5 Best Bed Sheets of 2026: Sleep Expert Approved

Features

• Materials: Viscose from bamboo
• Thread count: 400
• Color options: 12
• Pocket depth: 17 inches

Key takeaways from our testing

Softest feel on this list. The Luxome Luxury Sheet Set has a soft sateen weave that Kay said was “smooth as butter.” These sheets are made from viscose from bamboo, which is made by breaking down bamboo stalks or grass into cellulose pulp and processing it into fabric. Sheets made of viscose from bamboo tend to have a soft and silky feel, which differs from cotton’s more crisp and structured feel. On a related note: The Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set also is made of viscose from bamboo, and tied this set’s perfect score for feel. However, Kay thought this set edged out Cozy Earth for softness. “These sheets are truly the softest I have ever touched,” she said, referring to these sheets by Luxome .

Silky but not slippery. These sheets have a “silky feel that glides over the body,” said Kay, noting that this set felt like “luxurious silk.” She added that, while these sheets were soft, they weren’t as slippery as true silk sheets. Per our experts, this lack of slip could be a benefit for older adults with mobility limitations who may be prone to falls. These sheets are made of 100 percent viscose from bamboo, which the company says makes them naturally breathable and temperature-regulating. Kay gave the Luxome Luxury Sheet Set a favorable score in temperature regulation. “These sheets are slightly cool to the touch,” she said. “But the longer I was lying down, the more I felt them adjusting to my body heat and warming up. I never over-heated, but I wasn't noticeably cool either.” 

Extra fabric at corners, but straps help. These sheets have deep pockets and fit mattresses up to 17 inches thick. These features could benefit people who have a thicker mattress or use a mattress topper. However, Kay did notice there was extra fabric at the corners of the fitted sheet. “I had to tuck in some of the excess fabric,” she said. “But the elastic straps at the corners help secure the sheets and prevent them from sliding.” Here, this Luxome Luxury Sheet Set earned a favorable fit score, but if you want sheets that offer an exceptional fit, or a set that’s more snug with less excess fabric, you may want to consider the Sleep Number True Temp Sheet Set.

Best Organic: Saatva Organic Sateen Sheet Set

Score: 9.3 out of 10

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Pros and cons

Pros

• 100 percent cotton
• Very breathable 
• Organic and Fair Trade Certified

Cons

• Only three color options
• Most expensive on this list

Features

• Materials: Organic cotton
• Thread count: 300
• Color options: 3
• Pocket depth: 16 inches

Key takeaways from our testing

Breathable cotton construction. The Saatva Organic Sateen Sheet Set features 300-thread count sateen weave made from 100 percent organic cotton. Tester Kay said the sheets hit the sweet spot between “structured and flowy,” meaning they’re soft and smooth, yet still have the crispness of cotton. While she said the sheets had “a bit of weight to them,” she noted they still felt breathable. “These are cool to the touch and stayed that way the whole time I was lying on them,” she said. “They are really breathable, which I think would help prevent me from overheating.” 

Certified organic. If you’re looking for certified organic cotton sheets, consider this set. These sheets are made from organic cotton and are backed by a Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification. This credential means the sheets are made from organic fibers and meet rigorous environmental and social standards. Products must meet this standard from manufacturing to the final stage. This set also is Fair Trade Certified, meaning the sheets adhere to strict social, environmental and economic Fair Trade Standards. 

Limited color selection. This set is available in three color options: white, ivory and gray, partly for aesthetics, as noted by the company, and partly to keep in alignment with an eco-friendly design. Meanwhile, sheet sets on this list offer an average of about eight color options. If you prioritize an organic designation over having a variety of color options, these sheets are a great option to consider. But if you prioritize having more colors to choose from, this sheet set may not be the best for you. We recommend the Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set if you want to choose from more colors — that set offers 18 options (the most on this list).

Best Bamboo: Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set

Score: 9.4 out of 10

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Pros and cons

Pros

• 10-year warranty (longest on this list)
• Extra soft 
• Feels cool to the touch

Cons

• May need to tuck extra fabric for thinner beds 
• Most expensive sheets on this list

Features

• Materials: Viscose from bamboo
• Thread count: 320
• Color options: 18
• Pocket depth: 20 inches

Key takeaways from our testing

Generous trial period and warranty. The Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set stands out as a top choice for its 100-night trial period and 10-year limited warranty, which are significantly longer than those of most other sheets on this list. Cozy Earth says its warranty covers pilling, abnormal rips and workmanship defects. Other companies such as Luxome and Birch only offer a 30-night sleep trial. Sleep Number matches Cozy Earth’s 100-night trial but offers only a one-year warranty. Meanwhile, Luxome doesn’t offer a warranty on its sheets. 

Top-tier cooling performance. Tester Kay said the Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheets are extremely smooth, adding that these sheets are “truly some of the softest I’ve ever felt.” These sheets also earned a stellar temperature regulation score during our testing. “They feel cool to the touch and super breathable,” she said, adding that these sheets were lightweight and breathable without being flimsy or thin.

Deep pockets could impact fit. These sheets have the deepest pockets on this list at 20 inches. This extreme depth can be helpful if you have a tall mattress; however, if you have a standard mattress height in the 12- to 14-inch range, they could fit loosely. Kay put the Cozy Earth Bamboo fitted sheet on a 12-inch mattress and had to tuck the excess fabric under the bed to make the sheets fit. But she still awarded the sheets a respectable score on this measure. If you tend to toss and turn when you sleep, this extra fabric may be more prone to shifting or bunching. This issue also could be a source of frustration for older adults with dexterity limitations, as they may have difficulty tucking in the extra fabric.

Best Cotton: Birch Organic Cotton Sheet Set

Score: 9.3 out of 10

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Pros and cons

Pros

• Crisp, cotton feel
• Breathable 
• Near-perfect fit

Cons

• Short sleep trial (30 days)
• Only five colors

Features

• Materials: Organic cotton
• Thread count: 320
• Color options: 5
• Pocket depth: 15 inches

Key takeaways from our testing

Classic cotton feel. If you want a classic feel, you may like the Birch Organic Cotton Sheet Set. These sheets have what tester Kay described as a “traditional cotton” feel that’s crisp and soft. She said these sheets are extremely breathable and that she was getting enough airflow to counter her natural tendency to sleep hot. She gave these sheets a near-perfect temperature regulation score.

No excess fabric to tuck. The Birch Organic Cotton Sheet Set fits mattresses up to 15 inches tall. While this coverage is 5 inches less than other options like the Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set, these sheets had an almost-perfect fit on a 12-inch mattress. This sheet set may be a good choice for older adults who have a mattress that is less than 15 inches tall and want their sheets to fit close to the bed — with minimal adjustments. 

Shorter sleep trial. These sheets have a 30-night sleep trial, which is shorter than options like the Sleep Number True Temp Sheet Set, which comes with a 100-night sleep trial. Birch also offers a one-year warranty on this set. While this warranty length is comparable to other companies, it falls short of Cozy Earth's 10-year warranty. If a long sleep trial and warranty are important to you, the Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set may be a better fit.

How we tested the best sheets

We started our process by researching the market. Which sheets are popular and why? Who has the best customer reviews — and are the reviews legitimate? After talking with medical experts, we narrowed our list from 22 sheet sets to the 8 we tested in our lab.

To identify their strengths and weaknesses, we used controlled tests to assess features like how well it fits on the mattress, pocket size, temperature regulation and the quality of materials. Then we recruited a 71-year-old tester to provide unbiased feedback. 

This tester answered questions like: Do the sheets feel cool to the touch? Do the materials feel comfortable? Are the sheets easy to secure to all four corners of a mattress? The models that excelled in our tests made our list of the best bed sheets. 

For more details on our process, see our mattress and sleep products testing methodology. 

How to choose the best sheets for you

Sheets can help regulate your body temperature and add an extra touch of comfort to your bed. However, the right sheets for you can depend on a number of factors. If you’re looking for a quality set of new sheets, consider the following features. 

Material and texture

When searching for the best bed sheets, a good place to start is with your desired texture. For example, you may prefer the crisp, structured feel of cotton sheets. Or, you may prefer sateen or silk to have a smooth feel. Establishing your material preferences early can help narrow down your choices.

In addition, natural fibers like organic cotton or bamboo tend to be more breathable and generally don’t cling to the body as tightly as sateen or silk. These breathable materials may help support temperature regulation, which plays a role in sleep, says Annie Miller, our medical reviewer and a licensed psychotherapist in Washington, D.C. who specializes in sleep disorders. The body’s core temperature naturally decreases before sleep, so fabrics with more airflow may feel more comfortable, particularly for those who experience night sweats or temperature fluctuations, Miller says.

Another point to consider? Sateen or silk sheets may increase the chances of slipping or falling out of bed — especially for older adults with mobility limitations — because these fabrics are very smooth. Miller generally doesn’t recommend silk sheets for older adults with mobility limitations because of the fall risk, especially for adults who need to quickly get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.

Thread count

Thread count describes the number of horizontal and vertical threads in a square inch of fabric, which can often help you determine the density of the fabric. The higher the thread count, the denser the fabric will be, which can make it less breathable. Conversely, sheets with a low thread count may feel very breathable but could lose durability over time. 

But thread count alone doesn’t determine how a sheet set will feel. Rather than focusing on just thread count, Miller recommends prioritizing comfort, breathability and how the sheets feel over the course of the night.

The thread counts for the sheets on this list range from 300 to 400. Byron Golub, vice president of product at Saatva in New York, says the ideal thread count is between 180 and 600, though he points out that analyzing thread counts does not always allow for an apples-to-apples comparison because there is variation in yarn thickness. For example, Golub notes that linen fibers are significantly larger than those of cotton, which means “linen sheet thread counts are always lower than those of sateen and percale cotton sheets,” he says. 

Furthermore, thread count doesn’t apply to all types of sheets, Golub says. For example, jersey sheets aren’t woven like cotton, so there isn’t a thread count to note. Other options, like flannel, are measured by weight, with the heavier weighted options often considered to be better quality. An ideal weight for these types of sheets is around 170 grams per square meter (GSM) or higher.

Straps and/or deep pockets

Older adults who toss and turn at night may want sheets that have straps or anchor bands to secure sheets to a mattress and keep them in place. Miller says sheets bunching up can create pressure areas that irritate the skin, which could result in bed sores for older adults who spend a lot of time in bed. 

Options like the Sleep Number True Temp Sheet Set have an elastic band and corner elastic straps that some people may find helpful. However, older adults with arthritis or limited hand dexterity may find it difficult to fully work the straps under the mattress. And you may need to lift the corners of the mattress to secure the straps, which can be difficult to do alone.

If sheets don’t include straps, it may be helpful to see how deep the pockets (the corners) of the fitted sheet are. Deep pockets may help ensure the fitted sheet stays in place and doesn’t shift at night. All sheets we recommend on this list have pockets that are at least 15 inches deep. 

How much do the best sheets cost?

The best bed sheets on this list range in price from $190 to $308 for a queen set. The Luxome Luxury Sheet Set is the least expensive, and the Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set is the most expensive. Companies often include sheets and bedding in their sales, so be on the lookout for discounts, including for holidays like Memorial Day or Presidents’ Day. 

You can see a breakdown of retail prices below; all sets noted are queen size. 

Questions or feedback? Email us at AARPSmartPicks@aarp.org.