Where can I get decent bed linen etc at a sensible price?

[CambridgeBlue]

Whether I spend £10 or £50 every set I buy seems to look awful after 1 wash - some look crap as soon as they come out of the packaging. They are either really stiff and no amount of ironing will make them look good or really flimsy. And they never seem to fit my duvet - there's always miles of fabric flapping about at the end.

Any suggestions for where I might get something better?

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Hello, this thread is a little old and the links are out of date. Take a look at this handy page for a round up of Mumsnetters’ favourite bed sheets.

Soak and Sleep is very good quality and has a sale on?

Going for 100% egyptian cotton instead of poly/cotton made a big difference to me - the quality is far far superior.

Not sure why you would have excess material if you have the same size duvet and bedding though .

Dunelm covers a range of qualities at good prices.

Funnily enough I was just looking on there, I did have a set from them before but it wasn't as good as I was hoping and I had the same problem with the cover being too big. I wondered if my duvet was a funny size but I seem to have the same problem with DD's bed linen, can't work out why.

Does seem a good time to buy now with so many sales on.

With the sales on I would check out

John Lewis
Bedeck
Dunelm
Yorkshire Linen Company (my best ever white bedlinen came from their sale!)
Laura Ashley

I think MN used to swear by The White Company but if I remember other posters correctly the quality has gone to shit in recent years.

Great, that gives me a few to look at - thanks :)

I have stuff from John Lewis, Next and M&S and the JL stuff is vastly superior in every way. In fact the Next and M&S duvet covers are shit.

Also in my collection I have sheets and covers from BHS that I bought when I left home in 1999. They are wonderfully soft and not worn at all. But I have no idea of BHS quality these days..

Viscount bedding online is great. I have some lovely Egyptian cotton sheets from there.

Ikea
Sainsburys

ikea
in any case look out that you get 100 % cotton.
polycotton feels scratchy and bobbles quickly.

Most of my bedding is from Debenhams and impressed so far with the quality!

I'm lying under a Debenhams duvet right mpw and it's great.
You didn't buy your duvets from Ikea did you?

Only ever buy egyptian cotton from john lewis in the sale- agree that extra fabric in douvet covers implies your douvet may be an odd size?

Cologne and Cotton for sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers. It's not cheap but after almost 9 years, it still looks good which makes it solid value IMO. DD has polycotton from IKEA, washes ok. John Lewis fitted sheets seem indestructable as well.

I can't remember where my duvet was from but it wasn't Ikea.

Sounds like I need to wait for some sales to start.

All 'my' bedding comes from JOhn Lewis sales. Fitted sheets are all polycotton percale, quilt cover sets are 100% cotton. I think I have one quilt cover set which is polycotton, and it's lovely.

Dc's bedding, sheets, fitted, are also polycotton percale from JL sales. Have worn incredibly well, despite the abuse that three part-time bedwetters have dealt them. The quilt cases are from anywhere and everywhere, all polycotton. Quality very variable, but generally get what you pay for. Usually worth looking for thread count higher than 200.

Accurately measure your quilt uncovered to find out whether it is a non-standard size.

We have 18 year old debenhams duet cover and pillow cases - had to replace the sheet and after a couple of false starts got one from Dunelm.

Our other set is Ikea duet cover/pillow cases with a Dorma sheet which I picked up cheaply as a second. The Ikea stuff isn't the highest thread count but looks fine.

Ah I wondered because I once bought a duvet from ikea and it didn't fit right in standard covers.

TK Maxx is often good for bedding. I have a duvet cover from there that I bought at least ten years ago, washed weekly, and not a bobble in sight.

that is, I know TK Maxx covers all sorts of price ranges and qualities, but if you look out for a high thread count in 100% cotton you might well find a gem.

Soak and sleep or tk maxx :) don't buy cheap crap from the supermarkets or diy stores as the quality is so much worse

TK Maxx - high thread count or JL is what I've got for our bed.
There is a nice but expensive set on the spare bed from HofF (MIL bought it) that seems to fair ok.
DS duvet covers are all samples from my designer friend but he used to have JL sets & his sheets are from asda (because they have dinosaurs on & he doesn't care about quality)

Someone recommended this store (you may not live anywhere near Newcastle though) - he bought a 400 thread count duvet, sheet and 4 pillow cases for £60 in the sale www.fenwick.co.uk/visiting-the-store-newcastle No online sales, though. Hope you find something you like.

The white company bed linen is great, we have some of their most expensive and least expensive range but both are good quality and lovely neutral designs.

Do you have a proper laundry near you? In Bath there is a laundry that sells ex hotel linen. Its mega soft Egyptian cotton and it is beautiful to look at and sleep under. I buy all my linen and towels from them. King size 400 thread count cotton duvet cover- £6. Soft as satin.

I've got the Luxury Hotel Collection 500 thread count stuff from House of Fraser - feels absolutely amazing . It costs a bomb but got it in the sales - currently there's 70% off!