Many of us agonise over our daily wardrobe choices but give very little thought to our bedding.
The average person spends around 26 years of their life sleeping so it is important for bed dressings that enhance the experience. Sub par bed linen can be the difference between a sound slumber and tossing and turning, counting down the clock until your alarm deems it time to officially rise.
Alongside a high tog duvet in winter or a lightweight option in summer, a mattress free from lumps and bumps and a mattress topper for sink-right-in appeal, high thread count sheets optimise your sleep environment, no calculating sheep necessary.
What is thread count?
Thread count is the measure of how many threads are woven into one square inch of fabric. It deems how tightly woven the linen is and generally speaking, the higher it is, the softer the feel. A thread count below 200 will be feel coarse and scratchy on the skin, while above 400 passes the touch test but this is not the only factor that plays into it. The material also affects the skin-feel - whether it’s high quality Egyptian cotton, linen or silk - and this determines whether they’re ultra-soft, cooling, breathable or cosy.
The cosiest bed sheets will be different to each individual. Hot sleepers may prefer the temperature regulating qualities of linen or silk, while those who like to lie with cloud-like comfort will want to opt for a sateen feel.
For those who want their soft furnishings to inject colour with a maximalist edge, you’ll want bedding that has style and substance. Look to ditsy prints or stripes for a timeless, retro quality or get creative with pastel tones that have a mood-boosting effect every time you step into the room. If you want to keep it clean, classic and elegant, there’s an abudance of white toned options that provide a blank canvas for your boudoir decor.
Shop the cosiest bedding below.
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Best duvet covers 2023: Stylish and comfortable bedding sets
The White Company Symons Double Row Cord Duvet Cover
These silky bedsheets bring the five star hotel feel to your home. They may just be the dreamiest bedding that we’ve ever felt in our life, combining style and function with the sophisticated double row cord trim. Made in Portugal and top of The White Company range, these are luxury in sheet form with an 1000 thread count Egyptian-cotton sateen construction that has a lovely soft skin-feel and provides an elegant matte finish. The cord comes in silver, white or mink.
Buy now £185.00, The White Company
Dusk Pimlico Duvet Cover - 800 TC - Egyptian Cotton - White
Dusk is making it more difficult than ever to get out of bed in the morning with the exquisite feel of the Pimlico set. The bedding named after the West London area has the same upscale reputation as its namesake with an 800 thread count Egyptian cotton material and the timeless stripe design that will suit all manner of interior design schemes.
Buy now £81.20, Dusk
Aeyla Eucalyptus Silk Sheet Set
Aeyla (formerly Mela) is the brand behind our favourite weighted blanket, but don’t sleep on the rest of its slumber-ready collection. While traditional bedding is made from cotton, this label takes a different approach using eucalyptus-derived silk fabrics.
This unique construction is said to be kinder on the skin and hair much in the same way as classic silk. The material has less friction as you’re tossing and turning throughout the night so is kinder to your locks, preventing split ends and breakage. It also encourages your skin to retain moisture as well as your carefully curated skincare routine.
Eucaplytus is more breathable for the hot sleepers and has a soft skin feel. Best of all, it’s a sustainable product that is biodegradable and compostable.
Buy now £174.85, Aeyla
Yves Delorme Triomphe cotton duvet cover
The name Yves Delorme is almost synonymous with luxury - whether you’re looking at the brand’s towelling robes or its bedding. This cotton duvet is so soft it’s almost silk-like in its construction, turning your boudoir into the optimal environment for horizontal relaxation. Harnessing its 150 years of expertise, the Parisian label excels in the silky cotton sheen and the designs are kept simple, elegant and classic to stand the test of time. We are big fans of the dove grey but there’s taupe or white too.
Buy now £209.00, Selfridges
John Lewis The Ultimate Collection 1600 Thread Count Cotton Double Duvet Cover
As part of John Lewis’ Ultimate Collection, these are bedsheets that you’ll be eager to slip into at the end of every long day. They’re the highest thread count and more luxurious in the department store’s offering with 100 per cent cotton and a thread count of 1600 that is achieved by a twisting process of the yarns before they are then weaved. While feeling sumptuous against the skin, they’re also breathable and lightweight to keep you cool, calm and collected throught the year, even on those humid summer nights.
Buy now £70.00, John Lewis
Liberty Betsy Pink Tana Lawn Cotton King Duvet Set
Inject playful colourways into your space through your bed linen. The beauty of using soft furnishing is that they’re commitment free and you can mix and match as you want without needing to paint the walls or changing up the flooring.
The Betsy Pink duvet set is one of the prettiest of the Liberty prints with floral accents that have a retro feel. The bright hue and ditsy pattern gives an English cottage feel in line with the recent cottagecore craze. While it will add vibrancy into your boudoir, no matter how maximalist or minimalist your interiors, it also has a super soft construction with an ultra-fine cotton and dense percale weave that give it a silk-like level of sumptuousness.
Buy now £295.00, Liberty
Soak & Sleep Pure Mulberry Silk Bedding
It doesn’t get much more luxurious than silk and this fabric makes for ideal dressing for your bed for reasons far beyond the super soft skin-feel (although that is a huge bonus). The 19 momme 100 per cent pure mulberry silk from Soak & Sleep’s collection has benefits for the hair, skin and is temperature regulating so is made for the hot sleepers among us. It remains cool in the summer, and cocoon-like in the winter. The lustrous construction prevents friction as you toss and turn in the night, which could traditionally put stress on your strands and lead to breakage. Similarly, it’s not an absorbent fabric so doesn’t draw moisture away from your complexion and your skincare routine stays where it belongs: on your face.
Buy now £60.00, Soak & Sleep
M&S Body Sensor Body Temperature Control Duvet Cover
Make your bedding work harder for you with this set from M&S. The linen collection is woven with a specialised and trademarked Body Sensor technology that was created in order to adapt to your temperature and react accordingly, keeping you cosy and warm in the height of the winter, yet remains breathable when the summer hits.
This cosy set is made from Better Cotton so there’s an eco-conscious nod too as well as the brand’s StayNew technology so the colourways - whether you opt for the dusty blue pictured, light pink, charcoal, cream, beige, grey or white - will stay fresh and vibrant wash after wash.
Buy now £27.65, M&S
Bed Threads
According to colour experts, there has been a surge in the purchasing of yellow paint and that is likely due to the dopamine hit that the sunshine colourway provides. If you’re not quite brave enough to dedicate a whole wall to the shade, you can dabble in its joy-giving properties with this pastel-hued linen duvet cover from Bed Threads.
The sheets are made from a French flax linen, ideal for the transitional summer/winter period where the weather can be anything from a heatwave to torrential. The fabric is known for its temperature-regulating properties so you’ll remain at the optimal level of heat so as not to interrupt your deep, restful slumber.
Buy now £115.00, Bed Threads
Camomile Celia Mink Duvet Cover
Camomile is a brand that we discovered on Instagram and the collection of bedding and sleepwear is as attractive as it is cosy. The Celia Mink duvet cover is one of our favourites for its delicate leaf print that has retro appeal. The early mink and olive tone breaks away from the classic white if you’re looking for bring playful detailing into your boudoir and the organic cotton construction is soft and breathable.
Buy now £99.00, Camomile
