Naturally cooling and ultra cosy, these sheets are my worst-kept secret

Secret Linen Store Natural Sid Stripe Linen Sheets: £85 at secretlinenstore.com

These beautiful sheets are sold as a set or separately, so you can mix and match. Prices start at £85 and you can choose any size up to Emperor.

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I discovered Secret Linen Store in the best possible way — by complete accident. It was like being set up on a blind date with a brand. I’d popped into the Button & Sprung showroom in London — home to one of the best mattresses I’ve ever slept on — and there, sharing the space, was Secret Linen Store. That’s when I quite literally fell into their luxurious bedding.

As luck would have it, Holly, one of the brand’s founders, was in-store that day. She wasn’t trying to give me a sales pitch, but the way she spoke — with such genuine passion about their ethically sourced Portuguese linen and refreshingly transparent production process — completely won me over.

Now, I’m not usually one for splurging, so I left the store, did my research, and eventually decided to invest in a set which turned out to be some of the best bedding I've ever slept on. With linen prices creeping up, there’s a lot of sub-par stuff out there. But this se is a total gem. And I’m ready to share the (not-so-secret) magic of Secret Linen Store with you.

Specifications

Composition

One of the things I love most about Secret Linen Store’s sheets (aside from how dreamy they feel) is knowing exactly what’s gone into them (and what hasn’t). They’re made from 100% flax linen, woven in Portugal, and proudly OEKO-TEX® certified, which means they’re completely free from any nasties. So you can genuinely sleep easy. The flax itself is a bit of an overachiever too: it uses less water than cotton, needs very little in the way of pesticides or fertilisers, and is kind to the soil it grows in. And because linen is naturally breathable and moisture-wicking, it keeps you cool on stuffy nights and cosy when it’s chilly. In short, it’s the kind of bedding that works hard in the background while you just drift off.

Who would it suit?

Secret Linen Store's linen is an unbeatable natural fibre when it comes to night sweats and hot sleepers. It’s light as air and brilliant at letting your skin breathe, whilst wicking away moisture and drying quickly. I love layering linen on my bed in the summer months, but it can actually be a little too cool for me in the winter, which says it all really.

The linen look is also great when you’re opting for a cosy and inviting bed set up. You don’t need to iron Secret Linen Store's linen — although you can — so most people lean into the inviting, warm colours on offer. And Secret Linen Store’s collection of these sheets is vast when it comes to styling. They have over 30 different colours and designs that you can chose between, which means that you can match any colour scheme.

Another reason why you’ll love these sheets might be if you’re watching your environmental footprint. The natural flax used to craft these is OEKO TEX certified — great for sensitive skin too — and dyed using natural colouring. Secret Linen Store has a whole section on their page about their sustainability commitments. It makes for feed-good reading. 

What is it like to sleep on?

I’ll give you a quick summary: I love these sheets. Secret Linen Store has put all the effort into the luxury touches, which make this really nice to sleep on. 

For a start, making the bed was easy. They’re generous with the size, so my king-size base sheet stretched easily around my mattress. There’s not so much excess that you’ll get rumples and big creases, but there’s enough to stop you from breaking out a sweat when you’re making the bed. The same easy, roomy sizing applies for the pillows and duvet cover, which has some nice button fastenings that are subtle and easy to secure. 

One of the luxuries of Secret Linen Store’s bedding is that they pre-wash it for you, which softens some of linen’s initial crispness. The sheets only get softer the more you wash them (that’s the nature of linen), but these felt like they were a few washes in already — only in the best way. 

I love how they look on my bed and I loved sleeping in them even more. The weather was fluctuating between warmth and cold — some days I needed a big coat and others I was in shorts — and the sheets did a great job at regulating my temperature. When it was hot, I woke up with my skin feeling fresh, rather than clammy. There were nights when I didn’t wake up from the heat at all, but even on those that I did wake up, the sheets had markedly helped. 

When it was cooler and I was throwing on layers, the sheets still kept me at a nice temperature. I have an electric blanket, which I used, but I wasn’t cold in bed. 

Cleaning

The Secret Linen Store has lots of advice on how to care for your pure bed linen because "linen sheets need to be treated slightly differently to get the best from them." They recommend using a cool wash with fabric softener at between 30-40 degrees. You can wash it at a hotter temperature, but it will be stuffer.

They recommend separating your laundry, so you don't get any colour transfer. They say that you'll also what to "be careful when choosing your laundry detergent to make sure that there are nasties in there that can affect the colour of your bed linen. 'Optic whiteners' and other bleaching agents can cause colour loss and leave marks on your laundry.

When it comes to drying your sheets, the Secret Linen Store says "because these fabrics hold a lot of water, we recommend giving your them an extra spin to remove as much water as possible." If you want a tumble dryer, they recommend a cooler temperature as well as line drying. Then, if you want it ironed, you will want it to be a little damp. Mine dried really quickly and really nicely, so I think you'll enjoy how low maintenance these are.

Secret Linen Store also reassures you that your sheets will get softer over time. I actually think that they're really soft for fresh linen as it is. They pre-launder the bedding, so that it arrives slightly warn-in for you. The idea that things are only getting better is sublime.

How does it compare?

I’ve slept in lots of variations from the classic set of linen sheets, because they’re so great for hot sleepers. My favourite — and the set I go back to time and time again — is Piglet In Bed’s Gingham Set. In truth, these sheets feel almost identical. The Piglet In Bed set was softer against my skin at first (I think the pre-washing is more intense), but the Secret Linen Store set softened over time too. With similar patterns and designs on offer, the two sets are almost identical. I prefer the wooden buttons on the base of the Piglet In Bed sheets and they come with handy drying hooks inside the duvet, but that’s tiny extra. 

If you’re looking to save some money and you still want to enjoy the feel of linen, I would recommend talking a look at Dunelm’s cotton linen blend. Of course, these aren’t as light and soft as pure linen, but they’re 70% of the way there and they cost a fraction of the price. There also isn’t as much choice in the way of pattern, but again, if you want to save money, it’s a great secret. 

Should you buy it?

If you want the best of the best that the world of linen has to offer, look no further. These sheets are exceptionally soft and a real treat to sleep in. Naturally, they’re at the pricy end of sheets, but they’re well worth the investment, especially if you’re a hot sleeper.

How we test

At woman&home, all of our bedding reviews come from weeks upon weeks upon weeks of testing. I‘ve been using these sheets on rotation since February and will continue to sleep in them, whilst updating this review, going forward.

To give you a good gauge of what the sheets are like, I make notes on all the elements that you need to know. I talk about whether they’re cooling, soft, and nice to sleep under. You’ll also get insights into what they are like to clean, how they compare to other sheets that I love, and what the composition really means for you. By the end of my review, you should have a great idea of what the sheets are like to sleep on. If not, don’t hesitate to email me. I’m always happy to talk about all things sleep and sheets. 

You can find out more about our testing process on our dedicated page for how we test bed sheets.