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Thanks for the research - I wonder what the "patented fiber" is? I just remember in the "old days" that we (i.e. parents) I KNOW didn't spend alot on sheets - we actually have some old sheet sets, but the tag is so washed out, no idea what it says. Now that I'm all grown up, lmao - buying sheets is a toss up, mostly toss down, they either don't fit and/or they are too heat-holding.
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Originally Posted by Claire_F
I don't know if these work, but I did a Google search for cool sheets, and came up with these. Again, I know nothing about the sheets or the website - it's just what I found. There's probably more out there as well.
Aaah, love Overstock as well.. I've gotten some great deals there. For sheets and towels I go to Smart Bargains or Gaiam though. Smart Bargains has some great deals sometimes on organic cotton/bamboo sheets and towels. Bamboo towels are just AMAZING. So soft and absorbent. Very thick and plush. The organic cotton sheets they sell are great too. GAIAM can be pricey, but they often have great clearance and sales - but signup for their newsletter and check fast - it all disappears really quickly when they sell organic cotton king sheets (open stock) for only $5 per piece. Really! I lucked out and got one of the colors I wanted, but another sold out before I could checkout!
I tried for this and got 100% cotton but the trade-off is wrinkle-ability.
I bought some 400% thread count off eBay but think they must
have meant per yard instead of per inch
I still like my "old" percale
Hi, from another senior:
First, if you really want that old fashioned cool, crisp feel, absolutely do not buy sheets that are called sateen. Forget the hype. Sateen sheets are very soft, but not cool and crsip and they do not last long. Second, don't buy any sheets with a thread count higher than about 250. You don't need it for comfort and it will reduce the crisp feel you like. Third, "percale" is the word to look for (if you can still find it). Lastly, many people really dislike cotton/poly blends, but there are many of us who think they are just great--especially 60 cotton 40 poly blends. They are cool (polyester wicks moisture away from the body -just like the highly touted polyester athletic wear) I am happy with all cotton percale and I live with the wrinkled pillowcases and top sheet bands and I am happy with the blends and love their smooth look. They can both be great if they meet the thread count/non sateen/percale standard. A few years back, Wamsutta made a 200 something thread count sheet called Supercale, I think, that was 100% cotton and just like grandmas. They also made a 60/40 blend that was about 250 thread count and it too was absolutely wonderful. And not expensive. Alas, Wamsutta no longer makes these cool crisp sheets. The marketing of very high thread count (phony numbers in many cases and useless anyway) sheets and very high priced sateen sheets is the trend right now. Perhaps some day.....
I have purchased the most expensive sheets with high thread counts and the much less expensive lower thread count and I prefer the lower thread count! I like cool, crisp sheets and find the lower thread count fits the bill for me. My favorite sheets are RL which I bought at TJ Maxx.
Ebbe, I also don't get the high-cost, high-thread count thing. Maybe I just have rough skin. I'm obviously not a princess bothered by a pea
My friend, when we stayed with her, was all excited when she told us that we would love the bed, and that the sheets would be "life-changing." She literally said that. I have no idea how much she spent on them, but I'm sure it was several hundred dollars. I was expecting fireworks and a full orchestra, with birds serenading us into slumberland, but I honestly could not tell what was so special about these sheets and told her so in the morning. She was absolutely stunned. Her mouth dropped open.
I don't get it, really I don't. The only thing I notice about sheets is that in the winter I like flannel ones. Other than that, meh.
I understand it's a matter of taste, I like the high thread count, but also important to me, is the ethics of production, and I tend to support the industries in the country I live in, rather than India, Pakistan, or China, if possible.
A set of the 400 count sheets costs about $240 dollars for king size.
The 280 count sheets from CozyPure are also made in the USA, and they are a little less expensive at $220 a set for king.
The cheapest I have seen Ralph Lauren sheets is about $150 per set for king, and I guess it's worth it to me, to buy American.
I have 3 sets of sheets from bed bath and beyond, not sure what the thread count is, but they are soft, and do not feel like sandpaper.
I did read somewhere that it isn't the thread count but what the actualy thread is made of. Im a middle age man, so not totally up on my sheet knowledge, but BB&B seem to work pretty good for us. Besides who wants to have the same set of sheets for 20 years. We have cream, sage, and taupe.....our favorite colors.....
many years ago I bought "zebra pattern" sheets, circa 1990, my first time I bought sheets, I though it was so cool, black and white zebra, 10 bucks for the whole set, wow, what a bargin.
sandpaper, they were like sleeping inbetween sandpaper. which actually became drop cloths..............this is when your mothers knowledge always comes in handy!!!
a little sheet humor. hey, I got my 10 bucks worth, I painted several rooms. LOL
Also remember that thread count is based on the number of threads in a square inch. So, if you take a square inch of fabric and count 50 threads from top to bottom (these horizontal threads are called weft) and 50 threads left to right (these vertical threads are called warp) then you got a 100 thread count piece of fabric. Sometimes 2-ply threads (or 2-ply yarns) are used. Because a 2-ply thread is 2 threads twisted around each other, this doubles up the thread count. A 360 thread count fabric is the highest count you can get using single-ply thread.
While fabrics are available with counts up to 1000, anything in excess of 400 is considered by most to be simply extraneous. In the case of some fabrics, it is simply not a viable option.
Italian sheet mills -the main source for the world’s finest bedding, used single- or double-ply yarns that maxed out at 300 and 600 threads an inch respectively (in double- ply, two yarns are twisted together, thus doubling the count).
The leading brands are made from the finest, longest Egyptian-cotton fibers and are spun in France or Italy, home to the world’s top mills.
The very best 1,020-count lines start at $1,185 for a queen-size set, and you will not buy them at Overstock...
What you get at Overstock is a cheap imitation, made in Asian fabric mills. They use thread count as a marketing tactic, because twisted yarn should not count as two threads, and consumers are misled by those who inflate thread count by counting twisted yarns.
Currently, my favorite sheets are Belgian linen (stonewashed) from Restoration Hardware. The fabric is from Belgium, but they're manufactured in China, which is why they're pretty reasonable in price for a set.
My brother-in-law raves about Frette linens. I haven't been able to bring myself to that price point yet.
I'm consider giving Rough Linen a try, being that I've read great things about their sheets.
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And Your Old Percale WAS Better
