Skip to main content
A man sits on a twin bed surrounded by shoes, school supplies, clothes, and decorations. Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The Best Twin XL Sheets of 2023

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

A man sits on a twin bed surrounded by shoes, school supplies, clothes, and decorations. Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Why trust Reviewed?

Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.

Learn more about our product testing
1
Editor's Choice Product image of Home Reflections Cotton Sheets - Twin XL
Best Overall

Home Reflections Cotton Sheets - Twin XL

Home Reflections sheets slept cool, laundered well, and didn’t rip no matter how hard we tried. The only drawback is the limited style options. Read More

Pros

  • Laundered well
  • Didn't stain
  • Soft and cool

Cons

  • A few pulled threads
  • Limited style options
2
Editor's Choice Product image of Utopia Bedding Bed Sheets - Twin XL
Best Value

Utopia Bedding Bed Sheets - Twin XL

Utopia’s sheet set washed well and didn’t show stains, making it a great value—but be aware the fabric may rip and there are few style options. Read More

Pros

  • A good value
  • Laundered well
  • Didn't hold stains

Cons

  • Ripped easily
  • Limited style options
3
Product image of Threshold Solid Performance Sheet Set - Twin XL
Best Stain Resistant

Threshold Solid Performance Sheet Set - Twin XL

Threshold Performance's cotton sheets laundered well—aside from wrinkles—and resist stains. But they tore easily and came in only a few style options. Read More

Pros

  • Didn't stain
  • Sleep cool and soft

Cons

  • Tore easily
  • Limited color and style options
4
Product image of Mellanni Bed Sheets - Twin XL
Best Microfiber

Mellanni Bed Sheets - Twin XL

Mellanni’s microfiber sheets held up in our many laundry cycles and come in dozens of styles, but they sleep quite warm. Read More

Pros

  • Laundered well
  • Durable
  • Many colors and style options

Cons

  • Sleep warm
  • Didn't wick moisture
5
Product image of Bare Home Microfiber Bed Sheets - Twin XL

Bare Home Microfiber Bed Sheets - Twin XL

Bare Home's microfiber sheets come in a variety of designs for a lower price than many, but they ripped and stained somewhat easily. Read More

Pros

  • Sleep cool
  • Many color and style options

Cons

  • Ripped easily
  • Some stains remained

For many students, college is their first time navigating the world on their own. While they’ll need all the essentials for a successful semester, college students also should think about their bedding—after all, you can’t pay attention in that early morning chemistry lecture if you’re not getting a good night’s sleep.

We’ve tested the best bed sheets you can buy, but it might not be worth making an investment in premium sheets with a higher thread count to use for a relatively short time. With that in mind, we here at Reviewed tested popular sheet sets to find the best twin XL sheets for a college student.

We designed special lab tests for staining, tearing, and flammability, to recreate the chaos of college life. Our top pick, the QVC Home Reflections Cotton Sheet Set (available at QVC) , delivered shockingly high scores across the board. These twin XL sized sheets will keep students safe and cozy while far from home, which should help everyone rest easy.

A white twin XL sheet.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

QVC's Home Reflections cotton sheets were soft and durable—great for any college student.

Best Overall
QVC Home Reflections Cotton Blend Sheet Set
  • Material: 55% cotton, 45% polyester
  • Included in sheet set: Flat sheet, fitted sheet, two pillowcases
  • Care: Machine wash, tumble dry

QVC’s Home Reflections cotton blend set, which scored better than any other sheets we tested, offers a great balance of softness and coziness. They held up well after many cycles of laundry and stain tests. They also endured multiple rip and burn tests better than any other sheets we tested.

After its first wash and dry on high heat, the 1,000 thread count, cotton/polyester blend barely shrank. These sheets never came out of the dryer wrinkled, despite our best efforts to emulate the college laundry process with crammed washers and dryers. There was no fabric pilling after multiple washes, either.

The sheets performed well in our rip-and-tear test and didn’t catch fire from lit cigarettes or an open flame, either. The only evidence of the abuse we put this set through was a few pulled threads. This had little effect on the overall appearance of the sheet, but it could indicate that the Home Reflections sheet set won’t last forever.

In our stain tests, the sheets also performed exceptionally well—after washing, the sheets showed no evidence of the wine, beer, and pizza grease we poured on the fabric.

Pros

  • Laundered well

  • Didn't stain

  • Soft and cool

Cons

  • A few pulled threads

  • Limited style options

A white twin XL sheet.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Utopia's sheets are soft and durable—great for any college student.

Best Value
Utopia Microfiber Bed Sheets
  • Material:Microfiber
  • Included in sheet set: Flat sheet, fitted sheet, one pillowcase
  • Care: Machine wash on color or hand wash setting; air dry recommended but can use dryer on low heat or no heat

Utopia’s microfiber sheet set not only scored well on our tests, but it’s one of the cheaper sets and appears to be frequently on sale, earning it our Best Value award. They didn’t shrink or wrinkle after multiple washing and drying cycles.

No matter how careless we were with the sheets during our laundry tests, they consistently came out feeling soft and smooth. Similarly, the sheets handled stains well. Only one wash was needed to remove the splotches of wine, beer, and pizza grease.

The sheet set is excellent at resisting burns from cigarettes and open flames. On a twin XL mattress, I found the Utopia’s microfiber felt like soft cotton—I barely noticed it on my skin, and I never felt like it was abrasive or stiff.

Unfortunately, the sheets ripped somewhat easily—this may suggest that these sheets will continue to look good after multiple washes but do less well if caught on a bed frame.

Pros

  • A good value

  • Laundered well

  • Didn't hold stains

Cons

  • Ripped easily

  • Limited style options

A stack of gray sheets sits on a pale yellow field
Credit: Reviewed / Threshold

Impermeable, these stain resistant sheets are perfect for those who like to have their ice cream in bed.

Best Stain Resistant
Threshold Solid Performance Sheet Set
  • Material:100% cotton
  • Included in sheet set: Flat sheet, fitted sheet, one pillowcase
  • Care: Machine wash, tumble dry

The Threshold cotton sheet set did outstandingly well in most of our tests—it didn’t hold in stains from wine, beer, or pizza grease. Multiple laundry cycles revealed little pilling, and they didn’t catch fire or show singe marks.

After I made the dorm-room bed with the 400-thread count, sateen weave sheets, I felt like they were some of the coolest and softest I tested. Like most of our 100% cotton sheets, they wrinkle somewhat easily, but that was fixed by taking them out of the dryer as soon as the cycle ended and folding them.

Our biggest problem with the Threshold sheets: They tore more easily than others, which may mean they won’t hold up as well to wear and (literal) tear.

Pros

  • Didn't stain

  • Sleep cool and soft

Cons

  • Tore easily

  • Limited color and style options

A light colored stack of sheets float above an empty peach background.
Credit: Reviewed / Mellani

If you're looking for microfiber but want guaranteed quality, then don't miss Mellanni.

Best Microfiber
Mellanni Microfiber Bed Sheets
  • Material:Microfiber
  • Included in sheet set: Flat sheet, fitted sheet, one pillowcase
  • Care: Machine wash in cold, tumble dry low

Mellanni’s microfiber sheets are quite popular with nearly 250,000 five-star ratings. Many customer reviews claim the sheets are soft like cotton but durable like a synthetic fabric. That proved to be true in our testing, as it took a lot of effort to rip them.

These sheets also held up well in our washing tests, with no shrinkage, wrinkles, or pulled threads from our abuse. A closer look showed that Mellanni’s sheets appear to be tightly woven, so we suspect they’ll remain hardy throughout many washes. The sheets also didn’t hold onto stains and didn’t catch fire. Plus, the deep pocket size of the fitted sheet accounts for extra cushioning from a mattress topper.

However, I found myself feeling quite warm when taking a nap on these sheets. The fabric didn’t wick sweat away or keep me as cool as cotton or our Best Value pick.

Pros

  • Laundered well

  • Durable

  • Many colors and style options

Cons

  • Sleep warm

  • Didn't wick moisture


Other Twin XL Sheets We Tested

Product image of Bare Home Microfiber Bed Sheets - Twin XL
Bare Home Microfiber Bed Sheets
  • Material:Microfiber
  • Included in sheet set: Flat sheet, fitted sheet, one pillowcase
  • Care: Machine wash cold on gentle cycle, tumble dry low

Bare Home's microfiber sheet sets are one of the least expensive options on this list. Like other microfiber sheets, they didn’t shrink or wrinkle.

It was difficult to tell the difference between these microfiber sheets and cotton sheets we tested, which makes me confident that they would be a great synthetic fiber alternative. After I took a short nap on them, I felt cool and refreshed. They also didn’t catch fire from either the lit cigarette or open flame.

These sheets aren’t perfect, though. They tore easily in our rip tests, which is especially surprising for microfiber. And while the wine and beer stains were removed easily, remnants of the pizza grease stains remained after laundering.

Pros

  • Sleep cool

  • Many color and style options

Cons

  • Ripped easily

  • Some stains remained

Product image of Nestl Sheet Set - Twin XL
Nestl Sheet Set
  • Material:Microfiber
  • Included in sheet set: Flat sheet, fitted sheet, one pillowcase
  • Care: machine washable, tumble dry on low

Nestl’s microfiber sheets set generally performed quite well in our tests. We found no pulled threads or wrinkles after laundry cycles, even after the sheets were left in the dryer for hours.

The fabric proved really durable, too. We had a lot of trouble trying to rip it, and it resisted both the lit cigarette and open flames in our fire tests. The sheets are soft like cotton and are available in dozens of color and pattern options.

The Nestl sheets weren’t totally stain-resistant, though. They had the most trouble with beer and wine stains, which were still somewhat apparent after a wash and dry. In fact, these were the only microfiber sheets to show the beer stains.

Pros

  • Didn't wrinkle

  • Durable

Cons

  • Stained easily

Product image of Amazon Basics Sheet Set - Twin XL
Amazon Basics Sheet Set
  • Material:Microfiber
  • Included in sheet set: Flat sheet, fitted sheet, one pillowcase
  • Care: Machine wash warm, tumble dry low

The Amazon Basics microfiber sheets performed well in most of our tests, especially our laundry abuse. The material is really soft and easy to care for, never wrinkling or showing signs of wear.

The sheets felt lightweight and soft. They didn’t really stain, only showing a few remnants of the boxed wine. And they didn’t rip easily—it took a long time to even see threads and elastic start to fray from our yanking.

Our biggest concern about the Amazon Basics sheet set: The fibers melted together during our fire test, something we didn’t experience with any other sheets we tested.

Pros

  • Laundered well

  • Many color and style options

Cons

  • Some staining

  • Melted from an open flame

How We Tested Twin XL Sheets

The Testers

Chris knows a thing or two about what college students need. A recent graduate from Tufts University, Chris was a dorm residential assistant for three years, so the ins and outs of both dorm decoration and how college kids behave are quite familiar.

The Tests

Water guns filled with wine and beer sit on bowls on a table.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

We stained white twin XL sheets with water guns filled with wine and beer.

At our laboratory in Cambridge, Mass., our team of testers and scientists brainstorm new and innovative techniques for testing products. To find the best twin XL sized sheets, they modified our usual tests for sheets to fit the expectations and habits of college students.

Typically, college students cram big loads of laundry into small, coin-operated machines. That’s why, for our tests, we washed and dried the sets on high heat in stuffed machines. That not only emulated the real experience, but gave us data on how the sheets would hold up in the harshest laundry conditions.

We then assessed the sheets for shrinkage, wrinkles, pilling, and overall appearance and quality. We defined the latter by comparing how the sheets looked before and after a laundry cycle—we took any noticeable damage, like pulled threads or holes, into consideration.

We also tested how the sheets fit on a twin XL mattress. To do this, we traveled to Tufts University and occupied one of its dorm rooms for the day. We tried each set of sheets on a twin XL mattress, made the bed, and laid down to get a feel for how it would feel to sleep with the sheets.

To level the playing field for our staining tests, we ordered all of the sheet sets in white. Then our scientists thought about what a college student would be most likely to spill on their bed. Wine and beer were our first picks. Our scientists also decided on pizza grease as another potential stain for dorm bed sheets.

We had a productive work day shooting water guns filled with wine and lukewarm beer at the twin XL sheets, then we smeared pepperoni pizza on the sheets, before washing them with one of the best laundry detergents.

Finally, we put the sheets through multiple ripping and burning tests. To gauge the sheets’ durability against tearing, we measured the force needed before both the edge and the center of the top sheet showed signs of stress and even rips. As for flammability, we employed both lit cigarettes and an open flame so that we could determine whether a set of sheets might singe or catch fire.

What You Should Know Before Buying Twin XL Sheets

A twin bed in a college dorm surrounded by shoes, clothes, decorations, and school supplies.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

We traveled to Tufts University to test if these sheets fit a typical dorm mattress.

Reviewed has tested many types of sheets—cotton percale, sateen, flannel, and linen—but not all of these options come in the specialty size of twin XL. (Be mindful of size when shopping. Twin XL beds, which are often found in dorm rooms, are 80 inches long. That’s 5 inches longer than twin beds, so twin sheets won’t fit them.)

Microfiber vs Cotton Sheets

When browsing for twin XL sheets, we found that the most common options are cotton or synthetic microfiber.

Cotton is typically known for being more breathable and soft than synthetic fibers, often made from polyester or nylon. Cotton also tends to shrink, wrinkle, and may hold onto stains even after washing.

Synthetic fibers are often more resistant to damage and tears but are often less breathable. Microfiber used for sheets is a type of synthetic fiber made from polyester that can feel just as soft and smooth as cotton, though microfiber sheets tend to sleep hot.

Some sets use a blend of cotton and polyester in an attempt to offer the best of both worlds—softness and comfort of cotton and durability that comes with a synthetic fiber.

Color and Patterns

While it’s important to think about what fibers make up dorm-bed sheets, there are other factors to consider. Ask most young adults and they’ll tell you they want their dorm rooms to reflect their personal style, so the available colors and patterns are important. Many twin XL sheet sets come in a variety of designs to accommodate just about any dorm decor, while others may only come in standard colors like white, beige, and pastels.

Price

Finally, there’s the value equation. Many college students (or their parents) may not want to invest in an expensive set of sheets for a dorm room bed. Part of that may be the rarity of twin XL mattresses outside of college—and if a student doesn’t plan to live on campus for longer than a year, it may be best to buy something cheaper but still functional.

Meet the tester

Chris Panella

Chris Panella

Staff Writer

@chrispanella_

Chris Panella is a staff writer covering sleep, style, and other lifestyle areas. Previous bylines include The Daily Beast, Film Cred, Film Daze, and The Tufts Daily.

See all of Chris Panella's reviews

Checking our work.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.

Shoot us an email