I’m not all that fussy when it comes to bedding. As long as it’s comfortable, I don’t care how much my sheets cost. This means I’ve never dressed my bed in fancy sheets until now. For the last few weeks, I’ve been sleeping on the Celeste sheets, Sferra’s best-selling percale sheets made from 100% extra-long staple cotton in the Alpine foothills of Italy.
Sferra is a linen brand that’s known for luxury and craftsmanship. The Celeste bed sheets are the most expensive set I’ve ever used. I’ve tested many products at CNET, from the Hug Sleep Pod to a customizable comforter to an AI fitness coach. Read on to learn about my experience and thoughts after testing these $867 sheets from Sferra.
Read more: Best Sheets for an Ultimate Night’s Sleep
First impressions of the Sferra percale sheets
Before I can even get into how the sheets feel, I have to start by talking about the cost. Sferra is a luxury linen brand, and its prices reflect that. Being the most expensive sheets I’ve ever slept on, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was ready to be blown away by a quality I’d never experienced but also prepared to be let down when they were just like any other sheet. Spoiler alert: I landed somewhere in the middle of the two.
With Sferra, you buy everything independently instead of selecting a sheet set like most brands. So there were three packages on my doorstep — a fitted sheet, a flat sheet and a pair of pillowcases. This isn’t a huge deal, but it could open room for error for accidentally selecting the wrong size or color by piece.
If you wanted to buy Sferra Celeste sheets for a queen-sized mattress, you would spend:
That’s $867 before taxes, by far the most expensive sheets I’ve ever slept on.
When I opened them, they seemed like any other sheet, though the hemstitching on the flat sheet is a nice touch. It was an understated detailing that was nice to see. The Celeste sheets have the crispness you expect from percale, which I tend to favor. Many of my favorite sheet sets at home are percale. But at this cost, I expected them to be luxurious sheets unlike any other in my linen closet. Instead they felt like any of the higher-quality sheets I’ve slept on.
Why do these sheets cost so much?
These are high-quality sheets, even if I couldn’t tell them apart from my various L.L. Bean sets. But why are they so expensive? It all comes down to what they’re made from. Sferra used raw materials and natural fibers. According to the website, Sferra was the first to make bed linens with Giza 45, the highest grade Egyptian cotton. Sferra makes its products in family-owned textile mills.
So, while they may feel like other sheets, the production of Sferra sheets is likely significantly more expensive, which will drive the cost up for you. That might not matter to some people, but it’s valuable for people who care about raw materials and craftsmanship.
How was sleeping on Sferra Celeste sheets?
The Celeste sheets from Sferra are comfortable. They’re breathable and comfortable, likely due to the extra-long-staple cotton construction. I know what you’re thinking: How is extra-long-staple cotton different from regular cotton you find in sheets?
The Hemstitching detailing elevates it from a basic sheet.
The difference is the length of the individual fibers of cotton. Longer strength is supposed to be silkier and more durable than short-staple cotton. You find short-staple cotton in things like flannel and denim clothing. Extra-long staple cotton is more difficult to produce, which drives the cost up.
Read more: Best Cooling Sheets for 2024: Tested and Reviewed
I slept well on the Celeste sheets from Sferra, though according to my Fitbit data, it was no better than usual. I hadn’t expected them to improve my sleep drastically, so no points off there. When I put them on my bed and climbed in, I got the normal fresh sheet sensation that makes you wonder why you waited even a day longer than you should have to wash your sheets.
I enjoyed using them because they had the crisp cotton feel I prefer for sleeping. Though I expected more. These sheets felt like most of my other Percale sets at home. They are nicer than some budget sheets that can be scratchy and thin, though I couldn’t tell the difference between them and my tried-and-true L.L. Bean Percale set, which retails for $200. I was hoping to see some notable difference, given there was over a $600 difference between the two, but I couldn’t find one.
Because of that, I’d be hard-pressed to rationalize the price tag. Still, there’s no doubt these are comfortable sheets that I enjoyed sleeping on.
There’s a laundry list of care instructions
When you spend over $800 on sheets, you want to keep them in the best shape you can, which means you should follow the care instructions. Sferra advises you to put up the included list of instructions in your laundry room so you can extend the life of your sheets. And that’s for a good reason; the care instructions for the Celeste sheets are detailed.
As instructed, I prewashed the sheets, which made them softer, according to Sferra. It starts basic: Separate your linens from anything with zippers or snaps that might snag the fabric. I washed them alone to get a baseline for the care experience. You’d think that would make it easier, but it didn’t.
Where it gets interesting is that you don’t need to use as much detergent as you usually would. Sferra recommends using half the recommended amount. Easy enough. However, the company also suggests adding the detergent to the washtub as it fills instead of pouring it directly onto the sheets. My washer lid locks so I can’t pour it in as it fills up, so I added water to the cup of detergent, poured it in the bottom, and then put the sheets on top of it. It’s an extra step, but not too bad.
Drying them was another story. The instructions are precise so you don’t damage the sheets and reduce wrinkles. My dryer is older and lacks many extra settings needed to adjust the temperature. It just has a dial for time. I couldn’t dry them on low, though I did under-dry them as recommended and then smooth and air dry the rest of the way. Though I lack a clothesline (as most people likely do). So, I draped them over my bed frame and the railing of my stairs. As you can imagine, the sheets were super wrinkly when I put them on my bed.
Thankfully, the wrinkles didn’t take away from the comfort of the sheets. I think that the average person would also struggle to meet these specific care requirements. I also am confident that you could wash them normally and still sleep well, though when you spend that much you may not want to cut corners and sacrifice the longevity of the sheets.
Final verdict: Should you spend over $800 on sheets?
There are times when I think it’s worth it to spend a little more money to get a higher-quality product. Especially when it comes to getting quality sleep, which is the basis of our health. The thing here is that I’m not sure I could tell the difference between Sferra’s Percale sheets and any of my other Percale options that cost a fourth of the price.
They were crisp cotton, my preference in bedsheets, though they felt like any other sheet to me. My sleep quality didn’t change when I used them, and the care instructions are more than the average person wants to deal with. With my midrange washer and dryer, I couldn’t escape the wrinkles.
Sferra has much more detailed and luxury bedding options outside of what I tested, so I can only speak to my experience with the Celeste sheets. And while they’re crisp and comfortable, I can’t see myself buying them for over $800. They’re just too similar to sets that are much more affordable.
Who will like Sferra Celeste sheets:
- People who value products made with high-quality, raw materials
- Those who are willing to spend more
Who should skip them:
- Folks who are looking for a value option
- Someone who doesn’t care what their sheets are made from
