Difference in Materials

When it comes to bed sheets, there are lots of different materials to choose from. If you’re not sure which is right for you, read our guide.

Flannelette

Flannelette is a thick, yet lightweight material that is extremely durable – you can run it through the washer and dryer lots of times before it will show any sign of wear. It is made out of loosely spun cotton and is a breathable fabric. Flannelette is also known as brushed cotton. The brushing process creates a soft pile on the sheet, which holds the warmth in well and creates that soft, cosy feel!

Flannelette sheets are available in a variety of colours and sizes and are a popular choice for baby’s cots. If you are looking for an inexpensive option, flannelette is a good choice. it comes to bed sheets, there are lots of different materials to choose from.

Jersey

Jersey sheets are super soft and stretchy to give you a comfy night’s sleep. They have fantastic colour fastness and can be machine washed at 40˚C and tumble dried. Jersey is a knit fabric and breathable to make warm summer nights comfortable. It’s a similar texture to a t-shirt and was first manufactured on the Island of Jersey – hence the name!

Terry Towelling

Terry fabric has a cotton pile and is most commonly used to make bath towels – so is very soft on your skin. It has an uncut loop and is soft and breathable so ideal for summer. Terry sheets are machine washable and can be used as an additional protector for your mattress. They are also very stretchy!

Polyester Cotton

Polyester is a man-made fabric that stays wrinkle free – which is perfect if you don’t like ironing sheets!  It keeps its shape too so can withstand lots of washes and tumble drying whilst maintaining quality. The polyester cotton mix helps keep the natural soft feel and cool qualities of cotton, while bringing the easy care qualities of polyester. The polyester cotton mix also makes them a cost effective option against 100% cotton sheets.

Egyptian Cotton / 100% Cotton

Egyptian Cotton is traditionally an extremely high quality fabric. The cotton is grown in humid conditions along the banks of the River Nile, which helps long cotton fibres to grow. It’s these long cotton fibres that make Egyptian Cotton unique, soft and long-lasting.

100% Cotton sheets are a natural product and so ideal if you want to avoid man-made fabrics. Cotton bed linen is soft and smooth, providing a better quality fabric than a polyester cotton mix. Pure cotton sheets are also much cooler and while they are still very durable they do require more ironing than polyester cotton sheets! Compared to Egyptian Cotton sheets, general cotton sheets have smaller threads but are still soft and durable.

Micro-fibre

Micro-fibre is fine strands of polyester. It has the easy care characteristics of polyester while it is softer to touch due to the finer fibres.

Micro-fibre sheets are lightweight and ideal for people with allergies, as allergens don’t get trapped in the fibres. This is a man-made fabric with very fine fibres that is easy cleaned.