Sometimes, all our bedroom needs for a little refresh is a new set of bedding. With summer finally here, a nice, new linen set could be just what you need for a cooler night's sleep.
While you may be used to cotton sheets and bedding (we know we are), linen is the material that might just save you this summer, due to the breathable nature of the fabric, which can help you maintain a comfortable temperature.
With this in mind, we tried a new linen bedding set from essentials brand Rise & Fall. Founded by two New Zealand-born, UK-based entrepreneurs, the bedding brand's aim is to help you get the best kip possible, with quality yet affordable bed sheets - while keeping sustainability at the core of its business.
Rise & Fall sells everything from bath sheets to cashmere jumpers - but we've been particularly impressed with its range of bed linen.
If you're looking to upgrade your bedding for summer, keep reading this article for our full review of the bundle we tried from Rise & Fall.
We've had harder testing assignments when it comes to product reviews - but as well as sleeping in our fresh bed linen, we also had to make our bed (one of our least favourite household chores).
To properly evaluate the bedding from Rise & Fall, we took into consideration how easy it was to put the sets on our mattress and cover our duvet and pillows. After that, we thought about how sound a night's sleep we had in our new bed linen; we also alternated between sleeping in longsleeveed pyjama tops and trousers, as well as shorts and T-shirts, to fully get a feel of the linen sheets (as we're used to cotton).
This duvet bundle includes a duvet cover and two standard-size pillow cases, with the double size measuring 200cm x 200cm and 52cm x 77cm, respectively. We opted for the off-white and black striped design, to really give our bedroom a summery feel.
Made with 100 per cent European flax, the bedding set has been garment-washed for "superior softness" and we must say we had a very comfortable night's sleep. We slept in shorts, too, to fully get a feel of the linen sheets (as we're used to cotton) and while we thought it wouldn't be as comfortable, we slept very soundly indeed (although it did take a couple of sleeps to get used to the different material).
One thing we will note is that the duvet cover was a little wider and longer than our actual duvet, so there is a slight bagginess to our bedding. While this doesn't affect the aesthetics too much, it does mean we need to shake the duvet a little more than usual - so bear this in mind when shopping for your own set. The pillow cases were also a little larger than our pillows (which was surprising, as we have Simba pillows, where you can adjust the size by reducing the number of nanocubes inside) but this wasn't as noticeable as the duvet cover.
Buy now £155.00, Riseandfall.co
We have to say Rise & Fall's bestselling sheet lived up to its reputation, providing many a comfortable night's sleep. It did take us a while to get used to the texture of the linen bedsheet but we can't say this affected our sleep.
The sheet is also made with 100 per cent European flax, with the brand aiming to ensure long-lasting softness. While it's still a new set for us, we didn't notice a difference in texture after its first wash.
With the UK finally getting some good weather, we did benefit from the temperature-regulating, moisture-wicking sheet, which kept us cool and comfortable all night long.
The sheet was slightly larger than our usual fitted ones - with a double measuring 135cm x 190cm x 40cm - but this actually aided us in putting it on our mattress (no more battling with the bedding, here).
Buy now £75.00, Riseandfall.co
As we were used to sleeping on cotton sheets, we were intrigued to see how we would fare with the Rise & Fall linen bedding. However, we have to say, while the linen texture was noticeabley different at first, it was by no means uncomfortable and we soon got used to it.
We certainly had a good night's sleep and were kept cool and comfortable, even on warmer evenings. Both the duvet set bundle and the fitted sheet were soft and stylish too.
The one thing we have to acknowledge is that the sizing didn't quite match up to that of our pillows, duvet and mattress (which are all UK sizes). The pillows and sheet didn't impact too much but it is more noticeable with the duvet cover. However, when we made our bed, the set looked chic and our room seemed ready for summer.
Time for a change? Here are our top-rated double beds in the shops right now
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