The Essential Bedding Guide

With seemingly endless options to choose from, just the thought of picking the right bedding may make you hide under the covers.

Cotton is the most common fiber for sheets because it's naturally soft and durable. It absorbs heat, leaving you dry and comfortable throughout the night. Synthetic materials are much less breathable and tend to trap heat.

Cotton sheets come in a variety of weaves and knits, but the most common options are Percale, Sateen, and Jersey.

• Percale uses one thread horizontal and one thread vertical weave, threads are alternating evenly. This produces a matte finish and a crisp, cool, white-button-down-shirt kind of feel that improves with every wash. Similar to a button-down, this material can wrinkle easily and be a bit "crinkly". One tip is to take percale sheets out of the dryer immediately and lay them out on a flat surface while they're still warm. Percale has superior durability and won’t pill over time. It’s lightweight and breathable, making it perfect for warmer months or warm sleepers.‌‌
• Sateen uses one thread up and three or four thread under weave. This weave gives sateen its distinctive subtle sheen and silky touch. Due to their high thread count and luxurious feel, sateen sheets tend to be more expensive than percale or jersey.‌‌ Unlike the lightweight crisp percale, sateen has a heavier weight. While breathable and perfect for year-round use, these sheets may be too warm for hot sleepers.

Linen is a flax-based, natural fiber textile. Linen is twice as durable as cotton and naturally antimicrobial. With its signature weave, linen is also naturally temperature-regulating and moisture-wicking. It's known to be cool and breathable and ideal for hotter temperatures. While often associated with use during the hotter months, linen is also a natural insulator that can keep you cozy during cooler temperatures. Best of all, linen is incredibly soft and only gets better with each and every wash.

Linen is also considered a very eco-conscious choice because:

• Linen crops require 75% less water than cotton crops
• Linen dries twice as quickly as cotton
• Every year, the growth of flax in Europe results in the capture of 250,000 tons of CO2