There are many varieties of fabric used for bedsheets. Each will have its own particular charm and preferences. One of the most popular of which is linen, used in making linen sheets. Linen fabric originates from fibers obtained from the flax plant. The most common characteristic of linen fabric is its incredibly soft and breathable texture.
Linen sheets are also quite water-absorbent, considerably more so than cotton. Linen fibers are also thicker than cotton, which gives it an edge in regards to durability. This thicker fiber also helps give linen the distinction of being one of the more robust fabrics globally. Linen also feels rather stiff during the initial first couple of weeks. But after you have washed it enough times, the once slightly rigid texture gives way to the soft and supple fabric while still being able to retain its durability.
This article will give you a crash course on linen fabric and why you should definitely be considering this for your bed.
The Advantages of Linen Fabric Bedding – Why You Should Buy Linen Sheets
For this article, we will focus on linen fabrics and what they can bring to the table in terms of beddings. It is obviously one of the most highly recommended bedsheets in the market today, but how did it get this reputation? Let us enumerate the numerous advantages that linen beddings provide.
- Linen is Perfect for Sensitive Skin
Linen features several excellent elements that make it a highly valued fabric in the bedding industry. For example, linen is hypoallergenic, which makes it a perfect choice for children, babies, or individuals with sensitive skin or skin conditions.
Linen fabric also has excellent filtering and ventilation. It also has better absorbent qualities in comparison to cotton. These factors result in linen being incredibly resistant to bacteria.
- Linen is Incredibly Comfortable
Linen fabric has a different construction compared to other beddings. This is because linen gives bedsheets microscopic breaks throughout the surface. What this does is a very subtle massaging sensation whenever the fabric brushes on your skin. Try rubbing or sliding a linen fabric across your body. Do you feel that warm, tingling sensation? Only linen can deliver that experience.
- Linen is Suitable for Both Warm and Cold Weather
This is a fine line to tread, but linen managed to pull it off effortlessly. One of the linen’s most common characteristics is that it has excellent breathability while also having a fantastic heat conductivity level. These contrasting characteristics give linen fabrics the ability to keep you warm during the chilly winter nights and cool during the hot summer days.
- Top-Notch Moisture Absorbing Capabilities
As we have noted earlier in this article, linen has a high absorbency level that puts most other fabric types to shame. To be more precise, linen fibers can absorb up to 20% of their weight in moisture before you can even notice that it has gotten wet. This gives linen fantastic levels of moisture-wicking capabilities that are not found in most other fabric types.
- Linen is Like a Fine Wine
That might be a strange analogy for a fabric, but it perfectly encapsulates what linen can offer. Linen beddings or blankets that are fresh out of their package will feel a bit rigid. This might make you question its reputation as one of the most comfortable fabrics in the biz, but if you give it some time – you will be pleasantly surprised.
Linen is a fabric that becomes softer and more supple with repeat washing. After a while, your linen blanket will feel like ‘cloud nine’ in regards to its softness. Now, you see that ‘fine wine’ analogy is pretty on-point.
- Linen is Resilient to Dust
Due to its texture, linen has an exceptional level of resistance to dirt. It actually repels dirt better than other fabrics. This is a must-have quality in certain items such as bedsheets as it heavily-used product.
- Linen is Tough
Not taking anything away from cotton, as a 100% cotton product is quite durable in its own right – but linen is twice as tough. In the bedding scenario, comfort and toughness are two vital elements that you would want. With this in mind, linen bedsheets and blankets can easily last for a decade or more with proper care and maintenance.
Read more: How to Decorate a Dining Table.
Linen Fabric Drawbacks
Of course, it is not all rainbows and sunshine when it comes to linen bed sheets. It also has some shortcomings that we will be touching upon right now.
- Linen Beddings are Expensive
Due to the fiber’s quality and the complex weaving procedure that comes with manufacturing linen fabric, you can expect good quality bedding to be quite expensive. That said, this is a worthwhile investment considering the comfort, durability, and longevity that linen bedsheets are known for in the industry.
- Linen Can Be a Bit Fussy
One of the most common nitpick with linen bedsheets is how easy it wrinkles. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent wrinkles on your linen bedding. The most crucial step to take here is regular and proper washing and drying. Ironing is also a full-proof way of eliminating the wrinkles on your linen bedding.
What to Look for in a Quality Linen Bedsheet
Now, to help you narrow down your search and help you separate the best linen beddings in the pack, here are the main factors that you should consider.
- Thread Count – While the thread count is not exactly indicative of the fabric’s quality, this is still a good place to start your search. Higher numbers don’t mean better quality as companies tend to ‘game’ the system by using double twist yarns with a piece of cheaper quality fabric. A good and safe thread count number to go by is 80 to 120.
- Softness – Here’s the tricky part, a high-quality linen sheet will be somewhat rigid when you take it out of its packaging. That is a good sign that you landed on a great linen bedsheet. However, if the linen sheet feels soft right out of the gate, the chances are that it was treated with a chemical wash. This would cause the sheets to get stiffer over time, rather than the other way around.
- Pricing – Keep in mind that linen bedsheets are considerably more expensive. Better prepare your budget if you are looking for top-tier linen bedding. The good news is that linen sheets will be worth the investment as these can last for decades.
- Size and Fit – Expect some shrinkage level regarding fabrics, and linen is not exempted from this rule. We advise that you choose a size that is slightly larger than what you need.
- Aesthetics – When it comes to design, linen sheets come in a minimal selection. However, linen’s texture gives it a luxurious appeal, which is more than enough to balance out the limited selection of colors and patterns available.
Read more: Everything You Need to Know About Loft Beds.
Final Thoughts
We highly recommend you get yourself linen bedding. It brings luxury and premium-grade charm while also combining an exceptional mixture of toughness and softness. If you are interested in getting linen sheets, might we recommend checking out this fantastic selection of linen products? Quite frankly, you owe to yourself to have a quality linen bedsheet in your home. That’s pretty much an unspoken rule at this point.
