A good night’s sleep makes everything better. You might have already banned screens from the bedroom and cut out caffeine in the evening, but it’s worth remembering to upgrade your bed linen too. If you can spot any visible signs of wear and tear, such as thinning or yellowing, your bedding is well overdue an update, and it may even be preventing you from getting that all-important quality shut-eye.
Even if your sheets still have some life in them, a brand-new set can make your bed feel as luxurious as a five-star hotel. While replacing a mattress or even pillows can be pricey, new bedding is a quicker and (usually) cheaper way to make your bed feel more comfortable.
But first, you need to decide what material suits you best. Bedding can be made of silk, flannel, polyester and more, but two of the most popular options are cotton and linen. Cotton is easy to care for and soft to sleep under, while high-quality Egyptian cotton will give you that luxe hotel feel.
Pay attention to the weave too – percale cotton is light but can crease easily, while sateen cotton drapes beautifully but is heavier. A blend of cotton and polyester is often cheaper and requires little maintenance, while linen sheets have a more ruffled look – ideal if you loathe ironing – and work well at regulating temperature.
All you have to do now is choose your favourite from our tried-and-tested round-up of the best bedding sets and prepare to snuggle up.
How we tested
We really did sleep on the job, testing a range of bedding in the best way possible – by trying out each set on our own bed and hitting the sack. Before we snoozed, we considered how soft the bedding was, or if it felt crisp and inviting, and how it affected our temperature during the night. We also washed and dried each set of bedding according to the manufacturer’s instructions and noted how easy they were to clean and keep looking good with minimal hassle. All prices quoted below are for a double bed size.
The best bedding sets for 2024:
Next collection luxe 400 thread count Egyptian cotton sateen duvet cover and pillowcase set
Expecting high-thread-count bedding to come with an equally high price tag? Think again. This set from Next is astonishingly reasonable, yet made from 400 thread count Egyptian cotton, which felt far more expensive on our bed.
It comes in 10 go-with-everything colours, including bottle green and blush pink. We tested the silver, which was a very pale grey that looked really stylish and won’t be quite as high maintenance as brilliant white.
The bedding set has a very slight sheen and felt silky smooth on our skin, ensuring we were never too cold or warm. It washed well too, and felt softer after every wash, needing only the quickest iron to keep it looking pristine – though it didn’t look terrible when we skipped the ironing completely.
The perfect way to get a better sleep – without the cost keeping you up at night. Prices range from £50 for a single duvet cover and pillowcase set to £82 for a super king set.
Buy now £50.00, Next.co.uk
Dunelm Fogarty soft touch double duvet cover and pillowcase set
Give your bedroom a glow-up without spending a fortune with this exceptionally well-priced set. It comes in a range of appealing colours, including a dusty pink and all-white, but we tested the platinum, which was a tasteful pale grey that would look good on any bed.
Made from recycled polyester, it’s perfect if you want no-maintenance bedding, as it doesn’t crease like cotton and is easily machine-washed and tumble-dried. We found that if we whipped it straight out of the drier and put it back on the bed, it barely creased at all.
It was remarkably soft to sleep under too and felt breathable, so would be perfect for summer, though may not suit anyone looking for crisper, weightier sheets. Prices range from £15 for a single duvet cover and pillowcase set to £30 for a super king set.
Buy now £15.00, Dunelm.com
Panda bamboo complete bedding set
Panda’s bamboo bedding set boasts an almost satin-like finish that feels silky smooth on the skin. Comparable to Egyptian cotton, the set is actually made from natural and renewable bamboo, which is more eco-friendly than cotton yet still feels just as soft. Importantly, we found the durable fabric to retain its smooth texture after washing.
For less than £150 for a double set, it includes a fitted sheet, duvet cover and two pillowcases, offering stellar value for money if you’re looking to add a touch of luxury to your bedtime. The white and grey are pleasingly minimalist while the navy and vintage pink inject some colour into your interiors.
Buy now £145.00, Pandalondon.com
The White Company Somerton bed linen collection
Our bedroom instantly looked more polished when we put on this bedding from The White Company – even if it comes at a considerable cost. Beautifully smooth and silky, it has a very slight sheen, which gives it a hint of glamour. Feeling soft straight from the packet, it’s made from 400-thread count cotton sateen, yet we found it surprisingly light to sleep under and it seemed to skim over us rather than lying heavily on top.
The set comes with a 1.5cm bound edge, which is available in four colours, plus all-white, and we tested the white set with navy trim. We thought this would look a little austere on our bed, but the navy had a real elegance that looked smart even when we’d hurriedly pulled the duvet up rather than making the bed properly (don’t judge us). It also washed well, though we did find it needed a quick iron to keep it looking its best.
A real luxe investment buy that will make going to bed every night feel like a treat. Prices range from £28 for a pillowcase to £135 for a super king duvet.
Buy now £110.00, Thewhitecompany.com
Hampton & Astley Egyptian cotton sateen luxury duvet cover and two pillowcases
Egyptian cotton might feel heavenly but it’s hellish to keep it looking good. This bedding from Hampton & Astley is made of a fabric developed by the brand to resist creases. We were sceptical, but ultimately impressed. You can’t throw away your iron entirely, but the bedding only needs a quick once over to keep it looking good. We also put it on our bed without any ironing and the minimal creasing didn’t bother us at all – a huge improvement on ordinary Egyptian cotton.
The bedding is blissfully soft too, with a sheen that makes it feel more like silk than cotton. Made of 300-thread count Egyptian cotton sateen, it’s heavy enough to be warm on cold nights but never feels overly weighty or restrictive. It also washed beautifully.
This is not a cheap bedding set, so we’d definitely save it for the main bedroom only. Prices range from £51.30 for a pillowcase to £137.50 for a super king duvet cover with a pair of pillowcases.
Buy now £112.94, Hamptonandastley.com
M&S Egyptian cotton 230 thread count duvet cover
Proof you don’t have to break the bank to languish under Egyptian cotton each night, this brilliantly priced range of bedding is a great high street buy. Plus, it comes in nearly 20 chic colours, from mink to slate blue, so you can revamp your bedroom in moments.
It’s made from 230 thread count Egyptian cotton, which felt cool on the skin and is suitably lightweight, so never felt stuffy. It definitely benefits from washing once or twice before the initial use to maximise softness, but then it’s a dream to snuggle under.
StayNew™ technology also gives it a non-iron finish which, although not quite crease-free, definitely helped keep our sheets looking good with minimal effort. Extra points for the plastic-free cardboard packaging too. Prices range from £17.50 for two pillowcases to £59 for a super king duvet cover.
Buy now £35.00, Marksandspencer.com
Scooms double duvet cover Egyptian cotton
Scooms was established when married founders, Emily and Jonathan, moved back to Surrey from California and couldn’t find the quality of bedding they were looking for that wouldn’t aggravate Emily’s dust mite allergy.
Their own range of bedding is made from 600-thread-count Egyptian cotton sateen with a marrow stitch cord on the border. Available in four sizes, the cotton bedding has a beautiful simplicity about it – it only comes in a crisp white; the duvet cover has large, easy to use buttons; and the sateen material has an elegant, hotel-style lustre. It’s also Oeko-Tek Standard 100 verified, proving it’s been tested against harmful toxins and chemicals. We especially loved the fact that nothing comes packaged in plastic but in reusable cotton bags, which gets a big thumbs up from us.
Better still, you can try the bedding for 60 nights to make sure it’s perfect, or can return it for a full refund. But we’re pretty sure you won’t want to be parted from these sheets. Prices range from £35 for a pair of standard pillowcases to £120 for a super king duvet cover, but bundles offer a saving of five per cent.
Buy now £209.00, Scooms.com
Soak & Sleep luxury 600TC Egyptian cotton bedding double duvet cover
It’s not easy finding bedding if you have a less common-sized mattress but Soak & Sleep has you covered. Duvet covers include the hard-to-find emperor size, while sheets come in a range of options from small single to Euro king for almost any bed size you can think of.
The bedding feels gorgeous too. Made of 600 thread count Egyptian sateen, it’s exceptionally smooth and a little weightier than some bedding we tried, so felt extra snug – we found it especially hard to get up in the morning tucked up in this.
The bedding did need a careful iron to keep the creases at bay after washing and even a shot of steam to banish the worse ones. On the plus side, the duvet fastens with ties rather than fiddly buttons, which made ironing a little easier.
Prices range from £32 for a standard pair of pillowcases to £115 for an emperor duvet cover, but bundles include a saving of five per cent
Buy now £74.00, Soakandsleep.com
Next 2 pack reversible duvet cover and pillowcase set
Another brilliant buy from Next for anyone looking for no-hassle bedding. Plush Egyptian cotton might look pristine straight from the packet but it can take a bit of effort to keep it that way. Buying bedding made with a blend of fabric means you get all the airy smoothness of cotton but with the fast-drying, non-iron wonder of polyester.
This set can be washed, dried and back on the bed in no time at all, and looks crease-free without going near an iron. We also liked the fact that it’s reversible, meaning you can just flip it over when you fancy a new look. We tested the stylish pink geometric set, but it also comes in a great range of other colours and patterns, including monochrome stripes, a pale lilac with a daisy pattern and white and yellow florals.
Just don’t forget to wash it at least once before use, as it does feel a little stiff initially but soon softens. Prices range from £32 for a single duvet cover and pillowcase set to £68 for a super king set.
Buy now £27.00, Next.co.uk
Woolroom Mariana duvet cover double
Linen bedding like this Catarina set from Woolroom is definitely having a moment. A refreshing alternative to the immaculate hotel look most of us fail to live up to, linen is made to look relaxed and stay crumpled, so you can say goodbye to ironing sheets for good. Plus, it’s hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial and breathable, making it a great choice for allergy sufferers, with excellent temperature-regulating properties for year-round comfort.
This bedding is woven in the Guimaraes region of northern Portugal and individually piece dyed – we tested the ivory colour, which is a great neutral shade with a softer look than bright white. Although the bedding didn’t feel as soft as we expected when we first took it out of the packet, linen softens with every wash and we really noticed the difference. Despite feeling exceptionally light, it was also curiously cosy on chilly nights and has made us a full-time linen convert.
Prices range from £13.99 for a standard pillowcase to £146.99 for a super king duvet cover, but there is 35 per cent off when a full set is bought together.
Buy now £99.99, Thewoolroom.com
Bedding sets FAQs
What does thread count mean?
Quality is usually measured in thread count, which refers to the number of threads woven together per square inch. Don’t be too swayed by this, as it largely comes down to personal preference. A lower thread count can be lighter, so may suit those who prefer to feel cooler. Bedding between 200 and 600 thread count is usually ideal for most – any more than that will make a negligible difference.
The verdict: best bedding sets
Even if you crave pristine hotel-style sheets, you don’t need to spend a fortune with Next collection luxe 400 thread count set. It looks and feels far more expensive than it is, with a good selection of colourways to choose from. Scooms Egyptian cotton bedding is pricier but worth the investment for its pure elegance, sustainable packaging and generous free trial.
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