Fitted vs Flat Sheets: What’s The Difference Between The Two Types Of Sheets

While bed sheets can bring style and aesthetic charm to your space, they are also quite important to your bedding arrangement. Fitted sheets and flat sheets bring comfort to your bedding while helping to protect both your mattress and quilt cover from deterioration that comes with daily use. Available in many different designs and colour tones, they can complement both your quilt cover and bedroom colour scheme to create your chosen decor theme within your bedroom.

Although they both have similar functions in your bedding, fitted sheets and flat sheets do differ in design and function. We'll take you through the flat sheet vs fitted sheet debate to help you understand how they are essential for your bed set up and sleep quality.

Quick Links

• What Is A Fitted Sheet?: Protecting Your Mattress
• What Is A Flat Sheet?
• How To Use A Flat Sheet
• Flat Sheet Vs Fitted Sheet
• Finding The Best Bed Sheet Material For You
• Update Your Bed Linen With Matching Fitted And Flat Sheets

What Is A Fitted Sheet?: Protecting Your Mattress

A fitted sheet is designed to protect your mattress while adding comfort to your bedding. Fitted sheets help prevent dust, sweat and natural body oils from damaging your mattress. They help maintain the quality of your mattress, preventing everyday wear and tear. The elastic within the corners of a fitted sheet ensure it fits snuggly and securely over your mattress and prevents the fitted sheet from moving even when you toss and turn throughout the night.

Fitted sheets like our KOO 250 Thread Count Fitted Sheet help to form the base of your bedding arrangement. While protecting your mattress, they also offer styling benefits and can be used to complement your personal style with so many colours to choose from. Fitted sheets are available in different sizes to best fit your mattress. Standard size fitted sheets have a 40 cm wall, referring to the width of the sides of your sheets. Mega Queen & Mega King size fitted sheets have a 50 cm deep wall to best fit thicker mattresses.

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What Is A Flat Sheet?

A flat sheet is a bed sheet that is positioned between your fitted sheet and quilt. They are often constructed in one rectangle piece of fabric with sewn sides and are available in different sizes to best suit your mattress. A flat sheet, much like a fitted sheet, offers hygienic benefits in protecting both your quilt cover or fitted sheet from sweat, dust and natural body oils.

Depending on the material, this additional layer is designed to provide extra comfort on those chillier nights and relief on those warmer summer nights when it's too warm to sleep with a quilt. The lightweight design means that you are still covered during warm weather and is also great for those who may run hot in their sleep.

There's a great debate as to whether we need to incorporate flat sheets in our bedding. The answer? Personal preference of course! While there are obviously pros and cons for every bedding choice we make, it really is your choice if you want to include a flat sheet. But for the sake of cleanliness and comfort, we believe that no bedding arrangement is complete without a flat sheet!

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How To Use A Flat Sheet

Flat sheets are quite versatile in their design and can be used as an additional layer of bedding between you and your quilt, or as a barrier between you and your fitted sheet. If you're wanting to protect your mattress a little more, using your flat sheet as a bottom sheet is ideal. However, if it's your quilt cover, you're wanting to protect, then its best to use the flat sheet as a top sheet.

Flat sheets can also help to bring style to your space to elevate your bedroom decorating. Like our KOO 250 Thread Count Flat Sheet, flat sheets are available in many different colours and designs. Choose a flat sheet that complements the design of your quilt cover for a cohesive selection of bed linen. Learning how to use a flat sheet to elevate your bedroom styling is easy! You can go as simple as folding back a corner of your quilt to reveal the design of your flat sheet, or create a plump bed spread by folding down the top of your quilt cover and unfolding the flat sheet over the top for a cosy and stylish bedding arrangement.

Flat Sheet Vs Fitted Sheet

Finding The Best Bed Sheet Material For You

Like quilt covers, both fitted and flat sheets are available in different materials, so you're bound to find the right bed sheets that best suit your needs. If you're after a lightweight bedding option for the warmer months, then look no further than linen and bamboo sheets. Like our KOO Washed Linen Fitted Sheet, linen and bamboo fitted and flat sheets are naturally thinner and breathable in their construction, providing you comfort on those nights when you want the coverage of a quilt without the added warmth. Check out our helpful article on bamboo sheets for more information on the benefits they bring.

If you're one who runs cold in your sleep or looking to update your bed linen for the winter months, thicker bed sheets such as flannelette or a high thread count Egyptian cotton composition are an excellent choice. These bed sheets are designed to trap warmth, leaving you feeling snug and cosy for an uninterrupted sleep.

Update Your Bed Linen With Matching Fitted And Flat Sheets

Sometimes it may be hard finding a cohesive selection of bed sheets and bed linen. Sheet sets help make your bed linen shopping a breeze! Sets such as our KOO 400 Thread Count Sheet Set and KOO Elite 1000 Thread Count Sheet Set include all the sheets you need to transform your bed into a comfortable sleeping arrangement. Typically featuring a fitted sheet, flat sheet and a pillowcase (or pillowcases depending on the size you choose) sheet sets ensure you have a matching selection of bed sheets ready to style your bed with.

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Shop KOO Bed Sheets For A Good Night's Sleep

Bed sheets are essential to any sleeping arrangement. They bring comfort and cleanliness to any bed to have you slipping into a peaceful sleep. Shop online at KOO for the right fitted sheets and flat sheets for your bed. Or shop our selection of sheet sets for a coordinating set of sheets all in the one pack!

Shop our full range of sheets or if you're still stuck on what you need, read through our helpful article on what to think about when shopping for bed sheets to help you make your shopping decisions.

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