Scientists know more today about the health-giving properties of sleep – the act that takes up a third of our lives – than they ever have. Indeed, Matthew Walker, the neuroscientist and author of Why We Sleep, reckons that, as a contributor to good health, sleep trumps everything. It is perfectly simple: to function optimally, we need a good night’s sleep.
And to achieve that, we need (at the very least) a darkened room, a ban on screens and some excellent bedding. For the latter, these brilliant websites give bed linen the reverence it deserves.
TOM & DICK'S
Good bedding has never been more important as we all yearn for a better night's sleep. Enter Tom & Dick's, the newly launched brand with a range of ethically-made, comfortable, yet simple and long-lasting bedding. Designed in Manchester and made by highly skilled artisans in a family-run mill in Portugal, Tom & Dick’s bedding caters for each type of sleeper: Mayfield for the cool sleeper; Whitworth for the warm sleeper and Portland for the inbetweener. The colour ways are a muted palette of soft pinks, greys and whites. Super soft to the touch, we reckon you'd find it difficult not to be pushing up the ZZZs within minutes of your head hitting the pillow. We particularly like Portland, made from 100% linen, which gets better over time.
PIGLET IN BED
Piglet founder Jessica Mason says: ‘We are in the pursuit of sincere comfort – in how we lounge, how we shop and what we buy.’ She must be getting it right because her customers rave about the site’s soft linens, beautiful packaging and prompt delivery. Made from 100 per cent natural stonewashed French flax that gets softer with each use, we covet the beautiful Dove Grey Basic Bundle.
SECRET LINEN STORE
Back in 2013, sisters Molly and Harriet resolved – over a cup of coffee – to set up a company selling beautiful bed linen at fair and honest prices. One had a background in textiles, the other in marketing, and they both knew the value of a night spent in quality cotton sheets. Cutting out any middlemen, they work with the best factories in Portugal and the UK to send you your linen directly from its source. We’ll take some of the Coastal Stripe Navy Bed Linen, please.
MOLLY MAHON
Interiors cognoscenti will know Molly Mahon for her fashionable fabrics and wallpapers. But you have to be pretty devoted to her website to have spotted that she sells gorgeous pillowcases and duvet covers as well. Just try to resist the Blue Duvet Cover, which is hand block-printed in Rajasthan on dreamy cotton. The mother-of-pearl buttons are a lovely touch.
SOAK & SLEEP
Excellent reviews, free returns and free delivery are just some of the reasons that Soak & Sleep is the leading online bedding and bath retailer. And check out their Better Sleep Hub, a section of the site that is full of guides, facts and case studies devoted to improving your kip. The site is excellent value and brimming with the things you really need; sadly, it is not very elegant. No matter, though. Among the treasures, what we are truly longing for is a super-chic Pool Towel. Or several.
LINENBUNDLE
You get a lifetime warranty on all of British brand Linenbundle’s luxurious bedding. That’s how certain they are that the brand is it has come up with something brilliant. And it sure has made it easy to buy great quality linen at excellent prices. To create your bespoke bundle, you can mix and match pillowcases, fitted sheets, flat sheets and duvet covers from several attractive styles. We will take all of the above in the Grey Stripe, please.
TOAST
You probably know Toast for its bookishly stylish clothing or, possibly, for its artisanal homewares. But what you also need to have on your radar is its sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers. Think gloriously traditional ticking stripes and on-trend washed linen. This bedding just oozes quality. The Washed Linen Cotton Duvet Cover In Dusty Pink is a particular favourite.
CAMOMILE LONDON
Behind this pleasing London brand is a creative mother-and-daughter team with a background in fashion. Inspired by a simple Scandinavian vibe and Japanese block printing, they make gorgeous bedding for children’s rooms. They say: ‘Our aim is to allow parents the freedom to create individual and different looks by simply flipping over a duvet cover, quilt or cushion to reveal a contrast colour or by mixing print and plain pillow cases to add character to a room. Our collection [includes] simple stylish pieces which not only provide a contemporary feel to the bedroom but work well when they spill into the rest of the home.’ The Minako Cornflower Moses Basket Bedding is too pretty for words.
COLOGNE & COTTON
Sure, it was a shop before it was a website. But it does what it does so very well. These guys have been selling quality cotton bed linen for 30 years. Candy stripes? Contemporary checks? Traditional white embroidery? Perky kids’ motifs? It’s all there, and it’s all gorgeous. The bath and body products, as well as the enchanting nightwear, are a happy bonus. The entire Mariette range tickles our fancy.
DIP & DOZE
Ethically made, using only the finest sustainable organic cotton, these sheets are sent from heaven. The company offers a 30-night trial period and a full refund if you aren’t happy with your purchase. The family of Dip & Doze’s founder, George, has been in textiles for six generations, so he brings serious expertise to his endeavours. He says: ‘From the cotton field to the bedroom we’ve reconsidered everything, from our organic cotton fabrics, handy size labels, extra strong elastic on our fitted sheets to our eco-friendly coconut buttons, we’ve gone the extra mile to create a range of deeply considered products.’ We think the Amongst The Stars Duvet Cover is just lovely.
RISE & FALL
‘A good night’s sleep is hard to beat, right? We think so too,’ say Jed Coleman and Will Coulton, the founders of the award-winning site, Rise & Fall. ‘We were fed up with bad sleep and the poor sheets that made it even worse. Sheets that didn’t feel good, couldn’t breathe properly, were manufactured using nasty chemicals – and cost a fortune. There had to be a different way. Turns out there is. It’s why we left our sleep-hungry jobs to track down insanely comfy sheets that don’t cost the earth, or hurt it. After 1000s of hours, 100s of samples and four continents, we found them.’ They sure did. We’d like the Crisp And Cool Luxury Duvet Set in our Christmas stocking, please Santa.
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By Becky Ladenburg
October 2019