How to choose bed linen

Bed linen is an important accessory, the correct choice of which determines the degree of sleep comfort. Many people make the mistake of purchasing such a product based only on its cost, manufacturer and design. There are a number of more important characteristics and parameters that you need to focus on first.

Which bed linen is of better quality?

Cost in most cases always determines quality, especially in the case of bed linen. Another indicator of quality is the type of material from which such products are made. They can be synthetic or made from natural fabrics, and the second option is always preferable: firstly, sleeping on such a product is much more pleasant, and secondly, synthetics often cause allergic reactions in people with hypersensitive skin.

But finding inexpensive underwear made from one hundred percent natural materials is also not easy, so a compromise can be combined models, in which synthetic threads are added in small quantities in order to increase the strength characteristics.

The quality is greatly influenced by the threads with which the linen is sewn: they should be quite thick and durable, not frayed or sticking out, and the color should completely match the fabric of the linen. Even small discrepancies in shades are usually typical for little-known brands and for underground manufacturers who care little about the aesthetic component during the manufacture of their products.

How to choose the best bedding

First of all, you need to pay attention to the material: it should be as dense as possible with a minimum thickness of the product, but some types of natural fabrics with high density can be quite thick, so in this case you should proceed solely from your taste preferences and feelings. For example, silk underwear has always been classified as an elite product, but in practice, few people can sleep on silk sheets, slipping off them and experiencing discomfort.

When choosing, one of the main factors is also the degree of popularity of the manufacturer. As a rule, the more famous the brand, the less likely it is that the product will be of poor quality. Of course, no one is immune from buying convincingly made fakes, but you can determine whether the product you are looking at is real or counterfeit only by examining the product itself in detail before purchasing.

What to pay attention to

When choosing a product, you need to touch the fabric with your own hands and examine the product: this will allow you to obtain information about the quality and decide whether the quality of the product corresponds to its cost.

Canvas and fabric density

Linen is the basis of the linen, which should be dense and not show through in the light. If, when looking through the fabric at the light source, it is clearly visible, this indicates a sparse structure of the fabric, which will not withstand a large number of washes and will become unusable in the coming weeks after purchase.

The density of the linen is a direct indicator that the product is good. You can feel this with your own hands or look at the label: this characteristic is measured in the number of threads per square centimeter and the higher the number, the denser the product.

More detailed article about the density of fabric for bed linen and which density will be better.

Seam quality

After an external examination, you need to pay attention to its reverse side, where the linen seams are visible. They must be uniform and be linen, and not ordinary, and the edges must be processed and stitched. The ends of the threads must be hidden and not stick out at the edges.

What should the smell be like?

You can quickly determine the quality by the smell: it should not have any impurities of chemicals, dyes or mold, and new linen should smell like clean textiles. The strong smell of paint indicates that the fabric was dyed ready-made (that is, threads of a certain color were not used, but the dye was applied on top of the linen). Such products will quickly fade and lose their brightness, but this is not the main problem.

Such chemical additives can cause quite serious allergic reactions, while in such cases few people realize to draw a parallel between the allergy and the linen on which they sleep, so the cause may remain undetected, and the allergy may become chronic.

You can check the laundry for the presence of such dyes by rubbing it on the front side with your palm: a natural, good product will not leave traces of paint on your hand.

Design

Design is a personal matter for everyone: some prefer dull monochromatic products, others prefer underwear with patterns, and still others love expensive exclusive models with lace decorative elements. In this case, we can only give recommendations on the choice of colors, since the predominance of certain colors causes certain psychological reactions in a person:

• blue – the color of spiritual harmony that will make the bedroom cozy.
• red – the color of sexual energy and activity, so young couples may like this product.
• pink puts you in a romantic, melancholy mood and instills a sense of peace in your soul.
• blue has a calming effect on the nervous system and promotes deep sleep and proper rest.
• yellow color is preferred by bright, creative people who, even in bed and alone with themselves, cannot stop the flow of internal energy that promotes creativity.
• violet – the best option for philosophers in life, for whom sleep time is a time to rethink what is happening in their lives.

Packaging and label

Packaging is an important indicator of quality: bad linen will never be well packed, and for this, low-quality packaging materials are usually used, and the integrity is often compromised during the transportation of products. All labels on the packaging must be firmly attached, and they must contain complete information about the manufacturer and characteristics.

The manufacturer also provides information about acceptable washing conditions here. If the label only indicates the manufacturer and country of manufacture (and, at best, also the size), this is not an indicator of good bed linen, and it is better to refuse to purchase it.

Useful tips

When choosing bedding, you must adhere to the following tips:

• don’t be shy about smelling the product: the presence of unpleasant odors indicates low quality;
  the fabric must be sufficiently dense (this indicator must be at least 60 units) and pleasant to the touch for the buyer;
• if the products have embroidery and decorative elements, they must be well fixed and made of soft materials that will not scratch the body;
• the packaging must be undamaged and durable, it must contain labels indicating the country of production, address and name of the manufacturer, size, composition and model (optional), as well as brief instructions for washing and care.

Important! Be sure to pay attention to the price: even if you want to save money, you should not rush to suspiciously cheap products, which are sometimes sold under the guise of a sale. The higher the price, the higher the quality, unless we are talking about elite brands or exclusive products, when there is an unreasonable overpayment.

Main characteristics

The main indicator of the quality and durability of linen is its density, which can have the following gradations:

• very high (130–280);
• high (85–120);
• medium (50–65);
• below average (35–40);
• low (20–30).

Different materials have their own density indicators, and the most common materials include:

Natural 100% cotton

• chintz (printed cotton material with relatively low wear resistance);
• satin (a light type of cotton fabric with a characteristic shine);
• calico;
• damask (fabric with satin weave, characterized by durability);
• percale (thick cotton “breathable” fabric);
• flannel;
• 100% linen;
• batiste (a type of linen fabric that is thinner).

There are other fabrics from which bed sheets are made; you can read more about them here.

Size

It is very important not to make a mistake with the dimensions, because even if it meets all quality requirements, it may not fit exactly your bed or sofa. There are several standards in terms of sizes:

• double;
• one and a half sleeper;
• Euro;
• family;
• children's

But each of these types of underwear is divided into many models, which may differ in size, and this depends on the standards adopted at certain enterprises producing such products. More information about sizes and how to choose according to this criterion can be found here.

More detailed article about bed linen sizes.

Bed linen for newborns

The main parameter by which you should choose underwear for a newborn is the naturalness of the fabric.It is unacceptable to buy a synthetic product for your baby, since the skin of a newborn is very sensitive and allergic reactions can quickly appear on it from contact with artificial materials.

It is worth considering that you will have to wash children's underwear more often, so it is better to choose products with the highest density values. There are a number of other factors that influence the choice of bedding for newborns - you can find out more about this Here.

In most cases, the choice of product depends on tastes and financial capabilities depends on the consumer: some will be satisfied with low-quality underwear, some can only sleep on natural fabrics, and for others, color and design are primarily important.

In any case, it is better to follow the advice given in the article and not neglect the opportunity to carefully examine, smell and feel the products, so that later you will not be offended by wasted money.

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