Bed Linens and Bedding Buying Guide

When décorating your bedroom,  tying the bed linens into the colour scheme and style of the rest of the room is key, but it's also important not to lose out on comfort for the sake of fashion.   Luckily, picking out bedding and bed linens that accomplish both a sleek look and comfortability can be easy if you just know what to look for.

Bedspreads, Blankets and Beyond

The bedspread  is often what brings the most attention to a room and helps tie everything together, but they're also functional.  Good quality bedspreads and comforters  are usually made from cotton chintz,  chenille  or velvet.   The thicker the threads and the tighter the weave, the more rich and durable the texture.  If you have a worn out comforter, however, you may be able to save it with a new duvet cover. 

Bed skirts  or bed ruffles  are other bed essentials worth considering.  These pieces help to hide your box spring  and can bring another degree of colour and texture to your bedding set.  In order to get the best ones for you, make sure you know your mattress length, width a drop measurement (the distance from the floor to the top of the box spring). This will ensure that you get the perfect fit.

Mattresses and Pads

When buying a mattress,  it's important to comparison shop for prices, as they can be a weighty investment.  Check the warranty to see how long it will last, and consider other important factors like size, comfort, durability and support.

Placing a mattress pad  on your bed can also help to protect your mattress, and improve support if you're not satisfied with your mattress alone.  Common mattress pad materials include:

• Cotton mattress pads  are thin, quilted, naturally hypo-allergenic, and washable.
• Wool mattress pads  will bounce back to life quickly and are great for the winter months.
• Memory Foam mattress pads  are lightweight but not very breathable; they may raise your body temperature at night.
• Latex mattress pads  last long, can be either synthetic or natural and may often be hypo-allergenic.
• Down or feather mattress pads,  also called feather beds, are super-resilient.

The Linens

Sheets 

• Before deciding on any one colour or pattern, make sure you measure the dimensions of your bed first. There are no standard sizes for twin, queen or king, so this is a necessary precaution.

• Thread count--the number of threads in both directions in the weave--is another important factor to consider. Higher thread counts have a more luxurious feel, but they also are more expensive and can be less durable.
• Popular sheet materials are flannel,  cotton,  silk  or satin. 
• Standard sheet sets  include a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, and two standard or king-sized pillowcases. Bedding designers often provide bed-in-a-bag  kits to help you get everything you need in one single shopping trip.

Pillows

Pillows come in a variety of sizes to match the size of your bed, but they also come in a variety of shapes and fills as well.  Popular pillows are down or down/feather blends,  memory foam  and synthetic with polyester  fills.  It may be useful to buy a couple high quality, more expensive pillows to rest your head on, while the cheaper synthetic ones work well for adding a little pizazz to your bedroom décor.  For more detailed information on bed pillows, see our bed pillows buying guide.

Related Guides

Bed Linen Basics	Mattresses	Baby Bedding and Linens	Home Furnishings and Décor

International Resources

For this resource in your home country, please see:
NL: Beddengoed Shopgids