It is a truth universally acknowledged that some people run hot and some run cold and invariably they marry each other. Anyone who's ever had to share a bed knows the struggle of two people warring over blankets and temperature.
So when the summer hits and a heavy smothering heat descends it can feel impossible to sleep. You don't want to be uncovered and exposed in the middle of the night, that's just weird, but you don't want to be sweating beneath a sheet either. And getting the two internal temperatures in one bed to agree with each other is a never-ending battle.
However, there are certain bedsheets that are more suited to summer weather and are lightweight enough to supply the coverage one party needs without overheating the other. Cotton is cooling to the touch but can often feel scratchy and uncomfortable and it'll keep you warmer than linen which in the summer is the opposite of what you want. Linen sheets are not only better for the environment because they are a natural material but they're bacteria resistant, ventilating, and have moisture-wicking capabilities. The linen also gets softer with each wash and ages better than cotton.
So to beat the heat, here are four of the best places to shop for summer sheets.
Flax Home
This Vancouver-based business began with three friends and grew into a go-to for ethically sourced European stonewashed linen bedding. Flax Home has dining and bath collections but the sheets remain its best sellers. Flax chose to work with linen because, compared to cotton, linen uses 20 times less water and energy to produce. The linen is naturally temperature regulating and the airiness helps avoid night sweating. Its antimicrobial properties also mean that even if it is sweat in, it doesn't get musty or damp like towels do.
Flax is a socially responsible organization that contributes to the local women's resource society, Atira, by up-cycling unused materials from other clothiers and turning them into masks and tote bags that benefited the charity. Their supply chain is transparent and most of their products have a third-party certification that tests for over 100 harmful chemicals during all stages of the manufacturing process.
Sets come in 10 different colour ways and five different bed sizes but not all of the separates are available in all colours.
Maison Tess
Another Canadian brand, although this one is based in Montreal, Maison Tess makes beautiful luxurious-looking sheets made by a fourth-generation family-owned Portuguese manufacturer and dyed by a 97-year-old mill, the oldest active mill in Portugal.
The sheets look amazing mixed and matched to turn your bed into a decor focal point in the bedroom with five fabric options to choose from. For summer, though, the coco or washed linen sheets are the best. Coco linen is a 55 per cent linen and 45 per cent cotton blend and comes in some pretty vibrant colours. However, if your bed sees direct sunlight during the day, a lighter colour sheet will provide the optimum level of coolness. In which case, the pale sand washed linen sheet set is the best for a summer bedspread both aesthetically and practically.
Parachute Home
Parachute Home has expanded drastically from its humble roots as an online-only direct-to-consumer bedding brand out of Venice, California. The cozy lifestyle retailer launched in Canada during the pandemic and is currently having a "pop-in" at Nordstrom in Vancouver until August 21. While they do have a collection of robes, towels, and various other home decor items they are still best known for bedding.
Made in Portugal, Parachute's bedding is made to look relaxed yet sophisticated, whether your bed is made or not the patina of the sheets will make the rumpled look stylish. For warm sleepers and climates, Parachute recommends the percale or linen options. Percale has more of a smooth crisp finish while the linen is more organic and lived-in looking but they are both lightweight and durable. Plus they get more relaxed and soft over time.
And while many people forgo the duvet altogether in the summer, Parachute has lightweight quilt options that would make a good alternative to faffing with a duvet cover and the unneeded down insert.
Silk and Snow
Silk and Snow began in Toronto in 2017 as a mattress manufacturer and retailer but has since expanded to offer bedding options, one of which is linen.
Another fun fact about linen (in case you hadn't figured out that it is the superior bedding fabric yet) is that static electricity can’t be accumulated inside of linen, so your bedding won’t zap you accidentally. Which your pets will appreciate when their fur rubs against it.
Silk and Snow's bedding is also 100 per cent European flax made in Portugal like many of the entrants on this list and comes in 10 colours with three sizing options. The same linen used for bedding is used for garments - so think of it as a summer wardrobe for your bed as well.
