Difference Between Linen and Cotton Bedding | Which is Best?

Choosing the right bedding is one of the most important decisions for your home. It’s the first thing you feel when you slide into bed and the last thing you touch when you wake up, so finding the perfect fabric is a recipe for a blissful night's sleep. But with so many lovely options, where do you begin? Two of the most popular choices are  cotton  and  linen bedding , both wonderful natural materials loved for their comfort and style.

But, which is better for your bed, cotton or linen? It’s a debate as old as the hills, and one Molly could waffle on about for hours (yippee). Both are wonderful natural fibres and make great sheets, but they have very different qualities and also feel completely different.

So, before you get your duvet in a twist deliberating the yays and nays of each, let's take a deeper look into what makes both these materials so brill. We'll explore the difference between linen and cotton sheets, helping you decide what is the best type of sheets for your perfect night's sleep.

Made from flax fibres, linen has been grown for thousands of years and is one of the world’s oldest and most prized fabrics; it was even the textile of choice for Roman togas. Thought of as nature's wicking fibre, linen has unique filtering and moisture-absorbing qualities, making it resistant to bacteria and the perfect non-allergenic bedding.

Simply put, linen can absorb up to 20% of its weight in moisture before ever feeling damp. This makes our  100% linen bedding  a fab choice for warm sleepers.

Bulldogs, Mick Jagger, and your much-loved sweater all prove that wrinkles are great. That's why, despite linen being notoriously prone to creasing, we think every crumple adds to its charm. Perfectly imperfect, it creates a relaxed look that’s both chic and wonderfully inviting.

Like all good things, linen gets better with time, and softer with each wash. For maximum snuggability, we recommend washing at a cool 40-degree temperature. Then, get the bunting out, because one of the best things about 100% linen is there’s no need to iron. Throw it straight from the line onto your bed and try to resist jumping straight in. 

You can find more tips in  our linen bedding care guide.  

If you’re a stickler for polished perfection and a crease-free bed, our  cotton bedding collection  is the one for you. The cotton plant yields fluffy clusters called bolls that, once woven, make fibres that are significantly finer than linen. Unlike linen, which softens over time, cotton is at its cushiest the moment it’s removed from the packaging.

Depending on your preferred feel, you can take your pick from our choice of cotton finishes:

•  Percale Cotton:  For a crisp, cool hotel-style finish that's light and breathable.

•  Sateen Cotton:  For a silky-smooth feel with a subtle, luxurious sheen.

•  Washed Cotton:  For that relaxed, easy-going feel from the very first night.

Caring for cotton requires a little more effort, especially if you want to achieve percale’s crisp finish. It’s best not to wash your sheets with non-textile items (no trainers or zips please) and to avoid overloading your machine. Dry flat or on a washing line, then use a medium to hot iron to smooth your folded  pillowcases , duvet covers, and sheets. To turn ironing into a treat rather than a chore, pour a glass of vino and whack the radio up.

Read  our cotton bedding care guide  here.