9 best bedding sets for a great night’s sleep

Expecting high-thread-count bedding to come with an equally high price tag? Think again. This set from Next is astonishingly reasonable, yet made from 400 thread count Egyptian cotton, which felt far more expensive on our bed.

It comes in 10 go-with-everything colours, including bottle green and blush pink. We tested the silver, which was a very pale grey that looked really stylish and won’t be quite as high maintenance as brilliant white.

The bedding set has a very slight sheen and felt silky smooth on our skin, ensuring we were never too cold or warm. It washed well too, and felt softer after every wash, needing only the quickest iron to keep it looking pristine – though it didn’t look terrible when we skipped the ironing completely.

The perfect way to get a better sleep – without the cost keeping you up at night. Prices range from £50 for a single duvet cover and pillowcase set to £82 for a super king set.

Give your bedroom a glow-up without spending a fortune with this exceptionally well-priced set. It comes in a range of appealing colours, including a dusty pink and all-white, but we tested the platinum, which was a tasteful pale grey that would look good on any bed.

Made from recycled polyester, it’s perfect if you want no-maintenance bedding, as it doesn’t crease like cotton and is easily machine-washed and tumble-dried. We found that if we whipped it straight out of the drier and put it back on the bed, it barely creased at all.

It was remarkably soft to sleep under too and felt breathable, so would be perfect for summer, though may not suit anyone looking for crisper, weightier sheets. Prices range from £15 for a single duvet cover and pillowcase set to £30 for a super king set.

Our bedroom instantly looked more polished when we put on this bedding from The White Company – even if it comes at a considerable cost. Beautifully smooth and silky, it has a very slight sheen, which gives it a hint of glamour. Feeling soft straight from the packet, it’s made from 400-thread count cotton sateen, yet we found it surprisingly light to sleep under and it seemed to skim over us rather than lying heavily on top.

The set comes with a 1.5cm bound edge, which is available in four colours, plus all-white, and we tested the white set with navy trim. We thought this would look a little austere on our bed, but the navy had a real elegance that looked smart even when we’d hurriedly pulled the duvet up rather than making the bed properly (don’t judge us). It also washed well, though we did find it needed a quick iron to keep it looking its best.

A real luxe investment buy that will make going to bed every night feel like a treat. Prices range from £28 for a pillowcase to £135 for a super king duvet.

Egyptian cotton might feel heavenly but it’s hellish to keep it looking good. This bedding from Hampton & Astley is made of a fabric developed by the brand to resist creases. We were sceptical, but ultimately impressed. You can’t throw away your iron entirely, but the bedding only needs a quick once over to keep it looking good. We also put it on our bed without any ironing and the minimal creasing didn’t bother us at all – a huge improvement on ordinary Egyptian cotton.

The bedding is blissfully soft too, with a sheen that makes it feel more like silk than cotton. Made of 300-thread count Egyptian cotton sateen, it’s heavy enough to be warm on cold nights but never feels overly weighty or restrictive. It also washed beautifully.

This is not a cheap bedding set, so we’d definitely save it for the main bedroom only. Prices range from £51.30 for a pillowcase to £137.50 for a super king duvet cover with a pair of pillowcases.

Proof you don’t have to break the bank to languish under Egyptian cotton each night, this brilliantly priced range of bedding is a great high street buy. Plus, it comes in nearly 20 chic colours, from mink to slate blue, so you can revamp your bedroom in moments.

It’s made from 230 thread count Egyptian cotton, which felt cool on the skin and is suitably lightweight, so never felt stuffy. It definitely benefits from washing once or twice before the initial use to maximise softness, but then it’s a dream to snuggle under.

StayNew™ technology also gives it a non-iron finish which, although not quite crease-free, definitely helped keep our sheets looking good with minimal effort. Extra points for the plastic-free cardboard packaging too. Prices range from £17.50 for two pillowcases to £59 for a super king duvet cover.

Scooms was established when married founders, Emily and Jonathan, moved back to Surrey from California and couldn’t find the quality of bedding they were looking for that wouldn’t aggravate Emily’s dust mite allergy.

Their own range of bedding is made from 600-thread-count Egyptian cotton sateen with a marrow stitch cord on the border. Available in four sizes, the cotton bedding has a beautiful simplicity about it – it only comes in a crisp white; the duvet cover has large, easy to use buttons; and the sateen material has an elegant, hotel-style lustre. It’s also Oeko-Tek Standard 100 verified, proving it’s been tested against harmful toxins and chemicals. We especially loved the fact that nothing comes packaged in plastic but in reusable cotton bags, which gets a big thumbs up from us.

Better still, you can try the bedding for 60 nights to make sure it’s perfect, or can return it for a full refund. But we’re pretty sure you won’t want to be parted from these sheets. Prices range from £35 for a pair of standard pillowcases to £120 for a super king duvet cover, but bundles offer a saving of five per cent.

It’s not easy finding bedding if you have a less common-sized mattress but Soak & Sleep has you covered. Duvet covers include the hard-to-find emperor size, while sheets come in a range of options from small single to Euro king for almost any bed size you can think of.

The bedding feels gorgeous too. Made of 600 thread count Egyptian sateen, it’s exceptionally smooth and a little weightier than some bedding we tried, so felt extra snug – we found it especially hard to get up in the morning tucked up in this.

The bedding did need a careful iron to keep the creases at bay after washing and even a shot of steam to banish the worse ones. On the plus side, the duvet fastens with ties rather than fiddly buttons, which made ironing a little easier.

Prices range from £32 for a standard pair of pillowcases to £115 for an emperor duvet cover, but bundles include a saving of five per cent

Another brilliant buy from Next for anyone looking for no-hassle bedding. Plush Egyptian cotton might look pristine straight from the packet but it can take a bit of effort to keep it that way. Buying bedding made with a blend of fabric means you get all the airy smoothness of cotton but with the fast-drying, non-iron wonder of polyester.

This set can be washed, dried and back on the bed in no time at all, and looks crease-free without going near an iron. We also liked the fact that it’s reversible, meaning you can just flip it over when you fancy a new look. We tested the stylish pink geometric set, but it also comes in a great range of other colours and patterns, including monochrome stripes, a pale lilac with a daisy pattern and white and yellow florals.

Just don’t forget to wash it at least once before use, as it does feel a little stiff initially but soon softens. Prices range from £32 for a single duvet cover and pillowcase set to £68 for a super king set.

Linen bedding like this Catarina set from Woolroom is definitely having a moment. A refreshing alternative to the immaculate hotel look most of us fail to live up to, linen is made to look relaxed and stay crumpled, so you can say goodbye to ironing sheets for good. Plus, it’s hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial and breathable, making it a great choice for allergy sufferers, with excellent temperature-regulating properties for year-round comfort.

This bedding is woven in the Guimaraes region of northern Portugal and individually piece dyed – we tested the ivory colour, which is a great neutral shade with a softer look than bright white. Although the bedding didn’t feel as soft as we expected when we first took it out of the packet, linen softens with every wash and we really noticed the difference. Despite feeling exceptionally light, it was also curiously cosy on chilly nights and has made us a full-time linen convert.

Prices range from £13.99 for a standard pillowcase to £146.99 for a super king duvet cover, but there is 35 per cent off when a full set is bought together.