8 best linen bedding sets that are low maintenance and chic
Pure linen bedding has never been so popular. With a focus on self-care, more and more of us are coming round to the idea of investing in top-quality materials in the sack. It’s where we spend a good third of our lives, after all.
Linen is made from the long fibres of the flax plant – one of the oldest continuously cultivated plants in the world, and a renewable source that’s fully biodegradable. Not only does the fabric score high on sustainability, allowing us to sleep soundly in our eco-friendly sheets, it offers a wealth of other benefits, too.
Pure linen is naturally breathable, durable, hypoallergenic, and cool in the summer months yet toasty warm in the winter, making it the perfect choice for relaxed year-round style.
If that’s not convincing enough, linen bedding is also pleasingly low maintenance. It boasts an attractive crumpled texture that only looks better wash after wash. You’ll find your linen sheets get increasingly suppler, too, so you can lock up your ironing board and dive straight in.
How we tested
We tested a range of linen bedding sets from the relatively affordable to the super high-end, with a few exciting new brands thrown into the mix, too. We considered how comfortable and breathable the sheets felt, how they washed and the overall quality of each set.
The best linen bedding sets for 2022 are:
Best overall – Secret Linen Store violet white 100% linen bedding: From £35, Secretlinenstore.com
Best luxury set – The Linen Works Picardie linen bedding: From £30, Thelinenworks.co.uk
Best bundle – Bedfolk linen bedding bundle: From £199, Bedfolk.com
Best fuss-free sheets – Soak & Sleep French linen bedding: From £30, Soakandsleep.com
Best non-iron bedding – Scooms linen bedding, soft pink: From £40, Scooms.com
Best bedding that won’t shrink, fade or lose shape – Piglet midnight stripe bedding: From £39, Pigletinbed.com
Best affordable option – Dunelm Rowan 100% linen duvet cover and pillowcase set: From £80, Dunelm.com
Best for a cosy feel – Chalk Pink Linen Co. stone blue ticking linen duvet cover set: From £169, Chalkpinklinencompany.co.uk
Secret Linen Store violet white 100% linen bedding
This is a beautiful, vintage-inspired bedding set, evocative of a French chateau of yesteryear. In pure snowy white, it’s as soft on the eye as it is to the touch. We loved its understated elegance. The duvet cover and pillowcases are finished with an intricately embroidered border, which holds the bedding in shape nicely with a little bit of stretch – and this really comes into its own with the matching Oxford pillowcases and their pretty, frilly frames.
Impressively, the bedding goes up to an emperor size, which is apt, given its grand design roots. It also washes well but you’ll want to avoid any coffee stains. Prices start from under £30 for pillow cases and up to £200 for an Emperor duvet cover.
Buy now £35.60, Secretlinenstore.com
The Linen Works Picardie linen bedding
If, like us, you’re a sucker for packaging, The Linen Works won’t disappoint. Scoring top marks for presentation, this luxury bedding arrived beautifully boxed with ribbon and bows to match – a sure indication there’s something very special inside. The bedding is made from the finest Belgian flax weave, which proved lovely and lightweight. In ecru, linen’s natural pre-dyed hue, these soft sheets are a calming neutral shade. They’re beautifully crafted, high quality and will offer any bedroom chic and timeless style. Pillowcases start at £30 and duvet covers start from £170 (Thelinenworks.co.uk).
Buy now £30.00, Thelinenworks.co.uk
Bedfolk linen bedding bundle
If you’re looking to kit out your whole bed with pure linen, including a sheet, then a bundle is the way forward. Not only can it save some pennies, but it offers an all-in, fuss-free purchase. Bedfolk’s linen bundle comes in a small range of muted earthy tones, as well as a pure snowy white – the brand’s “back to nature” colourways reflecting the organic nature of the material itself. Our set, in ink, proved super soft. It has a charming pre-loved look and feel, while the colour is an attractive, faded, utilitarian blue.
Buy now £199.00, Bedfolk.com
Soak & Sleep French linen bedding
This is a brand that offers a no-frills approach to linen bedding – from its simple packaging to its contemporary, fuss-free product design. Instead, it allows the beauty of the material, and the quality of craftsmanship, to speak for itself. With six shades to choose from, and each piece sold separately, it’s ideal for mixing and matching colours – but we plumped for the modern mono look in a matching duvet cover, fitted sheet and pair of pillowcases. Our set, a dark navy, proved itself to be beautifully soft and lightweight, and its deep pigment stayed that way even after washing. Prices range from around £30 to £180.
Buy now £30.00, Soakandsleep.com
Scooms linen bedding, soft pink
Simple and stylish, Scooms’s offering boasts the prettiest baby pink hue – and it had us sleeping like a baby. The double duvet cover can be matched with a pair of standard (housewife) pillowcases and a fitted sheet in a contrasting pure white linen. True to form, the material boasts a beautifully crumpled texture that really comes into its own after a wash – no ironing needed.
This one proved a great mid-season buy, although it promises year-round comfort. It is light in look but super cosy and warm once you’re cocooned inside. Finished with large mother of pearl buttons, we loved this little hint of glamour. Prices start from £40 for pillowcases and up to £270 for a super king duvet cover bundle.
Buy now £40.00, Scooms.com
Piglet midnight stripe bedding
Another brand with bundle-buying options is Piglet, whose linen bedding collection continues to impress. This is one of Piglet’s best sellers, and it’s not difficult to see why. The midnight stripe linen offers a fresh, nautical look in the bedroom – perfect for spring but it’ll see you year-round. Made from 100 per cent natural French flax, it is wonderfully soft to the touch. The linen comes pre-stonewashed to ensure it won’t shrink, fade, or lose its shape and is finished with little wooden buttons. We loved that we could team our bedding with a matching pyjama set in the same midnight stripe. The height of cosy. Prices start at £29 for a pair of pillowcases and go up to £169 for a full bundle.
Buy now £39.00, Pigletinbed.com
Dunelm Rowan 100% linen duvet cover and pillowcase set
Pure linen bedding isn’t cheap, so we were excited to discover Dunelm’s new and affordable offering. Even in size super king the duvet cover set comes in at a relatively purse-friendly sub £100. Effortlessly chic, the Rowan bedding boasts a homely, biscuity beige-grey hue, celebrating the material in its natural form. And while this one isn’t the finest, or softest we’ve tested, it certainly behaves the way pure linen should: breathable, durable, and with an inviting texture. We recommend giving it a machine wash before use to bring out its best qualities.
Buy now £80.00, Dunelm.com
Chalk Pink Linen Co. stone blue ticking linen duvet cover set
The first thing that hits you about this pre-washed set is its wonderfully homely, spring-fresh scent. Breathe it in and you’re immediately transported to a boutique hotel, or the guest bedroom of a country pile. The gentle blue and white stripe recalls charmingly old fashioned pyjamas, while its supple, bumpy texture is just as alluring. The bedding arrived feeling lived in and loved, complete with its matching draw-string bag. But, as in all the best linen bedding sets, this one came up even softer after a few machine washes. We teamed our stripy set with the brand’s still white fitted sheet – similarly scented, textured and incredibly cosy.
Buy now £169.00, Chalkpinklinencompany.co.uk
The verdict: Linen bedding sets
Secret Linen Store’s violet white bedding won us over for its timeless, vintage look. Its embroidered borders elevate the otherwise plain white set to something really special. It also proved itself to be beautifully soft and supple – and it looked and felt even more lived in after a few washes.
We were also impressed with our stripy sets from Chalk Pink Linen Co. and Piglet, each with a slightly different take on the traditional pyjamas look, while offering a wonderfully homely appeal.
For more bedroom inspiration, we’ve found the best bedspreads to give your room a luxury feel
