Buffy Sheets Review: Soft Hemp Linen Sheets

Price: $279.00

Buffy (the “home products for the home planet” company, not the vampire slayer) first entered the direct-to-consumer bedding industry in 2017. Their original signature items were comforters. Founder Leo Wang grew up in a family that made bedding; he always wanted to make the incredible coziness of expensive luxury comforters more accessible and affordable.

So Buffy (not the vampire slayer) was born to keep costs lower than other luxury bedding by reducing both supply chain steps and environmental impact. They started by using fillers like recycled microfiber and eucalyptus, known for using ten times less water than cotton to grow, as well as for its smooth texture.

As their product line grows, Buffy remains committed to “using sustainably-grown fibers and recycled fluff—which means you won’t find any animal feathers, virgin polyester, or water-wasting-cotton here.” Yet they do it without compromising on comfort by choosing materials not just because they are “better for the planet than the more traditional options, but because they just plain feel better, too.” https://buffy.co/faq

To increase cooling, breathability, comfort, and durability, Wang was the first in the bedding business to integrate 37.5 Technology –a technology usually used in sports apparel that uses natural minerals to regulate a comfortable body temperature.

Wang says he is less in the bedding business than he is in the comfort business, knowing how much modern consumers have come to value comfort. He focuses on doing this using soft, sustainable hemp and eucalyptus fibers, natural dyes, and pro-planet shipping with recyclable single package shipments and offset carbon emissions. 

Buffy is a company proud to focus on earth-friendly practices. It is actively working to create a closed loop system, meaning that they replace everything that their production processes take from the earth and that they put nothing harmful back in. Their plans focus on:

• Responsible materials
• Product quality and durability (which reduces mass “planned obsolesce” and constant replacement of products)
• Responsible transport and logistics, including offsetting CO2 emitted from the entire supply chain (they currently offset CO2 emissions all freight and customer shipments)
• Responsible end-of-life disposition

Additionally, the goal is to create net zero carbon emissions by 2025, they use no animal testing and are vegan/cruelty-free, and even donate or recycle all returned items.

Buffy is definitely a company with a mission that will help you rest easy, in more ways than one.

The first thing that really sets Buffy sheets apart is that you pay nothing upfront when you order. That’s right—you pay $0 to start. Buffy offers a unique 7-day trial period. If you decide to keep them, they will charge your card. Otherwise, you pay nothing.

When assessing the Buffy sheet set quality right out of the package, I found no loose threads or fibers, the stitching was tight at the corners and on pillow cases, and the woven construction of the sheets themselves looks and feels great.

My first impression was positive. I have no reservations or immediate concerns about the material quality of Buffy.

Performance was a bit of a mixed bag. The biggest two things I look for in a sheet set is cooling and softness. On the cooling front, these sheets are excellent. I never felt warm during the night and never woke up sweaty. They feel cool to the touch and the hemp fibers seem to allow a high degree of airflow and breathability through the sheets.

Both my wife and I felt that the sheets slept cool. This is their greatest strength in my view.

I was less impressed with the softness. While the box touts them as “Earth’s softest sheets,” in my experience they were not obviously softer than 100% cotton sheets nor were they softer than my performance polyester sheets. If anything, the weave on the sheets gives them a slightly rough feel.

However, that being said, while they don’t have that smoothness that I’ve experienced with other similarly priced luxury cotton and performance sheet sets, I still found them comfortable.

Over time these sheets are supposed to get softer, as is true of most natural fiber sheets. So perhaps they are just not as soft and smooth immediately out of the box. If the sheets soften over time with more washes, that will certainly make them a more desirable and better overall feel.

Softness is of course a subjective opinion. My wife had plenty to say about these sheets. She actually felt they had a nice degree of softness and felt they were sufficiently smooth. She also agreed that the cooling was excellent.

I do really love that the fibers grown to create Buffy sheets use so much less water than cotton to grow. That’s a big win. And hemp absorbs even more CO2 from the air than trees. Its extra-long roots actually improve soil quality over time rather than depleting it like flax.

Knowing that sheets you are resting on are manufactured via a process promoting biodiversity and using earth-friendly materials makes that rest even more, well, restful.

Overall, I would have to say yes. They are exceptional in their cooling and breathability performance. The quality of the construction and stitching is excellent, and the 7-day trial period is an ingenious offer.

While perhaps the softness is more debatable based on subjective opinion, even that is still good quality. They are extremely comfortable, and you certainly aren’t feeling like you are sleeping on straw. A bit of washing should smooth things out for anyone who might be feeling particularly “princess and the pea”-ish. 

The company mission is laudable and the manufacturing process puts their money where their values are. These are sheets you can feel both physically and ethically comfortable resting on.

As mentioned, the Buffy sheets are definitely luxury sheets, and therefore not inexpensive. Not everyone will find the difference between these and other good quality natural fiber sheet sets to be worth the price. And frankly, albeit sadly, not everyone will be able to afford these. Which is a shame, given how environmentally conscious nature of these manufacturing and packing processes.

Ordering is fairly straight-forward: peruse the enthusiastically informative website, choose your sheet style, color, and size, and check out, resting easy in that afore-mentioned 7-day trial period. You have a choice of Standard Twin, Full, Queen, and King sizes, as well as Twin XL and California King.

As with any sheets, you will want to wash and dry these before using them for the first time. Buffy sheets are machine-washable and quick-drying which is an added convenience. Tumble dry on low and keep out of direct sunlight to avoid fading.

Buffy also offers $10 Off First Order through its website for signing up via email. 

While not a coupon exactly, the $0 at purchase/7-day trial period is a great hook for those who may be a bit uneasy about spending the money upfront.

If you want superior cooling and breathability, these Buffy hemp sheets are the sheets for you. People may have different opinions on the softness (multiple reviews on the website praise the texture) but it is beyond doubt that these luxury sheets are just that—luxurious. 

The price tag may be a bit high for some. On the other hand, Buffy’s mission to make “home products for the home planet” means they are using sustainable products and processes, and that is worth an investment. Their goal of a closed-loop production process in less than 10 years is even more praiseworthy.

Their free trial period and free shipping should reassure you if you are on the fence about the price.