Linen or Cotton Bedding?

We love both natural linen and pure cotton fabrics. Both are a great choice for bed linen. We have a separate guide to cotton percale v sateen bed linen. Natural flax linen bedding has very strong fibres which means that linen fabrics are durable and very long lasting - more so than cotton. Linen fibres are longer than cotton fibres – even than long fibre cottons like Egyptian cotton. Unwashed flax linen fibre can have a slightly rougher feel compared with cotton which is why most linens fabrics are pre-washed to create a softer fabric. Our stone washed linens are particularly soft. The great thing about flax linen is that unlike cotton, it really does get softer with each wash and after many washes can appear almost silk like. You will find that our stone washed linens start soft and get even softer. Cotton fabrics will soften a little with washing but not so much as linen. However, cotton fabric are naturally softer to start with. The appearance of linen fabric is also enhanced with washing. Over time it will develop a more silky shine and lustre. Linen fabric can be ironed with a very hot iron (hotter even than cotton) and ironing your linen will increase its silky lustre. For that reason, iron  inside out if a duller look is favoured. Of course, one of the great qualities of linen is that it looks great au naturel so ironing is always optional.  It will also naturally crease less through use, laundering and time as it becomes softer.


Purchase linen bedding

Flax linen bedding is superb for sleeping on and under due to its fantastic moisture absorbing qualities. Flax linen fibres can absorb a lot of moisture without feeling damp. This means that linen bedding stays fresh and comfortable throughout the night. One reason why linen is so popular in the summer. Even better, the structure of linen fibres means that they act as natural insulating pockets. They can retain heat in the winter but act as a barrier to heat in the summer. This means that linen fabrics really are perfect for bed linen all year round. Cotton is also a very breathable fabric with lighter percale fabrics also great for summer. Linen has good environmental credentials. It requires much less resources to harvest linen fibres from Flax than harvesting cotton and there is very little waste. What’s not to like? It is more environmentally friendly than cotton and much much more environmentally friendly than poly-cottons and other synthetic fabrics which we at Linenshack will never sell. What we like most about our linen though is the wonderful combination of relaxed casual looks and great comfort. Cotton is a more formal smart hotel style by comparison. Just as desirable. At Linenshack we have a great selection of linen bedding for purchase including stone washed linens and a wonderful stripy linen cotton mix (55% flax linen) which combines the best of both linen and cotton. Our cotton v percale fabric guide also has links to our selections of pure cotton percale and sateen bedding.