The West Elm Organic Cotton Percale Sheet Set Is Dreamy

We purchased West Elm's 400-Thread-Count Organic Cotton Percale Sheet Set so our writer could put it to the test. Keep reading for our full product review.

Sheets are the foundation of a comfortable bed. You can get the best mattress and the plushest pillows, but if your sheets are thin, scratchy, or pilling, it can ruin your whole bedtime experience. That’s why we made it our mission to find the best cotton sheets out there. The organic cotton and 400-thread-count of the West Elm Percale Sheet Set caught our eye, but we wanted to see if it could deliver on its promise of being West Elm’s “softest sheet set ever.” Read on to find out whether the king-sized set lived up to our (admittedly, high) expectations.

Material: Organic and free of toxins

As its name points out, the West Elm 400-Thread-Count Organic Cotton Percale Sheet Set is made of 100 percent organic cotton. That cotton, which hasn’t been exposed to harmful chemicals or toxins, is arranged in a percale weave that, the manufacturer claims, makes the sheets extremely soft, yet durable enough to withstand everyday use. 

And we agreed. We’re not one for dramatics, but slipping into these sheets after a long day on our feet felt like the luxury escape we needed.

As an added bonus, the organic cotton is Fair Trade Certified and made in a Fair Trade Certified facility, so when purchasing the West Elm sheet set, you’ll not only increase your nighttime comfort level, you can also feel comfortable knowing that your purchase made a positive societal impact. 

Your color choices are limited, though. West Elm only offers the 400-thread-count sheet in white or platinum. We went with the platinum, which is a medium, completely neutral gray without any purple undertones. It fit in perfectly with our gray and navy bedroom and hid pet hair very well. Since keeping our pets off the bed completely is a losing battle for us, we appreciate colors that can camouflage their fur as much as possible—and the platinum did a great job of that.

Texture: Cloud-like softness

The West Elm sheets were the softest set that we’ve ever slept on. And after washing them a few times, they got even softer—something that we didn’t even think was possible. We tend to wake up a few times in the middle of the night, but the first time sleeping with these sheets, we only woke up once, a feat we credited to feeling so comfortable.

Thread Count: On the high end

This percale sheet set combines organic cotton with a 400-thread-count, the highest West Elm offers. Thread count isn’t everything when it comes to sheets, but, in this case, the higher number really adds another level of softness and durability to the set.

Fit: Taut and secure

The fitted sheet can accommodate a 16-inch mattress depth, which fit perfectly on our 12.3-inch gel memory foam mattress. The thick elastic band hugged the mattress tightly and didn’t pop off the corners, even when we jumped up and down on the mattress to really test its hold.

And although there was some room to spare, there was no uncomfortable bunching or gathering of extra material in the middle of the bed. The fitted sheet stayed taut and smooth.

All of the size options fit mattresses up to 16 inches deep. The larger sets (full to king) come with a flat sheet, a fitted sheet, and two pillowcases, while the twin has only one pillowcase.

Washing: Easy care

After feeling how incredibly soft these sheets were, we expected some high maintenance washing instructions but were pleasantly surprised when we checked the care tag. The manufacturer recommends machine washing the sheets on warm and then tumble drying them on low. There’s also a note on the care tag to avoid using dryer sheets and to use wool dryer balls in their place.

We weren’t sure if this was to prevent the organic sheets from being exposed to the chemicals in dryer sheets for health reasons or if the dryer sheets could damage the material, but we weren’t willing to find out. We used our wool dryer balls for the drying process and removed the sheets from the dryer as soon as the cycle stopped. 

Although the sheets were wrinkled even when promptly removed from the dryer, we thought the wrinkles actually positively added to the look. They gave the sheets a textured look similar to crushed voile curtains that we thought added some character and looked really beautiful on our bed.

Price: Worth it

We purchased the king-size sheet set, which cost $160. The set is also available in twin ($110), full ($120), queen ($130), and California king ($160). While these prices are somewhere on the higher-end, the sheets are comfortable, soft, and durable enough to warrant the cost. Plus, they come with a 30-day return policy, so if you’re not happy after trying them, you can get your money back.

Competition: Some other options to consider

L.L. Bean 280-Thread-Count Pima Cotton Percale Sheet Set: While you’ll drop down in thread count if you choose the L.L. Bean Percale Sheets, you’ll gain some color options. In addition to white and various grays, you can choose from a couple of different blues, pink, yellow, and taupe. Because they’re made of pima cotton, long-staple, high-end cotton, they’re comparable in softness even with the lower thread count. They are thicker and not as lightweight as the West Elm sheets. When it comes to price, they’re neck and neck with the L.L. Bean king-size option going for $169.

JCPenney Home 300tc Easy Care Sheet Sets: Percale sheets are prone to wrinkling. If that bothers you, the JCPenney Home 300tc Easy Care Sheet Sets (view on JCPenney) combine polyester with cotton to make them wrinkle-resistant and easier to care for. Though the thread count is similar—the JCPenney sheets have a 300-thread-count—you’ll have to sacrifice some softness for this fabric blend. But, the JCPenney Sheets are available in a wide variety of colors and patterns, so if you’re not into white or gray, you can choose a different option to add some character to your room.