How to choose the best bed linen for your skin and sleep style

If you're struggling to sleep due to feeling too warm, cold, or irritated skin, rest assured there's a bed linen to deal with that.  With over 25 years of experience, we specialise in crafting organic bed linen and have extensive knowledge about warps, wefts and weaves to help you choose the ideal bed linen for you. Whether you seek luxurious 5-star quality or easy-to-care-for options for your active family life, our comprehensive guide is here to help you making the best choice. 

Why organic bed linen matters

Many of our customers choose organic bed linen because they want to avoid the toxic cocktail of chemicals found in conventional sheets and duvet covers. Whether that's pesticide residues from the synthetic chemicals sprayed onto the cotton plants, dodgy dyes that are used to colour the bedding or treatments such as 'easy iron' that add a layer of toxicity to the sheets you're lying on. Choosing organic bed linen can help minimise skin irritaion and allergies by limiting your exposure to irritants and harmful chemicals, plus as all our Greenfibres bedding is 100% pure cotton it's naturally breathable too, leading to a much more comfortable night's sleep than sweaty synthetics.

But how do I know it's really organic?

It's astonishing to hear that just because something is labelled as 'organic' or 'made from organic cotton', it doesn't guarantee that the bedding has been processed without the use of chemicals that are harmful to human health or our environment.  Whilst the term 'organic' is strictly regulated when applied to food and drink, there's barely any regulation that governs when the term 'organic' is applied to textile products including bedding, towels and clothing.  That's why we ensure our bed linen is certified to Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS). GOTS is internationally recognised as the highest standard for ethical and organic textiles, and ensures that everyone in the supply chain from cotton farmers to spinners to finishers is audited to cover environmental, ethical and social criteria.  This means no pesticides sprayed on the cotton, a limited number of agents used in converting the raw cotton to finished items that have been checked to ensure they're not bad for your health,  and that everyone in the supply chain is treated ethically too. That's why you'll sleep better at night knowing our bedding is GOTS certified, and made ethically in Czech Republic. Not only does this mean that our bedding is better for you, it's crafted in a way that is better for the environment too.

Which organic sheets should I choose for my sleeping style and skin? 

At Greenfibres we stock a range of differnet types of organic cotton bedding - crafted from different weaves that offer unique properties. Here's our handy to guide to which one to choose for your best night's sleep:

The best bed linen for hot sleepers and warm climates

Crisp and cooling, our white organic cotton percale bed linen is perfect for hot summer nights, warmer climates and those that want a light crisp sheet with great breathability. Percale doesn't retain heat as well as other weaves, so if you crave a cool night's sleep and want to awaken fresh and revived in the morning, then this is the bed linen for you. If you're looking for a cooler night's sleep on a lower budget, then our everday bed linen in tawny is light and airy and one of our most popular summer bed linens.

Our most easy-care bed linen (for those that don't like ironing)

We don't offer a 'non-iron' or 'easy-care' version of our bed linen, because this involves coating the fibres with resin which usually involves toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, which when breathed in or absorbed through the skin can cause irritaions, allergic reactions and wheezing. So, if you're looking for an organic easy to care for bed linen that isn't bad for your health, then take a look at our Everyday bed linen in tawny. Made from a cotton poplin, it washes well, dries quickly and is our most wrinkle resistant of all. If you want completely wrinkle-free sheets then you will need to iron them, but it's good to know that our Sonett ironing aid uses 100% plant based ingredients to easily iron our creases and crumples, without the use of petrochemical based silicone, and leaves sheets with the delicate fragrance of rosemary and lavender.    

The cosiest bed linen for those that get too cold when sleeping, and chilly winter nights

Our cosiest bed linen, our 100% organic cotton flannel sheets, duvet covers and pillow cases is for you if getting too cold at night keeps you awake.  The brushed surface feels soft and fuzzy to the touch, like sleeping in a warm hug.  Undyed, unbleached and in a natural off-white colour, it's simple, pure organic cotton cosiness.   Flannel is given it's fuzzy soft surface by mechanically breaking up the cotton fibres which over time can start to pill (form small bobbles).  As we choose to not treat our bedding with chemicals like formaldehyde to prevent this, if you'd like to remove them we simply suggest using a pilling shaver.    

For extra warmth, layer up with our cotton flannel blanket, or explore our range of natural and sustainable wool blankets.

The best organic bed linen for luxury lovers

If you love the feeling of luxury, but without it costing the earth - then our silky smooth, buttery soft organic cotton finest sateen is perfect for you.  The satin style weave of cotton threads creates sheets with a warm lustre that look as good as they feel for a sumptuous night's sleep.   This is for people that are all about having super soft bedding to sleep in with a 5-star hotel feel.

Our cotton sateen is heavier than many of our other bed linens, so if you're hot sleeper then check out our percale - still with a luxury feel, but cooler and more brethable. 

The best bed linen for easily irritated skin

If you're looking for a silky smooth feel for your sensitive skin, a cotton sateen weave is what you need.  This type of cotton is woven like satin, which involves floating the weft yarns over multiple warp yarns, resulting in a smooth, soothing feel for easiliy irritated skin.   We recommend either our cotton sateen, or when you're on a lower budget then our everyday natural undyed bedding is ideal.  Our everyday undyed bed linen is our best value organic cotton bed linen, and ideal for all seasons.  It's based on a satin weave, but in a lighterweight way, making it very easy to care for too. 

When you want the best quality bed linen that lasts

Our classic organic cotton sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases offer a linen-like texture that grows softer with use. Untreated and unbleached, the fabric features charming natural specks in neutral tones, providing a rustic touch. This durable bed linen collection is made from renforce weave, ensuring the longevity of the bed linen.  This is the perfect choice for you when you're sestaching for quality and long-lasting superior bed linen.

Caring for your organic bed linen. 

The Greenfibres range of bed linen is super easy to care for.   As it's 100% cotton, you can machine wash at up to 60 degrees, and whist tumble drying is possible, we always recommend air drying as a more environmentally way to keep your bed linen looking better for longer.   We prefer to use natural laundry detergents, and our Sonett range is perfect for caring for your bedding - it's a range of completely natural plant powered products for hand and machine washing, that's tough on dirt, grime and stains but kind to your skin and the environment as it doesn't contain toxic chemicals, synthetic fragrances and colours or PFAs.   From natural laundry detergents, stain removers and laundry care, plus a range specifically for sensitive skin, you'll be able to effectively care for your organic bedding keeping it looking and feeling better for longer.  The good news is, as our bed linen isn't treated so there's no need to wash it before you use it for the first time, but if you want to then choose a natural laundry detergent.