A Guide To Buying Bed Sheets For A Hotel-Worthy Sleep
Shopping for bed sheets has been one of my favourite activities since I was 12 years old. I knew it was unusual at the time but now I see that by making mistakes early on in life, I have learned how to buy great bed sheets now that I am in my twenties. This guide is not definitive as I am sure I still have lots to learn but for the time being, these are my tips for buying the best bed sheets in your budget.
Thread Count
Personally, my favourite sheets are 300 thread count. I believe that this is the best value in terms of price and quality. Depending on your budget, you may want to go up or down in your choice of thread count. In my opinion, sheets with thread counts upwards of 600 start to feel freakishly slippery but I admit they are nice for one or two nights in a hotel. I will probably change my opinion with age but being in my early-twenties, I continue to be content with 300 thread count.
Patterns
I have made the mistake of buying patterned bedding just once and that was enough. This is quite personal so you might decide that patterns are the right way to go for you. But even as an absolute pattern fanatic, I avoid patterned bedding. The one I had chosen was white with a beautiful watercolour flower print. It did not work out in the end because if there were any wrinkles, waves, or puckers in the bed sheets, the pattern would accentuate it. This may not be a problem if you are the perfect bed maker but I personally think that the patterns are not worth the extra effort. Besides, you may get tired of or not be in the mood for the particular pattern you chose. Plain bed sheets create a calm, blank space for your mind to rest at the end of the day and also leaves the space for possibilities when you wake up each morning. If you get tired of the plain bed sheets, you can add some fun cushions and throws to your bed and there will be no need to worry about them matching.
Colour
I think of a new set of bed sheets as an investment so I would not recommend trying out a brand new colour when choosing the colour of your bedding. Variety IS the spice of life but try out your next bold new colour in an article of clothing that costs less than a whole new bed set. Either choose something neutral or the colour you find yourself most comfortable wearing (just avoid black as it is a bit harsh). For me, this is blue or grey but since purple is quite close to blue, I decided to give dusty purple a go and they ended up being my favourite bed sheets.
No Embroidery
Usually only the duvet cover is embroidered but, trust me, avoid embroidery for bed sheets too. Embroidery is an absolute nightmare when it comes to ironing your bed sheets. Even if you do not iron your sheets, the embroidery will most likely make it impossible for your bedding to lay flat. The edges of the embroidery will almost always make the rest of the fabric pucker and it is never comfortable. I once stayed at an Airbnb where they provided a duvet cover with embroidery all-over. It was so incredibly scratchy and uncomfortable. 100% would not recommend.
Material
Cotton is hands down the best material to buy. In my experience, lyocell is cool (which is nice if that is your preference) but gets twisted up easily. Cotton percale or cotton sateen are slightly stiffer (or less floppy) and therefore launder nicely. When laying out these cotton sheets, it is easy to get them to lay flat and effortless to iron. The glossy texture of well-treated cotton makes these sheets a delight to curl up in. When looked-after well, cotton sheets will last you years! Invest in something good and your satisfaction will shut down any desires to buy new bed sheets which is great for your wallet and for the environment!
