The Best Bedding of 2024, Tested by Experts

Experts share the best brands to shop when building your most comfortable bed ever.

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The Best Bedding of 2024, Tested by Experts

It's no secret that a comfortable bed is key to a good night's sleep, but finding the best bedding is no easy task. Even if it's not time to replace your entire bed, upgrading items like your sheets, comforters, pillows and other accessories can have a major effect on your overall comfort.

The Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab regularly tests bedding using our specialized equipment and by reviewing feedback from our panel of consumer testers. In the Lab, we evaluate everything from fabric strength and moisture management to wrinkle-, shrinkage- and pilling-resistance. We also send bedding items to hundreds of people on our tester panel to weigh in on everything from ease of use to softness to the overall effect on sleep quality. Based on extensive evaluations in each category, here are the best bedding items you can buy.

You can read more about how we test bedding and what to keep in mind as you shop at the end of this article, but first, here are the best sheets, comforters, pillows and accessories to buy for your bed.

Not only were these sheets top performers in our bedding test, but they also come with free shipping and free returns (even if you've used them and just don't love them!), so it's low risk to try them out. This style is an internet favorite and comes in a variety of colors, including limited-edition options.

In our tests, the 100% cotton fabric was smooth, strong and pill-resistant. Our panel also liked the feel of the fabric, calling it "soft" and "smooth." Plus, the fitted sheets have tabs labeled "long side" and "short side" so making the bed is much easier, though keep in mind they're not as deep for tall mattresses.

Also available as a duvet cover.

This polyester microfiber set is a total steal and a best-seller on Amazon with over 250,000 five-star ratings. It also wowed our consumer testers with its soft, buttery feel. On top of that, the sheets were more wrinkle-resistant than most cotton fabrics, and they barely shrunk when we washed them.

The set comes in a wide variety of options with 15 sizes (including deep-pocket!) and over 40 colors and prints. Just take note: Synthetic bedding fabric may not feel as breathable as cotton, and some testers actually thought it was too soft.

Also available as a duvet cover set.

Most cotton sheet sets cost well over $100, but this one has an unbeatable price for 100% cotton and performed exceptionally well in our tests. At-home users found it to have a good weight — i.e., it wasn't thin or flimsy — and said it felt both soft and crisp. It also held up to Lab tests with perfect scores for pill resistance.

Beyond that, we love this set's versatility. For starters, the fitted sheets are generously sized so they can fit tall mattresses. You can also purchase the items individually instead of as a set in case you want to mix and match or just buy extra pieces. Beyond that, it comes in more than 35 colors and designs to match your bedroom.

Also available as a duvet cover set.

Ideal for warmer weather or sweaty sleepers, this set uses a unique fabric that stores and releases body heat to help keep you at a comfortable temperature throughout the night. It's also moisture-wicking, which helps keep you dry if you experience night sweats. Our sleep testers unanimously said they stayed at a comfortable temperature all night long when using these sheets.

Besides its cool feel, testers loved how soft and smooth the fabric felt against their skin. It washed well in Lab tests without shrinkage, though the material wasn't as strong as other fabrics in our durability tests. The brand offers an any-reason return period of 60 days so you can make sure it's a good fit.

Also available as a duvet cover.

This fluffy comforter has a special construction that makes it feel like you're sleeping in a cloud. It uses a web of fibers instead of individual clusters to prevent clumping, and there's no box stitching so the layers are less compressed. Plus, its fill uses recycled polyester made from water bottles, and it has a Global Recycling Standard (GRS) certification to ensure it's truly recycled.

Besides the fill, our product analysts and consumer testers all love the soft outer cover. It uses Tencel lyocell, a material that's smooth, lightweight and quiet — no crinkly sounds when you move under the cover. It only comes in one warmth level, but it's designed for year-round use. The brand offers a seven-day trial period before buying along with a 50-day return period to get a refund.

An incredible deal at a fraction of the cost of others, this comforter is incredibly popular on Amazon with over 90,000 five-star ratings. It achieves its low cost by using synthetic materials (polyester for both the fill and outer cover), and it has a quilted construction instead of baffle boxes, but online reviewers say it feels both lightweight and fluffy.

This one also stands out for its versatility: You can choose between eight sizes — including oversized options — and six colors to match any bed. It's machine washable, and polyester is typically quick-drying and shrink-resistant, so you can even choose to forego the duvet cover and wash it regularly.

If you prefer splurging on an indulgent comforter, this one uses high-quality materials, including a 600 fill power down that's certified by the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) and a luxurious cotton sateen outer cover. It also has top-notch construction, including baffle boxes that help the fill stay in place. On top of that, it comes in five colors and three warmth levels to help you pick the right fit for your bed.

Even though it's pricey, it has held up well over the course of years in the homes of our testers. Users also noted how the fill doesn't shift around or shed, and said it felt warm and comfortable to sleep under. It also aced our quality inspections in the Lab, with no flaws or defects to report. In fact, it earned the Good Housekeeping Seal for its standout performance.

This top-tested pillow comes with extra stuffing that you can add or remove to create your own personalized level of support. The fill is a blend of memory foam pieces and microfiber clusters that offers good support while still feeling fluffy. Our testers said was it comfortable and supportive and that it improved their overall sleep quality. One described the cradling comfort by saying, "It wraps around my head, and I sink into it."

We also love that the entire pillow is machine washable, which usually isn't the case with foam. It bounced back to shape in our Textile Lab's pressure tests, and the brand offers a similar version with cooling gel in the foam for hot sleepers. Just note that the outer cover pills with use.

Sold as a set of two for less than the price of most other singular pillows, this down alternative pair is your best bet on a budget. Despite the low cost, it performed better than pricier models, and testers found it comfortable. They especially liked how plush it felt, with one highlighting, "I like how fluffy this pillow is and how well it maintains shape after continued use."

The pillows are machine washable for easy care, making them great for anyone suffering from allergies who need to regularly launder their bedding. With a lower profile, they're also ideal for people who need a flatter pillow with less support, like stomach sleepers or kids.

Silk pillowcases feel soft and luxurious to lie on, plus the smooth surface helps prevent skin creases and bedhead. This one in particular is a Good Housekeeping Seal holder; it was durable in Lab evaluations and didn't show signs of wear in our abrasion tests. It was also moisture-wicking, meaning it can help you feel cool and dry as you sleep, though it did shrink a bit in the wash.

Sleep testers loved how comfortable and refreshing it felt, noting that it was smoother against their hair than cotton pillowcases. And though it's certainly not cheap, it outperformed much pricier styles. Silk quality is determined by fabric weight, and 25 momme is among the most substantial options on the market.

Despite costing under $20, this cozy blanket feels incredibly soft and substantial. The synthetic fleece feels like velvet, yet it's not too heavy and is versatile enough to go from your bed to your sofa. It comes in four sizes and dozens of colors, giving you plenty of options to choose from.

The best part is that testers gave it perfect comfort ratings and noted that it kept them warm without the weight. In fact, there were no complaints from users in their reviews. We found it washed well without shrinkage or signs of wear.

Rather than replacing your entire mattress, this topper upgrades the feel of your bed by adding a layer of plush memory foam to the surface. Not only is the foam more comfortable, but it also offers pressure relief (great for side sleepers and back pain sufferers) and motion isolation, so you're less likely to feel your sleeping partner's movements.

It comes with straps to help secure the 3-inch layer onto the mattress, though our tester did note that it still shifted around at times on the bed. Still, she confirmed it instantly improved the feel of her mattress. And though it's a splurge, Tempur-Pedic's foam is high quality and is made to last for years, unlike cheaper foams that can sag more easily.

AVAILABLE DISCOUNT: Take 40% off a full-price Tempur-Pedic mattress topper using code TOPPERS40.

The fiber scientist and engineers in the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab test hundreds of bedding items each year. Each item gets put through the wringer in our Lab using specialized equipment to determine performance and durability, plus we send the bedding to the homes of our consumer testers who share feedback on aspects like ease of use, comfort, softness, support and more. Here are more details about how we test some of the top bedding categories:

When we test sheets in the Lab, we look at features like fabric strength (using a machine called an Instron, pictured here), pilling resistance, wrinkle resistance, shrinkage and appearance after laundering and more. Sleep testers weigh in with ratings on softness, comfort, temperature regulation and more.

Our bedding pros first perform a quality inspection on the duvet inserts and comforters, checking everything from whether the stitching is secure to whether the outer fabric is quiet. We also check to see if the fill sheds and whether there are any odors upon opening. Sleep testers then use the comforters for several weeks before reporting back on aspects like the temperature, noise level, fill shifting, ease of attaching a duvet cover and more.

Our product analysts measure shape retention in the Textiles Lab by timing how quickly the pillows return to their original shape after weights are applied for an extended period (pictured here), which mimics your head sleeping on it overnight. We also assess how easy the pillows are to clean (some are not even washable!) and whether they actually hold up to laundering. On top of that, we check whether they properly fit into a pillowcase.

At the same time, real consumers try out the pillows during sleep testing. Testers are each assigned a specific pillow based on a screening survey to make sure they get a proper match for their sleep style, then they sleep on it for several weeks before providing feedback. The pillows are scored on comfort, support, temperature regulation and more, plus testers have the opportunity to answer open-ended questions about their experiences.

Lexie Sachs (she/her) is the executive director of strategy and operations at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she researches, tests and reports on fabric-based products ranging from sheets, mattresses and towels to bras, fitness apparel and other clothing. She also evaluates luggage, rain gear, disposable paper goods and baby products. Lexie has more than 15 years of experience in the textiles industry and a degree in fiber science from Cornell University. Prior to joining GH in 2013, she worked in merchandising and product development in the fashion and home industries.

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