Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?

TikTok Trials: Does Next’s sell-out self tan sheet protector actually work?

This is your answer to stain-free bedsheets

Daisy Lester
Friday 15 July 2022 10:48 BST
Costing just £20, it’s no suprise that the satin sleeping bag previously sold out
Costing just £20, it’s no suprise that the satin sleeping bag previously sold out (iStock/The Independent)

As any avid fake tanner knows, besides from the telltale orange hands, questionable elbows, streaky legs or missed pale patches, stained bedsheets are part and parcel of a fake-it-till-you-make-it glow. But is there a way to prevent this orange silhouette that’s left behind when you wake? Well, yes.

When market leader Bondi Sands launched its fake tan protector sheet (£29.99, Bondisands.co.uk), we were instantly sold on the idea of a transfer-free dividing layer between you and your sheets.

Effectively designed to be a silky pouch that you can slip into to prevent your tan rubbing off, the sheet not only let our tan develop more nicely but also saved our crisp clean bedsheets from orange stains.

But in recent months, a new affordable rival has arrived on the scene and quickly took TikTok by storm. Garnering rave reviews on the platform, Next’s £20 tan sheet protector soon sold out – but now, it’s finally back in stock.

Coming in four colourways – black, grey, navy and pink – the high street favourite claim to have designed a pouch that allows you to sleep comfortably in your tan, minus the mess. You simply hook the top of the product onto your pillows, slip yourself inside and place your duvet over the top. Costing £10 less than its market competitor, as part of our TikTok trials series, we naturally had to put it to the test.

Read more:

How we tested

Slotting it into our weekly tanning routine, we considered how comfortable it was to sleep in and above all, how well it protected our sheets (and our tan developing, of course). Here’s our honest review.

Next self tan sheet protector

next sheet .jpg

Buy now £20, Next.co.uk

Design

Next’s sheet protector is essentially a silky, slimmed down sleeping bag made from polyester. After unfolding the sheet and laying it down on our mattress, we were pleased to discover it was a lot wider than other more claustrophobic protector sheets we’ve tried.

The design features a handy slot for your pillow that prevents transfer from your face and neck, while there’s also additional fabric to fold over your duvet if you sleep with your arms out. After applying our tan, we slipped into the bag (no duvet was necessary in the midst of a heatwave) and secured ourselves in with one popper on each side.

Results

Being a relatively fussy sleeper, we found the sheet protector surprisingly comfortable and cocooning. The roomy design meant there was plenty of room for any tossing and turning during the night while the polyester, silk-effect fabrication felt cool on our skin (a blessing during said heatwave).

But the true test is the results in the morning. Peeling away the sheet, we found no traces of tan and best of all, after showering to wash away any residue we found that our tan had developed much more deeply than it would sans the protector.

The sheet is only really necessary after a first application of tan to avoid initial residue transferring onto your sheets, but if you’re very protective of your sheets, there’s no reason why you can’t use the sleeping bag throughout the week as your tan slowly fades.

Next’s sheet also comes with a drawstring bag for storage between uses – plus, it’s machine washable making it easy to keep clean after every use.

The verdict: Next self tan bed sheet protector

As someone who tans every week and has invested in nice white sheets, Next’s sheet protector is a more than welcome addition to our tanning arsenal. Comfortable and cosy, we felt no difference in our ability to sleep – while there was also the added benefits of its cooling silk-effect design.

Beyond its ability to keep our sheets transfer-free, the bag also helped our tan develop into a deeper and more bronzed colour. Costing just £20, we’re a very happy convert to Next’s tan sheet protector.

  1. £20 from Next.co.uk
Prices may vary
Back to top

Voucher codes

For the latest discounts on beauty products, try the links below:

Stock up for summer and beyond with our round-up of the best fake tans

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in