You shouldn't have to spend a small fortune to sleep well. With the best affordable bed sheets, you don't have to. For less than $100, you can buy bed sheets that look good, feel better, wash well, and lie beautifully on the bed. You just have to know where to find them.
You could pick up budget bed sheets in the clearance section of a specialist sleep store, though you might have better luck shopping at a major homestore. Brands such as Casaluna at Target and RE/FINE at Wayfair offer affordable luxury, while some of the best Amazon bed sheets go for mere pennies. With so much on the market, it can be difficult to tell what is and isn't quality.
That's where I come in. As H&G's resident sleep writer, I've been lucky enough to test some of the world's best bed sheets. I can tell my cotton percale from my cotton sateen, and I know what makes a good sheet set: premium fabrics, expert craftsmanship, and a reasonable price point.
Best affordable bed sheets: tried and trusted
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I know exactly how much you should spend on sheets to get luxury for less. To save you time and money, I've rounded up nine of the best affordable sheet sets to suit every style of sleeper. For clarity, I class anything less than $100 as affordable. That might still sound like a lot to spend on sheets, but it's the price you need to pay for a good night's sleep.
Best affordable bed sheets
Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Material: Microfiber
Colors: 40
OEKO-TEK certified: Yes
+ Great color choice
+ Under $50
- On the thinner side
The Mellanni Queen Sheet Set boasts more than 250,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, and it's not hard to see why. These sheets look good, wash well, and feature deep pockets to accommodate thicker mattresses: all that for less than $50. Sure, the sheets are on the thinner side and they lack a little crispness, but you won't find anything better at this price.
Sizes: Twin, Full, Queen, King
Material: 100% cotton sateen
Colors: 8
OEKO-TEK certified: Yes
+ Suitable for all-seasons
+ Silky-smooth sateen
- Limited size range
For a celebrity sheet set, the Martha Stewart 100% Cotton Bed Sheets are exceptional. One of our expert testers slept on Martha Stewart bedding for a month and she agrees that these sheets have no business looking and feeling as good as they do. Made from 100% cotton and woven into silky-smooth sateen, these sheets should feel soft against your skin, and they only get softer with each cycle in the washing machine. Right now, they're listed for a little under $100, but you can get them for much lower during federal holiday discounts.
Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Material: Bamboo rayon
Colors: 22
OEKO-TEK certified: Yes
+ Naturally thermoregulating
+ Wide color range
- Prone to wrinkling
I'd expect to spend hundreds of dollars on bamboo bedding. I can't quite believe that you can bag these bed sheets for less than $50: it feels like Bedsure are giving them away. Naturally thermoregulating and moisture-wicking, bamboo is built to bust the bacteria that breed in hot, damp environments, such as bedrooms. That's why these sheets are such a great option for hot sleepers. Just don't expect them to look neat: the Bedsure Cooling Sheets are prone to wrinkling.
Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Material: Cotton percale
Colors: 18
OEKO-TEK certified: Yes
+ Cool and crisp
+ Durable
- On the more expensive side
Cotton percale is breathable and durable. It's designed to withstand nightly wear and tear and weather countless cycles in the washing machine. Crisp and cool, cotton percale is the stuff they tend to use on hotel beds. When you shop at The Company Store, you can bring that sort of luxury back to your bedroom. These are some of the more expensive sheets on this list, but I'd encourage you to think of them as an investment: you're spending $100 now to save spending more on multiple, cheaper sheet sets that wear out within the year.
Sizes: Twin, Full, Queen, King
Material: bamboo rayon and linen
Colors: 3
OEKO-TEX certified: Yes
+ Hypoallergenic
+ Designed to fit deep pocket mattresses
- On the more expensive side
In the context of this list, these sheets are on the more expensive side, but they're seriously affordable for a bamboo and linen blend. This mixing of materials means that the Quince Sheet Set is far less likely to wrinkle than a flax linen set. For your money, you get two pillowcases, a flat sheet, and a fitted sheet with deep pockets to accommodate thicker mattresses. Each piece is woven into twill for touchable texture and OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certified free from toxins and chemicals.
Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King, Split King
Material: Cotton and bamboo rayon
Colors: 3
OEKO-TEK certified: Yes
+ Silky-soft
+ Breathable
- Limited color options
Pure bamboo bed sheets go for hundreds of dollars, but this bamboo rayon and cotton blend makes a good substitute. The Brooklyn Bedding Deep Pocket Sheets combine the breathability of bamboo with the durability of cotton to suit hot sleepers and weather the washing machine. Just don't expect many exciting colorways: these sheets only come in silver, white, and khaki.
Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Material: Supima cotton
Colors: 5
OEKO-TEK certified: Yes
+ Sustainably made
+ Saturated colors
- Won't suit all sleepers
Casaluna produce luxury linens at a price that anyone can afford. I love their Supima cotton sheets for their softness and durability. These cotton percale sheets come in a range of colors to complement any bedroom color palette, from dark gray to bright white to splashes of rose and teal. Casaluna use clean dyes that are tested and verified free from harmful substances so that you can breathe cleaner air while you sleep.
Sizes: Twin, Full, Queen, King
Material: Cotton sateen
Colors: 5
OEKO-TEK certified: Yes
+ Wrinkle-resistant
+ Cute pastel colors
- Limited size range
Wayfair just launched its new home collection, RE/FINE, which elevates everyday essentials to little luxuries. RE/FINE stocks all sorts of cotton and linen sheets: I like the look of the Danfield Cotton Sateen Sheet Set. These silky-smooth sheets come in every size, from Twin to King, for no more than $100 a set. Each fitted sheet, flat sheet, and pillowcase is wrinkle-resistant and comes in a range of cute pastels.
Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Material: 100% Polyester Microfiber
Colors: 45
OEKO-TEK certified: Yes
+ Seriously cheap
+ Huge colorway
- Prone to pilling
I couldn't make a list of the best affordable bed sheets and not include the Amazon Basics Sheet Set. I've never seen sheets selling this cheap. Right now, you can pick up a flat sheet, a fitted sheet, and two pillowcases in any conceivable color for less than $20. It's worth noting that each piece is made from polyester microfiber, which traps heat and pills easily. The Amazon Basics Sheet Set won't make it onto the best bed sheets buying guide any time soon, but it might be the best option for buyers on a budget.
How we test the best affordable bed sheets
We put a lot of thought into how we test bed sheets. It's more than a matter of sleeping on the job. We test bed sheets for weeks, if not months, to monitor their performance over time. We sleep through hot summer and cold winters to assess these sheets' thermoregulating properties and determine whether they suit hot or cold sleepers. We consider the look and feel of the sheets, as well as any special features: whether they're antimicrobial to bust bacteria or anti-wrinkle for a beautiful bedspread. We strip our beds, wash the sheets, and make our beds again to see how the best affordable bed sheets weather the washing machine.
We compare all of this against the asking price to work out whether the best affordable bed sheets are worth the money. Where we haven't been able to get our hands on a sheet set, we scour the specifications and read countless customer reviews to make sure we're recommending quality.
How to choose the best affordable bed sheets
We've written an entire article about how to choose bed sheets to suit your sleep needs and budget size. If you don't have time to read the whole thing, here are the highlights.
Outside of sales season, the bare minimum that I'd spend on sheets is $50. Anything lower is likely to be made from polyester, which is widely regarded as the worst bed sheet material: it traps heat, pills easily, and won't last longer than a few washes. Plus, it's terrible for the environment. If you're prepared to look for it, you can find affordable sheets made with premium materials and decent eco-credentials. For quality cheap sheets, try cotton, or bag a bargain on bamboo or linen.
If you're keen to shop sustainably, keep an eye out for an OEKO-TEX certification. It should feature prominently on a care tag or as part of an online product listing. If bed sheets are STANDARD 100 certified, then they're made free from harmful chemicals, such as dyes and bleaches.
Best affordable bed sheets FAQs
How much should bed sheets cost?
You should plan to spend somewhere between $50 and $100 on bed sheets. Much less, and you're paying a low price for a poor product: much more, and you're moving into the territory of the best luxury bedding.
Where can I buy affordable bed sheets?
If you're smart about it, you could pick up a set of the best affordable bed sheets at a specialist sleep store. Sites such as Brooklinen and Quince run regular sales that offer deep discounts on their bed sheets.
If you're buying on a budget, I'd encourage you to consider the range at your local home retailer. At Wayfair, that's RE/FINE, the bedding brand for elevated essentials: at Target, it's Casaluna, which makes luxury linen at a price that everyone can afford.
How do you know if bed sheets are good quality?
Don't be fooled into thinking that a higher thread count means better quality: that's one of the biggest bed sheet mistakes you can make. All thread count indicates is how many threads are woven into one square inch of fabric: that is, how tightly the fabric is woven. If you're a hot sleeper, or you're looking for lighter linens, you might not even want a tight weave, but something looser and more breathable.
When you're shopping for the best affordable bed sheets, it's far more important to consider the quality of the material and the type of weave. Linen and bamboo bed sheets are among the best you can buy. They're naturally thermoregulating to suit all seasons and sleep styles.
Cotton bed sheets are a classic for a reason, but I'd encourage you to shop for long-staple cotton with a single-ply weave: that's what makes thick, durable sheets. Cheaper cotton sheets tend to feature a poly-ply weave, which incorporates thinner threads to achieve the same effect as one thick fiber. Poly-ply sheets tend to pile quicker, and they won't wash as well.
Final thoughts
When you select a set of cheap sheets, you could save hundreds of dollars to spend on what matters most: the best mattress to suit your sleep needs. If you know you need a new mattress, but you're working to a tighter budget, you should narrow to search to the best affordable mattress from stores such as Nectar, Emma, and Leesa.
Once you've bought a set of the best affordable bed sheets, it's important to take good care of them. It's worth learning how to wash bed sheets to extend the life of your linen.
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