Tout your towels and brag on your bedding!

reppunzel

Hi, ladies.

I'm trying to figure out some things for our registry and would love your help.  Two things we really need are towels and bedding, and I've heard it's definitely worthwhile to register for good stuff because it will last -- this I believe because I grew up using linens that my parents inherited from my father's grandmother!  But when we got to the store, I was kinda overwhelmed by the variety and didn't have much direction.

For instance, a friend of mine's son got married about 5 years ago, and she was telling me that the towels her son and DIL registered for were very soft and plushy, but weren't very absorbant.  They eventually had to replace them with different ones that would actually dry you off!  She couldn't remember a brand name.  I'm wondering if you had any recommendations?  Did you like what you got?   I've read that pima cotton is good ... any thoughts?

Second, because I've never really shopped for sheets before, the thread-count game is new to me.  I've heard that the higher the count, the softer the sheet ... what's your favorite thread count?  Is there a point where going higher isn't really worth it? (I realize this question overlaps with another recent discussion, but thought I'd throw it out there anyway.)  Does Egyptian cotton make a difference?  Enough of a difference to be worth the price?

I'm also looking for a duvet cover set; I have a queen size down comforter, so we only need the cover (preferably with matching/coordinating shams) and I was suprised that the department stores we visited didn't seem to carry them.  Suggestions?

Thank you for any insight you can share.

hoffse

Oh I like this topic - my apologies in advance that this will be long

Towels: Personally, my favorite towels are PB's 820 gram weight.  With towels you have to decide if you want something that dries you instantly or if you want something very soft.  I have had both, and while I prefer the soft one when feeling them in store (they are cozy) I much prefer towels that whick away water when I'm getting ready in the morning.  I have had a number of brands, including Macy's Hotel Collection (which many people rave about), and PB's are still my favorite.  Macy's are soft but it takes several swipes to get all the water off, and they look worn more quickly.  Soft towels are soft because of the size of the loops on them, and the larger the loops the more there is to snag, frizz, etc.  PB seems to bridge the gap between feeling high quality and getting the job done, so that is what we registered for.  They are a little spendy for towels ($28 normally, though during their white sale which is going on right now they are $22), but FI and I figure that these are things that touch our bodies every single day.  They matter.

Sheets: Sheets are tougher, and a lot depends on personal preference.  The threadcount does make a difference in texture, but a lot of the hype is marketing.  Personally, I won't buy anything more than 600 TC because I feel like they do not breathe since the weave is so tight.  It makes me and FI roast at night, so we tend to stick to 400-500 most of the time.  Some people won't sleep in anything less than 1000 though, so bear that in mind.  The thing that actually makes a bigger difference in softness is the weave.  People who talk about how soft their grandmother's sheets were are remembering sleeping in sheets that have a percale weave.  That was standard back in the day.  The problem with percale is that they wrinkle like mad in a dryer, so they usually have to be ironed.  Some of the softest (and cheapest actually) sheets around are Pottery barn's 300 TC sheets.  They are a percale weave, and I actually prefer them over their 400 TC.  Since they do need to be ironed, we keep them in the guest room, and we have so many guests ask us where we got them from.

If you don't wanto be ironing sheets every week, then you look for a weave that is wrinkle resistant.  I personally prefer a sateen weave.  Though it's not as soft as percale, I can take it out of the dryer and put it right on the bed, so there's a major perk to it.  I think the best wrinkle resistant sheets around are Macy's Hotel Collection.  They are very expensive (600 TC is like $130 for the flat and fitted sheets each), but they will last you years.  It's an investment.  And yes they feel amazing against the skin.

As for pima versus egyptian cotton, I won't buy pima if I have a choice because I think it's slightly rougher.  Egyptian feels better to me but only by a bit.  The weave matters a lot more.

The last thing about sheets is that you can go into stores and feel them.  But something to know is that manufacturers have wised up to this trick, and many now coat their sheets in a chemical that feels soft to the touch before you wash them.  I've bought and returned a number of sheets in recent years that felt amazing in the store and then were very rough after I washed out the chemical.  So I would make sure to select sheets from a store where you can return them even after washing and sleeping in them.  Macy's and Pottery barn both allow this.  So does BBB.

Duvets: I know I'm going to sound like a soundboard for PB, but check out their duvet covers.  They sell duvets and the covers separately, so there are plenty of choices.  Their duvet covers also have ties inside that you can tie through loops on the corner of the duvet (if yours has them - if not, you can sew them in yourself), and that keeps the duvet from moving around inside the cover.

Finally, if you want your sheets and towels to last, wash them cold with plain detergent and dry them without a dryer sheet or any sort of fabric softender.  They will naturally obsorb your body's oils over time and they don't need any extra from chemicals.  Once in awhile I add a cup of vinegar to the washing machine when washing my towels - that helps cut through oils that my towels pick up from shampoo, body wash, etc. and it makes them more absorbant.

reppunzel

Thank you all; this is very helpful.  Would love to hear more, too!