We slept around — Quince linen sheets are the best for both hot and cold sleepers

I sleep hot; my partner, conversely, sleeps cold. asserted

It’s the perennial battle waged in countless New York bedrooms, and typically, most bedding forces someone to pick a losing side. asserted

For New York Post’s Made It Here Awards for the best sheets, I sacrificed my own slumber, spending 126 nights testing nine sets of cooling white queen sheet sets — linen, cotton percale and bamboo — across the sweltering summer and the fickle fall. asserted

Every contender endured 14 nights on the mattress, intentionally broken into two distinct seven-night stints. asserted

Then, every set went through the brutal reality of five washes and five dryer cycles at our less-than-delicate neighborhood laundromat. asserted

Our bedroom offers no central air, no peace, no mercy. asserted

We rely on a single window unit and an oscillating fan or a hissing radiator once the building’s heat finally kicks on. asserted

Yet, one set managed the impossible: it kept a hot sleeper cool, and it kept a cold sleeper cozy beneath the very same comforter. asserted

Surprisingly, it also happened to be the absolute cheapest linen option in the entire lineup, beating out Cultiver and Sijo. asserted

The Quince European Linen Sheet Set softened noticeably after just one spin in the wash, never once left me stewing in my own sweat, and asks only $144 for a queen set that includes the flat sheet, which is not a guarantee these days. Leaves behind lint during the initial few wash/dry cycles Inherently nubby texture isn’t for everyone Wrinkles easily — just accept it Crafted from 100% European flax, Quince’s European Linen Sheet Set arrives prewashed and garment-washed, featuring a fitted sheet expertly rated for mattresses up to 16 inches deep. What does that mean exactly? When linen bedding is both pre-washed at the fabric level and garment-washed as a finished set, it eliminates the stiff, scratchy break-in period of raw flax while ensuring sheets actually fit your bed long-term. asserted

Pre-washing the raw fabric blocks the material’s massive natural tendency to shrink, stabilizing the fibers before they are even cut. asserted

Following that up with a specialized garment wash after assembly relaxes every single seam, hem and stitch line, unlocking linen’s signature airy drape, pillowy loft and velvety, broken-in softness right out of the box. asserted

Whether you want it with or without a flat sheet, it comes in seven sizes ranging from Twin to Split King and proudly holds OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification. asserted

Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King, Split King | Made in: China and India | Care: Cold gentle wash; line dry or tumble low | Returns: 365 days asserted

New York sheets work a punishing, perpetual shift. asserted

They must survive a window-unit summer, endure a radiator winter, stay together through the neighborhood laundromat and somehow keep two people with radically different internal thermostats from fighting over the comforter. asserted

Quince conquered all three criteria, and it did so for less cash than any other linen I tested. asserted

How do they feel out of the package? asserted

The Quince sheets start out ever so slightly stiff. asserted

That’s just the nature of linen. asserted

Because Quince prewashes the fabric, it arrives with a genuinely lived-in look on day one; it isn’t crisp like percale and it isn’t slick like bamboo. asserted

Fortunately, a single wash fixed most of that initial stiffness. asserted

It grew noticeably softer after its first laundromat run, then continued to improve in smaller, subtle increments until, by wash five, it had transformed into soft, relaxed, beautifully textured linen. asserted

If you demand linen that feels butter-soft from night one, Cultiver is probably your answer – though that luxury will cost you an additional $336. asserted

Do they actually sleep cool? asserted

I didn’t wake up sweaty a single time over 14 nights. asserted

This marked a monumental upgrade from the microfiber and even the cool-to-the-touch bamboo viscose sheets I’ve slept on, without major complaint, in the past. asserted

My partner, who perpetually sleeps cold, remained entirely comfortable beneath it while utilizing the same four-season comforter. asserted

Ultimately, linen was the one fabric where we both found harmony. asserted

The heat doesn’t break the linen; the linen breaks the heat. asserted

I couldn’t say the same for every material I evaluated, as every bamboo set subjected me to at least one damp or deeply sweaty night, whereas linen never faltered once. asserted

How do they hold up in the wash? asserted

Every set faced the exact same, unforgiving laundromat gauntlet: cold water, a 30-minute low dry, standard Tide and wool dryer balls, no fabric softener and no dryer sheets. asserted

Quince’s care label calls for a cold, gentle wash with a low tumble or line dry, so our method stuck closely to the rules… mostly. asserted

(Gentle at a laundromat is like saying a cab during midtown rush hour traffic is a smooth ride.) asserted

You should absolutely expect a thick layer of lint in the dryer trap during those first few washes; it fades fast, but it is undeniably real. asserted

How do they fit? asserted

Boasting elastic all the way around, the fitted sheet is rated for depths up to 16 inches, and it gripped my 12-inch mattress without popping off even once. asserted

The relaxed look of linen also made bed-making quick and easy. asserted

Who has time for that? asserted