really nice quality, thick cotton bedding

[NCagainandagainand]

Bedding experts, I need your help please. My parents bought new Heals bedding in the January sale about 10 years ago. It's now literally worn through and it's my job to replace it with like for like.

The brief: very thick, very soft, almost old-fashioned, white cotton, basically the sort that is a pain to iron. In double-sized duvet cover, fitted sheet and pillow cases. Decent budget but full-price Heals would be a stretch.

I've tried places like M&S and John Lewis but however high the tread count, the fabric is too thin and...tight, if that's the right word? What should I be googling for? Any suggestions of where to look please? Thank you!

*thread count

I've got 600tc bedding from King Of Cotton. It reminds me of hotel bedding (or even hospital bedding if you're old enough to remember what that was like decades ago!) Have had it about 5 years now and while I wouldn't call it "soft" (give it another 5 years) it's not "crisp" iyswim.

What I will say though is that when it's wet it's bloody heavy. Our bed is superkingsize and I use a laundry creel to dry the duvet cover as it's too bulky for my tumble dryer. Getting it over that is the nearest I get to weightlifting.

I never iron it. If we've got nosy visitors, I'll throw a bedspread over it so that they can't be shocked by my slovenliness 😉

@NotMyFIrstTIme Thank you. This bedding gets washed at home then sent out to iron thankfully. I do agree what's the point of ironing duvet covers that then get covered by a throw, but old habits die hard with them!

Try the 1000 count from Dunelm, very thick and soft, and expensive !

i have some like that from soak and sleep.

www.toa.st/products/organic-cotton-ticking-stripe-fitted-sheet-ecru-graphite

Toast - very thick 'old fashioned' feel. Lasts for years.

My partner has the linen bedding from John Lewis - it's amazing, so soft and lovely.

Thank you everyone - lots of ideas to try

White Co linen sheets are lovely and last forever. I’m on my second set, the first lasted 14 years before they looked shabby.

Soak and sleep highest thread count cotton are nice, I have a couple of sets and they wash well, not too difficult to iron nicely.

I really dislike my Soak and sleep linen sheets, they are rough compared to the White Co linen, they actually make my elbows sore so they’re on the spare bed!

Those Toast sheets are gorgeous, I think I might buy them. The graphite looks quite dark in one of the photos, would you say they’re fairly neutral @Bundlebee ?

@SplinteredRuler I have the graphite/ ecru and I don't find them dark. My room is fairly bright and neutral and they work well in there.

Thank you, I love them, I’m going to order them!

We have some from DUSK, very 'crunchy'

Costco

White company. 15 yrs in abs and often deviated but always go back

OP here, I NCd last week. Thanks for all your advice. After trying a few more, in the end I went back to John Lewis and got eight pillowcases that fit the bill to take to them to audition for feel. The most likely candidate was kept and used for a night.

I thought it might help others to know that we ended up actually dropping down the thread count from 800 to 400 after the overnight test for a softer feel.

At least I thought I'd NCd. Back to the settings!

King of cotton.
we used to have white company but they literally started shedding apart after about 4 years.

King of cotton we have 400tc, including in our b and b where everything is constantly being washed on 60, every few days sometimes. It’s 6+ years now and I have just been ironing it today and it’s as new.