Help me settle down for a long winter's nap with nice sheets.

October 26, 2007 2:34 PM

Recommend durable all-cotton or linen bed sheets. No flannel or sateen.

I bought a new bed a couple years ago, and the extra-tall mattress (14", which is low compared to the 18" ones you can buy now) necessitated the purchase of some extra-deep pocket sheets. Being a practical guy, I opted for some Lauren T-250 sheets, as higher thread count sheets tend to wear out quickly and I wanted something nice but longer lasting. One of the fitted sheets has suffered what I consider to be a premature demise, and my mom likes to buy practical gifts, so I'd like to direct her to some new sheets for Christmas. Criteria:

• Must be all-natural. Cotton is the most likely candidate here. I'm guessing linen is going to be outside mom's gift budget, but I could also decide to pop for those myself if somebody knows a source for linen sheets like Grandma Used To Have.


• I sleep hot, so I hate sateen and its ilk. This probably also rules out the Modal sheets that have been recommended here before. "Sexy," as discussed here, isn't all that important either. I think this means I just want "percale", but I don't even know what "percale" means.


• Must wear like iron and stand up to being washed in hot water. For that matter, must survive the drier reasonably well, as I generally don't have access to a clothesline. This probably rules out the zillion-count sheets that are all the rage. I thought 250-count would be a good number, but Ralph let me down.


• "Wrinkle-free" is not a selling point, since it's my understanding that those treatments shorten the lifespan of cotton fibers, and my goal here is to get something that lasts, not that wears out quickly.


• Extra credit for extra wide flat sheets, as there are sheet sharing issues. Details omitted to protect the guilty.


• Color's not much of a sticking point, if any. Solids are fine, whites, creams, naturals, etc, are also fine. Probably no black, though. I never had the black sheets phase, and I'm sure my girlfriend would prefer that I never do.

Is the solution to this just Lands End or The Company Store, or is there something at mom's neighborhood Dillard's that fits the bill?

posted by fedward to home & garden (8 comments total)

Some of the outlet stores like TJ Maxx or Marshalls or Filene's have some really great sheet sets at reasonable prices. You can get a whole 400 count 100% cotton very decent sheet set for a full, queen or king sized bed for under $60. There will be brands you have heard of and brands you have never heard of so examine them, check out the stitching and craftsmanship before buying.
posted by 45moore45 at 2:59 PM on October 26, 2007

We have these Simply Shabby Chic sheets from Target and they kick ass, very cool in summer. They seem to be out of stock at Amazon and I imagine you might not be crazy about the pattern -- but seek solid color sheets in this series. They are awesome.
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:59 PM on October 26, 2007

Target carries cotton-bamboo blended sheets that I picked up and I'm happy with. I'm no sheet expert but they might be worth investigating to see if they will last longer. I have allergies so I wash my sheets hot and dry them hot so they take a beating. The bamboo is holding up well so far but I haven't had them long.
posted by chairface at 4:05 PM on October 26, 2007

In the same series; I can't speak to whether these have the same great cool texture/temperature/feeling that the flowered ones do: with stripes; pain white with ruffled pillowcase edge. You'll want to use the drop-down menus to find the right size for your bed. Or go to a Target and see if they have others in this line.
posted by LobsterMitten at 4:06 PM on October 26, 2007

"pain" = "plain".
posted by LobsterMitten at 4:07 PM on October 26, 2007

I sleep hot too, so I know what you're talking about. Try these. They wash and wear well. I've had these for almost a year with no complaints. Good luck!
posted by D Dear at 4:57 PM on October 26, 2007

For linen sheets, check out Williams-Sonoma Home. They're hideously expensive, imho, but they're sturdy.

It took us about a year to really break ours in, but now they're great. The sheets have thick threads and a lowish thread count; that's great, because it means the top sheet stands away from the body a bit instead of draping and clinging and soaking.

My husband sleeps hot too. He used to pester me about getting an air conditioner, which I strenuously resisted. Once we started using linen sheets, he found that he no longer really wanted AC -- the sheets were good enough.
posted by sculpin at 12:08 AM on October 27, 2007

Bath And Body Works hotel selection is their own in-house brand that has an awesome durability. Not too expensive either and they mail out coupons ALL the time, for 20-50% off. Sign up to receive them or google some and give them a shot.
posted by PetiePal at 8:28 AM on October 27, 2007