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What Bedding to Buy: The How & Why of Sheets, Blankets, Pillows & More
Are you reading this in bed? That would be serendipitous, wouldn’t it? Have you been thinking about what bedding to buy, and how to buy bedding in general? At CITY Furniture, we’re here to help you figure it out and get you sleeping in better looking and better feeling bedding sets.
We’ve created this bedding guide from start to finish for you to refer to when it comes to bedding, what bedding to buy, and why.
Finding the perfect bed sheets to compliment your sleep style and the interior design elements in your bedroom will make your room look and feel more inviting. When deciding what bedding to buy, you’ll want to think about everything, from color to material to weave type.
We’ll get started with the main types, which include tencel, organic cotton, Egyptian cotton, sateen, and linen blend. But for the purposes of keeping our bedding guide brief, here’s a little summary for the rest of us.
Type of Bedding Material
Tencel Cotton
Organic Cotton
Sateen
Linen Blend
Egyptian Cotton
Of all the sections in this post about what bedding to buy, the section you just read is going to make the most impact on your comfort of sleep! So what’s next? Ahhh, the pillowcase!
Pillowcases and Duvet Covers
Pillowcases and Duvet Covers are also very important. There are entire pillowcase buying guides alone because the truth is, the fabric that spends more time on your face than anything else every day is your pillowcase.
For now, we’d like to cover a few basics. You want your pillowcase to last long, feel comfortable, and be made from high-quality fabric.
In terms of style, you don’t always have to stick to bedding sets, though we highly recommend it. It’s so much easier and so much more pleasing to the eye to jump into a bed that is styled to match.
Types of Covers
Shopping for blankets and covers? There’s a trick to this. You can buy a size larger if you want to change the way you sleep and the way you make your bed.
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Twin: 85” x 65”
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Full/Queen: 90” x 85”
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Queen: 90” x 90”
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King: 90” x 95”
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California King: 110” x 90"
If you want more blanket room to work with, or if you want to make a perfect bed, try buying a blanket that is one size larger. When it comes time to make your bed, you can use the extra space to tuck the blanket under the mattress to give your bed that extra cozy look and feel.
Just like sheets, what really makes a blanket and cover special is the material. The theme in this guide on what bedding to buy is simply to pay as much attention as you can to the material used in production. That really is going to make all the difference. You have to be your own quality control expert here, and you can use this bedding guide to help you through it.
You should think about what kind of duvet insert you are going for.
Down comforters are thick and comfy, while down blankets are lighter and flatter. Think of feathers sandwiched between layers of fabric. These down insert blankets are lightweight, but very warm.
Down Alternative offers the same level of comfort as a down comforter but they are made with polyester! The down alternative comforter is perfect for the sleeper who wants the same comfort as a down comforter but for a cheaper price.
Remember, above all, when shopping for bedding sets with a comforter, pay close attention to the fabrics of the blankets and comforters.
Types of Pillows
We cannot stress enough how important your pillow is to your health. There are studies that suggest that the right pillow can change the way you sleep, which can add years to your life.
There are even studies that suggest the way you sleep, and how the alignment of your spine and your pillow can affect your jaw and dental health!
A good night's sleep is so important to your overall health; it all starts with a comfy bed and a great pillow. If you take anything from this bedding guide, it’s that your comfort and your sleep matters, and your pillow and your alignment are a BIG deal. So, spend time on these things!
Side sleepers should look into a thick and firm pillow to keep their spine aligned. That would mean that the gap between their shoulders and head is completely filled. You don’t want your neck bent in either direction.
Back sleepers should look into medium-firm pillows that are not too thick. You want your head supported, but again, this is about alignment, so make sure that your head is straight and not extended in either direction.
Stomach sleepers should look into soft, thin pillows to make sure that their necks remain in a neutral position. That’s because most of the time, your neck is already aligned when you are sleeping on your stomach.
If you tend to move around throughout the night, try to remember what position you wake up in most of the time, and what position you are in when you fall asleep. You could opt for two pillows and switch between them, or purchase a plush pillow that will adjust to both of your positions.
Of all the advice here on what bedding to buy, we highly recommend you pay close attention to this section for your sleep health!
What Thread Count To Get
Believe it or not, thread count does not matter nearly as much as people think. Higher thread counts do not always equate to softer the sheets, or the more comfortable the sleep. High-quality sheets mean high-quality sleep.
Here’s the good news: you don’t need a 10,000 thread count sheet.
Good Housekeeping completed a study that found that thread count between 300 and 500 were acceptable. Any bed sheets with a thread count above 500 did feel better, and provide slightly better sleep. Most people in the study found that 500 thread count was good enough for all.
If you have a budget, stick between 300 and 500 thread count. If you can afford it, go into the thousands for that slightly better feel.
Let's Put This to Bed
Let’s tuck this bedding guide in once and for all. The quality of your day-to-day life has a lot to do with those few hours of sleep you get every night. Those quiet moments when you’re peacefully catching some zzz’s in the comfort of your bed. So, make that bedroom of yours the most comfortable place in the world.
You deserve a good night’s sleep.
