Best Queen Sheet Sets

Buying guide for Best queen sheet sets

Your mattress and pillow play the starring roles in your bedroom, keeping your spine, hips, shoulders, and head properly aligned for the most restorative sleep possible. But a soft, comfortable set of sheets dazzles in its supporting role, pampering your skin and helping regulate your body temperature while you slumber. If you sleep on a queen-size mattress, you need a good set of queen sheets.

If you’re in the market for a new set of queen sheets, the many choices available might be a bit bewildering. There are so many types of fabric and weave and different thread counts, how do you know which is best for your needs? It’s enough to keep you awake at night. 

That’s why we at BestReviews have done the research for you. Our buying guide offers you some tips on what you should know before choosing your next set of queen bed sheets.

A queen sheet set contains a fitted sheet, flat sheet, and two pillowcases.

Key considerations

If you have a queen-size mattress, you need queen-size sheets. Buying those sheets in a set, which typically contains one flat sheet, one fitted sheet, and two pillowcases, is convenient and generally less expensive than buying the sheets and pillowcases separately. When contemplating your many options, it helps to be familiar with weave, thread count, and fabrics.

Weave

There are two common weaves when it comes to cotton sheets: percale and sateen.

Percale: In a percale weave, the cotton fabric has the same number of threads running vertically (called the warp) as it does running horizontally (called the weft.) The cotton is combed for softness, and the threads are tightly woven, producing a fabric that has a crisp, cool feel that many people love. If you tend to sleep hot, cotton percale sheets are your best choice.

Sateen: A sateen weave (don’t confuse this with satin, which is a fabric, not a weave) has more threads in the warp than the weft. This produces a very silky, lightweight fabric with a slight sheen. If you crave the softest sheets possible, a sateen weave is your best choice. These sheets are not quite as durable as percale sheets, however, and are also more likely to pill.

Thread count

Take a square inch of fabric, add the number of threads in the warp to the number of threads in the weft, and you get the fabric’s thread count. Many people assume that the higher the thread count, the better quality the sheets. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple, and in fact, many manufacturers of ultra-high thread count sheets artificially inflate the numbers by twisting extra threads into the weft and then counting them separately.

As a general rule, a thread count of 400 to 600 is the best choice if you want warm, somewhat heavy sheets, and 200 to 400 for a lighter, cooler fabric. Keep in mind that the higher the thread count, the more delicate the fabric, so if you’re choosing sheets for a child’s bed, you can go even lower, to around 250.

Fabrics

Cotton: The fabric of choice for most people is 100% cotton. It’s hard to match cotton sheets for comfort, breathability, and durability. If you get night sweats, you may want to invest in good cotton sheets. But there are a few terms to know when it comes to cotton sheets.

• Long-fiber cotton is the most desirable type. This variety of cotton produces the softest, most luxurious fabric.

• Egyptian cotton is the gold standard of the sheet fabric world. This is the highest-quality long-fiber cotton.

• Pima cotton, sometimes sold under the brand name Supima, is an American-grown long-fiber cotton.

• Combed cotton fibers have been mechanically combed to remove rough or short fibers. Most long-fiber cotton is combed. Combed cotton sheets are softer and more luxurious than regular cotton sheets.

• Cotton sheets that don’t specify Egyptian, Pima, Supima, or long-fiber cotton are generally lower-quality short-fiber cotton. These sheets are economical, but they won’t have the soft, smooth feel of long-fiber cotton.

Flannel: Brushed to produce a fuzzy nap, flannel sheets are usually 100% cotton or a cotton/poly blend and are toasty warm on cold winter nights.

Jersey knit: Often called “T-shirt” sheets, jersey knit sheets are made from a stretchy, soft fabric that feels wonderful against your skin. Typically, these sheets are either 100% cotton or a cotton/poly blend.

Cotton/poly: The most common fabric for inexpensive bed sheets, cotton/poly blends are durable, have a crisp feel, resist wrinkling, but sometimes pill. They aren’t breathable like 100% cotton sheets, however.

Microfiber: Although often sold as a substitute for Egyptian cotton, microfiber, while very soft and silky, is a synthetic polyester fabric. Like most synthetics, it can be hot, and it also tends to hold on to oil stains, lint, and pet hair. Note that manufacturers often make grandiose claims for microfiber sheet thread counts, but these numbers are misleading because microfiber, as the name implies, is woven with extremely fine threads.

Bamboo: You might think bamboo sheets are 100% natural, but the bamboo fibers are actually chemically processed into rayon. Still, these sheets are breathable, naturally antimicrobial and hypoallergenic, and feel soft and comfortable against the skin.

Modal: Another natural material chemically processed into rayon, Modal is sourced from beech tree pulp. These sheets are very durable and don’t pill. They also become softer with every trip through the washer and dryer.

Silk: The ultimate in bedtime luxury, silk sheets are very delicate, expensive, and high maintenance. You’ll usually need to wash these by hand.  

Features

Size

Fitted sheet: A queen mattress measures 60 x 80 inches, and so does the typical fitted queen sheet. What can vary is the thickness of the mattress: A thin mattress might be as little as 10 inches deep, while other mattresses, especially those with pillow tops, might measure up to 18 inches in depth. Before purchasing sheets, check that the fitted sheet is deep enough to fully wrap around the sides of your mattress. The best fitted sheets have an elastic edging around the entire sheet perimeter, but some inexpensive sheets only have elastic at the corners. 

Top sheet: Typically, the top sheet in a queen sheet set measures 90 x 102 inches, giving you plenty of fabric to tuck in when making the bed. 

Pillowcases: Most queen bed sheet sets contain two standard pillowcases, which are typically 20 x 26 inches, but some sets contain queen pillowcases, which measure 20 x 30 inches.

Color and pattern

When it comes to the color and pattern (if any) of your sheets, it’s entirely up to personal preference. Many people choose to stick with solid white or off-white, but you’ll also find a huge range of pastels, brights, neutrals, and even black sheets. Patterns range from simple stripes, dots, and florals to dizzying paisleys, animal prints, cartoon characters, and holiday designs.

Queen sheet set prices

You’ll find a wide price range for queen sheet sets, depending on the size, fabric, and manufacturer. Generally, these sets cost more than twin sheets but less than king bedding.

Inexpensive

Almost all the queen sheet sets selling for less than $30 are microfiber, but you’ll also find some cotton/poly blends, as well as cotton sheets with a very low thread count. Children’s bedding sets are often in this range as well.

Mid-range

Spend between $30 and $70 and you’ll find the widest selection of just about every type of sheet. While not the very top of the line, you can buy excellent 100% cotton, Modal, bamboo, flannel, and jersey sheets in this range.

Expensive

Spend more than $70 and you’ll find the highest-quality Egyptian cotton, organic cotton, bamboo, and Modal queen sheet sets. You’ll pay much more for silk sheets, which can cost $200 or more for a set.

Tips

• Wash your sheets weekly. You want to remove allergens, shed skin cells, body oils, and sweat. You can wash cotton sheets in hot water, but most other fabrics require cool to warm temperatures to avoid damaging the fibers. This is especially true of bamboo and Modal sheets.

• Pretreat any potential stains. Treating stains is especially important with microfiber sheets.

• Don’t mix your sheets with other laundry. Sheets tend to bind and wrap other items in the wash, which will prevent other garments from getting a thorough cleaning.

• Protect your sheets in the wash. Fold your sheets in half, and then in half the other direction, before placing them in the washer. This helps cut down on fabric wear during the spin cycles.

• Fluff out the sheets before placing them in the dryer. This helps them dry quickly and evenly.

• Remove your sheets as soon as the dryer cycle finishes. Either fold them and store them in a linen closet or put them on your bed. This cuts down on wrinkles. Keeping sheet sets together makes it easy when it’s time to change the sheets.

Wash your sheets weekly to remove allergens, sweat, oils, and shed hairs.

FAQ

Q. What kind of sheets are the warmest?

A. If you tend to get chilly at night, look for a set of cozy and warm cotton flannel sheets. The lightly brushed fabric has a slight nap, which not only feels wonderful against your skin but also helps hold in body heat. When buying flannel, flannel weight, not thread count, is important. Flannel weight is measured in ounces per square yard. Look for sheets with at least a 5-ounce weight, although higher will be warmer. By contrast, regular cotton sheets generally weigh around 3 ounces per square yard.

Q. I want eco-friendly sheets. What are my options?

A. One of the most popular types of eco-friendly yet still comfortable sheets is 100% organic cotton. You get all the benefits of long-staple cotton sheets, but the cotton is grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and the fabric is either left natural or dyed with organic dye. Bamboo is another fairly green choice. While the bamboo is chemically processed into rayon, the plant itself grows very quickly and requires far less water and fertilizer than cotton.  

Q. What are the softest sheets?

A. The very softest sheets are generally silk, but those might be beyond your budget, or you might not want to be bothered with their delicate care requirements. The next softest sheets are sateen-weave, 100% Egyptian or Pima cotton, although microfiber sheets are also very soft. If budget is a concern, go with the microfiber set. If you prefer pampering, choose the cotton.