This unexpected Australian sleep secret could change the game for hot sleepers

Shleep Essentials | $210 - $1,286 at Shleep
At Shleep, you'll find everything from flat and fitted sheets to duvet covers and pillowcases, as well as a range of blankets, sleep masks, and headbands, all made from the finest merino wool.

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You wouldn't think it, but wool is one of the best bed sheet materials for hot sleepers. I don't mean the itchy, scratchy stuff your grandma buys to knit sweaters, but fine merino wool that feels soft and smooth against your skin.

That's the stuff they use at Shleep. When I interviewed founder Indi McCullough, she described merino wool as a miracle material: 'it's smooth as silk, luxe as cashmere, and light as gossamer.' Merino wool makes a lightweight layer that's ideal for hot sleepers and warm climates – Indi says it's all the rage in Australia, where Shleep was founded.

As H&G's specialist Sleep Editor, I lead a team of expert testers in the search to find the world's best bed sheets. Together, we've tried everything from crisp cotton percale to luxury linens and breathable bamboo. This was my first time sleeping with merino wool, but out of all the bed sheet types, I think it's the best for people like me: hot sleepers with sensitive skin. If these sheets weren't so expensive, I'd buy a set for every room in the house.

Shleep Essentials Bedding Collection review − nine months later

Back in April 2024, I tried the Shleep Essentials Bedding Collection for myself. Nine months later, I've tested these sheets through summer and winter, and I can confirm they're truly transeasonal.

Shleep Essentials Collection Specifications

Who would the Shleep Essentials collection suit?

• Hot sleepers: whether you suffer from night sweats or hot flashes, or you live in a warm climate, you need a set of the best cooling sheets to regulate your temperature and wick away moisture. Merino wool is fit for purpose. According to the Woolroom Sleep Report 2024, wool can hold up to 33% of its weight in water (or sweat) to keep you cool and dry overnight. With enough fresh air, that sweat should naturally evaporate: all the more reason to air your bedding every morning.
• Anyone who likes a little luxury: Merino wool is synonymous with high, slow fashion. It's the sort of material you'd expect to see in the best designer bedding collections.
• Anyone who's keen to experiment with color: Shleep Essentials come in six colors: Olive Grove; Mesa Canyon; Coral Peony; Arabian Nightsky; Tropical Sand; and Charcoal Slate. Each shade is inspired by the natural landscape in Australia, as well as a few scenes that Indi has admired on her travels. These colors are rich and saturated, yet understated. Picking up a sheet set in Mesa Canyon, for example, would be a great way to experiment with colorful bedroom ideas without overwhelming your space. I opted for Tropical Sand, a warm creamy-beige to complement any color palette.
• Shoppers with money to spare: Shleep Essentials bedding is seriously expensive. We're talking around $1,000 for a single fitted sheet. That's the price you pay for the finest wool and the richest dyes. For hot sleepers buying on a budget, I recommend the best linen sheets, instead.

What's it like to sleep on Shleep Essentials bedding?

I've never slept on anything quite like merino wool. It has a little more texture than silky smooth cotton sateen, but it isn't quite as coarse as the best linen sheets. While the Shleep Essentials bedding collection isn't quite as naturally cooling as, say, the Ettitude Signature Sateen Sheet Set, merino wool makes a far better thermoregulator than cheap, synthetic materials.

It took me a few nights to get used to the feel of merino wool. Now, I'm totally on board, and I'd recommend the Shleep Essentials bedding collection to almost anyone, especially hot sleepers. Merino wool is an excellent moisture-wicker, which makes Shleep Essentials the ideal sheet set for anyone who suffers from night sweats and hot flashes. 

The Shleep Essentials bedding collection is certified and approved for sale by Woolmark, the global authority on Merino wool. Shleep uses the finest Australian merino wool. In the context of wool, 'fine' isn't a qualitative term so much as a measurement. The fineness, or thinness, of wool is measured in microns. If a human hair is around 100 microns, then your average strand of merino wool is around 24 microns. Shleep only use strands of merino wool that measure 19.5 microns or less. Fine wool is softer and more supple, but it's weaker, too. That's why Shleep blend their merino wool with bamboo to toughen it up a little. Each piece in the Shleep Essentials bedding collection is made from 70% merino wool, 30% bamboo.

Onto more practical points. As a sleep writer, I'm often asked how often you should wash your bedding. My answer: it depends on the material. Something like merino wool is pretty low-maintenance. Naturally anti-static, merino wool attracts minimal dust, dirt, and lint. Plus, it's stain- and odor-resistant to keep you feeling fresh. I stuck to my usual weekly sheet washing schedule, and it worked just fine.

These sheets are machine-washable and dryer-safe, and come with their own mesh wash bag to protect the wool. The Shleep Essentials bedding felt soft to begin with and I noticed that it got a little softer with each wash. Like a lot of natural fibers, merino wool curls and clumps, so you might want to invest in a fleece brush, like the Superio 3-in-1 Garment Brush from Walmart. Personally, I gave mine a good shake and brush down when they came out of the dryer, and that kept the fibers in place.

While I find it hard to fault the Shleep Essentials bedding collection, I recognize that merino wool isn't for everyone. The Brooklinen Luxe Core Sheet Set is softer and smoother, made from long-staple cotton and woven into silky sateen. Here at H&G, we've tested dozens of sheet sets, and we reckon these are the best bed sheets overall. If you're keen to experiment with prints and patterns, I recommend shopping at Piglet in Bed, where you'll find the best linen bed sheets in every conceivable color.

Should I buy Shleep Essentials?

There's no getting around the fact that Shleep sheets are seriously expensive. If you were to buy their Essential Fitted Sheet, Duvet Cover, and Pillowcases to fit a Queen-sized bed, you should expect to spend more than $2,000. Add in the Essential Flat Sheet and that's another $800. If you're working with a tighter budget, you might be better off with a set of the best affordable bed sheets. Amazon's best-selling Martha Stewart bedding could keep you cool and comfortable for a fraction of the price.

Then again, you get what you pay for. When you spend top dollar at Shleep, you know that you're getting the finest wool and the latest technology, as well as excellent eco-credentials. If I were you, I'd start with a pair of the Shleep Essential Pillowcases. That way, you can sample the finest luxury Merino wool against your hair and skin without committing to the entire collection. If you don't like it, you're only down a few hundred dollars. If you do, then it's worth investing in the sheet set. 

Shleep Essentials | $210 - $1,286 at Shleep
At Shleep, you'll find everything from flat and fitted sheets to duvet covers and pillowcases, as well as a range of blankets, sleep masks, and headbands, all made from the finest merino wool.

View Deal

How we test sheets

As H&G's resident Sleep Editor, I lead a team of expert testers in the search to find the world's best bed sheets. We sample sheets in our own bedrooms for a minimum of 30 nights to get a good indication of long-term performance before we write our initial reviews. After the initial testing period, we often continue to sleep on the sheets and update our reviews accordingly.

We assess all sheets against the same criteria: look and feel; thermoregulation; and durability. First, we describe look and feel, considering how the sheets lie on the bed, whether they're prone to wrinkling, and how the material feels against your skin. Next, we switch off our HVAC system to sleep under these sheets through heatwaves and cold snaps, making note of any time we wake up in a cold sweat. Then, we strip the bed to wash and dry the sheets following the instructions on the care tag. When we remake the bed, we continue to sleep on the sheets, paying attention to any differences in look and feel.

We consider all the practical aspects of buying bed sheets, from the details of delivery to the range of sizes and colors on offer. We like to compare our findings against verified reviews to see what other customers are saying. Finally, we bring it all back to the price of the sheet set to help you determine value for money.