen's classic core sheet set , which is made of cotton percale, but with a sheen.
I had no issues making my bed, despite having a 12-inch-thick mattress, and the bottom sheet stayed put over the course of my three-night sleep test. The pillowcases have an envelope closure in the back, which keeps them in check.
I dripped water on these sheets, and while it absorbed slowly, it spread widely, indicating decent sweat-wicking properties. Despite putting them through two washer and dryer cycles, the sheets retained most of their size (the pillowcases only shrank by 1 inch), with no signs of color fading. These sheets also wrinkled the least after drying compared to any I tested in the luxury category.
Outside of these tests, I've owned several Luxe Sateen Core sheet sets for a few years now, and they show no signs of wear. They currently come in 22 colors, including seasonal and limited-edition shades and patterns — and they're often discounted.
- Cool and crisp to the touch
- Oeko-Tex-certified
- Hardly shrank after machine-washing and -drying
- 22 color and pattern options
- Fitted sheet pockets aren't as deep as some others we tested
- Took longer than other luxury sheets to absorb water
Lisa Schweitzer/Yahoo
Material:Global Organic Textile Standard- and Fair Trade-certified long-staple cotton | Sizes:Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Colors:Shore (shown), Pewter, Cream, Dusty Rose and 12 others | Max mattress depth:Up to 17" | Care instructions:Machine wash cold on gentle cycle, tumble dry medium
If you like the crisp, classic look of percale — and prefer a more muted palette than Brooklinen's — Senior Home Writer Lisa Schweitzer loved these Boll & Branch sheets. She ranked them among the best percale sheets for their luxurious look and feel, coolness, deep pockets and substantial weight. According to Boll & Branch, they're made from long-staple cotton that's both Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)- and Fair Trade- certified, speaking to the brand's sustainability and ethical work practices.
Among thoughtful details are an extra-wide 7-inch hem on the pillowcases and the flat sheet, and generous sheet sizing to account for some shrinkage after a few wash-and-dry cycles. The sheets are also good at moisture-wicking — water from Schweitzer's moisture test took under 30 seconds to seep in. (Throughout her sleep test, she stayed cool and dry, and the sheets wrinkled minimally.)
While these sheets are a little pricier than Brooklinen's above, Schweitzer points out that you can purchase the Percale Hemmed Sheet Set without a flat sheet , which brings the price to $188. In both cases, the sheets come wrapped in a bow, inside a branded box, making them a shoo-in for gifting — especially for housewarmings and weddings.
- GOTS-certified, Fair Trade-certified cotton
- Over 16 colors and pattern options
- Fitted sheets accommodate up to a 17" mattress
- Shrank in the dryer
Kristin Granero/Yahoo
Material:Viscose | Sizes:Twin/Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King, Split King | Colors:Walnut (shown), Charcoal, Oat, Shore and 13 other shades/patterns | Max mattress depth:Up to 16 inches | Care instructions:Machine wash cold with gentle detergent, tumble dry
If you want to dial up the sheen, I can personally assure you this soft sheet set from Cozy Earth is nothing short of decadent. Made of viscose, a semi-synthetic fabric that the brand says is derived from bamboo, the sheets are light, lofty and silky-smooth to the touch (as opposed to crisp cotton).
When they arrived, there were some light wrinkles in the fabric, mostly in the fitted sheet, but they were easily smoothed out. I washed these sheets several times, and they managed to retain their softness, luster, and size: The pillowcases shrank only half an inch after two wash-and dry cycles-
As with other silky (read: slippery) sheets I've tried, the fitted sheet popped off one corner of my mattress when I first made the bed. But I was able to tuck the fitted sheet's 16-inch pockets under my mattress a bit, and then it stayed in place as I (softly, soundly) slept.
As a bonus, the silky pillowcases kept my facial skin from creasing and my hair from frizzing throughout the night. I chose this sheet set in the Walnut shade, which reminded me of milk chocolate. However, there are 17 beautiful colors and patterns to help you achieve your ideal aesthetic.
- Ultra-soft and silky-smooth to the touch
- Lightweight and lustrous
- Hardly shrank after machine-washing and -drying
- 17 color and pattern options
- Pricey
- Not especially moisture-wicking
Jessica Dodell-Feder/Yahoo
Material:European-grown flax | Sizes:Twin, Queen, King, California King | Color:Fern Stripe (shown; no longer available), White, Sage, Smoke Gray, Blush and 11 more colors/patterns | Max mattress depth:Not listed | Care instructions:Machine wash warm, tumble dry low
Ahhh, to sleep on Cultiver sheets! The fabric is light and billowy, and it feels extremely cool to the touch. Yahoo Senior Home Editor Jessica Dodell-Feder enjoyed using this linen set on the warmest days of summer, but reported "they're also soft and cozy enough for snuggling up with on chilly fall nights."
If you're new to linen, Cultiver's linen sheets are smooth (and not papery like some linen critics fear). What's more? The sheets became softer with each wash, although they did shed a lot after going through the dryer.
While these sheets are pricey, they feature a ton of thoughtful details: Each item in the set comes bundled in its own drawstring bag made from the same linen as the sheets. The pillowcases have a neat envelope-style closure, and the flat sheet (which fits both queen and king beds) features a neat 2-inch-thick border all the way around. Read more about Dodell-Feder's review of Cultiver and more of her top picks in our guide to the best linen sheets .
- Ultra-soft, smooth and breezy
- Flat sheet is generously sized
- Didn't show signs of wear even after months of use
- Shed a lot of fuzz in the dryer
Factors to consider when choosing luxury sheets
Fabric type:
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Linen:These sheets are made of plant (flax) fibers, with European flax popular among luxury offerings. They tend to be lightweight, breathable and durable, with a more relaxed look and rougher feel.
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Percale:This is a type of cotton woven in a one-over/one-under pattern. They feel cooler and breezier than microfiber or jersey sheets , and are characterized by a crisp, classic look (like you'd expect from a button-up shirt).
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Sateen:Also cotton, but constructed with a one-yarn-under/three-yarn-over weave, which creates a subtle sheen. They're often thicker and feel more satiny than percale; they're also less prone to deep creasing. With both percale and sateen, luxury brands often claim to use long-staple cotton, which has longer fibers for increased durability.
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Viscose:A semi-synthetic fabric that many companies market as bamboo (or derived from bamboo), it's known for its silky and cool feel.
Thread count:Cotton percale sheets typically have a 200 to 400 thread count, whereas I've seen luxury sateen hover anywhere from 400 to 700. It's important to remember that higher does not always mean better , as the quality of the fibers used is of utmost importance. And when it comes to linen and viscose, it's not an accurate measurement. Linen sheets, for example, are made with thicker fibers than cotton, so a better indicator of quality is the GSM (grams per square meter). Generally, linen sheets have 100-220 GSM (the higher the number, the heavier the fabric).
Care:The standard is to wash sheets in warm or cool water with a (color-safe) laundry detergent , and tumble them dry (low). Though it's always a good idea to read the manufacturer's care instructions to ensure you're taking proper precautions.
Cost:As you'll see above, a good set of luxury sheets can be quite expensive. Generally speaking, you can expect to pay between $200 and $400 for a queen set, or more when it comes to sateen and silk varieties.
Certifications:Though any type of sheet can be certified organic or made using Fair Trade practices, you'll often see luxury sheets labeled as such.
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Oeko-Tex: This indicates that the sheets have been tested against a list of over 1,000 harmful substances.
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GOTS: A certification given to organic sheets that meet the Global Organic Textile Standard's environmental regulations.
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Fair Trade: Products that come from companies with this certification fulfill a Trade Standard for a more responsible, sustainable way of operating.
How we test sheets
Because we test sheets at home, using our own washers and dryers and sleeping on them in our own beds, we wanted to get a professional take on how best to gauge quality, durability and more without the benefit of professional equipment or a lab. We consulted three fabric experts: Kim Romine, a fabric care scientist at P&G ; Liz Eggert, a senior textile scientist at P&G Fabric Care ; and Meredith McQuerry, associate professor and director of the ThermaNOLE Comfort Lab and Textile Testing Laboratory at Florida State University . To rank on this list, the sheets had to excel in the following:
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First impressions:We carefully surveyed each set of sheets upon arrival, taking note of design elements, softness and coolness, as well as excessive wrinkling, loose threads, snags and any other imperfections. We also measured the pillowcases from each set, placing one aside as a control for post-laundry assessments.
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Spill test:We used droppers to apply water to a sheet from each set to gauge how well it might handle the occasional spill or moisture. The quicker the water absorbs and spreads, the better the indicator of moisture-wicking.
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Laundry test:We submitted each set of sheets to one cycle in the washer and dryer after opening it, and another after our sleep tests, following the label's care instructions. We then reassessed them for any signs of wear, as well as shrinking or color fading.
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Sleep test:We made our beds with each set to confirm its various pieces easily and securely fit over our thick Queen and King-sized mattresses. We slept on the sheets for three nights straight to see how well they stayed put, jotting down any additional notes regarding breathability and coziness.
Other luxury sheets we tested
We've tested over 60 sets of sheets combined over the past few years. Here are a few honorable mentions when it comes to luxury:
Pottery Barn Sateen Sheets :Woven from cotton, these sheets were similar to Brooklinen's Luxe Sateen Core sheets in terms of coolness and crispness, but felt thicker. I like how Brooklinen's Luxe Sateen Core comes in a lot more colors and patterns — and for a lower price. The Pottery Barn sheets are similarly Oeko-Tex-certified and boast a 700-thread count. They come in only white, gray and ivory.
Boll & Branch Reserve Sheets: These sheets are made of Oeko-Tex Standard 100- and GOTS-certified organic cotton that is slow-spun, resulting in a nearly glistening sheen. They're slightly smoother and more lustrous than Brooklinen's Luxe Sateen Core and almost as silky as Cozy Earth's Bamboo set. They have a wide hem along the top and sides, creating an elevated look. Boll & Branch's Reserve Sheets are what I imagine celebrities using, and they come wrapped in a box and bow for gifting. But at about $570 for a queen set, they are, for many, out of reach.
We included additional luxury sheets in our guides to the best linen sheets , the best percale sheets and the best cooling sheets .
Luxury sheet FAQs
How do you care for luxury sheets?
Many of the brands we tested recommend washing sheets in warm or cold water and tumbling them dry on low. For particularly fragile fabrics, you may want to opt for a gentle or delicate cycle. Use a gentle laundry detergent , and if you have colored sheets, ensure the detergent is color-safe. If you're still concerned about color fading, you may also want to wash the sheets in cold water and hang them to dry. Additionally, try to check on the sheets a few times throughout a wash or dry cycle to ensure they're not getting too tangled, and adjust them accordingly to ensure water or air reaches each piece.
Are luxury sheets worth the money?
It's no secret that luxury sheets don't come cheap, but considering we spend about a third of our lives in bed (and that's just trying to sleep), they can be a worthy investment. In my experience, luxury linen, percale, and sateen sheets are typically more durable — and tend to come in more design-forward colors — than their more affordable counterparts. You can often score discounts even on luxury brands through promotional codes, email signup or seasonal sales.
What are the most expensive sheets?
The most expensive sheets we tested are Boll & Branch Reserve Sheets , which will set you back over $500 for a queen set. Otherwise, we've found that luxury sheets typically fall between $200 and $400, with European flax linen, sateen, and "bamboo" among the more expensive options.
Meet our experts
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Liz Eggert, senior textile scientist, P&G Fabric Care
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Meredith McQuerry , associate professor and director, ThermaNOLE Comfort Lab and Textile Testing Laboratory, Florida State University
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Kim Romine, fabric care scientist, P&G
Update, Feb. 26, 2026: We checked all product prices and availability. Our No. 1 pick for best luxury sheets remains unchanged, but we replaced our top luxury linen bed sheet, which has been discontinued, with a set from Cultiver.
We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective and unbiased criteria.
