We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more›
Lesley Stockton is a writer focused on kitchen and entertaining. Her coverage includes grilling, kitchen knives, and cookware, just to name a few. Pvc Food Wrapping Film
We’ve expanded this guide beyond classic white linens, adding 13 fresh picks in a variety of chic patterns and fabrics.
Sure, you can grab a paper napkin or even rip a paper-towel sheet from the roll on your way to the dinner table. Both are adequate ways to keep your hands and face tidy while dining. But there’s something about a cloth napkin that just hits different. It could be the way soft linen draped across your lap feels intentional and comforting. Or maybe it’s that crisp white cotton evokes a polished refinement that the big milestones and special occasions in our lives deserve. For some, setting a table with thoughtfully selected napkins is simply a way to express their personal aesthetic.
Practically speaking, cloth napkins are just better than their disposable paper counterparts. They’re reusable, bigger (greater protection from accidents), and much more durable. And we think all of these pros far outweigh the small chore of laundering and folding them.
These soft, absorbent dinner napkins are finished with deep hems and clean stitching.
The Williams Sonoma Hotel Dinner Napkins are made from thick, tightly woven cotton that’ll look great year after year. They’re soft and absorbent, and they evoke the beauty and polish of a fine-dining restaurant. They withstand repeated laundering without excessively shrinking or becoming misshapen, and their deep hems with mitered corners press flat, with minimal puckering.
The Hotel Dinner Napkins come in a handful of classic saturated colors—red, navy, gray—and they’re all beautiful. They also come in a warm, creamy ivory color, if you’re into something more subdued. But we think the bright white version is the platonic ideal of understated elegance. It just might be our favorite white napkin among all of our picks.
Williams Sonoma also sells the coordinating Hotel Tablecloth in a healthy variety of shapes and sizes to suit your needs.
The one downside to the Hotel Dinner Napkins is you can purchase them in a set of 12 only. This might be a lot for some people. But if you do have a place to stash those extra napkins, they can be backups for larger gatherings.
Size: 20 by 20 inches Material: 100% cotton Count: set of 12
Smooth and absorbent, these luxurious napkins are perfect for anyone who loves the soft and relaxed texture of 100% linen.
The Rough Linen Smooth Linen Napkins are great for anyone who loves the look and texture of linen, as well as for those who don’t mind paying for outstanding quality. They’re very expensive, but the 100% Belgian linen fabric and thoughtful finishing touches—like extra-wide hems and perfect mitered corners—place these napkins above and beyond anything we’ve tested.
Rough Linen’s napkins have a relaxed drape with just enough structure, so they give your table setting a seamless look that’s appropriate for both formal and casual occasions. Even though these napkins are a big investment, with proper care and storage, they will likely last a lifetime and beyond.
You can complete your tabletop set with the matching Rough Linen Smooth Tablecloth or an Orkney Linen Table Runner.
The Rough Linen napkins have been a pick in this guide since 2014. Again, they’re expensive, but the quality of their material and construction, along with their timeless simplicity, make them well worth it.
Size: 20 by 20 inches and 24 by 24 inches Material: 100% linen Count: sold individually
Merci’s linen napkins are gorgeous and impossibly soft, but they are a few inches smaller than our other linen-napkin picks.
The Merci Washed Linen Napkins are the wispy, chic French cousins to our pick from Rough Linen. Merci’s napkins have narrower hems than Rough Linen’s, and the Merci napkins are also smaller, thinner, and more lightweight. But we don’t think these are flaws. Some folks in the Wirecutter test kitchen said they prefer a smaller and softer napkin for everyday use, adding that they’d likely reach for the Merci napkins more often.
If you’re looking for napkins come in a lot of colors, the Merci napkins are available in over 20 colors—plus a couple of prints. And there’s a corresponding tablecloth, available in a couple of sizes, so you can create a matching set.
Since these napkins ship from France, the shipping cost starts at around $20. We found a way to make the most of that by adding an apron or two to the order (we recommend the Merci apron in our guide to kitchen aprons).
The Merci napkins are smaller than most of our picks (17 inches square, compared with 20 inches for others). But a couple of folks in the Wirecutter test kitchen actually preferred the smaller size over more generously cut picks, like the napkins from Rough Linen. It all boils down to personal preference.
Size: about 17 by 17 inches (listed as 45 by 45 centimeters) Material: 100% linen Count: sold individually
We love these linen hemstitch napkins for their smooth weave, wide hem, and large array of color options.
Nothing evokes an old-school polished look like linen hemstitch napkins. And for the price, the Solino Home Classic Hemstitch Napkins can’t be beat. We’re impressed with their sharp mitered corners, wide hems, and clean stitching throughout.
Unlike modern-style linen goods—such as the Rough Linen or Merci napkins, with their more-textured feel—the Solino Home napkins are more like heritage linens, with a uniform smooth surface and tight weave. If color choices are important to you, these napkins come in over 35 shades, including delicate pastels, earthy tones, and bold, saturated hues.
For a complete dining set, you can pair these napkins with Solino Home’s Classic Hemstitch Tablecloth, which is available in many rectangular dimensions.
Hemstitch napkins definitely have an old-school look. If your style is more modern, these napkins might feel out of place on your table. Instead, maybe consider our picks from Atelier Saucier, La DoubleJ, or Hawkins New York.
Size: 20 by 20 inches Material: 100% linen Count: set of four
The fringed borders and of-the-moment hues give these smooth, lightweight cotton napkins an edgy feel.
The Hawkins New York Essential Dinner Napkins won us over because they’re incredibly soft and stylish. They’re not the most substantial among our picks: They are made from thin cotton material, with a fringed hem, so we’d venture to say they’re among the most lightweight ones we recommend. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t functional.
We’d reach for this set for lunches, light dinners, and nibbles on the patio. And if you’re worried that the fringed edge is too casual for entertaining, we found that it easily presses flat with a quick pass of a steam iron. We also like the tufted look of the fringe straight out of the wash. But if you hate to iron, and you want the fringed edges to look neat and orderly after laundering, this might not be the set for you.
These napkins come in muted and saturated earthy hues, as well as in bright white.
Size: 18 by 18 inches Material: 100% cotton Count: set of four
The napkins’ rounded corners and punchy color combinations remind us of the 1960s mod aesthetic.
For something that’s both simple and unique, you can’t go wrong with La DoubleJ’s Large Napkins. The bias-tape-trimmed rounded corners and smart color combinations set these napkins apart from our other picks. And the unique color pairings, like raspberry with orange trim, are anything but boring.
In our tests, we found that La DoubleJ’s napkins benefit from a light press with a steam iron out of the dryer. Their clean rounded lines don’t mix well with wrinkles and rumples. These napkins are also among our smaller picks, so if you’re looking for a more-substantial linen option that provides greater lap coverage, the Rough Linen napkins might be a better choice.
Yes, La DoubleJ napkins are quite pricey, but we think these would make a great gift for the color- and design-obsessed person in your life.
Size: around 17 by 17 inches (listed as 45 by 45 centimeters) Material: 100% linen Count: set of two
If you want durable and stylish napkins that are a little more environmentally friendly than most, consider this set made from reclaimed cotton twill.
Atelier Saucier’s Rainbow Twill Napkins combine the smooth touch and durability of cotton twill with colorful surged edges. The playful colors and clean lines transform a traditional utility material, like twill, into an integral part of a well-appointed table. Considering how thick and weighty the fabric is, these napkins are also surprisingly soft and smooth to the touch. And since twill is strong and durable, they should hold up to years of use and laundering.
Just out of curiosity, we also looked at the Atelier Saucier Mojave Burlap Napkins, and we like them too, if you want a similar option in earthy tones. They’re soft yet weighty, and the cotton fabric is more akin to a stonewashed canvas than scratchy burlap.
Made from 100% reclaimed surplus fabric, Atelier Saucier’s napkins stand out as probably the most sustainable of our picks. Because it uses reclaimed fabric, Atelier Saucier can’t guarantee the fiber content of all of its linens. But the company confirmed that the sets we looked at for this guide are made from 100% cotton.
Size: 17 by 17 inches Material: 100% cotton Count: set of four
For the price, these napkins feel surprisingly good, and they are solidly constructed.
Aunti Em’s Kitchen Cotton Napkins are a solid choice for tight budgets and large gatherings. They have a decent weight and feel, with surprising details, such as mitered corners—not bad for a set that breaks down to under $2 per napkin.
We looked at examples of both the solid and chambray colors, and we decided that the chambray options (especially the red) are the better choice with this brand. They’re softer and more attractive, and they seem to be of better quality than the solids. During testing, we found that the Aunti Em’s napkins came out of the wash a little more rectangular than the square shape they started in (a result of the warp shrinking much more than the weft, or vice versa).
Like all 100% natural fiber napkins, these will need a light iron to press out the wrinkles after laundering. But if you’re looking for a wrinkle-free option, Aunti Em’s offers a cotton/poly blend in a handful of colors.
Even though these napkins are a good deal for the price, they’re not a total steal. They’re pretty thin, and they lack structure, even when folded. However, we still think they’re a solid option for outdoor dining and large gatherings.
Size: 20 by 20 inches Material: 100% cotton Count: set of 12
These colorful napkins come in a bevy of artful botanical prints, and they add a chic French provincial vibe to any occasion.
With their bright florals and botanicals, Couleur Nature’s linens bring a quintessential Provençal style to any table. And the bold flowers and fruits depicted on the Grenadine Blue & Red Napkins are no exception. The charming artwork and the border design elevate the simple primary color palette.
Yet this pattern isn’t the only one that caught our eye. We also looked at the Lavender Napkins, which we found coordinated well against a backdrop of natural beige and dusty pink linens (like those from Rough Linen). And we liked the Sunflower, Grenadine Orange & Green, and Fraises des Bois prints.
You can also find Couleur Nature linens in seasonal holiday themes. As is true of most of the picks in this guide, Couleur Nature offers coordinating tablecloths in a variety of sizes (options vary by pattern and availability) for all of the patterns mentioned above.
Size: 19 by 19 inches Material: 100% cotton Count: set of six
The pixelated watercolor depicts silvery mackerels, for a playful yet sophisticated napkin.
The whimsical, artful Huddleson Fish Linen Napkin is tightly woven and lightweight, with a generous, 1-inch hem and mitered corners. And the playful print probably elicited the most smiles from the Wirecutter kitchen team.
This feels like the perfect napkin for summer outdoor dining (or any seafood-themed get-together). The mackerels are artfully rendered in pinks, blues, and silvery grays. Against a white backdrop, there are four fishes printed on each napkin—with their noses kissing the corners—so no matter how you fold it, a fish is visible.
In the Fish Table Linens collection, other items include tablecloths (round and oval only), placemats, and a table runner.
The only downside to this napkin is that we can think it might be a bit limited in occasion. Some might consider it to be too cheeky for a formal setting. But that’s a personal preference and none of our business.
Size: 22 by 22 inches Material: 100% linen Count: sold individually
Add some understated texture and visual interest to your next gathering with these Japanese tie-dye–inspired cotton napkins.
The Wirecutter test kitchen is kind of obsessed with shibori—a Japanese tie-dyeing technique that yields intricately patterned fabrics. So when we stumbled across the Huddleson Indigo Japanese Shibori Napkins, we had to test them out. Each napkin is printed with a small kinoko design, traditionally done by tying small knots in the fabric, with thread, to create a dot-like pattern. We’re drawn to the dot-matrix pattern of organically shaped rings—like polka dots, yet more sophisticated.
We gravitated toward the indigo color—that’s what is traditionally used to dye shibori—but the red and olive-green options are also beautiful. These napkins are sewn from tightly woven cotton fabric, and they’re finished with clean, narrow hems and mitered corners. They’re attractive enough for dinner gatherings but would also make fine everyday napkins.
Huddleson Linens also makes shibori table runners (four sizes) and placemats in all three colors.
Size: 20 by 20 inches Material: 100% cotton Count: sold individually
These napkins feature wide, tonal stripes—a modern take on a classic pattern.
We think the Hawkins New York Essential Striped Dinner Napkins are great both for daily meals and for casual entertaining because they’re effortlessly cool and buttery-soft. Made from 100% cotton, these napkins are tightly woven and lightweight. The tonal, wide-striped pattern and earthy color combinations give them a chic look, without veering into circus-tent territory.
A detail that makes these napkins look current is the chambray effect on the darker stripes, paired with the evenly dyed lighter stripes. The Hawkins striped napkins are finished with simple hems—no mitered corners here—but we don’t think that takes away from their casual elegance.
Hawkins also makes tablecloths (one size, 90 by 60 inches) and placemats in this pattern.
Size: 19 by 19 inches Material: 100% cotton Count: set of four
These thick gingham linen napkins are accented with bold contrasting borders, for a contemporary take on retro charm.
There’s nothing stale or dated about the Caravan Home Two-Tone Gingham Napkins. Unlike traditional gingham, Caravan’s version incorporates updated colorways and contrasting color combinations that just work. Some examples that we particularly like include the aqua and orange, cognac and blue, and gray and dijon. Made from thick washed linen, the Caravan napkins feel substantial, and they drape comfortably across the lap.
These napkins are some of the more expensive ones on our list. If you buy them on Roan Iris, you can normally snag them for less (currently $48 for a set of two), but you’ll find only a fraction of the available color options.
Size: 20 by 20 inches Material: 100% linen Count: set of four
Whether you’re looking for cotton-candy pink or subtle beige, these cheerful striped napkins are a fun addition to the dining table.
The Solino Home Amalfi Stripe Dinner Napkins’ washed-out, colored stripes lend them a broken-in feel. And these hues are set next to bright white stripes, which keep the napkins looking fresh and polished.
The yellow-striped napkins remind us of the umbrellas lining the beaches along the southern coast of France, and the red-striped ones feel like summer in Nantucket. But if you’re more of a neutrals person, skip the cherry-blossom pink, and opt for the natural or sky-blue striped options.
All of the striped napkins are made from 100% soft washed linen that feels light, airy, and cool to the touch.
Solino Home’s cheery stripes evoke breezy outdoor dining and warm-weather entertaining, but the napkins could feel out of place during the cozier months.
Size: 20 by 20 inches Material: 100% linen Count: set of four
There’s something about these napkins—with their railroad-stripe denim and punchy colored borders—that’s both endearing and cool.
In addition to the Rainbow Twill and Mojave Burlap napkins we recommend from Atelier Saucier, we were also impressed with the Americana Stripe Napkins. These railroad-stripe denim napkins have the colorful, tightly surged edge that seems to be Atelier Saucier’s signature look. And while the thick denim twill isn’t as smooth as that of the Rainbow napkins, it’s still soft enough to comfortably dab the corners of your mouth.
Each napkin is edged in a different color thread: orange, red, forest green, and royal blue. And while the color theme might scream summer to many, we think the Americana Stripe set could add a cheery dose of color to winter gatherings.
Like our other picks from Atelier Saucier, these napkins are made from reclaimed surplus fabric, and they are 100% cotton.
Size: 17 by 17 inches Material: 100% cotton denim Count: set of four
In addition to covering dinner napkins for Wirecutter since 2015, I also write about other kitchen and dining linens, including tablecloths, dish towels, and aprons. Before coming to Wirecutter, I was a part-time food stylist, and I worked closely with prop stylists to help choose the tableware that best evoked a particular mood. I learned to drape, fold, and rumple napkins and tablecloths from some of the most talented people in the business.
How you decide to set your table is mostly a matter of personal taste—table linens are as subjective as any other design element in your home. But this is true only to a point: No amount of ornate prints or embellishments can make up for cheap materials or bad workmanship. Here are the criteria we considered for napkins in this guide:
Natural fibers: We skipped napkins made from synthetic fibers and instead focused on ones made from cotton and linen. The most common and affordable natural-fiber napkins are made from cotton. Prices vary depending on the quality of the fiber, construction, and sometimes name brand. Cotton napkins generally have the smooth, polished look of ones you’d find in a fine-dining restaurant.
Linen, made from the fibers of the flax plant, is absorbent and has a more-relaxed drape than cotton. Threads spun from flax fibers are thicker than cotton, and the result is the distinct, visible woven texture that linen goods are known for.
Quality of construction: Table linens are susceptible to a lot of wear and tear. Most people wash napkins and tablecloths after each use, due to the inevitable spills and drips. And all of those trips through the washer can cause poor-quality table linens to fray at the seams. We looked for napkins with clean hems and consistent stitching, and we avoided those with loose threads or visible raw edges. We also noted small details—like crisp mitered corners—that separate great napkins from good ones.
Sizes: Cloth dinner napkins should be generously sized, to cover your lap. We found that napkins in the 19- to 20-inch range are the most common. But we have a few picks that measure 17 inches square, as well as one that’s available in a generously cut 24-inch size.
Aesthetics and design: Napkins come in countless colors and patterns to suit every taste. Design and aesthetics are entirely subjective, and it would be impossible for us to find something to suit everyone. For this guide, we tried our best to cover solid colors and simple patterns, and we sprinkled in a couple of prints for good measure.
Since your table linens will probably need to be washed after each use, they should be able to stand up to the rigors of your washer and dryer. To test durability, we washed the napkins in hot water and dried them on high heat, and then we pressed them with a steam iron. We examined the fabric for pilling and the hems for puckering and fraying.
We dabbed our faces and wiped our hands with each napkin, to test their softness and ability to quickly absorb moisture.
In the past, we performed stain tests, soiling each napkin with red wine, coffee, blood, greasy turkey drippings, and melted chocolate. But we found that this was more a test of laundering techniques than about the products themselves. In most cases, you can get stains out by spot-treating them with a stain remover like Zout.
If you’re dealing with more than a couple of spots, an overnight soak in detergent with oxygenated bleach before laundering will do the trick. If you want to learn more about keeping your table linens spot-free, we have a guide to stain removers, as well as helpful tips on how and when to use them.
We believe that when you’re looking for the perfect solid-color napkin, you can never have too many options. So we’re going to test the Sferra Festival Napkins in the coming weeks. These linen hemstitch napkins come in 101 colors. For some, this many options may seem like overkill, but if you’re looking for the perfect hue to complete a tablescape, you’ll likely find it in this collection. Sferra also has coordinating tablecloths in many colors and sizes.
Crate & Barrel discontinued one of our former picks and replaced it with the Aspen Organic Cotton Napkins. The new ones have a rougher, more-rustic texture than their sateen-like predecessors, but they still feel nice in the hand, and they come in an array of gorgeous hues. Unfortunately, after we washed them a few times, we noticed that several of the napkins we received had faded patches. It looked like sun fading from sitting on a shelf, as opposed to blotches from bleach, so we have concerns about quality control.
We were eager to try items from Loom & Table, a company promising quality table linens in custom sizing at an affordable price. But when we received the Premium Cotton Napkins, we noticed crooked stitching, loose threads, and one frayed corner. After laundering, some parts of the skinny, ¼-inch hems started to fray.
The Crate & Barrel Marin Dinner Napkins are 100% linen and much more affordable than our luxury pick from Rough Linen. But they have a stiffer drape and a slightly scratchier feel, and the fabric is so thin you can practically see through it.
The hems on the Williams Sonoma Linen Double Hemstitch Napkins puckered so much after laundering that we had difficulty pressing out the newly fluttered edges with a steam iron.
The look and feel of Sur La Table’s Herringbone Napkins reminded us of the kitchen towels used in restaurants. The napkin is thin and flimsy, and it started to pill after a few launderings.
H&M Home brings the company’s budget, fast fashion-approach to table linens. We looked at both the cotton and the all-linen napkins in the store and decided not to test them. They had uneven stitching and loose threads, telltale signs of a hastily assembled product. Also, the 100% linen offerings were thin, translucent, and made from what seemed to be low-quality material.
This article was edited by Marilyn Ong and Marguerite Preston.
Lesley Stockton is a senior staff writer reporting on all things cooking and entertaining for Wirecutter. Her expertise builds on a lifelong career in the culinary world—from a restaurant cook and caterer to a food editor at Martha Stewart. She is perfectly happy to leave all that behind to be a full-time kitchen-gear nerd.
After 160 hours of research, we’ve created a buying guide to help you find a set of flatware you’ll love.
After over 200 hours of research and testing over 300 utensils, we recommend 11 sets in a wide range of designs and prices.
by Michael Sullivan, Emily Han, and Nick Guy
We have barware recommendations for outfitting a stylish and functional bar at home, with options for every skill level.
Wirecutter’s picks for dinner-party gear are affordable, elegant, and durable—so they can be your everyday ware, too.
Oval Pvc Tablecloth Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).