Summer is back on, and we've tested the best linen sheets to keep you cool

"Linen bedding is not necessarily better than cotton or vice versa. The best bed linen for you will be the bedding that gives you the best night's sleep" says Emily and Jonathan Attwood, founders of scooms. 

"Choose the best quality bedding that you can afford, and decide whether you like your bedding to feel smooth and silky like sateen cotton, cool and crisp like percale cotton, or cosy like linen. This will help you choose which bed linen fabric and weave will suit you best. 

When I spoke to Soak&Sleep, they told me "the truth about the difference between linen and cotton bedding is that it all comes down to personal preference.

"Linen is naturally temperature-regulating and breathable. Each fibre has a hollow core that wicks away moisture during balmy summer nights, or stores body heat and relays it back to you as the mercury drops, and if you didn’t know it: finding the perfect sleeping temperature is the absolute bedrock to getting a great night’s sleep. Linen fabrics are slubby with a super-soft texture that only gets better with time (we pre-wash ours to jump-start the snuggly softness).

"On the other hand, you have cotton. While also beautifully breathable, cotton has a smoother hand feel than linen since the yarns are spun much more finely. Keep in mind that weave plays a big part here too: percale weaves are smooth and crisp, and sateen weaves are smooth and silky. Egyptian cotton feels even better and is a worthwhile investment; the fibres are longer and stronger than regular cotton which makes the fabric feel softer, smoother, and last longer too. For a lot of our customers, nothing feels better than getting into bed each night under pure cotton sheets – but know this, linen-lovers will say the same about their preference too!"

Emily and Jonathan Attwood, founders of scooms, told me to "look out for accreditations such OEKO-Tex 100, certifying against harsh chemicals and toxins, and NoMite, certifying the bedding is suitable for dust mite allergy sufferers."

If you opt for a stylish brand, it's likely that you can price this into what you pay at checkout. With that said though, linen is a very expensive material to produce. Woven from the flax plant, it can be tricky to spin and is less widely grown around the world compared to cotton. 

Chris Tattersall, Sleep Expert and MD of Woolroom, comments "The higher cost associated with linen as a fabric is principally due to it being more difficult to harvest, and the slower production process. Flax plants, where linen comes from, are not easily grown, and it is often a time-consuming and laborious process that must take place in more specific conditions and climates, rather than cotton for example, which can grow almost anywhere. For instance, the plant must be completely uprooted rather than just cut to maximise the fibre that can be harvested.”

Chris Tattersall, Sleep Expert and MD of Woolroom, told me: 

"When it comes to washing your bed sheets, this should be done once a week, as a result of them naturally collecting amounts sweat, dirt, dead skin, body oils, and dust mites traditionally found in the home – known to irritate skin and increase allergy symptoms. 

"Over summer you should clean your sheets more often as the heat can result in excess sweating over the course of the night. The wash itself should be a regular machine wash at 40 degrees."

scooms founders Emily and Jonathan also told me "Regularly washing your bed linen will help protect more expensive bedding items like your mattress, duvet and pillows from bodily secretions such as oils, fluids and hair. 

"If you don't wash your linen regularly then these bodily secretions become embedded in the fibres of your bedding which are then more difficult to get rid of and may cause health issues. For example, dust mite droppings can cause allergic rhinitis or breathing problems if you have asthma."