Now that I’m officially in my 30s, my idea of a good time is getting home at a reasonable hour, snuggling into bed, and reading until sleep overwhelms my senses. Yet, while I have enjoyed a few luxuriously comfortable hotel beds in the past, having my own plush bed has eluded me.

Most notably, I’ve always struggled to find the right sheets. How are hotel sheets always so cool and crisp? How do they stay perfectly ironed and flat, with not a wrinkle in sight? And how are those pillowcases so buttery soft? Consider me a woman on a mission to find out.

I decided to try Boll & Branch’s sheets because of the overwhelmingly positive reviews online and from friends and because of the company’s sustainability initiatives. Boll & Branch uses 100 percent GOTS-certified organic cotton, ethically sourced from farmers in India. (In fact, the company became the first Fair Trade Certified manufacturer of linens.)

Farmers are paid fair premiums, and production uses 90 percent less water than traditional cotton. Then, instead of sending your sheets via air, the team opts for shipping on the high seas, saving 20K+ metric tons of emissions to date.

I decided to try Boll & Branch’s sheets because of the overwhelmingly positive reviews online and from friends, and because of the company’s sustainability initiatives.

To start, I was most curious about the price range for Boll & Branch. The sheets we’ve previously gotten from big-box stores like Target were around $50, though I’ve usually had to replace them within a year or two. In March, I snagged $100 organic percale sheets for our guest bedroom from another sustainable brand.

The sateen weave sheets, boasting the brand’s “best-selling” label, start at $188. The queen-sized set, which includes one flat sheet, one fitted sheet, and two standard pillowcases, costs a steep $258. Since that’s 2–4X the cost we’ve spent on sheets before, I wish the price point were closer to $150–$175, better-balancing ethics and affordability.

With the order placed, I began counting down the seconds until their arrival. According to Boll & Branch, these sheets are “beloved by millions of Americans,” so my hopes were high. As they shipped, I received helpful emails from both the brand and UPS documenting its journey to my front door.

Four days later when the sheets arrived, they were in a nicely branded cardboard box. The sheets themselves were wrapped within a cloth case, tied with a ribbon, and supplemented with tissue paper. Boll & Branch touts that 100 percent of its packaging is recycled and FSC certified.

Overall, I was satisfied with the packaging but could have done without the fancy paper and the ribbon. (If the sheets’ 10K reviews represent 10K individual packages, that’s quite the waste from one product alone.)

When I opened the sheet set, I was honestly surprised by the color I’d chosen, Dune. Rather than being a pastel-like taupe, which I’d hoped would match our new bed frame, the Dune came with a darker, mustard-y undertone that was not what I was hoping for.

Unfortunately, the colors in the stock photos (below left) versus the hues in-person were radically different. The iPhone photo (below right) was taken at 11 a.m. in a relatively sun-lit room, and the sheets were left untouched from the night before to most accurately reflect real life. Save yourself my pain and scope out customer-sourced images on Pinterest or Instagram before finalizing a color.

boll and branch review
boll and branch review

Boll & Branch does offer a 30-day risk-free trial, so you can always exchange them if the tone seems off. But I do find it frustrating that you can’t do direct exchanges—you have to do the ol’ “return-then-repurchase” dance, even if you’re just opting for a different color.

So, how did we sleep? “They were nice and comfy,” says my husband, a man of clearly few words. And, yes, I agree.

Boll & Branch says the sheets sleep exactly between “cool and cozy,” and that was spot-on. As a tosser-and-turner, these stayed lightweight whenever I flipped and were just the right temp throughout the night. They do feel buttery but so have sheets that I’ve purchased from Target, so let’s call it even in terms of softness.

Neither of us thought they were the comfiest sheets we’d ever slept on (still on a mission for those dreamy hotel sheets), but they were definitely nice enough for day-to-day use.

The sheets sleep exactly between “cool and cozy,” and are buttery without feeling slippery or overly crisp. They’re not quite hotel-level, but they are great for day-to-day use.

Are the sheets worth the price tag? It depends. I know, I know, an annoyingly vague answer. But for many of us—myself included—$250 isn’t exactly a drop in the bucket; it’s more like a cup.

My recommendation is: Your purchasing decision should depend on your values and budget. We’re in our beds more than anywhere else over our lifetimes. That, to me, is worth investing in your dream bedding. For us, we’ll likely go back to our linen sheets for cooler sleep, but these sheets are a great way to align your home with your values if you can swing the price point.

Oh, and if you’re also looking for a softer neutral, go for the Natural or White instead, the other two lighter options out of the nine total colors.

If you have questions, feel free to drop them in the comments, and I’ll respond as best I can as I continue on my mission for the plush bed of my dreams!

 

Key Takeaways:

  • I love Boll & Branch’s commitment to sustainability, ethics, and quality, since the brand uses 100 percent GOTS certified organic cotton that’s been ethically sourced.

  • The queen-sized set, which only included a flat sheet, fitted sheet, and two pillowcases, is a bit more expensive ($258) than I’d like.

  • The color options look different online than in-person, so I recommend looking at customer reviews and photos before ordering!

  • The sheets sleep exactly between “cool and cozy,” and are buttery without feeling slippery or overly crisp. They’re not quite hotel-level, but they are great for day-to-day use.

For more sheets reviews and recos, check out our guide to 10 Organic Sheets To Help You Sleep Sweetly.

Henah Velez (she/her) is the Senior Editor at Money with Katie at Morning Brew, as well as a writer at The Good Trade. She holds a Master’s in Social Entrepreneurship and is a proud Rutgers grad. Originally from NJ, Henah’s now in the Bay Area where she loves shopping small, hanging with her pets, or traveling. Say hi on Instagram!