That's true.. I will keep following the instructions and wash it a few more times.

I purchased the items in ivory. I don't see lint everywhere except that I notice it on my hair. I also catch a lot on the removable lint catcher from the dryer and lint remover.

The PB quilt and duvet is expensive, about $450.

I thought Rough linen was one of the best and even that sheds lint. Maybe I should research further and review the laundry room, thanks very much.

You're statement that "real" linen should be mostly lint-free is giving me hope because I am getting close to giving up on linen. I don't have these problems with my cotton duvets. Although cotton blankets are a different story.

Ok, I'm off to the laundry room. Thanks again.

I have not noticed any shedding on any of my Rough Linen products and I have many sheet sets and towels.

Linen does give off lint in the dryer -- a good amount of it in the first washing. I'vee bought linen yardage and prewashed it. I't s the most lint I've ever had, but it decreases dramatically after that. After the first washing, I wouldn't call the dryer lint unusual. I've never had any lint or "shedding" outside of the dryer with the yardage, the RL items, the linen throw on my sofa, linen clothing or towels.

I can see the lint flying off the duvet when I make the bed. I've now washed it about 5 times. I'm hoping the lint will lessen greatlly eventually...

I'm also looking into purchasing quality linen. Maybe I'll try linen weaved in Italy.

I love my RL sheets and summer cover, Bart's Blue. I will buy another set of white sheets in a few months and maybe a bolster ☺️ And damn, their customer service is excellent!

I I really like out RL sheets but I am not sure what to do with all the excess fabric on the bottom flat sheet. I have tried to tuck it under the mattress but it's difficult (heavy) and awkward to lift.

Well, I did extensive research on quality linen and I am relieved to have narrowed it down to Linoto and Libeco. Although, Linoto uses Libeco linen to make its sheets, I am leaning towards Libeco since it's made in Belgium.

I may splurge since they should last forever but it's so expensive. I read that after 1 wash they become noticeably softer.

I have the same concern about the RL flat sheet. My aireloom mattress is so heavy and I don't think I'm strong enough to lift the corners everyday without eventually injuring my spine. I'm a lightweight though.

Today's mattresses are just too heavy for any normal person to lift. I find it difficult to even slip the top sheet under the end; having to tuck all four sides would be impossible with my heavy mattress.

Thank you everyone for your help especially MAMAPINKY0 because I had thought PB was quality linen.

I finally gave in and purchased Libeco's linen fitted sheet and linen blanket. I'm over the moon! The quality is truly amazing and minimal lint was seen on the removable lint catcher from the dryer after just 1 wash!

I'm very happy with my choice to purchase a blanket instead of flat sheet. It was a better value for me.

Momiss. Some people have been happy with PB others not so much..glad you found something you like.

Mamapinky, I really cannot thank you enough. You were really helpful to me and I'm very appreciative. I don't think I could be any happier with my choice. Thanks again

I'm back and disappointed. There is more lint in the lint catcher now than the first few washes. I guess, I have to wait who knows how long for this lint issue to disappear. I don't think I would ever purchase linen again unless possibly it is mixed with cotton. Thanks for listening.

As I have said previously, I have Rough Linen sheets on all the beds in our home. We also have the linen towels. I do not know why lint in the dryer is such an issue, but having said that, I have never put my sheets, towels or pillow cases in the dryer. I lay them out and smooth them to dry and they dry wrinkle free. My husband sometimes puts them in the dryer, but we have not noticed excessive lint. I am sorry you don't like yours.

My issue iwith a lot of lint in the lint catcher is that there's lint everywhere, especially on my wavy hair. I brush it out and see it flying around. When the linen stops shedding so much it won't be everywhere and especially not in my hair.

I still purchased more linen and this time from restoration hardware and love love love the quality.

However, I'm considering going back to cotton in the future. I feel cotton sheds a lot less and lasts just as long.

Momiss12 it's so great to hear someone did enough research to discover the truth - Belgian Linen is the best. It's tricky when some linen bedding claims to be Belgian Linen, the flax may be grown there but the fabric is actually woven in China. Check out www.whistlingreindeer.co.nz Authentic Belgian Linen (on par with Libeco)

I am here to report back on my linen items by Rough Linen. After nearly 3 years, my sheet finally wore through. This is truly incredible considering we’ve used this sheet exclusively for that entire time. I’m a wash and put back on the bed type of girl... no grabbing stale sheets out of the linen closet. We had previously bought linen sheets from Restoration Hardware and they would last only 1 year. So over all, we are thrilled to bits with all our RL items we’ve bought over the years. I’ve just placed another order... needed a sheet :)

Linen is one of the hardest wearing fabrics there is. I'm stunned that linen sheets would only last 1-3 years! I've bought very old linen sheets (probably at least 70 years old) and used them and they lasted for a very long time - at least 10 years. And they were commercially laundered (and ironed) and I assume that is far harder on fibers than home laundering would be. This has to be very low quality linen fabric.

As for sheets in the lien closet being "stale" - well, were they washed in hot water? If properly washed and all body oils removed, they should not smell "stale". I was taught when I first married in 1966, that every bed in a house needs 3 sets of linens - one on the bed, one in the wash, one in the closet. I've always followed this advice, but I actually have 4 sets for my bed and have them in a cycle. They NEVER smell stale when I put them on the bed. I use Tide Original Plus Bleach, and always used hot water wash, warm water rinse.

Modern linen is a double edged sword. The art of weaving linen and the associated machinery has been refined over the years resulting in a finer and smoother yarn and producing a much more light weight fabric which is a superior fabric in terms of comfort. However, the finer fabric also can result in a shorter life due to many reasons, mostly regarding friction - if you wear pj's to bed or are a restless sleeper, your mattress top, washing machine and detergent or use tumble dryer can all play a part.

So just wanting to update my linen experience. I have purchased a summer cover from Rough LInen, which I love!!! I also have a duvet cover from Rough Linen (in smooth), which I also love. I also had purchased pillowcases from Rough LInen and pillowcases from Restoration Hardware at roughly the same time. Within about 2 months of each other, both pillowcases started to get small tears and the Restoration Hardware one eventually shredded. The Rough LInen one still just has small tears, but I expect it will shred soon. I emailed Rough Linene about it because I would have expected them to last much much longer than the RH ones. Their response

As a rule of thumb, linen should survive 100 washes or two years of regular use, but there are huge variations. Washing method and frequency, drying, mattress, pillow-tops, weight and skin condition all play a part, among many others. However it is not, and never can be, indestructible. It can only be what it is, a strong and beautiful traditional material

I feel like I would rather spend a lot less on other linen products if the life time of them is going to be more or less the same.

As a rule of thumb, linen should survive 100 washes or two years of regular use, but there are huge variations.

What! I still have one of my mom's linen sheets that she was given when she got married in 1944, and they were never given any special treatment other than ironing at the rare times when she had a cleaner who would do that. That tells me all I need to know about Rough Linen.

Rough Linen is more expensive and I would expect more than 2 years of regular use for that price, as well as from RH sheets.

One of my RH stonewashed linen fitted sheets just developed a big tear after just one year of alternating usage and almost an additional year of every day use.

It came in a set so I can't just purchase a single matching RH sheet to replace it, so I purchased a new one from an international Etsy seller, along with a beautiful custom 28" drop linen bedskirt for DD's bed.

Not inexpensive but less than getting another complete Cal King set that I don't need. Both the new fitted sheet and bedskirt together were less than a new RH sheet set.

Hopefully it's a good quality and the off white color will work with the existing RH ivory bedding (I have the matching duvet cover, flat sheet, pillowcases, and boxspring cover).

I have 2 other RH linen sets for a twin bed that are holding up fine. Maybe DH is a really rough sleeper :)

can you tell me the Etsy shop you purchased from?

weedmeyer - this is the link to the shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LinenFromBY

I know this post dates back but regarding the shedding of linen, I have Tahari lined Belgium linen curtains, Pottery Barn linen sheets and linen sheets and duvet from Macy's and they ALL shed like crazy! It shows up everywhere as soon as I make my bed-on my mahogany dresser, armoire, nightstands and floor. I love, love, love the feel and look of it but I wake up stuffy and have found pieces of lint stuck in my eyelashes and in my nose. I'm heavily invested in it now but will not replace it no matter how much I love it.

And now my Rough Linen duvet cover is developing shreds/tears. I am about to buy new linens and will choose Pottery Barn since it is half the cost and will last the same amount of time

I have tried RL smooth linen pillow case- they pilled terribly. Restoration hardware items are only good if they carry the master of linen labels. Now I sleep on only Libeco linen, made in Belgium, not from pottery barn,. This is really top of the line material. My set is Santiago style, perfect midweight for all season use.

Since I've started this thread, I've purchased the linens from Lands End and have been very happy with them. I wait until one of their 50% off sales, which are frequent, and I thinks it's the best value.

I actually just received a linen duvet cover that I purchased from Parachute. I just put it on so not sure about the longevity, but the quality of the fabric and the sewing is wonderful!

I find Rough Linen too expensive, you can definitely get the same quality at a better price. 3 years ago I purchased a bedding set from MagicLinen and I'm beyond thrilled with the quality. Plus the duvet cover comes with a cute pom pom trim.

I really like my rough linen sheets, duvet, table cloth and napkins. So far they have held up well and are blissful. No tears, except a small on on a bolster that I was stuffing way too full.

Oh, and rough linen has 24” napkins, which are hard to find and so luxurious!

I bought years ago, but never untied them. I started using them in the guest room our granddaughter uses when she spends the night. She is 7yo and said she loves the sheet. LOL I have to admit, I loved sleeping on them too.

Like many of you, excellent sleep is a high priority for me and so I always return to this question. People who sleep naked tend to really care about weight and softness. After trying several makers, I settled on RH for durability, quality, design and comfort. If you have an outlet near you (and I do), that’s one way to control costs. But get ready to shop regularly to find what you need.

People in this thread are on the lookout for fake reviewers and rightly so. For me, one of the decisions to stick with RH after trying other brands is the reliability (when shopping online) of the color palette, which works with my decor throughout the full range. So if some element needs replacing, my whole decor scheme doesn’t get thrown off. If you’re like me, you may end up settling with one maker for that reason too...

So after sleeping for years in the entire RH linen lineup, plus several of the ItalIan offerings, here are my preferences on softness. (My preference on weight will always be for the lightest offering; no matter the season, I sleep with a bottom sheet and a high quality down duvet alone. I would describe my ideal bedding environment as cloudlike.)

Now discontinued, the lightweight version of the Stonewashed Belgian linen (which i bought in 2016) is by far my favorite. (The distinguishing feature was a duvet cover with a zipper closure.) If you can find it, snap it up. The more recent Garment Dyed Textured Linen duvet cover with the zipper closure is NOT the same. That line, and all the other linen offerings from RH, are much heavier and scratchier but highly durable. I see that new, organic stonewashed linens are on offer at RH. I haven’t tried them. In my experience of daily use, all my RH sheets are holding up equally well.

In the Italian Cotton line, my preference is for the 464 Percale by far. A star performer: buttery soft. IMO significantly more comfortable than the 600 sateen version. The 464 line is now being offered in more sustainable, organic cotton. Haven’t tried those.

I am continually surprised by how much I like the cotton cashmere line. Cotton cashmere is Resto’s alternative to flannel. One would think that any kind of wool next to the body during sleep wouldn’t work. Wrong. The temperature range is wide enough to cover three seasons in the northern hemisphere. I see fibers sloughing off in the dryer, but after three years of use the sheets still work wonderfully. They are even better, for example, than the vintage Lanz of Salzburg (cotton flannel) sheets I have had the delight of sleeping in once or twice.

A quick comment on ”vintage.” Seems like the word is being used as a marketing term to mislead consumers. True vintage linens, in the sense of softness, probably have histories of one century or more in use under excellent storage conditions—sometimes much longer. Time (washing) has stripped these bedclothes of much of their weight and volume, contributing to the extra soft hand. It is only pure luck that the bedclothes have come down through history untorn to deliver the level of luxury many buyers are looking for. They are that rare. This hope of finding vintage bedding that fits modern bed frames comes from a romantic notion, but unfortunately modern makers rarely get close to producing the actual reality of old sheets from an Edwardian trousseau or something. Beware of any maker telling you that a new set of linen sheets will have vintage softness.

Thank you, houzz, for this helpful resource.

Rough Linen now makes fitted sheets. I am tempted to try them, and I could use both of my flat sheets as top sheets.

So glad I came back to this thread today. I read through last week and was almost ready to order RH linen before reading. Now Lars has answered my dreams. Off to order RL with fitted for our king bed. The mattress is so thick and heavy, there is no way I can lift it for flat without hurting my back or shoulder.

Just wondering if torn linen is resulting from tucking bedclothes in? I NEVER tuck in any bedclothes. Not on the sides and not at the foot of the bed. I do remember when, growing up, I was told that people put their feet through linen sheets that are tucked into the foot of the bed. Which is why I sleep in a duvet system. it’s also much better for the health of your feet not to have them weighted down at night ... anyway just a thought, since I have never had any tears at ALL with Resto linens and there seem to be so many reports of this....

Thought I would report back on the Rough Linen fitted sheets. Our mattress is extremely deep (plus a nice foam topper). The deep fitted bottom sheet stays put. The flat sheets are HUGE. As in there is a LOT of extra sheeting at the foot of bed, which requires me to pick up our heavy-as-all-get-out mattress to get it tucked under. Per the website 114" x 120" King mattresses average 76" x 80". I cannot get the size chart to open, but I believe the top sheet is the same that is sold when you use a flat sheet instead of fitted. I love the sheets and so does DH, so win/win.

tnfarmhousefixin - how have your etsy sheets held up? We have 2 sets of RH belgium stone washed for 8 years and no rips. We travel a lot, so maybe we have 1 -2 years worth of sleeping on each set.

I did hear from the RH outlet, that some of the sheets sold at the outlet are made just for the outlet, so be careful if you think your getting the RH sheets on discount rather than regular priced outlet sheets.

I hoping to try a RL, but after reading this thread, maybe we should not. It is quite pricey and I would be disappointed if it only held up to 100 washes.

Curious if it’s the detergent. On the RL site it specifically says do not use Tide... btw, I do use Tide in a front loader machine.

I have rough linen bedding I bought about six months ago. Our bottom fitted sheet has several holes in it I’ve had to sew and the bedding itself still sheds like crazy. Does the shedding ever stop? I’m wondering, does anyone know if you breathe all that in while you sleep? The amount our RL bedding sheds, it sometimes worries me I’m inhaling it.

I've had that problem with their "smooth linen" line, not sure if that's what you have. I ended up selling it on ebay.

I dont even remember what I have. I just know the top is the summer cover. But it all sheds like crazy. Wondering if that ever stops or if it’s a hazard. It’s a LOT.

We've been using our King flat/fitted set for over 9 months and no issues with holes or tears. By shedding, do you mean in the dryer?

i mean lint everywhere. The bed gives off so much lint. all over our pajamas, all over the floor surrounding it, all over anything that touches it.

Ours sheets are the Smooth Linen in Natural. That's so odd.

Belgian linen is NOT the finest linen. The finest linen is hands down, Irish. if you can afford Thomas Ferguson, or Givan’s (only Irish linen companies that produce extra wide fabrics for bedding), you would see a gigantic difference relative to any linen belgium produces.

Personally after sampling hundreds of linen from all over the world I found belgian linen to be very overrated, especially comparing to its high price point. It’s not so different from quality Italian linen with much higher price, and just a little bit better than Baltic that you can find more readily available and cheaper. most of my beddings are handmade—I just search for high quality fabrics and ask a seamstress to make a duvet cover for me, ended up costing about the same price as rough linen and most times cheaper than Libeco. Of course, most of these fabrics don’t come in wide widths but personally I have no issues with a duvet cover sewn in three panels and two seams down (RL’s Orkney line is the same). I haven’t recalled issues with too much lint (if you can’t stand lint at all then linen is probably not your thing). Another option is to buy antique/vintage French linen sheets, and ask somebody to make a duvet cover for you using them. The high quality fine fil de lin ones shouldn’t shed.

if you want to see what REAL quality linen looks like: try Thomas Ferguson premier line (currently out of stock but I’m sure they will be back), Givan’s (they send samples), or check out Baird McNutt Glenariff 270gsm linen. they'll simply blow you away.

btw if you are going to buy libeco the only line worth buying is their Geneva/Victoria line. Their santiago is abysmal for the price point. Linoto Belgian organic is the same as Libeco’s organic heritage line, and they sell with a much cheaper price. but the Geneva/Victoria line is the finest that belgium manages to produce in that weight class, and that’s not saying much because if you just hold Irish linen in your hands, it’s no competition—your world will turn upside down at the amazement that linen could actually be woven so fine that the Irish could do.

Thanks for this detailed review! Making a request that ppl on this thread please indicate whether you sleep naked or not. For those of us who sleep naked, the reviews are useless without this crucial detail.

I personally sleep completely naked :) which is why I can’t recall shedding issues with my linen beddings. Especially since I also have long thick hair and I like to sleep curled up like a cat, wrap the comforter with the duvet cover around my body and rest my head on the duvet. maybe there were some shedding but if I’m covered in lint I’m pretty sure with the way I sleep I would’ve recalled.

restoration hardware’s ultra fine Italian linen duvet cover is one of my favorite duvet covers, woven extreme fine, I don’t recall shedding issues. However I wouldn’t recommend buying a bottom sheet version of it since I don’t think it’s sturdy enough, since it’s a fine, kind of sheer kind of linen. I’m usually not a huge fan of light weight linens in general because most of them I just found the fabric woven very loosely for making the sheet lightweight. You always want high thread count, tightly woven fabrics woven as fine grained as possible. But I make an exception for RH ultra fine Italian. haven’t found finer light weight linen in mainstream Corp brands; only other ones finer are the Irish companies that I've mentioned or vintage/antique French linen—and they only come in sheets.

Rough Linen is okay. I have their pillowcases in the Smooth, Orkney, and echo(Jacquard) line. I found the Orkney to be most special (I think it’s the only full bedding line with the linen woven in europe—Belarus), but really rough so only if you are okay/like rough. the smooth line linen is good quality but about the same as black earth linen and BEL is cheaper, slightly heavier weight (195gsm instead of RL’s 190gsm), vintage/stonewashed so nice soft finish but not too buttery soft, and the fabrics are woven in Portugal, with the beddings also made there. Designed by an American. the duvet cover comes in zipper closure which has its benefits. I like that a bit better than RL especially considering the price.

hope this is helpful.

Regarding the comment that Irish linen (specifically Thomas Ferguson) is superior to Belgian linen...that's a little misleading. Flax (plant from which linen is processed) is no longer grown commercially in Ireland. I don't know where Thomas Ferguson and Givens source their raw materials, but Enrich & Endure, another Northern Ireland company that produces linen aprons, sources their flax from Belgium.

@Emily Finch Uh no. you are severely misinformed I must say. it’s much much more about how the linen is weaved and finished rather than the raw material of the flax. Just as, Italian leather uses cow hides outside of Italy, such as Argentina. But it’d be laughable to say that Argentinian leather is just as good as Italian leather. Another example: Scottish and Italian Cashmere use raw cashmere hair from China (Inner Mongolia region), but it’d be laughable to say Chinese Cashmere knitwear is the same superior quality as Scottish or Italian Cashmere. If the raw material is what matters the most, virtually everywhere could produce the exact same product by just purchasing the raw material of the specified place. But that just isn't so, otherwise these companies would be completely outcompeted already by places with cheaper labor. This is why ”Belgian Flax Linen” (linen woven in China or India using flax from Belgium) is almost always inferior to true Belgian linen (Linen woven in Belgium using flax from Belgium). And from my extensive experience, linen woven in Ireland, or Irish linen, tend to be the finest quality in the world that trumps Belgian linen (on average of course).

That being said, unfortunately, Thomas Ferguson no longer produces their "premier" line linen. Because I guess they weren't cost effective for them. Their premier line is the finest modern linen there is next to McCaw and Allen Royal Warranty linen. But it was too expensive to produce and nowadays you can actually find vintage Irish linen (even unused in box) just as fine for half the cost so TF were losing quite a lot of money so they stuck to superior line for their finest linen model (they even told me their superior line is pretty much the only one that was selling). They are now producing more economy line linen that are much cheaper (e.g., chambray linen) but the quality has become much more average as a result. Libeco's Geneva line is actually a bit finer than TF's superior line.

The finest modern linen I've found recently that doesn't cost thousands of dollars per set is LinaPlusHome's Italian Lavanda line (150gsm). Everyone should check it out. LinaPlusHome is on etsy. Her Italian linens are absolutely breathtaking you have to see them to believe it.