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It’s said that we spend a good third of our lives in bed – and for those of us partial to lengthy Sunday morning lie-ins, it’s likely much more. Bedding, like shoes, is all-important to get spot on, not just for comfort but in the style stakes, too. And over the last five years or so we’ve seen an explosion of dedicated bedding brands pop up with a focus on delivering top-quality duvet covers, sheets, and pillowcases that are thoughtfully designed, environmentally friendly, and kind to our skin.
Arguably, a greater interest in bedding is largely in response to us savvy shoppers demanding more from our bed sheets. With our increasingly hectic lives, and with gloomy news stories circulating, now more than ever, our bedrooms are sanctuaries – and for that we need to find the very best places to shop for bedding.
It’s no easy task to whittle down the best bedding brands, but the ones we love and keep returning to is a good start. Whether we’re shopping for bedding in pure French linen, Egyptian cotton, or a crisp percale, these are the best bedding brands to shop in 2023, and a few of our favourite duvet covers from each.
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Offering a huge range of luxury bedding, with much of it sold individually, Soak & Sleep gets our top marks for versatility and choice. You can find everything you’d possibly need for the ultimate cosy slumber here, from flat sheets to throws, and mattress toppers to eye masks. And bedding sizes range from single up to emperor.
Whether you’re looking for pure French linen or 600-thread-count Egyptian cotton bedding, the highest quality is pretty much guaranteed here. Priding itself on the finest finishes, while much of Scooms’ offering is not that affordable, you can make some savvy savings with the brand’s enticing bundles.
This is a brand that’s thought of everything, from the matching draw-string linen bag the products arrive in, to the wonderful spring-fresh scent you’re hit with when you open the box of your pre-washed linen. Homely and artisanal, and with the highest quality finishes, you know you’re in for a treat with Chalk Pink.
Bedding can be pretty personal, and much of your choice depends on your needs, as well as the look you want to go for. The finest Egyptian cotton can bring hotel-style crispness to your sleep space, while low-maintenance French linen gives you a much more relaxed aesthetic. Look for bed sheets that offers breathability, and temperature-regulating properties and you’ll have year-round comfort.
Thread count literally means the number of threads, or yarns of fabric, counted within a square inch of the material. This is particularly pertinent if you’re choosing cotton bedding. As a general rule of thumb, the higher the thread count, the better the quality. That said, fabrics like linen and silk are seen as equally luxurious, but are less reliant on thread count to tell you they’re worth investing in.
While there’s definitely something to be said for buying bedding pieces individually – especially if you want to build up your collection over time, most contemporary bedding brands offer handy bundles, meaning you can buy your duvet cover, sheet and pair of pillowcases in one fell swoop – and save as much as 20 per cent off the overall cost.
If you’re yet to discover Dusk you’re missing a trick. This is a quality bedding brand, bringing you everything you need for the ultimate slumber, from bed frames to ottoman storage benches, mattresses to bed linen – all at an invitingly affordable price. The brand keeps costs low thanks to a business model that has as much as possible going on in-house, from the sourcing of materials to the design process itself. Beyond the bedding, there’s also a range of larger furniture pieces including sofas and bed frames as well as curtains, towels, and bathroom accessories on offer.
With its tactile waffle-like design, this bedding offers the kind of laid-back appeal typically found with linen. Crafted from 100 per cent cotton and boasting a smooth percale weave with a thread count of 200 on the underside of both the duvet cover and the standard pillowcases, this gives you the best of both worlds with a cosy texture on top and a smooth, cool fabric on the reverse – flip your pillow to find your favourite side. As with all of Dusk’s night-time offering, the Portofino bedding boasts top craftsmanship and a fine finish – in this case a piped edge – which gives the duvet cover and pillowcases a bit of structure. The jet-black colourway adds a sexy slice of noir, too if you fancy going over to the dark side. From £18. At dusk.com
Dusk’s Cambridge bedding is chic and minimal and it comes with the options of white, black or grey piping on both the duvet cover and the standard pillowcases. Whichever subtle colourway you plump for, the piping awards the set structure, allowing for a pleasing drape. Go for black or grey and you get an attractive, contrasting frame to your sheets, too. Available in single, double, king and super king sizes, the bedding is crafted from a 100 per cent cotton, 200 thread count percale weave, which makes it crisp and cosy in equal measure. From £10. At dusk.com
Best known for its high-tech, high-performance mattresses, Simba’s mission is to deliver the perfect night’s sleep. And while a comfy, supportive, breathable mattress is undoubtedly the foundation to that, the brand has gone on to expand its offering into duvets, pillows, mattress toppers and bed linen – all of which boast thoughtful design and innovative materials, as we’ve come to expect. The brand is also demonstrably active on sustainability with eco-friendly initiatives in place, including carbon neutral delivery and a commitment to becoming net zero by 2030.
Sometimes the simplest designs are the best. This no-frills bedding set is all about the small details: think extra fine stitching and expertly hidden but secure buttons on the duvet cover. Made from 100 per cent cotton, and in a tight percale weave, this set provides a perfectly crisp look and feel. It’s also as invitingly cool and comfy as it looks with its temperature-regulating properties and its natural breathability, giving you all-season comfort. In pure snowy white, it offers a hotel-like look at an affordable price: the 200-thread count duvet cover and pillowcase set is more wallet-friendly than most high-performance bedding. From £65. At simbasleep.com
In Simba’s satin weave, this 400 thread count bed linen boasts a subtle but noticeable sheen, which gives the duvet cover and pillowcases a touch of luxury above the brand’s 200 thread count Performance set. As with the percale weave, the bedding is all about the thoughtfully designed details that make up its fine finish, alongside its crisp, clean look in bright, light-reflecting white. Add to that an extra smooth and supple feel and you’re positively invited to slink into this breathable bedding – and to move around with ease. Whether you plump for the percale or satin, the brand uses only sustainably sourced materials, being proud members of the Better Cotton Initiative. From £80. At simbasleep.com
With its no-frills approach to packaging, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is a brand that doesn’t value the finer details – but you’d be wrong. Soak & Sleep’s raison d’être is high-quality bedding at the best possible price. The brand works directly with factories to avoid unnecessary mark-ups and yes, there’s the utilitarian packaging, but it’s what’s inside that truly counts. This is a one-stop-shop for luxury slumber, whether you’re looking to elevate your sleep space with a feather and down winter duvet, or you’re after a smart set of Oxford pillowcases to finish your crisp white bedding set.
Soak & Sleep’s highest thread count Egyptian cotton doesn’t disappoint. In snowy white with a 5mm grey marrow stitch cording, the look is crisp and the feel is smooth and sumptuous. The 600 thread count bedding boasts a huge choice of buying options, also coming in pure white, grey and ivory colourways. The bedding is crafted in a sateen weave with piled yarns and proves wonderfully supple. It drapes beautifully while the silvery cording frames the bedding, awarding it structure. From £28. At soakandsleep.com
Crafted with Tencel, a material derived from wood pulp, these duvet covers, sheets and pillowcases are naturally breathable while their light texture helps with crease resistance. The fabric is also reassuringly planet-kind, the wood pulp being sourced from sustainably-managed forests. Duvet covers range in size from single up to super king; Oxford or housewife pillowcases are sold in pairs or sets of four; and there’s even the choice of deep fitted sheets – because there’s nothing more annoying than the corners pinging off in the middle of the night. From £20. At soakandsleep.com
Launched in 2017 by husband and wife team Jonathan and Emily Attwood, Scooms was born out of a desire to find the perfect bedding that would not only look and feel luxurious but would be suitable for allergy sufferers, too, as Emily is allergic to dust mites. The result is a thoughtfully designed collection of duvets and pillows, towels and accessories, and sumptuous sheets in either pure French flax linen or the finest quality Egyptian cotton – 600 thread count as standard. The pair are also passionate about sustainability, with a focus on natural, responsibly-sourced materials and plastic-free packaging.
Tangibly top quality, this Egyptian cotton bedding boasts an impressive 600 thread count and is crafted in a silky-soft sateen weave, making it wonderfully smooth and supple. It boasts a smart Oxford design, meaning the duvet cover is finished with the same 5cm border and marrow stitch as the pillowcases, awarding it a bit of structure and a neat overhang, without the duvet simply spilling off the bed. The sheets are helpfully labelled at the foot end to show you which way round it goes – another thoughtful design detail. In pure snowy white, and with sizes going up to super king, this is five-star hotel luxury at home. From £130.50. At scooms.com
While some linen bedding can be weighty, this set is surprisingly light, which speaks to its high quality. But don’t let that put you off in the winter months. The duvet cover, sheet and pillowcases are also supremely soft and cosy, promising to keep you toasty warm when you need it, and cool as a cucumber when you don’t – and that’s the beauty of this 100 per cent linen set, made from pure French flax. As with all of Scooms’ offerings, there’s an impressive attention to detail, too. From £179.10. At scooms.com
Jessica Hanley started Piglet around five years ago in her mother’s West Sussex garden shed – the very definition of cottage industry. With a focus on sustainably-sourced natural materials and top-quality linen wares, the brand has since garnered a huge audience of discerning homemakers looking to inject a laid-back and timeless feel into their décor. It’s all about finding beauty in the every day: Piglet’s products are beautifully made – but they’re made to be lived in and loved. The brand now offers cotton bedding, sleepwear and homeware, including ceramics and jute rugs, alongside its core linen bedding offering.
One of Piglet’s six recently announced new colourways, Warm Clay is a beautifully earthy shade with undertones of dusky pink and echoes of old Mediterranean architecture. The bedding is fashioned from 100 per cent stonewashed European flax and boasts a luxuriously light and soft feel. As with all of Piglet’s linen offering, the duvet cover, sheet and pillowcases boast an attractive crumpled texture, which catches the light beautifully. The duvet cover is finished with delicate wooden buttons, further adding to the all-natural look. This one comes pre-washed for softness, and to ensure it doesn’t shrink or fade. On the contrary, it only gets better with wear and multiple washes. From 263. At johnlewis.com
In a move away from the brand’s core linen offering, the bedding bundle is made from a percale cotton, which produces a matte finish and is pleasingly crisp and cool to the touch. The 200 thread count fabric is sourced in partnership with the Better Cotton Initiative, whose purpose is to promote better standards for cotton farmers, so you can sleep easy knowing your sheets are fair trade. As with all of Piglet’s wares, the bedding is beautifully finished. And there’s even the option of square pillowcases, should you fancy a chic European feel. From £133. At johnlewis.com
If there’s anything Chalk Pink doesn’t know about linen, it’s not worth knowing. The company was founded in 2017, inspired by the colours of Cornish creeks and wistful childhood memories of summer tables dressed with linen napkins. It has since gone on to expand its bijou collection of mono bedding sets to include ticking stripes and additional shades, along with table linens, cushion covers, quilts and throws. The bedding comes pre-washed for softness, which sets the brand apart from others: there’s an instant homely scent of just-washed sheets the moment you open the box.
In a move away from the brand’s stylishly simple monochrome linen bedding, this duvet cover set features a fine charcoal and white pinstripe design on one side and the cool Verdi green – a calming shade that sits somewhere between mint and moss – on the other. But there is no obvious underside, meaning you can flip the cover to suit your mood. There’s also the option to mix and match pillowcases depending on your preference. As with all of Chalk Pink’s bedding offering, this set proves wonderfully supple and low-maintenance, and it only gets softer with multiple washes. From £179. At chalkpinklinencompany.co.uk
From afar, this may look like a stylishly simple plain grey linen duvet set, but close up there’s characterful texture, too. The mid-grey shade is inspired by Cornish granite with all its tonal variations including flecks of white. All natural, the duvet cover and standard pillowcases are crafted from 100 per cent pure linen made with European flax, and have been stonewashed for comfort and softness. Boasting an attractive crumpled texture – there’s no need to iron these beauties – the bedding feels as gloriously inviting as it looks. Choose from double up to super king, and with super king proportioned pillowcases to boot. From £169. At chalkpinklinencompany.co.uk
Partners in life and in business, Genevieve Rosen-Biller and Alan Biller started Bed Threads with a desire to find pure, 100 per cent linen bedding for their home. It needed to be top quality, low-maintenance, easy on the environment, and affordable – a tall order even a few years ago. That old adage, ‘if you want something doing, do it yourself’, rang true for the pair, who launched the brand in 2017 and haven’t looked back since. Alongside the linen bedding, Bed Threads also offers bathroom textiles, tableware, sleepwear, and some covetable home accessories, too.
A Breton stripe brings a cool, nautical flair to the bedroom, and this fine-lined number in natural ecru is effortlessly chic. Sold individually or in money-saving bundles, the duvet cover, sheets and pillowcases are crafted from 100 per cent French flax and boast a supple feel that softens after every wash. Despite the strict parallel lines, this one offers a relaxed, laid-back look, adding textural interest to our bedroom. Standard pillowcases are finished with a clean envelope opening for a snug and secure fit, while the duvet cover boasts a neat button closure. From £50. At bedthreads.com
What makes Bed Threads stand out against other linen bedding brands is its seriously impressive range of colours. All nature-inspired and sold individually, you can build up your bedding set to include wonderfully tonal combinations, pairing Pink Clay with Rust, Sage with Olive, or Petrol with Lavender. Hazelnut is a mid-toned, earthy shade that brings immediate warmth to the bedroom, and it complements a rustic wooden bed frame particularly well. As with all of Bed Threads’ linen bedding, this set proves perfectly snug in the winter and cool in the summer months, and it comes with all the wellbeing benefits of sleeping in the natural fabric. From £50. At bedthreads.com
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