There is a generational divide happening in bedrooms across America, and it has nothing to do with politics, music taste, or TikTok. It's about a single piece of fabric.
The top sheet.
Millennials and Gen X grew up tucking it in. Gen Z untucked it, folded it up, and put it in the donation pile. The debate has spawned Reddit threads, Twitter arguments, think pieces, and more than a few family disagreements at holiday gatherings.
We're going to settle it. And then we're going to tell you about the sheets that make the whole conversation irrelevant — because when your sheets are this good, how you make your bed is the least interesting thing about them.
The top sheet debate — what it actually is
For anyone who has somehow avoided this cultural moment: a top sheet (also called a flat sheet) is the layer of fabric that goes between you and your comforter or duvet. It's been a staple of American and some European bedroom setups for decades — part of the hotel-style layered bed that most people grew up with.
Gen Z, broadly speaking, has decided they don't need it. They sleep directly on their fitted sheet and pull their duvet on top. No flat sheet in between. Simple, fast, done.
This is not a new idea — Europeans have been doing it for years, particularly in Scandinavian countries where the duvet-only approach is standard. But it became a distinctly Gen Z talking point around 2019 and has only grown louder since.
So who's right?
Why Gen Z ditched the top sheet
The reasons are practical, and honestly, they're pretty solid.
It's faster. Making a bed with a top sheet requires arranging, tucking, and smoothing an extra layer. Without one, you pull up the duvet and you're done. For a generation that has optimized everything from grocery shopping to commuting, this is not a trivial consideration.
It bunches. Top sheets have a habit of twisting, balling up at the foot of the bed, or migrating entirely to one side by 3am. If you share a bed, you know exactly which side of this argument you're on.
It's an extra thing to wash. Fewer layers means fewer laundry loads. Genuinely appealing to anyone who has ever stood in front of a pile of bedding wondering how sheets multiply.
Duvets replaced the function. The original purpose of a top sheet was to protect the comforter from body oils and reduce how often you had to wash a heavy item. Duvet covers do exactly the same job — and they wash as easily as a sheet. So if you're using a duvet cover, the top sheet's main justification evaporates.
It just feels better. Sleeping directly on a great fitted sheet and pulling a well-chosen duvet over yourself is a genuinely more pleasant experience than fighting with three separate layers.
The case for the top sheet (yes, it exists)
We're being fair here. The top sheet has legitimate defenders and legitimate reasons to exist.
Temperature control. A top sheet gives you a middle layer for mild nights — more than nothing but less than a full comforter. Without one, your options are duvet or nothing.
The hotel feeling. There is something undeniably luxurious about sliding into a bed with a properly made top sheet — crisp, cool, tucked at the corners. It's the hotel experience that Brooklinen has always been in the business of bringing home.
Hygiene argument. If you're not washing your duvet cover every week (and most people aren't), a top sheet adds a buffer between your body and the cover.
The honest verdict: both sides have a point. What you actually need depends on how you sleep, how warm you run, and how much laundry you want to do.
The great top sheet debate — side by side
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Team Top Sheet |
Team No Top Sheet |
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Bed making |
More involved — tuck and arrange |
Faster — pull up duvet, done |
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Warmth control |
Extra adjustable layer |
Managed by duvet weight |
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Hygiene |
Extra barrier between you and duvet |
Wash duvet cover more frequently |
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Feel |
Can twist and bunch |
Direct contact with fitted sheet |
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Aesthetic |
Hotel-style layered look |
Cleaner, minimal look |
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Popular with |
Millennials, Gen X, traditionalists |
Gen Z, Europeans, minimalists |
What you actually need if you don't use a top sheet
If you're going top-sheet-free, two things become non-negotiable: a great fitted sheet and a great duvet cover. These are the two surfaces you're actually in contact with — there's nothing else between you and the fabric.
This is where sheet quality matters most. Without a top sheet to buffer the experience, every quality difference in your fitted sheet is felt directly. A cheap, scratchy fitted sheet with no top sheet is noticeably worse. A great fitted sheet with no top sheet is genuinely better.
This is exactly what Classic Percale and Luxe Sateen were made for.
Classic Percale — the best sheet for going top-sheet-free
If you've abandoned the top sheet, Classic Percale is the fitted sheet you want underneath you.
Percale's one-over-one-under weave creates that crisp, cool, structured surface that feels genuinely good against skin. Without a top sheet, you're sleeping directly on this — and it delivers. It's the sheet that makes you notice you're on a great sheet, not just any sheet.
Percale is also the hot sleeper's best friend. If you're a no-top-sheet person, there's a decent chance you run warm — the two preferences tend to correlate. Percale's open weave allows airflow in a way that sateen can't match, keeping the sleeping surface cool through the night.
It also gets better every time you wash it. Without a top sheet to absorb the brunt of daily use, your fitted sheet is working harder. Percale handles that — it softens with washing rather than deteriorating.
Our pick: Classic Percale Sheet Set
Luxe Sateen — the best sheet for the full luxe setup
If you're Team Top Sheet, or if you want the most immediately luxurious sleep experience available, Luxe Sateen is the answer.
Sateen's four-over-one-under weave exposes more thread on the surface, creating that silky, smooth, almost liquid feel. It's the sheet that makes you text your friends about your bed. It has a subtle sheen, a beautiful drape, and a weight that feels deliberate rather than accidental.
As a top sheet, Luxe Sateen is exceptional. It slides smoothly, doesn't bunch, and has that cool-to-the-touch quality that makes the first few seconds of getting into bed feel like a reward. As a fitted sheet in a top-sheet-free setup, it delivers that immediate, enveloping softness nothing else quite matches.
The caveat: sateen holds more warmth than percale. It's the better choice for cold sleepers, for winter, and for anyone who prioritizes feel over temperature regulation.
Our pick: Luxe Sateen Sheet Set
Whatever side you're on — we have a bundle for that
Team Top Sheet or Team No Top Sheet, the right bundle makes the whole setup easier. Brooklinen's no flat sheet bundles are built specifically for the duvet-only crowd — everything you need for a complete bed without the top sheet.
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Shop Brooklinen bundles by setup: No Flat Sheet Bundles → Perfect for the top-sheet-free setup. Fitted sheet, duvet cover, pillowcases — everything you actually need. Whole Bedding Bundles → The full bed setup including flat sheet — for the traditionalists who know what they like. Core Sheet Sets → Just the sheets. Start here and build from there, whichever way you make your bed. |
How to build the perfect bed — with or without a top sheet
Team Top Sheet setup:
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Fitted sheet (Classic Percale for hot sleepers, Luxe Sateen for cold sleepers or maximum luxury)
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Top sheet in the same material — this is where Luxe Sateen really earns its reputation
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Comforter in a duvet cover
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Duvet cover in a complementary material or color
Team No Top Sheet setup:
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Fitted sheet — this is your primary sleep surface, so quality matters even more
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Classic Percale fitted sheet for the best no-top-sheet experience
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Comforter in a duvet cover that you wash every one to two weeks
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A lighter weight comforter — without a top sheet, you have more control over temperature through comforter choice
Either way, invest in two sets. Whether you're a top-sheet devotee or a committed minimalist, rotating two sheet sets doubles the lifespan of each and means laundry is never urgent.
The sheets worth actually caring about
Here's the thing about the top sheet debate: it's really a conversation about what you want your bed to feel like. And the answer to that question starts with the sheets, not the number of layers.
A great fitted sheet in Classic Percale or Luxe Sateen changes the experience of getting into bed — whether you've got a top sheet on top, a duvet pulled directly over you, or nothing but the fitted sheet on a warm summer night.
The top sheet is optional. The quality of the sheet underneath it isn't.
Gen Z figured out something real: the bed doesn't need to be complicated. It needs to be good. A great fitted sheet, a great duvet cover, and the comforter of your choice. That's the whole bed. That's the whole answer.