Quality bedding?

[swimmermom3]

I have a much-needed new mattress and need some ideas for good quality bedding to replace the worn-out irritating bedding we have now. 

 

I am looking for:

 

1. a good mattress pad that is preferably hypoallergenic and soft - not the kind that rustles every time you turn over.

 

2. sheets - soft, yet durable. Advertised thread counts have become so misleading. Dh picked up our current set at Fred Meyers and they were supposedly 400ct, yet they are stiff as a board compared to an old set we had at 300 ct.

 

3. a good blanket that works for warmer weather or "hot" women - not too light like the all cotton ones that go stiff with a few washings and not the fuzzy cheap ones that bunch all up

 

4. a decent mid-weight quilt - a true quilt, not the cheap ones where the stuffing shifts to one end in the wash

 

I am thinking decent department store quality, but not over-the-top expensive.  Any favorites you all would like to share?

[purplejackmama]

Don't laugh, but I'm extremely happy with our sheets and down comforter from IKEA. I had fairly low expectations because of their low prices but they are great!!

[Stacia]

I like the Ikea duvets & duvet covers.

 

They have one duvet that is a 'snap-together' set -- a lighter one w/ a medium weight one. Use the light one in hot weather, the medium one in cool weather, & snap them together to make a heavy one for cold weather. Of course, my dh & ds both like the duvet covers alone (w/out a duvet in them) during most months of the year because they don't like to be hot. Another thing we do is have single/twin size duvet covers, so my dh can get the light coverage he likes & I can go w/ a heavier blanket like I like. It's also way easier to wash, etc... because I don't have a large washer & the twin size items fit in the washer much better than king size items do.

 

I really like cotton sheets & pillowcases from The Company Store. So soft!

[Forget-Me-Not]

I like the sheets Costco sells. My duvet cover and shams came from Crate & Barrel.

[Corraleno]

Do you like linen? I recently switched to 100% linen bedding and I love it soooo much. Heavier than cotton and yet paradoxically cooler in the summer; a "rougher" weave yet it's soft as butter once it's been washed a few times. I have this duvet cover and pillow case set from H&M, which at $99 for 100% heavy linen is an incredible bargain. I got my linen sheets from Rough Linen, which were much more expensive (post-divorce Christmas present to myself!), but honestly the quality of the H&M set is quite comparable to Rough Linen. Ikea also sells a 100% linen duvet cover & pillow case set, but I haven't personally seen or felt it. I like Ikea's comforters a lot, and they have a wide selection of weights/warmth ratings, in both down and fiberfill. They're well made and quite inexpensive compared to department stores.

 

As for blankets, I bought several cotton fleece blankets from Garnet Hill during a mega-sale a few years ago and they've held up wonderfully. They wash up great, no pilling, colors still vibrant. I hate synthetic fleece blankets, they make me sweat like crazy even though I'm not normally a very warm-blooded or sweaty person! Linen and cotton keep me cool in summer and warm in winter without overheating.

 

 

[gardenmom5]

I used to work at a high end specialty bedding store. 

 

for sheet sets - Costco.  seriously. 

you can also get good ones at BBB (I have a set of their "hotel" sheets I've been pleased with)

 

 - don't even think about *any* discount store for quality sheets.  (unless they only sell remainders and you know what you're looking at.) utter. waste. of. time. (and money if you buy anything.)  I've also been disgusted with the land's end sheets I bought. (but they had such pretty embroidered edging . . . and they were on clearance . . . )  not. quality.  I don't care what the label said.  I don't use the sheets, they're too rough - just the duvet cover and shams.

beware high TC sheets that are really just superfine threads twisted together and then woven. . . . . 

you also want long-staple fiber - fewer ends to stick out. 

 

I also really like the viscose foam pad I just bought at Costco . . .

just read the labels on most mattress pad - any "padding" will pack down - you want good quality fabric underneath your sheet.

 

 

eta: this last fall, I did completely new duvet (Costco), cover, shams, etc.  I did ebay - the brand is Hudson park . . . wow.  just.  . . .  wow.  they were discontinued, so they were inexpensive compared to their retail price (which I never would have paid, let alone considered affordable), but.  oh. my goodness . . . the quality is very high, and dh and I have been *very* pleased.  I had to get a new fitted (my elastic died) - and I bought one of theirs off ebay. contented sigh.