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Guide to Buying Bedding
There are so many bedding options available today the choice can sometimes be a little confusing. That why we’ve put together this little guide on the bedding to explain some of the terms and things you should look for so you make the right choice when choosing your bedding.
There are essentially two main decisions that you need to make. These are the type of material and the thread count of your bedding. The material and thread will dictate the weight, warmth, softness and quality of the bedding.
Step 1 Choose your Material
Let’s start by looking at the type of Material. There are essentially three main types of material – synthetic/man-made and natural and a mixture of both.
We stock two types – natural material (Cotton) and the mixture of synthetic and cotton (Polycotton). I’ll start by looking at cotton and the types of cotton bedding available (by bedding I’m talking about Sheets, Duvet Covers and Pillowcases).
Why Cotton? Cotton is a natural choice for bedding as it soft, durable and breathable. There are five types of cotton these types are Egyptian, Sea Island, American Prima, Asiatic and American Upland. Egyptian being the finest, and most expensive cotton.
Egyptian cotton is only produced from cotton plants in the Nile delta and is the most sought after type because of the softness and strength of the yarn.
We carry a carefully selected line of Egyptian Cotton bedding which we consider to be amongst the best in the marketplace. Beware of cheap ‘Egyptian Cotton’ as it may well not be from Egyptian Cotton plants or may well be mixed with synthetics. So always check where the cotton is from.
Prima cotton is 100% cotton and is more widespread than Egyptian cotton. That is not to say that it can be any less soft and comfortable. Depending on the quality of the manufacturer and the process of weaving the prima cotton can feel almost as soft as Egyptian Cotton but will not cost as much as Egyptian cotton purely because it’s widespread availability of the cotton plants it derives from in China and the USA.
Synthetic Fibres which are mixed with cotton to make the Polycotton material are simply man man-made fibres smaller than a human hair which are weaved together to add strength to cotton mixture bedding. Polycotton material tends to be a slightly harder than 100% Cotton and Egyptian Cotton material, but again, the quality tends to depend of the brand and production and weaving process. We stock what we feel are the best in the UK, in terms of softness and quality, for this type of bedding.
Brushed Cotton
Whist not a different type of cotton I thought I’d explain what brushed cotton is and why it is so soft. Our brushed cotton range seems very popular all year round and once you have slept in brushed cotton bedding it’s very hard to think of going back to any other type of bedding.
Brushed Cotton means that the fabric has simply been brushed so that any excess lint balls and fibers are removed, resulting in beautifully smooth, soft sheets.
Step 2 – Thread Count – Does it matter?
The thread rating essentially represents the amount of threads within a square inch. Traditional theory and methods dictated that the higher the thread count the better quality the sheet. Modern and cheaper weaving methods make this thinking redundant with 1000 threads on the market which may have been produced differently to a good quality 220 thread count item.
Saying that, good quality bedding starts at about 180 Thread, this is known as Percale and it offers the perfect blend of softness and toughness. All of our bedding is at least 180 Percale, you can get good quality bedding with less of a thread count. Linen for example will have less of a thread count due to the strength of the fibre. In truth though if you are buying cotton you should buy bedding with at least 180 Thread Count.
The highest thread count we carry in stock in 400 Thread, the high density of threads gives the bedding a softer almost silk like feel to its finish. We can of course order in higher thread count on request used by the likes of Royalty please drop us an email if you require assistance or would like to find out more about this type of bedding.
So, Yes, thread count does matter when buying bedding. However simply buying the highest thread count will not always guarantee the quality which lesser counts may have. We strive to keep the best quality bedding in range which is why you won’t see high thread count/low quality bedding on our site.
Summary
As we have already discussed our duvets come in a range of natural and synthetic materials as well as thread counts. This means that you should be able to find bedding that meets your needs and price range whilst ensuring maximum comfort. If you need more help why not email us at customersupport@linenhouse.co.uk or call us on 01883 651500 to discuss your needs.
