To hate our most expensive bedding?

[Bellyrub1980]

For years we have been promising ourselves some expensive/posh/luxurious new bedding. We moved house and decided to begin a philosophy for spending which was "save up until we can afford the stuff we really want (even if it takes years) rather than just buy cheap which, on several occasions, has proven to be a false economy.

Anyhoo, the time came and we were ready to buy some really nice bedding. Bearing in mind that our current bedding was plain white primark, going to Next was a big jump in price (quadruple Infact).

We also bought a feather duvet and pillows from M&S as an extra luxury (we always have these when we stay at my in laws and loved them).

Anyhoo, just put the next bedding in the wash and the old primark bedding is back on and .... OMG .... It's about 1000 times nicer!! Softer. Smoother. Cosier.

I'm now dreading putting our expensive bedding back on. It's out of the tumble dryer and genuinely think a bin liner would be less rustley.

Just goes to show expensive does not equal the best.

I like the slightly pricier Habitat cotton stuff or you can get 400tc Egyptian cotton duvet sets on Amazon pretty cheap (sub-£30). We got the latter recently and it's so soft!

Depressed but not surprised to find that Next home accessories are as shit as the clothes. I worked out about five years ago that Primark and the next step up - Next, M&Co, M&S etc were actually identical in quality, but with a truly jawdropping price mark up. M&S were wonderful about 20 years ago but went tits up when they stopped their policy of exclusively manufacturing in the UK.

Some of the current bedding came from TK Maxx. About Primark prices but doing well. I do have some John Lewis stuff as well, bought second hand about 20 years ago and still going strong!

There was a really nice bedding set in next for £75, I went next door and the exact same bed set was in tk maxx for £25. I love tk maxx.

I think you should take it back too. You aren't trying to pull a fast one, you wouldn't be taking them back if they were fit for purpose.

Sorry to say this, but Next isn't really premium bedding, so I'm not surprised you're disappointed.
Glad the Primark stuff turned out so good.....

I just bought 2 Linea beadspreads in the sale. They were each reduced from 100 pounds to 10 pounds each, so that's a total saving of 180 pounds. They are totally beautiful, the colours and patterns are really nice and they feel so soft and gorgeous. They're almost too nice to use. I'm so happy with them.

I have Egyptian cotton bedding, it is difficult to iron when new but softens with wear and washing.

Do you tumble it to damp and use max steam?

I had full sets of Dorma bedding and curtains for wedding presents, it was the shimmery ones and was SO expensive. I HATED it, it was so heavy and uncomfortabe. I put the plain cotton Argos bedding back on. I can't throw the Dorma stuff out so now use it for guests. I just cringe at the terrible waste of money.

£500 for a duvet set

I have egyptian cotton on the bed right now, it's comfortable now but it wasn't this soft when first bought. I don't think I'd buy it again, the cheaper sets are just as comfortable.

I've just bought this and it's the cosiest thing EVER. Not bad for £20-ish!

Ironing duvet sets?!

Another vote for IKEA. I bought the most expensive white bedding set they did back in 2008 (about £50). It's perfect. It was soft when I bought it and even better now.

I have just put a £3 primark sheet on dd's bed as she is potty training at the moment. Urgh, it's thin, scratchy and nasty.

But then it'll have a puddle of wee on it soon so hey ho

IKEA here too

We also have a king size 'teddy bear soft' throw on the bed at the minute between us and the quilt. £15 well spent on that except it sheds furry bobbles on the bottom sheet and quilt, worth it though

I have just done my bedroom up and first time I was determined to buy at least three hundred thread count pure cotton. Usually I try get nice pretty ones. I wanted grey and white. Ended up finding I wanted in asda in the thred count I wanted and was reduced to 25 quid and it's amazing.

I don't think it's necessarily about the cost but thread count and pure cottons what makes a bed amazingly comfy. Also seen idea had some nice ones that weren't too expensive but couldn't of got there last week. Put them on eBay or something.

One of my favourite sets ever for being cosy is a white seersucker set from M&S. No need to iron, either - as it's actually impossible! (Not that I ever iron bedding!) I got it when there was 30% discount, too, so it ended up not so expensive.
www.marksandspencer.com/wide-striped-seersucker-bedding-set/p/p22378101?prevPage=plp

I've not bought Next bedding for years, now. It's just not good VFM. Either the colours fade, or the fabric pills and I end up sending it to the charity shop because I can't stand the thought of sleepng under it, any more.

For sheets, I use the M&S extra deep, usually supima. Nice and smooth.

MairzyDoats are you me?! I have just bought that exact bedding and have it waiting to go on tomorrow!

I got some Egyptian Cotton bedding from The White Company for Christmas. I was a but disappointed that it wasn't as smooth and soft as my old stuff, but after washing, drying & ironing it's wonderful.

Old sheets are often very smooth because they're wearing out.

Next isn't premium. Try Sheridan.

I only get cotton sateen now. M&S Autograph do really nice soft cotton sateen.

Got some Paoletti bedding that's 300tc cotton sateen king size duvet cover, 4 pillow cases and fitted sheet for £70. Bargain, although I think M&S is softer.

I never iron my bedding.

Big fan of TKMaxx in this house, got gorgeous bedding last year which washes beautifully.

I have just bought brushed cotton duvet set and sheets and have slipped back into childhood.

I absolutely adore them.

Look out for House of Fraser sale on bedding. You can get 70% off Sheridan, Dorma, etc

It may be that you prefer very soft and cozy, almost a flannelly feel in your sheets. That's why you like your old bedding, it's soft from long use and laundering.

I like very crisp sheets and bedding. If it rustles, it is probably crisp so you naturally didn't like them. Could that be it?

You're right, though, more expensive does not equal better quality. When we bought new mattresses, we chose a very expensive mattress set for our bed and a very inexpensive but good quality set for ds. And yes, we tried out the expensive set at the store and thought it all good. However, once installed at home, how disappointing. Not that comfortable, and just...yuck.

Ds's mattress, however, is so comfortable. I fell asleep reading to him and it was the most comfortable mattress ever. My parents also stayed over one night and used ds's room and they raved also about the mattress. We paid $200 for ds's set and $1200 for ours! Oh how I wish I'd gotten the same kind for us! We had bought into the hype that expensive mattresses were better quality and more comfortable. Not necessarily! And we thought we did our homework.

Sorry OP, but I wouldn't class that as premium bedding - not sure you're paying for quality so much as the brand / design.

I am still searching for the holy grail of bed linen, but find that thread count alone doesn't mean much. I also find down duvets & pillows much nicer than feather (but goose down is expensive, admittedly).

I got my nice winter down duvet in TKMaxx, but even in there it was relatively expensive (prob about £200).

For sheets though, TKMaxx can be good, although it can be hit and miss. I have a few sets from Feather & Black, which I find are nice to sleep in and wash well. I still wouldn't say they're amazing though.

My experience of cotton sateen is that it is very comfortable, but IME is easier to pick (we have a bed invader cat) and looks scruffy sooner.

IKEA stuff washes remarkably well for the cost tbh (or at least it used to, not bought there for a while). My DM loves Dorma for poly-cotton. Not my thing as I prefer the feel of 100% cotton, but seems indestructible and is not all that expensive.