Thinking about buying new ? At first glance, a simple matter can turn into a real failure if you do not know the key selection criteria and properties of fabrics. Today Vibrant Offer tells what textiles are the most popular and how it differs from its counterparts. 

What sheets do Americans buy? 

Every year, US residents spend about three billion dollars on bedding. In terms of popularity, sleeping textiles are second only to clothes and towels. Sheets are at the top of the list of “must have things” in American supermarkets. Which indicates either pickiness and the desire to change bed linen daily or the inability to choose it correctly. Vibrant Offer decided to look into this issue and understand how to choose the perfect sheet for a sweet dream. 

Before buying bed linen, Americans housewives look at the material, design, and dimensions. But in the States it’s different. Overseas, the quality indicator is the number of vertical and horizontal threads per square inch. The higher this indicator, the better the breathability and softness of the products. A sheet with two hundred threads is an oilcloth with a pronounced “greenhouse effect”. Sleeping accessory made of 800 threads – soft, like goose down. Luxury bedroom products have up to 1300 threads per inch. They are so comfortable that you don’t want to part with them. Foreign experts advise buying sheets with an indicator close to 800. The ratio of cost and quality will please every housewife.

Cotton is the undisputed leader among materials. No matter how many types of textiles are invented, people still choose cotton fabric. He is loved for breathability, hypoallergenicity, hygroscopicity, softness, easy care. But not everything is so simple here either. There are five types of cotton bed linen on the American market: 

Egyptian cotton is an unusually soft and smooth luxury fabric. That’s just naked to sleep on it is quite uncomfortable. If you like to spend nights without pajamas, choose a different material. 

Pima cotton is a purely American cotton textile with a natural sheen and softness. However, the material is afraid of puffs. If a cat gets caught with a claw, the appearance will be forever ruined. 

Upland Cotton is another local material that is a bit rough compared to the previous two. But there is a plus – it does not slip. 

Supima is not a fabric, but a brand. Marketers have long tried to pass it off as a new type of cotton, but they did not succeed. This is the same Pima. 

Microcotton is made of very thin threads, characterized by increased strength and softness. It’s only after a few washes that the material starts to fall apart. In American VIP hotels, microcotton sheets are used as disposable sheets. 

Flannel bedding is the best solution for the cold season. 

In addition to cotton sheets, other fabrics are also loved abroad. Many housewives choose tencel bedding . It is an environmentally friendly material made from eucalyptus cellulose. Bamboo is confidently replacing other types of textiles. Bamboo sheets, although more expensive than cotton sheets, are superior in performance properties. They are durable, silky, breathable. Fans of elegant bed linen prefer silk. Products look beautiful, but in fact they have several disadvantages – high price, excessive tenderness and reluctance to fit perfectly on the mattress without prior ironing. 

The poorest material for sewing bed linen is polyester . Synthetics do not breathe and are electrified. 

Despite the variety of proposals, American housewives do not like to experiment. Their unequivocal choice is thick cotton sheets. 

In the American textile market, cotton bedding is ruled by only with different types of weaving threads – satin, coarse calico, poplin . The satin sheet is the most expensive, the coarse calico is the cheapest. Bamboo and silk are chosen by sophisticated consumer.

Criteria for choosing the perfect sheet : 6 useful tips

Tip #1: Get the Right Size 

Many people know that there are several types of bed linen sizes: single, one and a half (150×210 – 160×220), double (175×210 – 200×220), euro or the so-called “kingsize” (200×220 – 220×240). Pillowcase sizes may vary – 50×70 or 70×70. In some sets you can find pillowcases in both sizes, but you should pay attention to this nuance so that you don’t run into a problem later when the linen does not fit.

Tip #2: Pay attention to quality 

Bedding should let air through, “breathe”, and, excuse me, absorb sweat. It is better to choose underwear made from natural fabrics such as silk, linen or cotton. You need to pay attention to how durable the material is – bedding needs frequent washing. It is better if the fabric is dense, otherwise it will tear after several washes. The density of the material can be estimated by eye – the sparsity of the fibers can be seen immediately.

Tip #3: Choose your bedding material 

The most popular raw material for bed linen today is cotton. Cotton fabrics, depending on the technology of weaving fibers, can be different: calico, satin, cambric. Coarse calico is a good material for home textiles, as it is a durable and wear-resistant fabric that has a relatively low price. Batiste linen is usually used for “special” occasions, it is not intended for permanent use, as after 20 washes it becomes thinner. Satin is a durable, beautiful fabric with a slight sheen.

No less popular are linen and silk for the production of bed linen. Linen is a material that will not allow you to freeze in winter, but even with such linen it will not be hot in summer. However, it is difficult to care for him, he is very wrinkled and difficult to iron. Silk underwear looks luxurious, but only if the silk is of high quality.

Tip #4: Look at the seams 

Examine the linen – duvet cover or pillowcase – from the wrong side. High-quality linen should be stitched with a special double seam, and the edges are hidden inside. Raw edges are a sign of a low-quality product. The threads with which the linen is stitched must be strong and matched to the tone of the material. Linen should be sewn from a single piece of fabric and not have seams in the middle. If the kit has embroidery or frills, they must also be of high quality and not scratch the skin.

Tip number 5: choose the color and pattern 

Today, bed linen is presented in such an assortment of colors and prints that it is not easy to choose one. When choosing the color scheme of the set, take into account the dominant colors in the bedroom – it is ideal if the bed linen is in harmony with the colors of the curtains and wallpaper.

For a good rest, a calm, pastel shade is suitable – pink, blue, yellow, salad, white. But the red, orange, black color is conducive to a passionate and romantic night. The presence of a small pattern on linen contributes to a calm, peaceful sleep, and linen with a large pattern excites. For relaxation after a hard day, it is better to choose a geometric ornament. It is better not to use black and white on a daily basis – it is perceived as aggressive and can be tiring.

Tip #6: Check out the fabric color 

Pay attention to how bright the picture is. Too saturated colors can be washed off in just a couple of washes. Smell the laundry – the fabric should smell like new textiles, and the strong smell of the dye indicates poor quality, and the laundry can shed very quickly. Compare the color intensity – from the front and back sides it should be almost the same. In addition, the maximum allowable washing temperature indicated on the label is also an indicator of the quality of the dyes. If the laundry can withstand temperatures of 60 degrees, then the dye is stable.