Linen enthusiasts tend to be very educated consumers. Since 2007, Linoto has developed relationships with a number of the very best linen mills in Italy, Belgium and Ireland and has shipped more than 30,000 sets of sheets to devoted customers around the world. Linoto has a fabulous reputation for quality, value, and style. Linoto is one of the original online retailers for quality linen sheets made in the USA. We manufacture all of our products in house at our workshop in New York. Over the years we have learned a great deal about how to source and deliver the best quality linen bedding available. This article goes beyond internet hype and “best of” lists. Here is some useful information we hope will help to inform you when shopping for quality linen sheets.

The raw material, flax, that goes into making yarns and linen fabric is an expensive and finite commodity. When flax crops are harvested each season, they yield a range of different grades of raw fibers. The cost and quality of the raw material can fluctuate dramatically. This is the beginning stage in a pipeline of transactions that will determine the price and quality of the final product you buy. The best mills have longstanding relationships with the best raw material producers, manufacturers, and retailers who value quality year after year over short term returns. Linoto doesn’t sell the cheapest linen sheets online, but we do offer the best quality. That is because we honor the fluctuations in price and only work with the best mills to reserve the best quality raw materials for our linen. The best linen yarn and linen fabric is made from the highest percentage of the prized long-staple fibers. These are exceptionally smooth and strong fibers that produce linen fabric that is lustrous, durable, and softens beautifully without breaking down.

The discounters who undercut and haggle with the raw material producers for the lowest price end up with the lower quality short fiber which makes lower quality fabric. When you see inexpensive linen sheets, this is because the raw material is low quality and made from the short fibers and/or blended with cotton rayon and ramie. Short fibers fall apart quickly and end up as dust in your lint trap. Pure linen, on the other hand is 100% flax fibers and nothing else. Lightweight linen may feel great when it is brand new but it will not hold up to modern laundry routines.

Fabric weight is ultimately determined by a gram scale. The gram weight and country of origin for each linen we use is listed next to the color name. Over the years we’ve found that true linen enthusiasts prefer a more substantial, sturdy linen rather than light handkerchief weight linen that doesn’t hold up to modern laundering routines. ­Pound for pound linen fabric weighs more than cotton. Linen simply has a denser vegetal substance. Miraculously the additional weight doesn’t equate to the additional heat. Even substantial linen is remarkably breathable and dries quickly.

A queen set of Linoto Italian linen sheets in Ivory weigh in at more than 9 pounds! The surface is supremely smooth. The hand is slightly cool to the touch. The sheets have an old-world weight and substance of quality that cannot be faked. We hope this article has provided some useful information that helps you make an informed decision about purchasing luxury bedding.