Cotton Sheets

Most durable cotton sheets

Reviewers say that 100 percent cotton is relatively easy to care for and makes durable and comfortable bed sheets. Cotton can be woven into a variety of fabrics, with the most popular for bedding being sateen and percale. One way to gauge the quality of the sheeting material is to check the thread count, meaning the number of threads per square inch of fabric. Experts say a thread count between 200 and 400 is a good choice, with some increase in softness at the upper end of that range. Anything higher, say reviewers, is unnecessary and often an exaggeration.

Sealy's Best Fit 400 Thread Count Cotton Sateen (*Est. $110 for a queen set) is a top-rated sheet set with a mid-range thread count of 400. One comparative review tests the 300-thread-count version of these sheets, saying these sateen sheets perform well overall and fit well with a wide range of mattresses. Users posting to Amazon.com agree that the fit is good, and most add that they find the sheets light and soft. Although there are a handful of negative reviews that mention poor durability along with roughness and pilling, most say that Sealy Best Fit sheets are easy to care for and that they maintain their smoothness after multiple washings. Sealy Best Fit sheets are most widely available in a 400 thread count. JCPenney carries a 330-thread-count version that also gets good reviews but is harder to find. Colors include white, cappuccino and light blue, among others. Both are machine-washable and safe to tumble dry.

In general, cotton sateen sheets tend to score very poorly in comparative reviews of sheets. One explanation, which could also account for some user complaints, is that cotton sateen is not the best fabric choice for bed sheets. Both sateen and percale can be made of 100 percent cotton, but percale has one vertical thread for every horizontal thread while sateen has four or more. Experts say that this process, which gives sateen its gloss and smoothness, also makes it snag somewhat easily on bed hardware or even toenails. Percale is considered by most reviewers to be the best choice for durable easy-care cotton bed sheets.

According to users posting at Apartment Therapy, Garnet Hill's sheets have an excellent reputation for durability. Their Signature Scalloped Percale sheets (*Est. $145 for a queen set) are one of Real Simple's top picks for sheets with thread counts under 250. Editors call them soft, crisp and comparable to pricier sheets with higher thread counts. Their Scalloped Percale sheets have a thread count of 220 and come in a base color of white or ivory with a scallop-embroidered edge in 15 color choices. A similar option for those who prefer more color or a simpler design is Garnet Hill's Signature Hemstitched Percale (*Est. $145 for a queen set), a 250-thread-count cotton sheet set available in 11 colors from pale "whisper blue" to "black raspberry." They can be machine-washed, tumble-dried on a low setting, and ironed as needed.

Editors at Real Simple Magazine rank Sferra Celeste Percale sheets (*Est. $470 for a queen set) as among the best in the over-400-thread-count category. Woven in Italy from 100 percent Egyptian cotton, Sferra Celeste Percale sheets come from a prestigious luxury manufacturer and have a thread count of 406. Reviewers say they are softer than some percales, and they praise the hemstitch trim and the fact that the sheets are available in a wide variety of colors. The cost is clearly the major drawback.

For those seeking organic cotton sheets that are environmentally friendly (organic cotton is grown without the use of pesticides), Indika Organics offers a line of "environmental bedding" including the Indika Organic Cotton Sheet Set (*est. $480 for a queen set). These sheets are manufactured from Peruvian cotton that is completely free of pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals. Indika weaves the sheets in the United States and uses only all-natural plant and vegetable dyes to achieve its patterns and earth tones. Although expensive, National Geographic's Green Guide hails these 300-thread-count sheets as its highest recommendation for "green" bedding. Allergy Buyer's Club also gives the Indika Organic Cotton Sheet Set its highest rating of "excellent" and says they are soft to the touch and durable. They are also machine-washable and can be put in the dryer on low heat.

Although it calls them "the very best in organic bedding," Allergy Buyers Club gives its own 230-thread-count Premium Organic Bedding (*est. $240 for a queen set) its lowest rating of only three out of five stars. These percale sheets actually do better in an independent comparative review, where they rank just below the top pick and get good scores for everything but strength. Although sheets made of non-organically-grown cotton are less expensive, these may be a good choice for consumers who prefer to buy sheets made of pesticide-free cotton crops. According to Allergy Buyers Club, no pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers were used in the production of the Premium Organic sheets, but the review does caution that they are prone to wrinkling in the dryer.

If you like the idea of organic cotton but don't want to spend upwards of $400 for a sheet set, Green Guide editors say the West Elm Organic Cotton Sateen Sheet Set (*Est. $100 for a queen set) is the best value in organic cotton sheets. These sheets are woven from 300-thread-count organic cotton sateen and come in three colors (gray, copper and white). They are available in a range of sizes including California king. These are much cheaper, but we didn't find the same oohs and ahhs in reviews as we did for expensive Indika organic sheets.

One of the unfortunate downsides of 100 percent cotton, according to some reviewers, is that it can come out of the dryer slightly wrinkled. Consumers who like wrinkle-free sheets but would rather skip the ironing might want to try a polyester-cotton blend. Wamsutta's Easy Care sheet set (*est. $40 for a queen set) is a 250-thread-count blend of 60 percent cotton and 40 percent polyester. Good Housekeeping names these a top choice for accurate thread count, durability and price.

Another inexpensive option in a similar blend is Target's Cotton/Polyester 300 Thread-Count Easy-Care Sheet Set (*Est. $40 for a queen set). Reviews from a handful of users on Target's website are mixed. Several owners say they love these sheets, while others say they develop spotting after washing and leave lint in the dryer.

Target's 530-thread-count Cotton/Silk Jacquard sheets (*Est. $180 for a queen set) do very well in one top-ranked review, earning high scores for softness and lack of shrinkage. Made of 60 percent cotton and 40 percent silk sateen, these sheets are machine-washable, but they are also prone to snagging and get poor ratings for strength. They may be a good choice for consumers who like the idea of silk sheets but don't want to spend time hand-washing or dry-cleaning them.

Cotton-blend and bamboo/modal sheets

An alternative to traditional cotton sheets is bamboo fabric, which is made by pulping bamboo, a fast-growing grass, and separating the fibers. Bamboo fabric has a strong following among ecologically focused consumers. Experts say that bamboo, unlike cotton, is easily grown without pesticides, but some point out that actually separating the fibers is often a chemical-intensive process. They also note that while bamboo fabric tends to be soft and breathable, it is prone to shrinkage and pilling, especially when it's not mixed with another fiber.

Modal sheets are another pulp-based, eco-friendly option, made from pulping the soft wood of the beech tree. Both bamboo and modal sheets are available from high-end retailers, department stores such as Target, and specialty stores such as Bed Bath & Beyond. But no currently available sheets made from these fabrics are standouts in the tests we found.