Linen Sheets Seemed Overrated, Until I Tested This Quince Set

As much as I love the artfully rumpled look, in my experience, linen sheets often looked crinkled, wrinkled and sloppy—not effortlessly elegant, like I’d seen online. Sure, you could iron your sheets, but that’s a level of commitment akin to making croissant cereal from scratch; not likely to happen on my watch. People revere linen for getting softer with each wash, but often, it took me several washes to get them bearable, whereas cotton sateen or percale felt buttery right out of the packaging. I was convinced linen was overhyped, but still, given the reviews (6,150-plus people give it a 4.8-star rating), I was willing to give linen another shot.

I’m glad I did. While Quince’s European Linen sheets were starchy right out of the bag, after the initial wash, they were smooth and soft. There were light wrinkles, but the set didn’t have the ran-over-accordion effect I’d experienced with other brands—even if I didn’t immediately pull it from the dryer.

Overall, linen sheets are revered for their softness, breathability and durability—so those became the hallmarks I looked for as I tested these sheets.

Quince’s bedding is made from 100 percent European flax, which tends to be lightweight and dries quickly. Combine that with the way linen is woven—a bit looser, providing more air to pass through—and it’s the ideal fabric for hot, sweaty sleepers. It provides breathability and wicks away moisture, two things I can attest to after trying these sheets. The middle-of-the-night drench I’d been experiencing with brushed microfiber sheets was no longer an issue, and for that, I’m grateful.

With 26 colors to choose from, all in earthy, grounding tones, these linen sheets ticked off the aesthetics box easily. I deliberately tested a dark color—Pine—to see how saturated the hue would be, and whether it’d fade quickly. So far, the rich, hunter-green tone has maintained its vibrance, even if it did shed a ton of lint in its first wash. The sheets are sink-into-them comfortable, enveloping you without overheating you, and they instantly elevate your bed. Especially if you’re the type to give your sheets a good ironing or steaming beforehand (to which I salute you).

We’d all wash our sheets more often if it wasn’t such a hassle to make the bed, right? A Sleep Advisor study found most people do so every 24 days, with a 35-day max, despite common advice to do so every week or every other week. I’m convinced the fight with the fitted sheet is the culprit, particularly if you’re dealing with sheets that have less give, like linen. What’s nice about Quince’s set is that the pockets are deep enough to easily envelop a 16-inch mattress, and it has elastic all the way around it, making it easier to slip on. (And, thankfully, they tend to stay put—because having the corner slip off in the middle of the night is equally annoying.)

My One Warning: Wash It Separately.

I know, I know—there’s always that temptation to fill your washer to the brim, but at least in the first few washes, Quince’s sheets shed a decent bit. While I didn’t experience any color bleeding, I did have to rewash a pair of pajama bottoms that wound up in the wash with them—they were covered in tiny bits of linen fuzz. It all came out on the second wash—and it’s worth noting that the linen shedding tends to diminish with every wash-and-dry cycle (gentle cycle, cold water, and line dry or tumble dry low). But still, who wants to bother with a second wash?