Tips for Buying Bed Sheets + A Giveaway!
You spend A LOT of time in your bed. After moving and purchasing a couple new mattresses… I thought about the amount of time spent in bed and convinced myself to swap out our old bedding. You know it’s time when your once bright-white sheeting is looking drab and discolored. Every time I try to buy bedding, I always feel a little (or a lot) overwhelmed. Sure, I know of many great resources- but I don’t actually know what to look for in the material.
Does thread count matter? What type of fabric is best suited for my sleep style? Does a higher cost mean better quality and luxury comfort? Are most sheets safe or organic? What fabric wears the best and will provide me longevity? Luckily, my friend Steph at Authenticity 50 was able to help answer my questions. Here’s what you should know before splurging on new bedding. Click through to see what bedding I landed on AND to enter the giveaway to score a set of your own!!
As strange as it sounds, I knew I wanted white sheeting because you can tell when it’s clean- and when it’s not. In addition to being a design nerd, I’m sort of a germaphobe. White bedding is the best of both worlds… you can physically see the crisp, cleanliness, and it looks great with everything. Unfortunately, color doesn’t exactly narrow down the million choices across the web. I asked Steph where to start and how much to expect to spend. To put it simply, higher costs don’t exactly equal luxury or premium quality. It’s mostly all about the material. If you’re looking for quality- do the research on what the sheeting is constructed of.
I opted for percale sheeting constructed of supima cotton because it is crisp, durable- yet soft, breathable and is comfortable year round. Emmett has complained when we’ve tried flannel or linen sheets in the past, so cotton is the best for both of us. I also discovered that the majority of fine hotels use percale sheets- so I was sold.
During the process, I learned that thread count doesn’t really matter- or at least not in the way you’d expect. Higher thread count isn’t always better because it differs for each type of cotton. Experts say anything over 350 percale and 500 for sateen is multi-ply thread. So what does this actually mean? Questionable, below average bedding retailed at premium prices. Save your money, folks… and watch out for “multi-ply” thread!
As you can tell from the above image, I personally like a relaxed look when it comes to bedding. It feels more inviting and my house has definitely never been described as formal. I don’t really mind wrinkles and I’m not the type of person who would ever iron my bedding- no way, no how. It turns out this is a actually a good thing… as some bedding is chemically treated to reduce wrinkling. As you might guess, that’s not so healthy for you, especially when you’re logging many hours of sleep for an extended period of time. I was happy to find out, the sheets I landed on are 100% natural.
My last question for Steph was, “What is the hype surrounding Egyptian cotton?” She actually answered the question in an interview with Domino Magazine (totally worth the read!), and I’m so glad to have the answer…
“Most so-called Egyptian cotton is actually grown in Asia (China or India), not in Egypt, and does not have any regulatory practice in place to verify its source. Supima cotton, on the other hand, is a premium cotton, only 3% of the world’s cotton can be certified Supima®! It thus costs nearly three times the price of regular cotton to manufacture, and is used for only premium products. Also extremely important to note, Supima® is a verified cotton that is only grown in America, and certified by the American Supima Association, which monitors its production.”
Overall, I’m super happy with the way our new bedding looks and feels! It’s a world of difference from our last sheet set and I’m pretty sure we’re spoiled Supima lovers now. I’ll keep you guys updated on how it wears, but we’ve been loving it for a few months now.
Be sure to enter the giveaway to win either a sheet set or a duvet set from Authenticity 50– the winner gets to choose their preference! I know you guys will love this bedding as much as I do. We’ll select a winner in one week.
Enter to Win (this giveaway is now CLOSED):
1. Follow Authenticity 50 on Instagram
2. Like Authenticity 50 on Facebook
3. Comment below and let us know if you’d prefer a sheet set or duvet set!
UPDATE: Thank you for entering and congratulations to Christiane for winning the bedding set!
I also have to add a little disclaimer… Finn was *only* allowed in bed for this shoot because nobody wants to see my face waking up in the morning. Take my word for it- he’s much cuter. Ha! Finn definitely had his moment of glory and has since been trying to crawl into bed with us. I’ve created a monster. Anything for the blog and adorable dog images, right? Argh.
*This post is brought to you in collaboration with Authenticity 50. I really love what this company stands for. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that allow us to create unique content while featuring products we truly use and enjoy!