However, excessive thread counts mean little if the fibers used are of low quality. Extra long staple cotton for beddings is best to maintain the durability of cotton fabrics. This ensures cotton bed sheets will not fray, wrinkle or pill easily after a few tumbles in the wash.

Cotton-Poly Blend Sheets Comfortable

Different materials will require different methods of washing and drying. Some are more involved than others, so it’s worth looking into the required care instructions for bedding before purchasing. For example, silk sheets may require special detergent and often must be hand washed or line dried. The same can be true for other delicate materials. 

Wayfair's Nadia McCowan Hill adds: 'The rumpled look of linen is very much on trend, but if you prefer a more sleek finish, invest in a handheld steamer to smooth out any creases and do this once your bed is already made. Steaming is much faster than ironing and works wonders on linen.'

Most sheet sets typically include a flat sheet, fitted sheet, and one or two pillowcases. There’s not much need for wondering if you need a flat or fitted sheet for this reason — both are useful and usually come as a package deal. Some other sheet sets, like those Casper offers, also include a duvet cover. 

Bed sheets come in two main varieties: flat and fitted. A flat sheet is simply a rectangular sheet of cloth, while a fitted sheet has four corners, and sometimes two or four sides, fitted with elastic, to be used only as a bottom sheet. The fitted sheet may also be secured using a drawstring instead of elastic. The purpose of a fitted bottom sheet is to keep it from slipping off the mattress while the bed is in use. A particular way of folding and tucking while making the bed, known as hospital corners, is sometimes used when the bottom sheet is flat rather than fitted.