Need new sheets

September 16, 2008 7:00 AM

What is a high quality set of sheets?

My wife's birthday is coming up and since my initial plan for a present fell through I decided that I would buy us a really swanky set of bed linens. I know about thread count, but other than that am completely at a loss for what to look for and how much I should pay.

Here are the specifics:
Bed is queen-sized.
I want very high quality sheets for everyday use (comfort is key).
My budget for 1 set is roughly $400.
I live in Canada.

Please educate me on the bedsheet world, and if possible give me specific suggestions as to what/where to buy.

posted by Vindaloo to home & garden (19 answers total)

I got these, a I love them.
posted by mpls2 at 7:12 AM on September 16, 2008

I am a sucker for Egyptian cotton, I haven't bought anything that feels softer. If you don't buy Egyptian or some other high quality cotton or other fabric, thread count won't make a difference.
posted by wocka wocka wocka at 7:20 AM on September 16, 2008

I have to say that my favorite sheets of all time are made out of bamboo.

On a side note, though, you might want to spice up the present with some chocolate or something. Maybe a massage on the brand new sheets?
posted by eralclare at 7:35 AM on September 16, 2008 [3 favorites]

Seconding Egyptian cotton. Go for a nice high thread count, but heed the advice here.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 7:41 AM on September 16, 2008 [3 favorites]

Yes, thread count is a total myth. Ridiculously high (e.g. 1000) thread counts are, to me, a red flag- they're usually pimping that "quality" at the expense of shoddy construction.

We got a set of Frette sheets, which are something like 200 count, yet are softer and more durable than any other sheets we own. Unfortunately, they're sized for European (deeper) mattresses, so they're a bit loose on ours.
posted by mkultra at 7:49 AM on September 16, 2008

I got a 450 thread count set at Bed Bath and Beyond, from (IIRC) their house brand, for something like $60. Pretty much everyone who's had cause to interact with the bed has expressed a very high opinion of them; my ex bought herself an identical set when she moved and loves them.
posted by Tomorrowful at 7:51 AM on September 16, 2008

I have some $40 sheets from amazon, they are fucking fantastic. Do you really need to spend $400 on one set of sheets. Maybe buy her a $300 bottle of wine and some cheaper sheets. Get multiple sets or you are going to hate the nights when the nice ones are dirty.
posted by shownomercy at 7:55 AM on September 16, 2008

Seconding the bamboo mention above. My favorite sheets in the world are 50/50 bamboo/cotton ones from Target. They are very smooth, like satin, without being slippery, shiny or snaggy. They are not soft and fuzzy like flannel or jersey sheets, but I personally don't like that feeling. I also agree with the sentiment to romance it up a bit. You could do a whole set of linens and even add a few candles and a couple handfuls of rose petals to complete the package.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:20 AM on September 16, 2008

Thirding bamboo. It is by far better than anything cotton has to offer.
posted by Rhomboid at 8:26 AM on September 16, 2008

Second Frette
posted by IndigoJones at 8:35 AM on September 16, 2008

Modal (made of some other tree... beech?) from BB&B. recommended here on the MeFi in previous questions. Take the 20% off coupon they mail you every month.
posted by ijoyner at 9:37 AM on September 16, 2008

I love the Target bamboo sheets - they really just get softer every time you wash them. I wish they had more colors, though. They're also only $40. And I agree with whoever said above to buy more than one set - I only bought one set of the bamboo sheets when they first came out and I regretted not buying more because Target stopped carrying them for like 8 months (they have them now though, as a permanent part of the collection). Every time they were off my bed in the wash, I would be sad.
posted by kerning at 9:58 AM on September 16, 2008

Seconding Modal. The brand is Pure Beech at BB&B.
posted by Arthur Dent at 10:15 AM on September 16, 2008

High-quality Egyptian cotton would be nice, but how about linen? Very light and breathable, and it gets softer with time and washings. Develops a patina, almost. Texturally it is a bit different than smooth cotton, but definitely superior, if you ask me.
posted by softsantear at 10:26 AM on September 16, 2008

bamboo!!
posted by agentwills at 10:46 AM on September 16, 2008

I just bought a great set of Queen sheets at Homesense in Canada (Ottawa). I have heard that although Egyptian cotton is the best cotton, the best sheets are those made in Italy. Most of the Egyptian cotton sheets I looked at were made in China. Homesense had a decent selection of sheets made in Italy, and I could really feel the difference. The brand we bought is Le Telerie Toscane (470 thread count, 100% Egyptian cotton). The set comes with 1 flat, 1 fitted and 2 standard pillowcases, and we paid 109.00, which I believe is a deep discount from the original price. We love them, they feel so luxurious.
posted by Chick Pea at 11:05 AM on September 16, 2008

Thirding Pure Beech.
posted by radioamy at 1:31 PM on September 16, 2008

The Company Store has really high quality sheets. L.L. Bean sells nice sheets.
posted by theora55 at 1:50 PM on September 16, 2008

Voting against Pure Beech. I didn't like the set I had, and they felt cheap compared to my regular sheets.
posted by lsemel at 8:30 PM on September 16, 2008