What material should I choose for my sheets?

Sheets that I like a lot are jersey knit kind of like tee-shirt fabric. They are a knitted, heavier weight than regular cotton sheets and offer extra softness and great fit. You stay warmer in the winter without getting as overheated as you might get on flannel sheets; and in the summer they’re comfortable, too.

For sheets, any cotton sheet set with pillow cases would be fine so long as it fits snugly. I like percale, some people really love flannel sheets, especially in cool climates. Flannel sheets are good from October through April and cotton is good throught the warm months. Silk and Satin sheets are great through the hot summer months because they keep cool and keep you cool through the night.

The thing I hate the most is when the sheets get pilly. The worst offender for getting pills (those little annoying balls of worn fabric), are the cotton/polyester blends with a low thread count. Conversely, 100% cotton sheets with a higher thread count will not be as likely to pill.

Cotton is often chosen because it’s a natural fabric: it feels cooler and softer to the touch. Blends of polyester and cotton are popular because they are more wrinkle resistant. However, growing interest in natural fiber and cotton sheeting has prompted the application of an “easy-care finish” so that ironing is not necessary if you choose cotton sheets. Combed cotton involves combing. Combing is an extra step during the manufacturing process that reduces the amount of short, uneven fibers in the cotton, leaving the longer and stronger fibers for weaving.

If you are good about making your bed and want it to look really fru-fru like a picture from a catalog, then get 2 to 4 extra pillows with decorative shams (these can be cheaper pillows since they are just for looks) and a few small throw pillows if you like, a matching bedskirt (unless you have a non-traditional bed like a platform or waterbed), a blanket that contrasts or compliments your duvet cover or picks up a color in the pattern of the cover or sheets. I personally love the synthetic “Vellux” blankets, they are super soft and very durable. The only downside is that they don’t “breathe” very well.

Is thread count important? This is something that you hear about all of the time and it can get confusing. Thread count helps determine the quality of the sheet and is simply the number of threads in one square inch of fabric. Quality sheeting begins at 180 threads per square inch. Typically the higher the thread count, the softer the “hand” or feel of the sheet, and the more pill resistant.

We will talk more about thread count later.