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I need sheets for my latex mattress. Could someone point me in a good direction. what to buy? Where to buy? Thanks. |
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Budgy, your breadth of knowledge is always impressive. I just want to backup something you stated about 300TC. I once obtained a sheet set originally from Italy that was being cleared through Winners. They were only 300TC but they were the silkiest, lightest weight cotton sheets I have ever experienced (and have yet to duplicate the experience), They slept incredibly cool and were so light you didn't even notice the top sheet. When a friend was travelling to Italy and was going to visit the city where these originated from, I asked her to ship me another set. However, not fully understanding this TC business, I asked her to get me a 600TC set instead thinking they would be even nicer. They were a disaster: heavy, rough and pilled; and there was no ability to send them back for a refund. Wound up donating them to a shelter even though they ended up costing me close to $300, whereas the first set through Winners was under $100! I could never understand how these 2 sets could be so different but your post here has just cleared up that mystery. Thank you. Diane |
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These are the best I have found.
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I have a set of Lyocell sheets which are a microfiber of beechwood. They are very silky feeling but I find they sleep warmer than cotton. I would think a polyester fibre would sleep even warmer and perhaps not wick away moisture very well. Diane |
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mmmm lyocell. we have some modal fabrics (beechwood cellulose) and they are ridiculously soft....the world would be a happier place if everyone wore lyocell underwear. i think if they are made properly they shouldn't sleep too much hotter than cotton, but cotton is of course very breathable. I've been humming and hawwing over doing some new bedding this year and think at the end of the month I will be doing all new linen sheets and a silk duvet |
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These were engineered to sleep cool. I can say they do as well as two sets I gave as gifts.
http://www.comphy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=70 same as Costco |
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Budgy, I really appreciate this explanation since I have learned on my own that I need at least a 300 thread count to be happy but I also need to feel the sheets since different processing and types of cotton have a different feel when touched. I know one time I was at JCPenney's and could not believe the 400 thread count felt so much nicer than the 650 thread count for the same price. I bought the 400 thread count that said it was made with Pima cotton. Years ago, I had bought pillow cases with a 200 thread count and they were too rough for me to sleep on. Hence, by trial and error I learned that the thread count should be at least 300 thread count but then other variable influence if I will be happy with the sheets so I prefer to buy in a store where I can feel what I am buying. Your explanation helped the most so I really thank you. |
| you're very welcome, and it makes sense to me that if those sheets are all Pima cotton then they are probably fantastic. |
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Don't have time to read all the replies right now but I want to add my 2 cents re sheets. First of all, 100% cotton is a must. Secondly, a higher thread count means, to me, that it will not breathe as well and will make me sweat during the night, especially in the summer. I don't know the exact thread count I like but I have found that too low of a thread count is too stiff and "scratchy" - and not comfortable; while a higher thread count is very soft and luxurious - but will sleep too hot for me. So the best sheets are 100% cotton and somewhere in the middle of the thread count range. Maybe 300? 350? Not sure, but the best way to tell is go to the store and feel them and I usually get the lowest thread count that feels soft enough for me to be comfortable with it. |
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Wow! When I started this topic, i didnt expect to be going to sheet college. This is great! The other night I bought a twin sheet set at walmart. Advertised as 300tc 100% egyptian cotton. "Simply solids". The price was around $18.00. At first these sheets felt a little scratchy. That was the 1st night. The second night(last night), I had no problem. I think anything I do to my bed requires at least one night to adjust. Tonight will be night #3. I'll see how that goes. Of course, as usual, for my wife Its lights out zzzzzzzz. Whatever happens. She'd probably do the same on a concrete floor.. But the hunt is still on, and thanks to this forum I finally feel like Im getting somewhere. One question I havent seen addressed here is price vs quality. Does higher price, necessarily mean better?
The other interesting thing is the whole twin xl buisness. After much angst over shopping for that size, I got just desperate enough to try a regular twin. My mattress is 9' thick, so I got a twin that will fit "up to" an 18"thick mattress. The results, after washing(they shrunk a little), is that they fit. Not perfectly. But, after you spend several days looking for twin xl, you should be happy with twin regular. I am. This may change if there is more shrinking at the next wash. We shall see. |
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Price usually is relative to quality....for instance...I am sure that your sheet at the price is not actually made of real egyptian cotton...basically if they don't list the variety of plant like Giza or Menoufi then it is probably not legit. That being said...when you take a company like wal-mart into the equation their buying power is absolutely staggering. I am sure that this $18 sheet is probably very comparable to ones that could be 2~4 times the cost somewhere else. That would not surprise me. On the extreme end of high quality there really is no such thing as buying power in the equation....the price is driven by the demand and the limited quantity of the luxury goods. A 300TC cotton fitted sheet in a queen can be anywhere between $15 or $350. Is the $350 dollar sheet 23 times better? Probably not, but it will be substantially better in every way. So pricing is relative to quality but because of many circumstances it is not always directly proportionate. I would argue that for the really discerning sheet afficionados that it usually is worth the premium for the best....it lives up to expectations. If you buy a sheet that you are not happy with then you always paid too much no matter how good the bargain is...because in the end you will only have to repeat the process.
From an actual cotton exporter: "Today Egypt is producing cotton in a wide range of qualities and staple lengths from 1.5/32” up to 1.1/2”. The following table gives a short overview of the available varieties:
For decades growing cotton has been an important part of the Egyptian economy. Cotton was Egypt’s number one export product for many years, and still remains a very important source of cash income for the Egyptian farmer. In the countryside, cotton is a way of life since the needs of the cotton plant during its vegetative cycle influence many aspects of the daily life of small farmers in the Nile Delta and the Nile Valley." Just posting as an example....most cotton grown in Egypt just like other regions in the world is not actually true long staple cotton, if its from a registered long staple seed then the price is so much higher that you simply will not find a queen set of sheets below a few hundred dollars unless massively discounted. |