A Guide to Buying Beautiful & Sustainable Bedding

Every morning Clem asks to come and snuggle in ‘Mummy’s big bed’. It’s one of my favourite parts of the day, when his little hands shimmy their way round my neck and we burrow down between the sheets for a precious morning cuddle. It might be because he misses me after a long night apart, but I have an inkling that he also loves a little snuggle in our billowing sheets and fluffy pillows. Our bed is an ode to the importance and enjoyment of sleep.

So naturally, over the years, we’ve created a bed that we look forward to enjoying at the end of each day. High quality, sustainable bedding, pillows and mattresses can be pricey, so it’s taken some time to gather these pieces that make for a good night’s sleep.

1. Quality, quality, quality

I feel this has become something of a mantra to me, because really everything in life is worthy of being high quality. But nowhere does it apply more than to bedding, into which you retreat every night. High quality bedding is important not only for comfort, but also for longevity. Higher thread count sheets will withstand heavy duty washing month in, month out without wearing, pilling or becoming rough and scratchy. Likewise, a well-made duvet and pillows will stay fluffy and beautiful long past the first few years. 

My usual rule of thumb is that if I think a piece will last long enough for my grandchildren to have a chance at using it (even if they may not wish to!) then I’m probably on the right lines. Of course, practically speaking this can mean items are pricey. We waited several years beyond needing a new mattress until we had the money to afford one that we knew would last well. As someone somewhere once said, “buy cheap, buy twice.”

2. Buy natural fibres where possible

I have spoken on many occasions about my intense and lifelong love for linen. Of all its uses it makes for the best bedding, growing softer with time and looking all the more beautiful for a little neglect (including refusing to iron your sheets!) I have a whole other post on my favourite affordable linen sheets so will leave it to past-me to explain just how perfect linen sheets are.

Among the other options, hemp is just about the most eco-friendly fabric you can buy, and there are companies out there that have begun to make sustainable bedding from this wonder fibre. It’s fast growing, needs little in the way of pesticides (thus making it naturally organic), and makes for a strong, soft and practical fabric. I haven’t tried it myself for bedding, but I hope I’ll be able to invest very soon.

Tencel© is a remarkable modern semi-synthetic fabric, spun from plant fibres in a process that is significantly more eco-friendly than its similar predecessors (such as viscose). It works particularly well for sheets since it has a rather beautiful cooling feel to the touch. I like it especially for a flat or fitted sheet.

It would be remiss of me not to mention cotton in a post about bedding, since it is of course the most common fabric used for bedding in the modern age. Despite its widespread popularity, I am not convinced it is anything special. A high thread count organic cotton will last exceptionally well and is reasonably eco-friendly, but for the price of such a cotton I would sooner buy linen.

There is also a recent trend for silk pillowcases, which are purported to bring with them all sorts of benefits, particularly to skin and hair. I have to say that I am somewhat sceptical about those claims, but imagine that silk must be wonderfully luxurious to sleep on. It also has the benefit of being natural, biodegradable, breathable, and anti-inflammatory. The downside is that silk is often produced unethically and it can require careful research to seek out options made from ethical options like peace silk. Peace silk also, understandably, carries a premium price tag, so is unlikely to be an option if you’re on a lower budget.

Hemp is just about the most eco-friendly fabric you can buy

3. Seek out sustainably made pillows and duvets

There are classically two fibres used to fill pillows and duvets - polyester and goose down. This has always left me with a slight conundrum. On the one hand, polyester is essentially plastic and the virgin fibres are therefore very environmentally damaging to produce. While on the other hand, goose down is not always particularly ethical, and practically speaking causes both my husband and daughter rather uncomfortable allergic symptoms. 

Joyfully we recently found a happy medium, in the form of a recycled polyester ‘Vegan down’ duvet from The Fine Bedding Company. It is quite magical in that it feels exactly like down - soft, billowy and with just the right amount of weight - yet is hypoallergenic and vegan friendly. I really can’t recommend it highly enough!

If you are able to tolerate goose down, then an ethically produced pillow or duvet would also be a nice option, and has the added benefit of being fully biodegradable.

4. Consider secondhand

Whilst my love for thrifting knows few bounds, I would probably draw the line at using someone else’s old bedding! Yet that doesn’t have to mean that secondhand shopping is completely off the table. I am currently nurturing an obsession for antique quilts, which are as beautiful as they are unique. Often excellently made with high quality materials, they top just about any sort of bedspread you may find new.

Antique quilts in particular can carry a substantial price if you shop from someone who knows what they’re worth, so I like to scroll through the back alleys of eBay looking for hidden gems. Try searching for terms that the person who doesn’t know what they have would use - things like “old french quilt” or “patchwork bedspread” can yield absolute treasures.

5. Stay timeless

My mama always bought white sheets, so when I finally had the chance to buy bedding of my very own, I burst out of the mould by purchasing the most garish pink patterned bedding that I could find. I loved it deeply at the time, but gave no thought to how much I would love it ten years later. Naturally, it met the charity shop shortly after we got married, and I realised the wisdom of my mother’s neutral choices. 

My preference will always be for white sheets, because they never go out of style, always look fresh, and can be easily laundered at high temperatures if needed. I might be persuaded to branch out into a neutral grey, beige or clay pink, but only if I’m sure I’ll still love it when my hair is turning grey.

If you know you’ll crave colour, consider how all your pieces will mix and match, so that you don’t have to worry too much when only three out of four pillowcases make it through the wash. You could also consider adding throw pillows or a bedspread with more trend-led styles, which can be more easily switched out when you get bored. 

This page contains affiliate links, which earn me a little bit of commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Thank you! The Vegan Down duvet mentioned in this article was gifted to me.

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