Genuinely soft bedding - where can I buy?

luminated

Is it only me but bedding these days seems to have a coarser finish than it used to. We've just bought some red bedding from Debenhams & half way through the first night on the bed its coarseness was irritating (rough) & we had to put our older M&S stuff on which is much softer.

So where do we go & what do we buy now?

dibuzz

Have you tried washing it?
Some dyes seem to make the material feel rougher, my daughter had red sheets for a while and always said they feel rough.

sleepymans

Hopefully you washed it before first use?

I wont buy bedding unless I've felt it first (in other words not from sealed packs).

Of course, the higher the thread count the better.......I usually buy from John Lewis or M&S and it lasts and lasts (some of mine 35+ years old! so it pays to buy plain....then its "classic" and not a fashion statement)

Finally, if you buy quality bedlinen it get softer and softer as it ages...just like my skin;)

Torry_Quine

sleepymans wrote: »

Hopefully you washed it before first use?

I wont buy bedding unless I've felt it first (in other words not from sealed packs).

Of course, the higher the thread count the better.......I usually buy from John Lewis or M&S and it lasts and lasts (some of mine 35+ years old! so it pays to buy plain....then its "classic" and not a fashion statement)

Finally, if you buy quality bedlinen it get softer and softer as it ages...just like my skin;)

I've never washed bedding before use, why do you think I need to?

op - have you tried brushed cotton or flanelette as it was called?

aggypanthus

Imagine the fabric has come from a machine, off a massive roll , prob packed in plastic, after manufacurers process, has been handled by factory workers, cut in bulk, sewn by different people, then packed.. then you sleep in it ?
Wash is a good idea- and it gets rid of the residual dust etc from cutting.
M and S are no measure of quality as my last sheets from them last year had a knotty type fibre , making it scratchy, Same with NEXT which were previously good. Everyone is cutting costs and quality as cotton prices have risen.

Try Dunelm for 100% cotton by Dorma, they are thick and amazingly soft.

I agree with the poster above,spend well and it will be worth it.

Return the red sheets, its a valid complaint.

notanewuser

They spray bedding with stuff to make it fold neatly for packing. That makes it feel like cardboard, and so a wash is needed before using.

I only buy 100% cotton bedding, which is silly soft. You'll never get that feeling with poly-cotton.

aggypanthus

http://www.dunelm-mill.com/shop/dorma-350-thread-count-plain-dye-bedlinen-collection-143246 Watch for offers.

I cant vouch for the cheaper 50/50 range.

luminated

Thank you all for your most helpful replies :T

The bedding was in sealed bags but we opened the ends & had a feel before we bought but weren't too worried as we already have what we thought was the same colour & range from the same shop. BUT something has changed.

Before use it was washed & when we realised it was rough it was washed again several times but it is still disappointingly rough.

I remember the old flannelette bedding but can you still get it? We will take on board the comments about looking less at the 50/50 & more towards the higher thread counts but does this mean it would need more in the way of ironing??? :eek:. Over the years we have bought 'no ironing needed' bedding to find ironing was needed.

Meadows

luminated wrote: »

Is it only me but bedding these days seems to have a coarser finish than it used to. We've just bought some red bedding from Debenhams & half way through the first night on the bed its coarseness was irritating (rough) & we had to put our older M&S stuff on which is much softer.

So where do we go & what do we buy now?

Depends on the fibre content, buy 100% cotton and it will feel soft, also warmer than a mix of man made fibres for those colder nights (bedding warm up quicker when you get in).

Also with new bedding it might be better to wash first.

Hintza

aggypanthus wrote: »

Imagine the fabric has come from a machine, off a massive roll , prob packed in plastic, after manufacurers process, has been handled by factory workers, cut in bulk, sewn by different people, then packed.. then you sleep in it ?

I would have slept on a lot worse things than new linen! Luxury!!

lostinrates

luminated wrote: »

Thank you all for your most helpful replies :T

The bedding was in sealed bags but we opened the ends & had a feel before we bought but weren't too worried as we already have what we thought was the same colour & range from the same shop. BUT something has changed.

Before use it was washed & when we realised it was rough it was washed again several times but it is still disappointingly rough.

I remember the old flannelette bedding but can you still get it? We will take on board the comments about looking less at the 50/50 & more towards the higher thread counts but does this mean it would need more in the way of ironing??? :eek:. Over the years we have bought 'no ironing needed' bedding to find ironing was needed.

We use 1oo percent cotton high thread count bedding. Ironing is aesthetic. It looks a damn site better, but the feel is not impacted. If you use a drier if you put sheets on frech from the drier then they will get away aesthetically without ironing, or can be ironed quickly on the bed. Not a perfect look but a passable one.

Low thread count, or poly mix sheets are rough. I cannot always tell with my eyes or hands, but I can tell in the night on my skin.


Re flannel, cheap flannel, IMO, wears terribly and is also 'rougher' feeling than heavier stuff. It's wonderful winter bedding, but it takes an age to dry. It doesn't need ironing though!