How much should you really spend on sheets?
Your bed. It’s where you rest your head at night and rise each morning, ready to face the day.
The bed is also where you’ll likely spend about a third of your life — and, if one Canadian survey is to be believed, where 14 per cent of us hog the covers each night.
Joanna Goodman, owner of Toronto’s Au Lit Fine Linens, says back when her mom launched the store decades ago, clients would routinely drop serious dough on duvet covers and fancy cushions, and then head to cut-rate stores for inexpensive sheets.
While it’s never a great idea to buy cheap sheets, as long as you make a point to look for some key components when shopping for sheet sets, “whatever your price point is, you’ll be OK,” says Goodman.
Here’s what you’ll want to be on the hunt for:
100 PER CENT OPTION
There’s nothing like a set of crisp cotton sheets for all-year comfort, softness and durability. Just be sure to look for these words on the packaging: “100 per cent long-staple cotton.”
CONSIDER THE WEAVE
Most sheet fabric is woven in Europe or Asia. While Italian-woven sheets are often top of the line (and have the price to match), if you’re looking for a deal on quality coverings, consider sheets woven in Portugal.
THREAD COUNT
Thread count refers to the number of vertical and horizontal threads per square inch, so the difference between a 200-thread count sheet and a 300 set is simply softness. Crisp sheets have a lower count than buttery ones, but they’re both nice.
WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED?
If you rotate at least two pairs of good quality cotton sheets, they’ll likely last you a few years at least, often longer if you wash them weekly. But that’s only if you treat them right.
Wash in warm water and never, ever throw them in a hot drier for a full cycle. Instead, dry them on the hot setting for 15 minutes so they’re no longer soaking wet, and then hang them to dry outside (or over a chair or an inexpensive rack).
WHEN TO CHEAP OUT
Need to cover a kid’s bed? It’s OK to buy inexpensive bedding from, say, Ikea — especially if there are going to be bed-wetting accidents. The guest room is another place where you can save money. A set of soft, microfibre everyday sheets from Bed, Bath and Beyond costs only $44.