Linen Bedding Review
blog post UPDATED AS OF 1/6/2023
I bought our first set of linen sheets right before we moved into this house. We had sold/donated just about everything we owned, Tyler’s full bed from college and mattress included (ha!), and were living in a 500 sqft studio apartment since we sold our previous house in seven hours. It was a crazy time. Actually, we moved in with my parents for a few weeks because our lease was up but the house wasn’t finished quite yet. Oy vey!
Once we officially moved into our home, we bought a new (queen!) mattress, splurged on quality linen sheets, and slept on the floor of our main bedroom for over six months. Fancy, right? I vowed to make slow and conscious choices about the items we brought into this home, even it if meant living like squatters. It hasn’t always been easy, but it sure has made for a home filled with things we love. We’ve since made several additional bedding purchases, both for our main bedroom, the guest bedroom, and even for Marin’s room, but one thing has remained the same. All of it has been LINEN. I’m hooked!
Why linen? I think bedding and sleep in general is such a personal thing, but Tyler and I are both hot sleepers. Linen breathes extremely well and is perfect for all seasons. I also love the natural feel of the fibers. It softens with wear and always looks and feels cozy. Even better, I’ve found it holds up extremely well to lots of wear and tear.
Below are the brands we’ve tried in alphabetical order and my thoughts on each. I’ve included the products purchased along with pricing, sales, pros, cons, and overall thoughts. Should we try any additional brands in the future, I will be sure to add them to this review as well.
t h e c i t i z e n r y
The Citizenry is a globally inspired decor brand. They work directly with artisan partners around the world with fair trade standards to bring small batch goods direct to the consumer without the traditional industry mark-ups. They personally travel to each country and use only local materials and traditional techniques but with their own modern style. Their goods are beautiful, timeless, and some of the most well-loved items in our home.
WHAT WE’VE TRIED: Stonewashed Linen Sheet Set (Graphite Stripe, Camel), Asha Runner, Sanjay Ottoman (large), Mercado Storage Baskets (medium & large) - similar
PRICE: $275 for queen sheet set
WHEN: April 2020 - Present
PROS
Flat sheet included in sheet set.
French flax linen is beautiful and timeless. The graphite stripe that we have is especially beautiful and different than anything else I’ve seen on the market.
Woven in the oldest, family-run linen mill in Portugal, each piece is Oeko-Tex® certified and made sustainably in a fair-trade working environment.
Pillowcases come with end envelope closure which looks a little… fancier? I’m not all that picky about my pillow case design, but I’ll admit I do like end envelope better than back envelope.
CONS
Cost. $275 for a queen sheet set is a lot to spend, although they have recently been offering sales/discounts on bedding.
We’ve had two linen sheet sets and one cotton sheet set. While I was extremely impressed with our first linen set (graphite thin stripe), I’m not sure if the material has changed or if our second set was a fluke, but we have had a HECK OF A TIME with pilling/fuzz/shedding this time around. We got the camel set in April 2022. After just eight months, the sheets are literally thread bare and starting to get holes. The camel colored “fuzz” is all over our rug and bedroom ALL THE TIME. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before! The sheets are legitametly disintegrating in less than a year. I’m shocked. I initially wondered if it was because I only line-dry our bedding, so I attempted to put everything in the dryer to see if it would “suck up” the fuzz. I think it has only made it worse.
It could be that our mattress (Leesa) is smaller than average, but we found the fitted sheet to run smaller than other brands. Not necessarily a problem, but something to keep in mind if you have a really plush mattress.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
The Citizenry is a wonderful company. They are doing amazing things and their products are beautiful! Unfortunately, I no longer feel comfortable endorsing their bedding products. We’ve had a heck of a time with everything falling apart in record time.
Partnership Disclosure: We have been gifted a few bedding pieces from The Citizenry in exchange for coverage here on My Simply Simple. As always, all opinions are my own.
f l a x s l e e p
Flax Sleep is a Canadian brand of luxury linen bedding. I stumbled upon them when searching for baby bedding. I’ve never actually tried their queen sheet set, but I did purchase a crib sheet for Marin that I absolutely love. The only downside? They no longer sell baby bedding! I wanted to go ahead and include them in this list, however, because they offer the same quality sheets and color-way that we purchased for Marin, and I think they’re a brand worth checking out.
WHAT WE’VE TRIED: Linen Crib Sheet (Pebble Stripe) - similar
PRICE: $320 for queen sheet set ; FYI - I paid $68 for the crib sheet
WHEN: April 2019 - Present
PROS
Flat sheet included in sheet set.
Quality of crib sheet has been excellent. It’s been washed countless times and still looks and functions like new.
The crib sheet fits Marin’s crib mattress (Newton Living) far better than either of the other two we have on hand. If it’s clean, I ALWAYS use this one.
They occasionally have sales, so you could snag a set at a discounted price. A 20% discount would bring you down to the price of comparable brands.
CONS
Baby bedding no longer sold!
Cost. $320 is a lot, but at least it includes a flat sheet as well.
Not a ton of color options if you’re looking for something more trendy or vibrant.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I really like this brand and would totally buy a back-up crib sheet if they still sold baby bedding. The quality has been phenomenal. Based on cost alone, however, I would opt to spend my money on a queen sheet set elsewhere.
p a r a c h u t e h o m e
Parachute Home launched in 2014 out of Venice, California as an online-only, direct-to-consumer brand focused on creating impeccable bedding. They have since opened several brick and mortar stores and expanded to other home goods, but their bedding is still a top choice in our home. As you can see below, we’ve bought a little of everything from them!
Use this link to save 20% off your Parachute Home purchase during the spring sale 11/21 - 11/28!
WHAT WE’VE TRIED: Linen Duvet Cover (Bone, White, Raisin), Linen Sheet Set (White), Linen Sham Set (Bone & White), Linen Box Quilt (Bone & Surplus), Down Alternative Duvet Insert (All Season), Down Alternative Pillows (Standard Firm), Down Alternative Mattress Pad
PRICE: $209 for queen sheet set
WHEN: March 2017 - Present
PROS
Cost. $209 for a queen sheet set (no top sheet) was what won me over all the way back in 2017. We were on an extremely tight budget at the time, but I was bound and determined to try linen sheets. We learned to really like sleeping without a top sheet, too!
The expanded product offerings are some of the best on the market for the price. We’ve tried a bit of everything and have loved it all - sheets, quilts, inserts, pillows, mattress pad (WORTH EVERY PENNY), everything!
We’ve had several sheet sets that have held up for years. Marin has inherited most of our old bedding, and it’s still in great shape!
They have two sales a year - Memorial Day Weekend and Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Both offer a 20% discount, so I save up every year and make all of our purchases during those sales.
CONS
I purchased some new shams a few months ago, and the package came wrapped in plastic. That’s new and not a change I liked to see. Everything used to come in linen bags (which I continue to use for all kinds of things!).
While we’ve had great exerience with their sheet sets, I haven’t tried anything in the last year or two and I know they’ve changed their linen material in that time. I believe the new linen is softer, but I don’t know if that means it wears any differently (quicker?) over time.
Adding a top sheet to a queen sheet set brings the total to $329 which makes the set right in line with other brands (slightly less during the sale periods), so the cost may not be a pro if you require a top sheet.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Parachute Home has grown a lot over the years and has made a few changes as they scale that may not be my first choice (more plastic), but I’ll admit that the combination of price, quality, and options continues to win me over time after time. We have nothing but positive things to say about their products.
Use this link to save 20% off your Parachute Home purchase during the spring sale 11/21 - 11/28!
Partnership Disclosure: I have been kindly gifted a few items by Parachute Home over the last few years in exchange for coverage here on My Simply Simple, although the majority of products mentioned above have been purchased by me. The link above is an affiliate link in which I may make a small commission on a sale at no additional cost to you. As always, all opinions are my own.
This post is not sponsored or in partnership with any of the aforementioned brands, but the article contains affiliate links. When you shop via the links above, I may make commission on a sale at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.