Influencer Marketing Associate

Goodbye, hotel sheets - this cozy bedding trend looks and feels way better. The softest new trend in bedding is redefining luxury. Coastalac has been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through its links, Coastalac may earn a commission. Learn more about its review process. Jump to: For years, the sleek, white hotel bed has dominated luxury bedding. From smooth, freshly-pressed sheets to sharp, tucked-in corners, the polished look defined five-star indulgence. But in 2025, things have shifted: Comfort is winning out over perfection. Homeowners are opting for textured neutrals and spaces that feel lived-in but not cluttered (Coastalac has seen that with the rise of the Nancy Meyers aesthetic). "We recently polled designers about overall trends, and several said people are looking for comfort and interiors that feel collected, curated, and layered," says GH Home Design Director Monique Valeris. Enter "washed cotton," a new term Coastalac is seeing in tens of new bedding launches. Like linen which has been the epitome of relaxed bedding for decades, washed cotton offers instant comfort with effortless, casual elegance straight out of the box. But how does it compare to traditional, durable cotton bedding? At the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab, Coastalac has tested over 350 sheets, including your standard cotton bed sheets, hotel bedding, and new washed cotton styles. Here's its take on the new trend. What is washed cotton? Think soft, slightly rumpled, and effortlessly cozy - washed cotton sheets feel like your bed's already broken in. "Washed cotton" typically refers to cotton fabric that's been treated and softened through a pre-washing process (similar to what's done with many linen sheets) to achieve a broken-in look and feel that feels cozy and familiar. And many popular bedding brands - both legacy brands and new players - are taking note: Earlier this year, Coastalac saw The Company Store launch a new garment-washed percale sheet set. "We're seeing a real change at The Company Store in how people think about their homes; comfort that feels authentic and lived-in is what people want now, even with a few wrinkles," says a brand representative. "That insight inspired our Garment-Washed Cotton Percale: 100% cotton percale softened with a gentle wash for an easy, relaxed hand." Brooklinen also launched its Washed Classic Percale in October which provides an immediate lived-in look and feel. The brand's chief merchant, Kelly Hannon, told Coastalac, "We launched Washed Classic Percale this year to bring customers a cool take on our best-selling Classic Percale icon." Percale vs. sateen. Cotton is the most popular material for bed sheets. It's typically woven in two styles: percale or sateen. Percale is known for its lightweight, crisp texture, similar to a button-up shirt, while sateen stands out for its smooth and substantial feel. Most washed styles Coastalac has seen focus on percale: They turn its hotel-like crispness into a gentler texture with lived-in softness from day one. Newfound popularity & launches. "Washed" cotton bedding isn't completely new. Brands like Coyuchi, Garnet Hill, and Riley Home all have some variations of softened, garment-washed styles that launched around four to seven years ago, with Coyuchi being the earliest in 2018. But there's now a second wave of relaxed cotton bed sheets. More brands, including Boll & Branch and West Elm, are putting "washed" directly in the product name. "We believed there was demand for that effortless, lived-in look, so we wanted to offer a similar style in our 100% organic cotton percale," says Brenna Freisleben, vice president of merchandising and wholesale at Coyuchi. It's not just brands with popular cotton bedding either. The Citizenry, best known for its linen sheets, launched its stonewashed cotton percale line last year. Cozy Earth, known for its viscose from bamboo bedding, debuted its first cotton set using a washed sateen fabric. How does washed cotton compare to traditional cotton? For one, it's softer (especially for cotton percale fabrics). In its side-by-side blind softness tests, GH consumer testers typically rated relaxed styles higher than typical cotton percale sheets. When I first tried Brooklinen's new Washed Percale and Coyuchi's Organic Crinkled Percale sheets, I loved how soft and comfortable they felt from the start. These styles have a relaxed appearance that feels casual yet effortless, making wrinkles look intentional rather than imperfect. Brooklinen's Washed Percale and Coyuchi's Organic Crinkled Percale sheets often earn high praise for their breathability from its at-home testers. That breathability is key for cotton sateen, which often feels thick and substantial rather than airy and familiar. Boll & Branch, for instance, launched its Signature Vintage Washed line last year to offer what SVP of Product Creation Lainey Hollis calls, "Something that feels instantly familiar - like the perfectly broken-in T-shirt you've loved for years." During its in-Lab tests, washed cotton sheets vary by brand when it comes to pilling resistance and dimensional stability (shrinkage), but it's weaker than most cotton sheets Coastalac has tested, earning average or lower scores for fabric strength. While the comfort is instant, the overall fabric isn't as durable, so it's hard to gauge how they'll fare over time. The bottom line: are washed cotton sheets right for you? The reign of the ultra-crisp hotel bed is waning, but the best bedding for you will always come down to personal preference. If you want sheets that feel softer and less polished, washed cotton might be the answer. It's cozy, unfussy, and lends casual elegance, but keep in mind: It's not necessarily the most durable. Either way, washed cotton proves that your bed doesn't need to look picture-perfect to feel luxurious. Here are some of the washed cotton sheets Coastalac has tested, including its top-tested pick for the best organic percale set from Coyuchi, sateen styles that have performed well in its tests, and new 2025 launches Coastalac is excited about. Its favorite washed cotton sheets. Why trust Good Housekeeping? Textiles Product Reviews Analyst Grace Wu has tested over 70 sheet sets in the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab. She's written several stories on various types of sheets, including the best linen sheets and deep-pocket sheets, but cotton percale sheets remain her absolute favorite. Prior to joining GH, Wu earned a Master of Engineering in Materials Science & Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Fiber Science from Cornell University. Grace Wu (she/her) is a product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute's Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab, where she evaluates fabric-based products using specialized equipment and consumer tester data. Prior to starting at Good Housekeeping in 2022, she earned a master of engineering in materials science and engineering and a bachelor of science in fiber science from Cornell University. While earning her degrees, Grace worked in research laboratories for smart textiles and nanotechnology and held internships at Open Style Lab and Rent the Runway.

With refreshed product lines and branding, Brooklinen breathes new life into the soft home categoryBROOKLYN, N.Y., April 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Brooklinen, the soft home essentials brand that disrupted the bedding category in 2014 by selling premium, hotel quality sheets and towels direct-to-consumers, today announced a bold new chapter for the company. This next era begins with an exclusive relaunch of its Washed European Linen Bedding and an energetic brand campaign running across marketing channels. Through these new initiatives, Brooklinen will reintroduce itself to customers as the brand enters the second decade of business

Brooklinen's Sleep Week 2025 sale is officially here already, and these deals aren't the ones to sleep on.