7 Best Bed Sheets in Australia for 2023
Or how to get that hotel-bed feeling every night.
To keep our guides free, we're reader supported. That means if you buy something via a link on this page, we might earn a commission. Thanks for that. Learn more
In this guide
When it comes to getting a great night's sleep, you can't go past a silky set of bed sheets. They're the perfect complement to a cushy mattress and a supportive pillow, so if you're looking to inject a little more luxury into your life, look no further. The best bed sheets are breathable, soft, and durable, to take you from summer through to winter, year after year. And if you're lucky, they'll double as a last-minute Halloween costume.
How we picked the best sheets
Sheets are solid proof that everyone's brains are wired differently. One person's bedding preference is another person's nightmare, so we had to do a little more head-scratching than usual. We started by checking ProductReview.com.au to see what real Aussies thought. This gave us a good idea about why some sheets are better than others, and we added all the 4+ star sheets with the most reviews to our list.
Because sheets aren't as well-reviewed as other homewares, we kept digging to be sure we had a wide selection. Which meant it was a great excuse for the Cosier team to do some virtual window-shopping, looking for Australian companies who sold sheets we could get excited about. After some time drooling over linen, we lopped the ones we felt more 'meh' about, selecting only the most wishlist-worthy of sheets to our picks. That's how we ended up with our list of Australia's 7 best sheet brands.
Best bamboo sheets
If you’re concerned about what’s sleeping next to your skin and the impact of your snoozing on the planet, bamboo could be a good choice. Enter Ecoy Bamboo Sheets. Made from organic bamboo, it’s a more sustainable choice as bamboo is incredibly fast growing and doesn’t need pesticides or much water. Bamboo also makes silky soft, breathable sheets. With a sateen weave, these Ecoy sheets drape beautifully on your bed.
Like cotton, bamboo wicks moisture from the body, which helps keep you cool in summer and warm in winter. Bamboo is durable, too, and like your fave pair of jeans, these sheets get softer as you wash them. We love that Ecoy includes a ‘head’ tag on the sheets so making your bed is quicker and easier than ever. We also love that the sheets are tested by OEKO-TEX to give you confidence that they’re free from harmful chemicals. A proudly Aussie company, Ecoy is a member of 1% for the Planet. This means they donate at least 1% of their annual profits to environmental charities in Australia. Oh, and you also get a 30-night trial period. If you don’t love your sheets, you can return them and they’ll be donated to local organisations. The only downside we can see? These sheets are currently only available in 3 colours. But with all this goodness, that might not bother you.
Best sheets for hot sleepers
Ettitude's organic bamboo sheets are made from bamboo lyocell, which is a durable, hypoallergenic fabric that reviewers say feels like a 'buttery cloud'. We reckon these sheets are best for hot sleepers because they're thermoregulating. This means they keep you cool during hot summers (and Queensland 'winters').
Ettitude offers a full sheet set, with a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, and two pillowcases. Their sheets are certified to Oeko-Tex 100 Standard, so they're guaranteed to be free of 100 harmful chemicals. Reviewers on ProductReview.com.au said they retain their softness and colour wash after wash. Several hot sleepers also raved about them, including folks in NSW and QLD.
These sheets were well-loved on ProductReview.com.au, with nearly 4.5 stars from 100+ reviews. This was the highest number of reviews for any sheets by far, but several were not happy chappies. Some complained about how hard it was to find matching colours, while others were grumpy about the customer service. While these sheets are 300 thread count, Ettitude reckons the bamboo factor makes these sheets equal to 1,000 thread count cotton. Impressive stuff.
Best local sheets
If you've shopped for bed stuff online, you'll know how highly-rated Koala's mattresses are. But did you know they make bed linen too? This Aussie-owned company spins eucalyptus fibre into a velvety twill weave TENCEL, which they say 'far outperforms conventional bamboo and cotton fibre production'. Eucalyptus needs less water and space to grow, so it's an ecological choice for fabric.
Koala is our pick for best local because their eucalyptus fabric is made from sustainably-managed forests. No koalas are harmed in the making of their sheets. Their TENCEL eucalyptus fabric is also hypoallergenic and thermoregulating, so you'll enjoy lounging in these sheets for hours. Twill doesn't have as many air pockets as other weaves, either, which makes Koala's eucalyptus sheets silky-smooth.
We love that Koala gives you a whopping 120 nights to sleep on your new sheets before deciding whether they're the right fit for you. The local factor also means you can get them delivered to your house within 4 hours in metro areas across Australia. Koala is a company that thinks ethically, and they give at least 1% of their annual sales to environmental charities. What more could you want from your sheets?
Best summer sheets
Hot Aussies nights: great for sitting outside, catching up with mates and generally doing stuff in the evening. Not so great for sleeping. Enter Cultiver linen sheet sets. These beautifully soft linen sheets are ideal for hot nights. Slip between these pre-softened babies and you'll instantly be enveloped in the cool breathability of European flax linen. Not only does it feel pleasantly cool to the touch, but linen is naturally absorbent which means you shouldn't get that sticky-summer-night feeling.
Although we've picked these as the best summer sheets, the great thing about linen is that it's thermo-regulating like wool. Which means that it feels warm on colder nights too. These are year-round bed sheets.
As they should be, because they deserve to be shown off everyday thanks to their beautiful, muted colours. Honestly, with a bed that looks and feels as good as this, we won't blame you for never leaving.
Best sheets for the 'gram
There's no easier way to make your room look insta-worthy than with a set of The Sheet Society sheets. We love this Melbourne-based company because they back their good-looking natural fabrics up with serious quality. Over 2,000 happy customers have left rave reviews on their site, and it's not hard to see why. Whether you're a moss green corduroy person, or a terracotta waffle-r, they've got you covered.
But The Sheet Society's sheets don't just make all your Pinterest dreams come true. They're designed with real Aussies in mind. Instead of buttons, The Sheet Society's doona covers have zippers, and their fitted sheets have a wide 3cm band that stops them from shifting in the night. We also love that you can mix and match when you buy a set, so you'll get the exact combo you want. Their two staple products are a durable Eden cotton, and French flax linen.
You might think The Sheet Society prizes style over substance, but review after review raves about just how soft their sheets are. The only thing we weren't such a fan of was their ethical transparency. While there's a lot of general information about how natural fibres are made, there's very little info about exactly how The Sheet Society's sheets are sustainably produced. On the plus side, they do ship using zero-plastic packaging.
Best linen sheets
Aussie-owned company BedThreads make flax linen sheets that are beautifully cool. We mean that in both senses of the word. Because linen is a breezy fabric that allows easy airflow, it's ideal for hot summer nights. Linen is also super-absorbent, so it wicks perspiration away from your skin to keep you cool. Like bamboo, linen also has thermoregulating properties.
BedThreads' linen is made from 100% French flax. Unlike other crops used to make fabric, flax requires little water, and the entire linen crop is used. BedThreads pride themselves on being a carbon neutral company too, so you can rest easy knowing your bed sheets are made by an ethically-minded bunch. What's more, they'll make your bedroom look like something out of a European arthouse film.
What we love about BedThreads is that they cut out the middle man, which makes their French linen more affordable. Their 170GSM sheets are durable, getting softer as you use them. You can also buy these sheets in a rainbow palette of colours, including lavender, fog, turmeric, and ruby, as well as classic white. Just like we said - beautiful and cool.
Best winter sheets
A warm set of sheets can be hard to find, but we've done the digging, and we reckon these Pillow Talk Essentials flannelette sheets get it spot on. A far cry from childhood memories of scratchy PJs, they're brushed to be softer. They're also warm and insulating while still being lightweight. We reckon these Pillow Talk Essentials sheets are the best flannel sheets for cold winters in Adelaide, Melbourne, or Tassie.
They come in a great range of modern, muted colours to suit every bedroom. Think charcoal, aqua, navy, blush and more. They’re made with Oeko-tex certified cotton. This means they’re made in an eco-friendly way and are free from any harmful chemicals.
If you're looking for a grown-up way to do flannelette in style, these Habitat Melange sheets may be the answer.
Types of sheets
Although bed sheets fall into 1 of 2 types (flat or fitted), it gets a bit tricker when it comes to the best material types for bed sheets. Because the short answer is: it depends who you ask.
Cotton manufacturers will tell you it's cotton, bamboo sheet sellers will say it's bamboo, (see our guide to the best bamboo sheets) but your 4-year old cousin might tell you it's cellophane. Most sheets are made from plant-based materials, like cotton, eucalyptus, or flax. These fibres are usually breathable and thermoregulating. They draw moisture away from the skin and dry quickly so it evaporates, leaving you cool or cosy depending on the season.
Synthetic materials and thicker natural materials hold heat better, which is ideal for cooler climates. Natural materials 'breathe', so a medium-weight sheet from a natural material should take you from summer through to winter. If it's softness you're after, look for fabrics spun with a higher quality thread. Well-treated threads are like happy chooks - they lay better eggs (or in this case, sheets). This is why thread count makes less of a difference than you might think - it's quality, not quantity.
What we looked for
No matter what you're looking for in a sheet set, there's a fabric that will cater. Traditional fibres like cotton and linen wick moisture away while ensuring breathability, as do modern materials like eucalyptus and bamboo. Synthetic fibres aren't as breathable, but they trap the heat in nicely.
Beautifully coloured sheets bring a little more joy to your room, although matching them can be a nightmare. If you want your sheets to match your pillowcases, try to buy them in a set, rather than separately, in case your preferred hue runs out of stock or gets discontinued.
Most companies selling plant-based sheets like cotton, linen, or bamboo focused on how sustainable their products were, without giving much info about what that meant. While plant-based sheets are made from renewable resources, conventional farming techniques can still use a lot of water, produce waste, or subject workers to poor conditions. Organic certifications will give you a good idea of sustainability, but these products cost more. If eco-friendliness is important to you, it's worth hunting around to see whether a company gives you any specifics, or whether it's just spin.
Good sheets should last you at least a couple of years, so they're something worth investing in. Most sheet sets we looked at cost between $100-$300, but if you don't have that kind of cash to splash, it could be worth holding out for a sale. In the long run, it's cheaper to buy one set of high-quality sheets than it is to replace your sheets every year or so.
Common questions
What does 'thread count' mean?
If you're stressing out over the best thread count for sheets, don't worry. It turns out it's not a reliable indicator of sheet quality. If a sheet has thread count of 400, that means it has 400 threads woven into each square inch of fabric. At the same time, there's no industry standard, so manufacturers can count threads however they like. One square inch of sheet usually only fits around 500 single-ply threads.
This means that 800 thread count sheets made with two-ply thread could be woven in the same way as 400 thread count single-ply sheets. You'd think the 800 count sheets would be better, but given that multi-ply threads are more brittle, your sheets could pill quicker, or won't last long. In this case, the 400 thread count sheets are probably a better pick.
Thread quality is a much better indicator for good sheets. Egyptian cotton, for example, is prized for its long fibre lengths. Its threads are longer than other cottons, making for a softer, more durable fabric with fewer splices in between. They won't pill like cheap sheets, because they're made with longer, continuous threads. That's why you'll hear sheet sellers talking more about the material they make their sheets with, rather than the thread count.
If you're buying linen, you might see 'GSM' being thrown around instead. GSM stands for 'grams per square meter'. GSM is similar to thread count, but it gives you more info about the weight of the thread, over the number of threads. If fabric has a GSM of 160, it means a square metre will weigh 160 grams. While GSM might give you a rough idea of how heavy a fabric is, different weaves and fibres have different densities, so higher GSM fabrics aren't always thicker than lower GSM fabrics.
Are sheets eco-friendly?
'Eco-friendly' is often just a PR term, like 'natural' or 'organic.' Higher-quality sheets often come with independent certifications, which help verify the label isn't just marketing spin. Some fabrics, like Ettitude's bamboo fabric, are certified to Oeko-Tex standard, which certifies they're free from harmful chemicals. This is a good one to look out for, but organic options are also ideal for skin sensitivities, allergies, or eczema. You might also see sheets certified to 'Global Organic Textile Standard', like the Blessed Earth sheets.
Independent certifications are usually difficult to get, and organic fabric certifications like GOTS require that fabrics are grown and produced according to strict guidelines. Even with this accreditation, sheets can still be produced in a way that's harmful to the environment. Viscose rayon sheets made from bamboo, for example, can be produced with a solvent that causes air and water pollution, as well as health issues for the people making the sheets.
Lyocell, or TENCEL, used by companies like Koala, is considered to be a more environmentally-friendly way to make fabric. This method dissolves plant pulp and spins it into a strong cellulose fibre, which is much easier on the environment than other fabric production methods. On the other hand, it can be pricey. Microfiber is much cheaper, but synthetic threads cause water pollution as you wash your sheets. If you're eco-conscious, it's worth making a bit of an investment when it comes to sheets.
What's the deal with different weaves?
Aside from thread count, GSM, and different kinds of fabrics, you might also hear sheet sellers talking about different weaves. Flannel is usually made from cotton, and is brushed to create a soft, teddy bear-like texture. Tightly-woven percale weaves produce a nice, crisp sheet, while sateen weaves use vertical threads that make for a silk-like texture. At the same time, sateen sheets are less durable. Twill weaves, as used by Koala, produce a luxurious, drapey fabric that's soft to the touch.
Microfiber fabrics are made from super-fine synthetic fibres, and get less wrinkly, but can also be a little sweaty. Higher-quality sheets are sometimes made from damask, jacquard, or dobby, too. These weaves are more decorative, and are finely woven. If your sheets start to pill, it's usually a sign of a lower-quality fabric made with shorter threads. Friction creates wear, so hot water, harsh chemicals, or tumble-drying may make pilling worse.
Sources
- 'Best Sheets & Blankets', Product Review
- 'What does thread count mean?', CHOICE
- 'Why Linen Sheets Don't Have a Thread Count', BedThreads
- 'The Best Sheets', Wirecutter
- 'A Guide to Bed Sheets, Bedding Weaves and Fabrics', The Spruce