Can I put this question about bed linen here please?

[pretend]

I would like to buy some new bed linen online. It's got to be plainish white and I'm currently looking at The White Company.

I want a little piece of luxury when I climb into bed, so I want really lovely quality bed linen. I don't mind paying a bit for it.

So, should I go for Egyptian cotton, pure cotton or something else? The stuff I've got on at the moment is really old, so I can't remember what it is. Although it has a really nice feel to it, it's a bitch to iron, and because I have better things to do than spend two hours ironing my bedding (like MN) it goes on unironed and looks like a screwed up rag.

So what I want to achieve is low maintenance luxury, if possible....

Can anyone help me?

Thanks

Our white co Egyptian cotton definitely is very creased without ironing and it has a very cool feel which I don't always like. I prefer just 200-600 count cotton.
We also have lovely linen from feather and black that is soft and kind of silky feeling but still cotton.

Thanks geek. Does the feather and black stuff need ironing?

I'm a LP who works full time and realistically I'm unlikely to iron the bedding

I had Egyptian cotton once and from what I remember it was a wrinkly over-soft mess, especially b/c I don't iron either.

I got two really nice sets of sheets in the Black Friday sales last winter, first time I had tried cotton percale and totally recommend it - both sets are soft but smooth, there's a nice crispness to them.

f&b have some nice looking 200 thread count percale linen. Does that sound like what you have Keatsie? Smooth and crisp sounds lovely. I love my bed

It's seems really hard to get plain white. I don't want a satiny edge or a jacquard pattern!

Yes, I went back and looked and mine are 200 count cotton percale. I know 200 is not a high count and my past 200 count sheets have only been okay, not great, so I did hesitate. But I think it's the percale that makes the difference. And I ordered from a company known for good bedding. Fwiw. mine are from here www.thecompanystore.com but I'm in the US so shipping might not work for you. I love my bed too!

But I don't know about linen percale, just b/c I always associate massive wrinkles with linen.

Percale is what gives it a lovely silkiness, regardless of the thread count. I love white company bed linen but not very one does. I have their Genoa (currently on sale). It creases but is lovely and soft.
I've also had nice bed linen from
John Lewis and LauraAshley, but mostly the white company

Hmm now I'm not sure about the linen - you're right, linen usually creases horribly.

So I'm looking for cotton percale, at least 200tc and not Egyptian cotton... Ok!

Good luck!

I love Egyptian cotton.
Used to buy at WC until I found this firm
www.soakandsleep.com/luxury-600tc-bed-linen.html

Great quality & definitely worth a look.

Actually I find pure linen sheets never need ironing as long as they are bought prewashed, and of good quality and weight. I also think they are more comfortable than cotton, maybe not as smooth but they are cool in warm weather and warm in cool weather. I've got them from The White Company in the past, but not recently so can't comment about the quality now, but it may well be worth looking in their sale section. Pure Linen is pricey but a good investment IMO.

Oh god now I'm totally confused!!

White Company have just brought out no-iron, high thread-count plain bedding.

I don't believe there is such a thing as low maintenance bed luxury bed linen. Cotton needs to be ironed, it holds a crease. I've only had linen sheets once and after 2 sleeps it looked like a rag. But cirrusblue might have more experience of linen.

I agree with the percale weave, once it's ironed it's lovely. It has a lovely crispness. If you prefer something a little softer, you could go for a sateen weave. It also holds its heat better and is cosier. You will find higher thread counts in sateen weave. I find it sometimes doesn't wear as well as percale.

The non-iron sheets are usually treated with something which can 'block' their breath ability, provably not what you're looking for.

If you're not as fussy as I am, then tumble and fold. But you will miss on the crispness a little.

Thank you, I'll have a look at the non iron stuff.

Theoretically I'd wash the sheets every week and lovingly iron them for crispness. In practice I'm doing well if they are bunged in the washer, tumbled and folded. Crispness might be something for special occasions when I feel like wielding the iron

Well I haven't found linen sheets look like a rag at all, but mine are thick and quite high-end. There are some creases and a general rumpledness about them but that is part of their make-up and you don't feel them and it does not affect how comfortable they are.

I can't profess to be as nerdy as lurkingaround but am very fussy about bedding quality and softness. Gazillion thread count bedding is often on offer at Debenhams. I have also bought excellent quality discounted Sheridan, Sanderson etc sheets from Just Linen on several occasions.
HTH

I couldn't get beyond that crumpled-ness that you mention cirrusblue. I wonder if I had persisted with them would it have settled a bit. My world goes all blurry and wobbly when I think of crumpled sheets. I jest.

Though it is one of life's luxuries I think, crisp ironed good sheets. Seriously. Hah (said in a derisory snort sort of way). There was a time when a hunk of a boyfriend was a life luxury. How times change eh?

Oh that made me chuckle lurking

Happiness is a hot bubble bath and clean sheets. Both are solo activities these days and how glad I am of that fact

Sweaty man in 200tc percale linen sheets?

One of ours are seersucker and they can't be ironed! Or there is no point at least.

www.lauraashley.com/uk/duvet-covers/albury-cotton-seersucker-duvet-cover/invt/alburybl

op

I use Just Linen for towels/sheets.

Always percale for sheets

www.justlinen.co.uk/justlinen/sheridan-plain-dyes.asp

Also second (or third) Soak and Sleep. Better than White Company and in fact all other bedding places I have bought from. Prices are better too!

Sorry, I meant to say they have a range of thread counts (upto 1000TC) and explain on their website the necessity or not of ironing various ones.

Thanks I'll check that out