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How to choose the bed linen material that suits you best

A good night’s sleep starts with the right bed linen. The fabric you choose can make a real difference to how comfortable you feel night after night. Some materials feel cool and crisp, others soft and cosy. Some are easy to care for, while others become softer with every wash.

At IKEA, our bed linen comes in a variety of materials to suit different sleeping habits and preferences. Wondering which bed linen fabric is right for you? Our guide will help you compare options and find the one that fits your routine and how you like to sleep.

A pile of eight different types of bed linen including white NATTJASMIN and black and white BROKDRACENA bed linen.

Lyocell: breathable and silky soft

Full of moisture‑wicking qualities and with a smooth, silky feel, lyocell bed linen helps create a dry, comfortable environment for better sleep. It’s made from strong cellulose fibres, mainly sourced from eucalyptus wood. Another benefit is that lyocell dries quickly after washing and doesn’t shrink. Blended with cotton, it becomes durable and naturally soft bed linen that feels good night after night.

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A white NATTJASMIN fitted sheet in the bedroom
The corner of a folded-over duvet covered in NATTJASMIN bed linen in white in a sunny space by a shelf.
Dark green/multicolour KÄRRDUNÖRT bed linen on a bed that’s surrounded by patterned curtains, near a window.

Viscose: natural, durable and colour-fast

Viscose bed linen brings long‑lasting, smooth softness to your sleep space. It’s highly absorbent, helping you stay comfortable and dry through the night. Like lyocell, viscose is made from cellulose fibres from wood. It also holds colour well, so your bed linen stays looking fresh over time. Mixed with cotton, it creates breathable, silky‑soft fabric that feels gentle against your skin.

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A dark grey SLATTUM upholstered bed in the corner of a bedroom with two duvets covered in BROKDRACENA bed linen on it.
A person asleep in a SLATTUM upholstered bed under a duvet that’s covered in black and white BROKDRACENA bed linen.
Bedroom in beige and white with a children’s bed next to the grown-up’s bed, and an armchair in the foreground.
Close-up of a breakfast in bed with fruit, tea and a sandwich served on SILVERHAJMAL tray on top of PILDVÄRGMAL duvet cover.

Cotton: soft, strong and breathable

Cotton is a durable fabric that allows air to circulate and absorbs moisture while feeling gentle on your skin. It also feels cool, making it a good choice in warmer climates. One reason it’s so popular is that it’s easy to wash and becomes softer and more comfortable over time. With similar qualities to viscose and lyocell, it’s often blended with them to create long‑lasting, smooth bed linen.

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HEMNES day-bed with a mix of bedlinen; the striped SOLFIBBLA and the floral patterned BRUDKRUSBÄR. HEKTAR floor lamp in back.

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DVALA fitted sheets in different colours rolled up and arranged in a woven basket placed on a bed in a bedroom.
HEMNES day-bed made out as a double bed with undyed natural coloured ÄNGSLILJA bed linen on it and a striped cushion.
A close-up of a hotel bed with a leafy-patterned MYGGLASVINGE quilt cover and pillowcases accented by a grey-turquoise throw.

Polyester: synthetic, easy-care and wrinkle-free

Coming in lots of vibrant colours and patterns, polyester bed linen makes your bed look and feel great. Highly colour-fast, the synthetic material retains its vibrancy, however often you wash it. Another reason we love it is that it is super easy to care for, resistant to stains, and very quick-drying. Polyester fibres don’t shrink, so they will retain their original shape, wash after wash. It blends beautifully with lyocell and viscose to create bed linen that’s snug and smooth. Good-looking, soft and easy to care for, what’s not to love?

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A person is draped in a pink PILTANDVINGE duvet cover while hugging a grey pillow, in a minimalistic bedroom setting.
A white/blue CYMBALBLOMMA duvet cover and pillowcase
”There are two basic weaving techniques we use in our bed linen: plain and sateen, with percale being a type of plain weave. Each weaving technique gives specific properties to the fabric, which in turn is used to create bed linen that has different benefits to suit all the needs of our customers."
Boryana TsochevaProduct design engineer
A pile of eight different types of bed linen including white NATTJASMIN and black and white BROKDRACENA bed linen.

A classic plain weave creates durable, long-lasting bed linen

The most basic and common type of weave, plain weave creates durable fabric that’s the same on both sides. All fabric is made up of two sets of thread: the warp, which runs down the length of the fabric, and the weft, which runs along the width. In plain weave, each thread crosses in a one-over one-under pattern that results in a criss-cross finish. The density of the weave is measured in its thread count, which counts the number of threads per square inch.

The top of a bed that’s covered with two types of RODGERSIA paisley pattern bed linen, one in grey and the other in red.

A classic plain weave creates durable, long-lasting bed linen

The most basic and common type of weave, plain weave creates durable fabric that’s the same on both sides. All fabric is made up of two sets of thread: the warp, which runs down the length of the fabric, and the weft, which runs along the width. In plain weave, each thread crosses in a one-over one-under pattern that results in a criss-cross finish. The density of the weave is measured in its thread count, which counts the number of threads per square inch.

Percale weave bed linen delivers hotel style, every night

Percale weave bed linen has a smooth, crisp feel that many people love. It’s a tightly woven plain weave with a thread count of over 200 threads per inch, creating a dense fabric with a fine texture that stays breathable. The result is bed linen that feels soft, cool and fresh, giving your bed a neat, clean look every night.

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A brown TONSTAD bed with storage, covered with HAMPFLOCKEL bed linen and with a LAPPKATTFOT throw on top.
A bed made up with HAMPFLOCKEL bed linen with the duvet folded back and bright colour cushions behind the pillows.

Choose sateen weave bed linen for a glossy finish

Exceptionally smooth, sateen-weave bed linen has a lustrous sheen, giving the bed a polished look. The fabric has a shiny side and a matte side, which is achieved by weaving one warp thread over four weft threads. The resulting bed linen has a luxurious look and a cool feel to give great sleep comfort.

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A close up image showing the edges and buttons of light grey beige/mutlicolour NÄSSELKLOCKA bed linen.
A close-up on white NATTJASMIN bed linen with a ripple in it to show the finish of the material.
A white NATTJASMIN fitted sheet that is half in a baske and half laid out on a RUTER ironing board in front of an unmade bed.

Caring for bed linen – our top tips

  • When to wash: We recommend every two weeks. If you have allergies, are sick, or sleep with pets or kids, wash more often.
  • Temperature: Wash at 60°C to kill any bacteria.
  • Drying: Dry immediately to prevent mould and bad smells.
  • Folding: Fold bed linen to reduce wrinkles and store efficiently.
  • Material-Specific: For sateen bed linen, ironing helps maintain its look.

 

Boryana Tsocheva
Product design engineer