The 9 best linen bedding sets I've tested – for a cooler and more breathable sleep in hot weather
Offering laidback luxury that's perfect for hot sleepers, I've tested linen bedding from M&S, John Lewis, Piglet in Bed, and many more
The best linen bedding may be an investment, but if you're a hot sleeper looking for a cooler night's rest, I've found that linen is pretty much unrivalled.
As Ideal Home's Sleep Editor, I've tested a *lot* of bedding over the past five years, and as a hot sleeper, a linen duvet cover paired with the best duvet for hot sleepers (i.e a wool duvet) is now my go-to setup for a cooler sleep.
That's because linen has *great* breathability, and breathability allows the body to regulate its temperature better at night, without overheating. Even more cleverly, linen can also keep things cosy in cooler temperatures, so it's a great choice if you share a bed with someone with a different inner thermostat to you (and that's pretty much every couple I know!).
I find that temperature regulation also makes the investment in linen a little more justifiable, as this is bedding I can use on my bed all year round. Plus, linen is highly durable and gets softer with every wash.
- Best value linen bedding: M&S Pure Linen Bedding Set
- Softest linen bedding: John Lewis Washed Linen Bedding
- Best range of colours: Secret Linen Store 100% Linen Bedding
- Best patterned linen: Piglet in Bed 100% Linen Bedding
- Best price when it's on sale: La Redoute Linot 100% Washed Linen Bedding
Best linen bedding
Made from natural fibres, linen can also be a very environmentally friendly choice, and it's the one type of bedding where crumples are welcome, so there's no ironing required. This fabric is the ideal choice for laidback low-maintenance luxury.
However, with this fabric rapidly growing in popularity, when it comes to where to buy bedding, which are the best stores to shop? I slept under linen bedding from twelve popular brands to find out, and I've rounded up the nine options that felt, washed, and were priced the best below.
Material: 100% linen
Duvet (double): £110 (includes pillowcases)
Pillowcases: £25 for two
Fitted sheet (double): £65
Flat sheet (double): n/a
Sizes: Single | Double | King | Super King
Colour options: 8
Certifications: n/a
Care instructions: wash at 40°C, tumble dry low
This M&S Pure Linen Bedding Set is the most affordable 100% linen bedding I've come across, so I'm not surprised it's amassed nearly 600 5-star reviews on the M&S website.
For an £110 investment, you get a double duvet cover and two pillowcases. That's nearly half the price of the same items from some of the best-known linen bedding brands.
Yes, the linen is thinner than its more expensive rivals, but if you're shopping for the summer months, that can be a bonus, as it offers greater breathability. It also has less of a slubby texture and a smoother finish, which some may prefer.
The downsides? There's no flat sheet available, and I do love a flat sheet for sleeping under when the weather is hot. Also, this linen isn't pre-washed, so it feels a little crisper than the washed options. And, unlike all the other options I tested, M&S doesn't share where the linen flax is grown, simply that the bedding is manufactured in China.
Material: 100% linen
Duvet (double): £115
Pillowcases: £45 for two
Fitted sheet (double): £75
Flat sheet (double): £90
Sizes: Double | King | Super King
Colour options: 8
Certifications: EUROPEAN FLAX®
Care instructions: wash at 40°C, tumble dry low
John Lewis calls this 'extra-soft washed linen', and straight off the shelf, it's certainly the softest linen of all the brands I've tested. Linen can feel a little scratchy when it's first unboxed (especially if you're used to cotton bed sheets), and although the fabric softens up the more it's washed, it was lovely to feel that softness on first touch with this John Lewis option.
The duvet cover is also fairly reasonably priced at £115 for a double. However, the cost starts racking up as you add extras, because, unlike the M&S duvet set, you need to buy pillows separately at John Lewis, and they're almost twice the price of M&S. And, whilst it's good to have the option of a flat sheet, it does cost nearly as much as the duvet cover.
John Lewis' linen is also made from EUROPEAN FLAX®. The brand says 'this the guarantee of traceability for premium linen fibre grown in Europe. A natural fibre, cultivated without artificial irrigation and GMO-free.' However, it is worth noting that the brand's Washed Linen Bedding is manufactured in India.
Material: 100% linen
Duvet (double): £129.99
Pillowcases: £29.99 for one
Fitted sheet (double): £69.99
Flat sheet (double): £89.99
Sizes: Single | Double | King | Super King
Colour options: 20+
Certifications: n/a
Care instructions: wash at 40°C, tumble dry low
La Redoute's Linot linen bedding collection is another good budget option, and when it's on sale (which is frequently), it ends up being some of the best value on the market.
For instance, as of writing, there's over 40% off selected colourways, which means a double duvet cover that usually costs £129.99 is reduced to just £71.49. However, check the price of add-ons, because pillows in particular are expensive at £29.99 *each* when they're full price.
The Linot collection is also available in 22 great colourways, and it comes pre-washed, so whilst it's not *quite* as soft as the previous John Lewis option, it does feel nicely softened up compared to other options.
And, whilst La Redoute's linen doesn't have the certifications that some higher-ticket brands come with, the website does at least offer full transparency on where each item is made, with some woven in Portugal and others in Vietnam or Cambodia.
Material: 50% organic cotton and 50% flax linen
Duvet (double): £144.99
Pillowcases: £19.99
Fitted sheet (double): £99
Flat sheet (double): n/a
Sizes: Single | Double | King | Super King
Colour options: 10
Certifications: OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified | Made in Portugal
Care instructions: wash at 40°C, tumble dry low
This bedding is a linen and cotton mix, made up of 50% organic cotton and 50% flax linen. The result is a lighterweight fabric that feels a little crisper than the pure linen options. However, it still has a nice slubbiness and a laidback feel.
Prices are fairly expensive for a linen blend mix, but, like all of Woolroom's products, this fabric has good credentials. It's made in Portugal and has OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certification, so you can rest assured that there are no nasty chemicals used in its manufacture.
Each piece is also garment dyed and stone-washed after construction, creating a lived-in appearance, which I, for one, am a fan of.
Material: 100% linen
Duvet (double): £175
Pillowcases: £25 for one
Fitted sheet (double): £105
Flat sheet (double): £105
Sizes: Single | Double | King | Super King | Emperor
Colour options: 30+
Certifications: FLAX FIBRE™ (formerly European Flax™) | Made in Portugal
Care instructions: wash at 40°C, tumble dry low
As the brand's name might suggest, the Secret Linen Store is alllll about linen, whether that's bedding, curtains, or tableware. And, as a specialist maker, of course, it does linen very well.
I think the brand's 30+ colour selection offers some of the best shades in the business, plus, there is a *great* range of stripes.
All linen is manufactured in Portugal and FLAX FIBRE certified, meaning the flax comes from France, Belgium or the Netherlands, with full traceability from field to finished fabric.
The FLAX FIBRE standard also certifies that flax is generally grown without irrigation, with limited inputs and no GMOs, and that plant fibres are extracted without water or solvents.
Should you be blessed with a *very* large bedroom, it's also one of the few brands, alongside Soak & Sleep, to offer Emperor-size bedding.
Material: 100% linen
Duvet (double): £199 (although often reduced)
Pillowcases: £32.50 for two
Fitted sheet (double): £119
Flat sheet (double): £139
Sizes: Single | Double | King | Super King | Emperor
Colour options: 20+
Certifications: OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified
Care instructions: wash at 40°C, tumble dry low
I've always found Soak & Sleep's bedding to be great quality, and this French linen bedding is no exception.
It's not the thickest linen in this round-up, but that can be a bonus if you want a lightweight and breathable summer linen. In fact, when the weather is hottest, this is always the bedding I reach for first.
And whilst prices might seem expensive, I've rarely seen this bedding on sale at full price. There's usually a very healthy discount available; for instance, as of writing, a double duvet cover is reduced from £199 to just £100. That's a big saving that actually now makes this linen bedding some of the most affordable in my round-up.
This linen is OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified, and flax is from France, whilst manufacture is in China.
Material: 100% linen
Duvet (double): £180
Pillowcases: £50 for two
Fitted sheet (double): £140
Flat sheet (double): £100
Sizes: Single | Double | King | Super King
Colour options: 18
Certifications: n/a
Care instructions: cool machine wash, tumble dry low
Another brand with a great range of colourways, Bed Threads also offers mix-and-match bedding bundles, which allow you to behave like a kid in a candy store, adding all kinds of different shades to your shopping basket.
Prices are an investment, but opting for a bundle does often offer a little bit of a saving on buying items separately.
The downsides? The bedding is cool wash only, which I've found to be a bit of a headache. Some googling suggests that means washing between 20°C and 30°C, but I prefer to wash my bedding at 40°C. The care label also suggests avoiding 'overwashing', which I'm not sure is particularly feasible when it comes to keeping your sheets clean!
The Australian brand's linen is made from French flax, but then manufactured in China.
Material: 100% linen
Duvet (double): £199
Pillowcases: £55 for two
Fitted sheet (double): £119
Flat sheet (double): £139
Sizes: Single | Double | King | Super King
Colour options: 30+
Certifications: European Flax™ | OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified | Made in Portugal
Care instructions: wash at 40°C, tumble dry low
Piglet in Bed has played no small part in getting Instagram obsessed with the artfully crumpled appeal of linen bedding. From the brand's now iconic gingham bedding range to its impressive choice of stripes and coloured plains, plus the brand's Piglet in Bed x Morris & Co. bed linen collaboration, its bedding is almost unparalleled when it comes to aesthetics.
It's also some of the most ethical linen you can buy thanks to its European Flax™ certification, the fact it's made in Portugal, and its OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification, meaning it’s free from harmful chemicals.
The brand also offers two linen options: 100% linen and a cotton and linen mix which combines 55% European linen and 45% long staple cotton.
Material: 100% linen
Duvet (double): £199
Pillowcases: £60 for two
Fitted sheet (double): £120
Flat sheet (double): £135
Sizes: Single | Double | King | Super King
Colour options: 13
Certifications: Belgian & French flax | OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified | Made in Portugal
Care instructions: wash at 40°C, tumble dry low
Similarly, Bedfolk's linen bedding is all about quality and provenance. Flax is Belgian or French, the bedding has OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certification, and it's all made in Portugal at a fourth-generation family-run mill in Guimarães.
And whilst colour options are a little more limited than Secret Linen Store or Piglet in Bed, they're all great muted shades that instantly add understated luxe to a bedroom.
Again, prices are a definite investment, but, you can also now shop the Bedfolk brand at M&S, and you can find Bedfolk bedding at John Lewis, and if your luck is in, one of those retailers sometimes has the brand's bedding on sale.
How to choose linen bedding
When choosing linen bedding, make sure to read the small print so you know what you're getting. There are two main types of linen fabrics used in bedding; pure or 100% linen, and linen blends, which use a combination of linen and cotton.
Pure 100% linen bedding will generally be the most expensive. It will have a slubbier texture and, usually, better breathability as the weave of the fabric is more open.
However, a cotton and linen blend can be a good option if you don't particularly like the look or feel of linen's rougher texture. When blended with cotton, the fabric becomes smoother and a little more like the traditional cotton bedding we may be more used to.
Personally, I prefer 100% linen, and that's what all of the options in this round-up are made from. But each of the retailers I've recommended above also offers a linen-blend or linen-mix bedding if that's more your thing.
Next up, there are a few keywords you can look out for that will help you determine the linen's quality. As Georgia Metcalfe, founder and creative director of French Bedroom explains, 'as with cotton, linen is available in a range of grades, and this directly affects both the feel and the price.'
'Entry-level linen tends to use short-staple flax fibres, which can feel coarse and may not wear as well,' says Georgia. This is the type of linen that can tend to feel itchy against your skin. However, that shouldn't ever be an issue with good quality linen.
'At the premium end, you’ll find long-staple European flax that delivers a noticeably softer, smoother, and more durable fabric,' explains Georgia.
'Luxury linens are often also stonewashed for added softness and carry certifications such as OEKO-TEX or Masters of Linen, signalling both quality and responsible production.'
So if you can't feel a linen in person before you buy, look for wording such as long-staple, stonewashed, and OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Certified.
FAQS
Why is linen bedding so expensive?
Wondering why linen bedding is so expensive compared to cotton? As Chris Tattersall, sleep expert and managing director of Woolroom, explains, 'the higher cost associated with linen as a fabric is principally due to the slower production process and it being more difficult to harvest.'
'Flax plants, where linen comes from, are not easily grown, and it is often a time-consuming and laborious process that must take place in more specific conditions and climates. In contrast, cotton can grow almost anywhere. The flax plant must also be completely uprooted rather than just cut to maximise the fibre that can be harvested.'
A more laborious growing and harvesting process makes linen a more expensive fibre to produce and therefore, more expensive to buy.
Is linen bedding worth the investment?
So, considering its higher price point, is linen bedding worth it? 'Absolutely,' says Georgia Metcalfe of French Bedroom. 'Linen bedding is not only effortlessly elegant but also wonderfully practical. Naturally temperature-regulating, it keeps you cool in summer and warm in winter.'
'It’s also hypoallergenic, eco-friendly, and exceptionally durable, lasting years longer than cotton alternatives. In fact, medium to high quality linens wash better over time, while thinner fabrics and lower thread count cottons don’t hold their structure as well, or for as long.'
So if you're after breathability, durability, and effortless style, linen bedding is definitely worth the investment.
