Both linen and cotton make excellent bedding fabrics and share quite a few similarities — most notably their water-absorbent qualities and that refreshing, airy feeling. But there are quite a few differences as well, and being aware of them can make it easier for you to choose between the two.

Linen, just like cotton, has also been around for millennia. It’s a trendy bedding option because it’s one of the most breathable fabrics on the market and because of its incredibly chic look that oozes effortless elegance and coziness.

It was during the Renaissance Period when bedding as we know it today was designed. Whilst the poor continued to sleep on hay-covered platforms, the wealthy owned mattresses stuffed with down and wrapped in luxurious materials. Their four-poster beds were covered in embroidered canopies and contained pull-out trundles for maids and personal valets to sleep on. Mattresses were suspended from the bedframes using ropes or straps. They were covered by smart linen sheets and wool blankets. The beds grew more and more lavish for the most wealthy. They became so expensive they were passed down through the family for generations. Reported to spend most of his day in bed, Louis XIV became so obsessed with bedding that he bought 413 beds for the Palace of Versailles. It is understood that he held court daily from his bed.

 To choose bedsheets that won't pill, you have to pay attention to the quality of the fabric as well as the construction of the sheet.  Look for bedsheets with a high thread count, as this indicates a tighter weave and helps prevent pilling.  Also consider the ply count of the fabric, which refers to the number of yarns that are twisted together to form a single thread.  Single-layer fabrics are generally smoother and less prone to pilling than multi-layer fabrics.

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