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When you sink into soft, luxurious bedding, it’s like your body breathes a sigh of relief. You feel the cool fabric against your skin and instantly know that it’s time to relax. For something that’s smooth yet easy to care for, sheets made from Tencel—a smooth and sustainably produced fiber—are the way to go.
Experts in This Article
fashion, textiles, and business professor at the Parsons School of Design
“Tencel is a manufactured cellulosic filament fiber. So, it’s not grown, it’s made, but it uses plant material, wood pulp specifically as the raw material,” says Margaret Bishop, an adjunct professor of textiles, apparel, and business at New York City’s leading fashion universities. “Because it is cellulosic, it has many of the benefits of a plant-based fiber, such as cotton or flax, the fiber used in linen fabrics. But because it’s manufactured, it has the smoothness of a manufactured fiber. So it kind of has the best of both worlds.”
Tencel is a branded version of lyocell made by the Austrian company Lenzing. “Lenzing is the company that developed it and developed the technology for it to be produced sustainably,” says Bishop. “Other lyocell is not necessarily sustainable or sustainably produced, but Tencel is.”
Bishop says Tencel is great for sheets because it has the moisture absorbency properties of cotton (hi, night sweaters), is easy to dye, is simple to launder, and the filament fibers are fine.
“Because Tencel is a manufactured fiber, you can make it very fine and you can make the yarn very fine, so you can pack a lot of yarn or threads into the fabric to get a really high thread count bed sheet,” says Bishop. “It does feel so incredibly smooth against your skin, and that’s one of the things that we really value in bedsheets.”
Ready to give Tencel sheets a try? Shop from the four sets below for the sweetest dreams. And once you have your new sheets, Bishop says to follow the care instructions to ensure their longevity.
Tencel sheets for sweet dreams and sustainable sleep
1. Nest Bedding Luxury Tencel Sheet Set, $99 to $149
Soft and simple, these sheets come in white and pewter, providing a serenity when paired with other neutrals or as a great base for a bold duvet cover. They feel amazing to the touch.
Shop now: Nest Bedding Luxury Tencel Sheet Set, $99 to $149
2. Eucalypso Ecalyptus Classic Sheet Set, $139 to $199
The Tencel used by Eucalypso is made from Eucalyptus pulp. Out of all of these Tencel sheets, these were the closest to feeling like silk—not quite as decadent, but still incredibly soft, more affordable, and machine washable. They’re available in white, dark gray, light blue, and vanilla blush.
Shop now: Eucalypso Ecalyptus Classic Sheet Set, $139 to $199
3. Brooklyn Bedding Tencel Sateen Sheets, $139 to $199
These soft, smooth, and stylish sheets are available in champagne, stone, white, and blue slate. The natural sheen is incredibly inviting.
Shop now: Brooklyn Bedding Tencel Sateen Sheets, $139 to $199
4. Kassatex Lorimer Washed Percale Sheet Set, $105 to $225
Because these sheets are 60 percent Tencel and 40 percent cotton, they’re not as soft as the 100 percent Tencel sheets. However, they’re still noticeably smoother than plain cotton, and if you appreciate crispness over softness, these are perfect for you. This crisp feeling is due in part to their percale weave pattern. They’re available in oatmeal, dolphin grey, charcoal, white, and dusty rose.
Shop now: Kassatex Lorimer Washed Percale Sheet Set, $105 to $225
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