Bed Sheets: Expert and User Reviews

Our AssessmentWriter Kathleen Huddy evaluates 12 twin sheet sets along with six comforters. Testers put the sheets on a twin bed and look for a roomy fit that will work on an XL twin bed, which some dorm rooms have. They evaluate softness, shrinkage, fading, pilling, fuzzing and breakdown in stitching after five cycles of washing and drying. The fabric durability and strength are further assessed using machines that reveal whether the fabric is likely to pill, lose color or tear. The top picks --Wamsutta Pinpoint 360 and PBteen Classic -- perform well in all the tests except the abrasion tests. The other sheet sets had more shortcomings.

Our AssessmentThis online retailer sells its own brand of bed sheets as well has other brands, such as Eileen Fisher, Lilly Pulitzer, Nicola Home and Frette. The company first began selling its own brand of flannel sheets, so it's no surprise that the Garnet Hill Signature Flannel Sheets are top-rated, with nearly 200 owners giving them an average rating of 4.7 stars out of 5. Owners are mostly happy with the feel and quality of these flannel sheets, although some say they lost softness or shrank after washing. The percale sheets are another standout on the site. Garnet Hill Dot to Dot Percale Sheets receive an overall rating of 4.6 stars from more than 100 owners. The Garnet Hill Fiesta Percale Sheets are the same product with a solid pattern. They too receive a good rating of 4.4 stars from nearly 100 owners. Owners say the percale sheets are high quality but prone to wrinkling.

Our AssessmentLLBean.com allows customers to review its brand of sheets made of cotton, percale or flannel, and the reviews sound authentic and honest. L.L.Bean 280-Thread-Count Pima Cotton Percale Sheets get 4.2 stars out of 5 from about two dozen reviewers. One reviewer says these sheets are "wonderfully crisp," although another says there has been some fading after washing. Several reviewers say these sheets are very wrinkled when they come out of the dryer. L.L.Bean's Premium Supima Flannel Sheets receive a near-perfect rating of 4.8 stars from about 60 owners. Reviewers agree the flannel sheets are soft, heavy and hold up after repeated washing. L.L.Bean's less expensive Ultrasoft Flannel Sheets made of 100 percent cotton aren't as highly rated. Some of the more than 150 reviewers say the Ultrasoft line (sold in solid, plaid and stripes) pills badly.

Our AssessmentLinenplace.com sells about 20 types of sheets from brands like Frette, Peacock Alley, Mascioni, Dwell and Wamsutta. The site rates each product it sells on a five-point scale in five categories: softness, crispness, luster, weight and price. The results are presented in a comparison chart that also shows the thread count. This makes it easy to identify sheets that meet your personal preferences.

Our AssessmentAmazon.com has thousands of listings for bed sheets, but you can filter results by fiber, thread count and brand. Very few products receive more than 10 reviews from owners, so you aren't likely to get a full picture of durability and comfort after repeated washings.

Our AssessmentKate Parker identifies the top pick and a runner-up in three price categories -- $40 and under, $41 to $60 and $60 to $75 -- which demonstrates you don't have to spend more than $100 to get quality sheets for a queen-size bed. We don't know how many sheet sets were evaluated overall or what testing methodology was used, but the comments relate to fit, construction and softness as well as durability after repeated washing. Unfortunately, all three top picks are now discontinued.

Our AssessmentApartmentTherapy.com has about 10 user reviews of Garnet Hill Signature Flannel Sheets. Although user reviews are inherently subjective and sheets aren't tested or compared with other brands, this site does indicate that consumers are generally happy with Garnet Hill's sheets.