Bed Sheets Ultimate Guide part 1

A person spends around a third of their life in bed, and making that third party as comfortable as possible has a lot to do with the choice of the sheet. Having a large mattress, or your ideal comforter and pillows can be adversely affected if the sheets with which you are covering them are wrong.

However, the variety of different options, from the material to the fabric to the count of threads, can make the process of buying the sheet seem incredibly complicated. Here, Sleepopolis analyzes all the different decisions that must be made when it comes to choosing the perfect sheets to help you get the best out of your bed.

A variety of types of sheets, materials, and brands that appear in Sleepopolis

Fiber

The first decision that must be taken is what material you want the sheets to be constructed from. Here is a breakdown of the most common sheet materials, along with their advantages and disadvantages, to help you discover what is best suited to your needs.

Types of bed sheet fiber

Cotton

Cotton is a very popular choice when it comes to bed sheets, and has been used for at least 7,000 years. It is made of a fluffy fiber that grows in the cotton plant.

Pros: The cotton is durable and strong, it supports frequent washing well, takes well the dye, maintains a comfortable body temperature and is hypoallergenic.

Cons: The main problem with cotton is its great disparity in quality. Many "100% cotton" bed sheets can feel cheap, rough and uncomfortable, due to a low number of threads or poor construction. When buying cotton it is important to do your research.

Egyptian Cotton / Pima

Egyptian cotton or pima is a more luxurious type of cotton. This is due to the greater number of threads, which makes the sheets of sensations more luxurious. Both types of cotton have a longer "cut" fiber, which means that the fabric is softer and the fabric is stronger.

Pros: These more luxurious cotton are stronger and feel softer. They also have a brighter appearance and have better moisture absorption.

Cons: The main negative when it comes to these luxury bed sheet materials is the price. They can be very expensive, so if you have a budget you can achieve a similar effect with other material at a lower cost. Also, as with all cotton sheets, assessing the quality can be confusing. A general rule is that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Flannel

The sheets on the flannel bed are also made of cotton fibers, but they are finely brushed to remove the small loose fibers. These sheets are also known as brushed cotton.

Advantages: the flannel sheets are a very warm and cozy feeling. They have a slight lack of clarity or softness to the touch, which some people find very comfortable.

Cons: For those in hot climates, flannel sheets are likely to feel suffocating. Due to their thicker texture and heavier weight, they can take a long time to clean and particularly to dry.

Tencel

Tencel is made of cellulose fibers from eucalyptus trees. Developed for the first time in 1972, it is gaining popularity as an alternative to cotton.



Advantages: Tencel is generally considered more respectful with the environment, since it is made of sustainable and fast-growing trees, and is created using what is called a "closed loop process", which means that no chemicals are filtered to the surrounding ecosystem. It is also soft and very fresh, removes moisture from the skin and is very durable and durable.

Cons: Tencel has a softer, slippery feel than cotton softness, which some people do not like. It can also be more susceptible to mold, thanks to the hydrophilic (water-loving) qualities of its fibers. They can be more expensive than 100% cotton (although they tend to be less expensive than Egyptian or Pima cotton).

Bamboo

The bamboo sheets are, you guessed it, made of fibers from the bamboo plant.

Nest bamboo bedding sheets packing

Advantages: bamboo sheets are extremely light and can offer superior cooling. They are durable, soft and absorb dye well. Bamboo is a very fast growing plant, which makes the production of bamboo sheets more sustainable.

Cons: Bamboo sheets require softer care than cotton or tencel. They also wrinkle more easily and can be more expensive.

Polyester

Polyester fibers were developed in the mid-twentieth century. It is a synthetic polymer fiber and is completely made by man.

Pros: Polyester is extremely durable, resistant to wrinkles, washable and has a low price.

Cons: polyester is not a particularly breathable fabric, which means it can trap moisture and heat. It is also prone to stains by oils or fats. And although polyester does not thin out over time, excessive washing can take it to the pill.

Microfleece

Microfiber is technically a type of polyester; however, it is designed to have a small pile in the fabric to reproduce the flannel feel.

Pros: Microfleece repels water and dries very quickly. It is durable and easy to care for. Microfiber bed sheets are also usually very affordable.

Cons: Microfiber sheets can trap heat, which makes them uncomfortable for those who live in warmer climates. Over time, they can make pills, especially if they are washed and dried in a dryer too rigorously, which may seem unattractive and irritate sensitive skin.

Modal

Modal is similar to Tencel and bamboo since it is built from vegetable fibers, but this time they are from the beech tree.

Pros: Modal is soft, and resists shrinkage, discoloration or deformation well. They are breathable and fresh and resistant to pilling.

Cons: Modal sheets can be more difficult to care for since they must be washed in a cooler place and dried at low temperature. If not treated with care, modal sheets can be prone to tearing.