The right bedding can help you sleep better at night and wake up feeling refreshed and re-energized. Indeed, one of the significant contributors to the quality of sleep is how comfortable our bed is. Doesn’t it feel great to sleep on comfy sheets that keep us warm or cool and rest our face on soft, smooth linens? If we spend our hard-earned money on certain indulgences, like exotic vacations, luxurious spas, expensive shoes, and fancy cars, should we spend it on luxury bedding, too?
According to numerous studies, bedmakers are happier, more productive, and have more restful compared to non-bedmakers. And for interior designers, having a poor wardrobe for your bed is the equivalent of dressing yourself in a worn-out clothing for eight hours every day and still expecting it to look great.
Choosing luxury bedding
Before heading to any department store or homeware store and buying yourself some luxurious new linens, it’s important to know all the basics. You may encounter some terminologies that you may find a bit confusing. It can be pretty tricky where to start.
If you’re having such a problem, you’ve stumbled into the right place. This guide will help you make the best luxury bedding choice, ensuring that you’ll get excellent value for your money and the best night’s sleep.
The various types of bedding
Here are the main types of bedding and how they are used (in alphabetical order):
- Bed skirt – A bed skirt is a material that covers the bottom of the bed frame and extends down to the floor. It’s a stylish way to hide storage space or box springs.
- Bedspread – A bedspread is a decorative cover that covers the bed and touches the floor.
- Blanket – A blanket is a long piece of soft woven fabric that is often used as a bed covering. Blankets come in different fabric types – including cotton, silk, wool, satin, a blend of nylon and polyester, and synthetic materials.
- Bolster pillow – It is a long, cylindrical pillow typically used to support the lower back when sitting on the bed and is also used as a decorative accessory.
- Bottom sheet – It is a sheet that fits the shape of the mattress. Unlike the other items on this list, which are decorative in nature, the bottom sheet is an essential element for your bed as it protects you from itch or irritation. The bottom sheet also protects the mattress’ surface. It is also called a fitted sheet.
- Comforter – A comforter is a slightly thick, padded blanket that lays on the other bedding for extra warmth. There are several options for comforters, and while many like to choose down comforters, others opt for other down alternatives, such as synthetic down comforters made of rayon or polyester.
- Continental pillow – It is a big, square pillow mainly used as decoration.
- Coverlet – A coverlet is a lightweight bed covering featuring a decorative woven design. It usually doesn’t cover the entire bed. While the coverlet hangs low enough, it doesn’t touch the floor.
- Decorative pillow – Decorative pillows are ornaments to the entire bed sheet. These are typically smaller pillows, but some are bigger (such as the continental pillow).
- Duvet – A duvet is the thicker version of the comforter but is used as the same as the latter. The only difference between a duvet and a comforter is that the former has a cover similar to a pillow.
- Sleeping pillow – It is the standard pillow that we use to sleep in. Sleeping pillows are usually covered by a pillowcase or a pillow sham.
- Throw blanket – Throw blankets are smaller blankets that are used as decorative pieces as well as to increase the warmth in the bed’s lower section.
- Top sheet – Also called a flat sheet, a top sheet is a sheet of fabric placed on the uppermost surface of the bed, typically on top of the blanket, comforter, or quilt. It is placed on top of the person lying on the bed.
Should you consider a bedding’s thread count as the basis of its comfortability?
A thread count is defined as the measure of the fineness of the fabric by counting the number of threads per square inch. Most consumers believe that the higher the thread count, the more comfortable the bedding or linen is. However, it’s not always the case, as beddings with a higher thread count tend to include twisted threads of double yarn.
To choose the most comfortable and luxurious bedding, you should look into the quality of the weaving and finishing process instead of the thread count. Always remember when buying luxurious bedding, as you’re buying something else – “quality over quantity.”
Bedding materials
It helps to be familiar with the different types of bedding materials. While bedding designs can help significantly, fabrics still rule. While beddings are made with different materials, remember that the most luxurious ones are made of natural fibers.
Cotton – Needless to say, cotton is king when it comes to luxury bedding. Some consumers look at the bedding’s thread count to determine its comfortability. But you need to look for long-fiber cotton in cotton bedding. The softest cotton beddings are made with Egyptian and American-grown Pima.
In addition to the type of cotton, you should also look into the sheet dimensions. Luxury sheets or beddings should provide extra “drops” for tucking. One type of cotton bedding is the “percale” – a closely woven fine cotton used especially for beddings or sheets; it has one under and one over. Another type of cotton is the “sateen,” which is also considered luxurious. Sateen has five under and one over, providing you with a much smoother feel.
Cotton beddings are usually long-lasting and get softer with use, so you’ll only have to buy one set as you can use it for a long time.
Flax linen – If you’re looking for the latest trends in bedding, you’ll have to consider flax linen. Belgian and Irish linens are usually considered the most luxurious types of flax linen bedding. It’s because they last a lifetime and feel better with repeated use. Beddings made of flax linen are strong but soft, which gives you a very comfortable sleep.
Bedding made of pure linen gets softer as it gets older. It’s not because of the hot water when it’s washed with, but because of the tension from the washing machine and dryer. Linen fabric tends to get a lot softer the more you use it.
One of the most noticeable characteristics of linen is its wrinkled appearance, but it’s only part of the charm. But if you don’t want wrinkled linen bedding, remove it from the dryer immediately or just hang it on the clothesline to dry while it’s still damp.
You should take this simple but effective advice when buying linen beddings – have a feel of it first. This will help you choose the one that suits you.
Cashmere – Cashmere is another excellent material for making luxurious beddings. It is one of the finest and softest fibers available. World-renowned brands like Ralph Lauren uses premium cashmere goat hair to create luxurious and super comfortable cashmere blankets.
Cashmere is considered the “caviar” in the world of knitting. It is very soft and lightweight, and provides a light warmth when you use it for an afternoon nap. And because cashmere is pretty rare, expect it to fetch a high price tag. The most luxurious cashmere comes from the underbelly of Mongolian goats, but white cashmere from white goats can be considered high-quality as well.
Silk – Silk is another material for making luxury beddings and linens. Premium silks come from the long single filament of perfectly woven cocoons. Most of the finest silk comes from Brazil due to its climate, which is conducive to producing better cocoons.
Good silk beddings are pretty expensive, which is why they’re very rare to appear in most shops. But for the lucky few who own them, they can tell that these silk beddings are worth the price. Premium silk beddings are easy to care for and can last for many years.
Here are some good luxury bedding brands to consider:
- LilySilk
- THXSILK
- Sferra
- Mayfair Linen
- Malouf
- Brooklinen
Conclusion
Many people aim to recreate the relaxing and luxurious ambiance of five-star hotel suites in their own bedrooms. To complete the deluxe feel and ambiance, you should invest in luxurious beddings and linens, especially those made from natural and genuine fabric. You deserve to sleep comfortably in layers of the softest and most comfortable sheets and linens every day at home.
With a great variety of beddings and linens available, buying them is no longer as simple as choosing a standard-sized deluxe bedding sheet for a standard-sized bed. Luxurious beddings come in various fabrics, colors, and designs. When you purchase the right bedding, you will be able to sleep and rise up better. As said before, invest on luxurious beddings and linens – they last longer after repeated uses. They look good for your bedroom, too.
