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I fell in love with linen bedding years ago. I bought a bright yellow linen duvet I was certain would bring my bedroom together. The yellow was just a phase, but sleeping on linen just clicked. Linen has a rougher texture and a lived-in look, which can turn some folks off from sleeping on it. But the fabric is breathable and dries fast, so you'll stay cooler as you sleep and avoid sweaty sheets. That's why linen apparel is popular in the summer, but it's still a great choice in the cooler months if you're a hot sleeper.
Linen is also strong and durable, softening up (slowly) after each wash without becoming thinner or weaker. Linen tends to be more expensive, and since high-quality linen will last a long time, a linen sheet set is an investment not only in staying cool as you sleep (which is very important for sleep quality) but also in gorgeous bedding you can enjoy for years.
I love sleeping on linen so long as it isn't too scratchy, which is one of the many things I looked for while testing and searching for the best linen sheets. I also looked for breathability and airflow, the weight of the sheets, and any other texture or temperature issues beyond linen's infamous scratchiness. I also researched where each maker sources their linen from and where it's produced (which can impact both the quality and the price point). These are the best linen sheets I've slept on, all having been tested for at least seven nights and at least two washes. I always wash sheets before my first night of testing, and I tend to rotate my sheets every few nights. (All prices in this guide are for queen size sheets.)
Read our Best Sheets guide if you want something a little softer, and check out our other bedding buying guides, including the Best Pillows, Best Mattresses, Best Cooling Mattresses, and whether you need a duvet.
Updated November 2024: We've added notes on Thuma's Flax Linen Sheet Set.
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What's So Great About Linen?
Linen is a woven fabric made from flax plants. It's a highly breathable material, so it keeps you cool during warmer nights, as it doesn't trap heat. It's great for people who sleep hot. It's rougher at first than a simple cotton sheet set, but it should soften up the more it’s washed. Linen is often more expensive than other sheets, but it’s generally more durable than percale or other cotton weaves, so a good sheet set should last a long time.
It's not for everyone, but if you love linen apparel, you’ll probably love linen sheets. If you’re unsure, start with a single piece (like a duvet or flat sheet) and see what you think. Most of the options we recommend come in a linen set, but you can also buy many of these pieces separately, allowing you to try a linen pillowcase or fitted sheet before wading into a full-on linen bed.
You'll often see terms like “Belgian flax” and “European linen” used to describe various linens. Some of these are in the name, some aren't—Pottery Barn's sheets are named Belgian flax, while The Citizenry's sheets mention that they're French flax but sustainably made in Portugal. So what does it all mean? Which is best?
Europe has a long history of growing flax and making linen. It's a preferred source, particularly Belgium and France, which is why some sheets will call out those countries specifically. But according to World Linen, there isn't a huge difference among European countries—it's mostly a marketing tactic. You'll likely be just as happy with any European source of linen, and there is a European Linen certification sheets can receive to confirm that's where they're sourced from.
Having Europe in the name doesn't necessarily mean it was made there, though. After the flax is grown, it needs to be processed, spun, and woven into sheets, which may or may not happen in Europe. Some companies use the term “Belgian flax” or “European flax” to signify that the flax is from that area, but it wasn't processed there. Some companies make sheets in other European countries, like The Citizenry's Portugal-made sheets, while other makers might do production outside of Europe, like Quince, which processes its sheets in China and India.
Another term you might see when shopping for linen is something like “woven to 160 GSM.” This describes the weight of the fabric. (“GSM” stands for grams per square meter.) It's similar to silk, which is also described in weight rather than thread count to give you a more accurate idea of how heavy the sheets will be. The rule of thumb with linen is that under 150 GSM is light, between 150 and 300 is medium, and anything over 300 is heavy.
Weight is also something that shouldn't change about linen: It'll get softer over time, but it won't get lighter. If you have a preference for a certain weight of sheets, you can see whether these details are included to find out exactly what you're buying.
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