Whilst linen may not initially feel as soft as cotton, it does get softer with each wash. Choose pre-washed - garment washed or stone washed - linen if you want that softer feel straight away.

Bamboo:Bamboo is an increasingly popular material for sheets and other bedding. It is a synthetic material made from the pulp of bamboo. To create this fabric, the bamboo can either be physically mashed into pulp or chemically processed. In either process, the cellulose of the bamboo is extracted, spun into thread, and then woven into fabric. This type of fabric is known as a viscose or rayon and can be made with a wide variety of source materials aside from bamboo.

The result - cotton fibers that are softer, silkier to the touch, yet more durable than their pima counterparts. Supima cotton bed sheets are an excellent choice for those seeking long-lasting materials.