I’m buying some new sheets for my sweetie for our anniversary. We currently have some from Linens N Things that had a high threadcount and were soft, but have gotten pilly. I had also gotten some from Target that were like sleeping under a sheet of sandpaper - no thanks.
So I’m looking for soft, drapey sheets that won’t pill and won’t be too warm. I saw an ad for “luxury bedding” in a magazine, and when I investigated I found that one flat sheet could be as much as $150. :eek:
Right now I’m considering Land’s End 270 count percale sheets, but I’m open to suggestions.
Yeah, the TJ Maxx reccomendation is good, or outlet shopping (you gotta hunt and seek for the matching ones, of course). What you’re looking for is 100% cotton percale with a high threadcount, of course, and you may have to break them in. Some of them are “sateen weave” or whatever, which makes them feel really soft and drapey but means they don’t last as long. There are some fantastic buys at the outlet stores and “seconds” like TJ Maxx and Tuesday Morning, though, honest.
But myself, if I couldn’t find anything there - you spend more time on your sheets than on any other fabric purchase, don’t you? Might have to invest.
Dillards had 400 thread count sheet sets 50% off. Prices range from 50.00 to 55.00 for queen and 55.00 to 60 for King. This includes extra deep sets, up to 21".
Go for the 400 thread count. Only buy them on sale. Someone will have them on sale near you in the next month, just check all your sources weekly and you’ll get them. Forget the 270’s, you can find better.
There’s also many online places that sell high thread count sheet sets very cheap, I just don’t have a link to any of those sites at my fingertips? Maybe overstock. com?
I’ve been delighted with the Pottery Barn sheets I bought on eBay. They’re silky smooth and don’t pill. Just gotta remember to take them out of the dryer as soon as they’re dry.
My Mom bought me percale sheets at Mervyn’s ten years ago. I still have the pillowcases on the feather pillows she bought me at the same time. Wears well, and so soft and cool! I luff them.
Why percale? Even at high thread counts, it’s a harsh, nasty fabric.
A couple years ago I found jersey sheets. That’s essentially good-quality T-shirt material. Slightly fuzzy, very soft even when new, warm in winter & cozy in summer. It’s also stretchy, so fitted sheets stay snug. What’s not to like?
YMMV of course, but give it a look; you might be surprised.
We are about to head out and check the inventory at Tuesday Morning. I’d never heard of them before, but wouldn’t you know it, there’s one within ten miles of my house!
I also checked overstock.com (despite the fact that I HATE their dumb ads), and they have 440 tc Egyptian cotton sheets with an alleged list price of $299.99 for 59.99. If Tuesday Morning doesn’t have anything, I might try that.
LSLGuy, I think percale is preferred because it is more durable and less likely to pill than sateen. I don’t think I can afford silk, and I think flannel or even jersey would be too warm. Also, we had jersey sheets once, and they stick to my nightgown so when I turn over, it doesn’t - very awkward.
I’ll second the Sateen Weave suggestion. It has three threads over - one under weave (as opposed to a standard one over - one under weave) making it very smooth to the touch. They don’t last as long as regular weave but the cost savings for getting a medium thread count (270-350) versus a high thread count (400+) means you can buy another set when the first one wears out.
I haven’t used anything but Sateen weave for my summer sheets since I discovered them 7 years ago and have found that they will last 2 years, using them continuously for 6 months a year in the summer (and switching to flannel for the other 6 months during the winter.)
Having worked at Bed Bath & Beyond and having talked extensively to the experts, department managers, and such, they all agreed that there was no better or softer sheet for the price.
Thanks, everyone. We went to Tuesday Morning (which was surprisingly grubby, but hey I suppose that’s how they keep the prices low), and got some 500 tc Egyptian cotton sheets in a nice soft sage green. They had an original price listed as around $299, but were $89.99 - so very good tip on that store! I just put them in the wash, and they have a very soft, luxurious hand. Hubby also got a new pillow and we got some sheets for the we’an, too. It’s definitely a place I’ll keep on my list for home decor needs.
I can’t really advise on which sheets are best, but I want to second (third? forth?) the TJ Maxx suggestion. I got some of the softest, highest thread count sheets there for $20. I love my sheets :).
We got both of our most recent sheet purchases at overstock.com. We’re very happy with them, and they carry the California King size, which is hard to find in the stores.
You won’t ever be able to find a cool spot on your pillow. We have a set of jersey sheets. I use the sheets (mostly in winter), but not the pillowcases, because I like cool spots on my pillow.
I suppose this solution probably wouldn’t work for people who care about their sheets and pillowcases matching. But we have four pillows in our bed, and they all have different pillowcases, so we know which pillows are whose. I like fluffier pillows than Mr Neville does, and we both have trouble sleeping if our pillows aren’t just so, so this is important to us.
Another vote for “sateen”. I’ve not had a set wear out yet, and I use them year round, dog claws and kitten games and all. You can get them fairly cheap at off price stores, so I’ll second that suggestion.
Wamsutta is a good name to look for in sheets. Even their less expensive sheets are smooth and stay pill-free. They have all sorts of sateen sheet sets that are super smooth and soft. Bed Bath and Beyond has pretty good prices normally and you can put together a nice set from the sale section, especially if you aren’t into matchy-matchy sets.
Land’s End sheets are good quality and prices can be fairly reasonable. Some of their lower cost sets were just on the edge of rough, but I’m a bit picky in that regard. In their case, higher thread count mattered. Wamsutta’s thread count wasn’t the best indicator. All were smooth, regardless of thread count. It was the process, like sateen, not thread count that marked the difference. Sateen might be 300 thread count, but feel softer than 400 thread count Egyptian cotton (just an example, I don’t think those are the actual names or counts).
Jersey sheets are soft, but they’re stretchy and you can get wound up in them. Lower-end sets pill and sag and look a nasty sloppy mess, if that’s a consideration for you.
Don’t do it! I bought some 600 ct. Egyptian cotton sheets a few years back and they turned me into a sheet snob. Now I have to travel with my own sheets because hotel sheets with cotton/poly (::shudder: blends make my skin crawl.
blends make my skin crawl.