Image credit: The Citizenry
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Good organic and non-toxic sheets can be the difference between a poor night’s sleep and a great one. You’re sandwiching yourself between two layers of fabric, which remains in close contact with your skin for hours on end. Multiple factors, including the fabrics, finishes, and dyes used to manufacture your sheets, are actually more important than you might expect. That’s because the stuff your bedding is made from can affect not only your sleep—and your long-term health—but also the environment.
Natural Fabrics: Synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon, which are made from fossil fuels and don’t decompose, are dyed with sensitizing chemicals including azo disperse dyes, which is why they can make you itchy. And they can be manufactured so cheaply and quickly as to be almost disposable. Synthetics are also more likely to retain body odor, even after you run them through the wash.
So, favor brands that use natural materials, such as cotton, linen, and hemp, as well as bamboo lyocell and Tencel. While organic cotton is a great place to start, traceable cotton is a more sustainable option that can support regenerative farming. Also, look for certifications such as Better Cotton Initiative and Responsible Down Standard.
Non-Toxic: To further ensure that your bedding is non-toxic and allergy friendly, choose sheets with an Okeo-Tex, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), or bluesign label, so that you don’t spend your nights absorbing and breathing in toxic chemicals. Also avoid performance qualities such as no-iron, easy-care, or stain resistance, which often involve formaldehyde-based chemistry or perfluorinated chemistry, which have both been linked to cancer and other illnesses.
Ethically Made: Manufacturing bedding is not a complicated process. The least a brand could do is know and share where its product is made, and pay fair wages and ensure a safe workplace. Certifications like Fair Trade and SA8000 make it easier for you to buy from brands that prioritize these crucial elements.
Sustainable Packaging: Look for brands using packaging that contains recyclable or biodegradable materials, like recycled cardboard or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified paper. Steer clear of packaging made from unrecyclable plastics, including any bag-like, stretchy plastics, which are not recyclable.
From cozy to classic, luxurious and basic, we have rounded up our favorite bedding to ensure you have a clean and comfortable sleep.
1. Aizome
What we like: Created with GOTS-certified cotton and medicinal herbs for dyes, Aizome’s bedding is made free of harmful synthetic materials. Its bedding is also dermatologist tested to ensure that products are skin safe and antimicrobial. Aizome manufactures bedding that produces zero wastewater during the manufacturing process, a result of using plant-based dyes like indigo and sumac. Its bedding comes in a range of gorgeous natural colors and textures to suit your style.
Our review: Alden, our editor-in-chief, tested these sheets and said: “These unbleached cotton sheets are ivory colored, so might not match your room if it’s on the bright white side. But I love how soft and satiny they are. The design is very minimal and basic, but the pillowcases have a small pink embroidered logo. If you are prioritizing comfort or have sensitive skin, I think these would be perfect.”
Price range: $49 to $299
2. Coyuchi
What we like: Founded in 1991, Coyuchi has the most comprehensive collection of home textiles out of the bunch, including sheets, towels, pillows, duvets, quilts, rugs, robes, shower curtains, and table linens. All products begin with 100% organic fibers and a traceable supply chain. It relies on guidelines set by the USDA National Organic Program, GOTS, Fairtrade USA, the Textile Exchange, and the International Labor Organization to ensure the products are made to the most sustainable and ethical standards.
Coyuchi offers several circularity programs, including a take-back program and one that repairs and recycles its customers’ sheets. Its packaging is made out of environmentally friendly materials, such as biodegradable poly bags, recycled paper and cardboard and organic cotton bags. Coyuchi has long-lasting relationships with suppliers, many small-to-medium-size family-run companies that use sustainable manufacturing practices, like water recycling, renewable energy, and reduced waste.
Our review: This is EcoCult founder Alden’s go-to brand for super cozy, luxurious sheets. Coyuchi’s bedding has a rustic look perfect for a gorgeous old farmhouse, and lasts for years of heavy use without showing wear and tear.
Price range: $34 to $698
3. SOL Organics
What we like: SOL Organics sheets are made from 100% organic long-staple cotton, grown from non-GMO cottonseed and linen. The brand is Fair Trade-certified and doesn’t use any pesticides, chemical fertilizers, formaldehyde, herbicides, endocrine disruptors, or phthalates. SOL Organics claims that it seeks to provide “Fair Trade at a Fair Price,” so you can view its pricing model on its website. The brand also has a give-back program to provide funding for anti-racism, clean water, animal safety and anti-human trafficking efforts.
Our review: We’ve received a set of sheets and a duvet to try out, and they are perfect for the summertime, as they are cool and crisp. The finishing is minimalist and high quality.
Price range: $14 to $229
4. The Citizenry
What we like: The Citizenry collaborates with workshops and artisans around the world, blending contemporary designs with traditional techniques. By partnering with craftsmen, it achieves premium quality and supports Fair Trade standards. Everything you buy from The Citizenry is artisan made, including its bedding, which is Oeko-Tex certified and woven sustainably in a family-run mill in Portugal.
Our review: We tried these sheets and found them to be much more comfortable than they look. The stonewashed french linen set is both soft and breathable. These sheets do need to be ironed or steamed at the very least after washing (unless you like the rumpled look), but the extra effort is worth the comfort and a better night’s sleep.
Price range: $55 to $615
5. Under the Canopy
What we like: Under the Canopy makes certified organic bed linens and towels. When the brand can’t use organic textiles, it uses a polyester down alternative made from recycled PET bottles. These sheets are incredibly affordable since its supply chain is vertically integrated to cut costs and save on duty costs. The brand also has a lower thread count, which brings the price down.
Our review: After testing them out, our team concurs that they are well-made, quality sheets. Its collection of duvets, shams, pillows, and sheets also comes in some super pretty, fun patterns.
Price range: $24 to $211
6. YaYa & Co.
What we like: YaYa & Co. is a retailer that sources luxury organic bedding and home goods from small manufacturers and artisans worldwide while educating them on electricity, water, and waste reduction. All of its bedding sets are made from organic cotton or linen certified by Fairtrade USA, Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). With each purchase made off its website, the brand plants trees in the Amazon rainforest to help with habitat conservation for the species living in the protected area. YaYa & Co. only uses recyclable materials in its packaging and does not use cardboard inside to shape its bedding, to save on resource use.
Our review: We tested the brand’s Rosie Organic Cotton sheets and they are strong and soft, keeping you cool at night and holding up well to repeated laundering. You’ll notice how natural they feel against your skin.
Price range: $32 to $348
7. American Blossom Linens
What we like: American Blossom Linens sheets are made from traceable USA organic cotton, grown by American family farmers, and then manufactured in the USA by Thomaston Mills, which has been making bedding since 1899. Its bedding uses West Texas Organic cotton and Foxfibre® Colored Cotton, which has a uniquely beautiful natural color but doesn’t need to be dyed (decreasing things like water waste and toxic chemical exposure). Its packaging is made from 100% recycled content and its partners have demonstrated commitments to transparent sourcing, renewable energy, minimizing resource utilization, and responsible waste management. Plus, the brand has free shipping and a generous Happiness Guarantee: you can return your sheets for a full refund within two years if you’re not satisfied.
Our review: Our tester noticed that while these sheets feel crisp and luxurious, and they don’t retain heat. That being said, this set would be a great summer set. The sheets came packaged in very nice sustainable packaging.
Price range: $55 to $319
8. Pact
What we like: If plain white sheets aren’t really your style, Pact is here to offer Fair Trade-certified, 100% organic cotton in plenty of interesting colors that compliment your decor. This brand also partners with Simpli Zero to eliminate its carbon footprint by studying the global impact of every last product. You can expect your Pact bedding to arrive in 100% recyclable paper bags that are both carbon-neutral and FSC certified.
Our review: This set arrived in completely plastic-free packaging, complete with recycled, recyclable cardboard and paper components. With a basic, simple design, at first glace, these sheets look softer and stronger than a previous organic cotton set. They did not disappoint; the fabric is satiny, soft, cozy, and has just the right amount of airflow to keep the body’s temperature perfect throughout the night.
Price range: $30 to $240
9. Baloo Living
What we like: Baloo Living offers luxe 100% French stonewashed flax linen sheets that soften over time. The brand ships orders in plastic-free, sustainable packaging and partners with Sea Trees by Sustainable Surf to help restore mangrove ecosystems around the world. You can also find non-toxic weighted blankets and other sleep accessories.
Our Review: Our tester said these heavy-weight linen sheets look luxurious, with a rich color. They were scratchier than she was used to, though the company says they should soften up over time with each wash.
[PS: If you’re looking for other home goods, we’ve also got some great roundups for furniture, mattresses, and home decor!]
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