Decor Tips: The Best Bedding

When I think of my ideal place to get a good night's sleep, I imagine myself on a relaxing vacation, staying in a fancy hotel room with a big bed, clean white linens, fluffy down comforter, & extra pillows!

I try my best to recreate this feeling in my bedroom at home because who doesn't like to feel like they're sleeping in a fluffy cloud? I've achieved this with lots of down-filled pillows, a lofty down comforter, crisp white linen fabrics, & cotton blankets.

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Here are what I've found to be the BEST bedding materials:

Pillows

Pure Down - I sleep on either my stomach or back, so I love a soft & fluffy pillow made of 100% down pillow with no feathers. I've tried both goose & duck down which were both great.

Feather Down - If you are a side sleeper or just prefer a firmer pillow, feather & down pillows are still fluffy but a lot more supportive. However, the higher percentage of feathers you have versus down, the more likely they are to poke out of the pillow case.

Comforters

Pure Down Comforter - In order to to achieve the fluffy look, I've found that only real down works! Down alternatives just don't fluff up the same way that pure down does. The higher the fill power, the fluffier the comforter will be; however, the higher loft also gets hotter & is more expensive. Baffle box construction keeps the down more evenly distributed. Goose & duck down have felt the same in my experience.

Linen or Cotton Duvet Cover - Always put a duvet cover on your comforter! It looks cleaner & keeps your comforter cleaner. Both linen & cotton are both breathable & durable fabrics, so I prefer these materials for for the comfort, plus the clean, relaxed look.

Sheets

Cotton - I always go for 100% cotton because it is breathable & I hate feeling hot or sweaty when sleeping! It's also very durable so it will last long with regular washing. Egyptian cotton or any long-staple cotton feels softer than regular cotton (if the label just says cotton, it's probably regular short-staple cotton). Percale sheets are more crisp & matte looking, while sateen sheets are more shiny looking, & jersey sheets feel like a t-shirt. I don't pay much attention to thread count but the higher varieties are more expensive, so I always aim towards the middle range because they will get softer with each wash!

Blankets

Cotton - A 100% cotton knitted throw blanket or bedspread will be breathable and durable, however they probably won't be very fluffy. I really like muslin cotton (the material most baby swaddle blankets are made of!) because they get beautifully puckered with each wash, plus they have the casual & relaxed look of linen.

Polyester - If you want one of those ultra soft, plush, fluffy throw blankets, it's most likely made of polyester! Manmade fabrics are always very affordable so you can get a beautiful faux fur look for cheap. However they can get pretty staticky after coming out of the dryer, & won't be as durable as a natural fabric.

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Here are what I've found to be the WORST bedding materials:

Microfiber - A lot of the most affordable sheets will boast a high thread count to reel you in, but they're really made out of microfiber rather than cotton or other natural material. Manmade fabrics are not as breathable as natural fabrics, so I find myself getting too hot sleeping in microfiber sheets. I also hate the "pilling" that occurs (the little balls of lint that build up on the surface of the fabric!). The sheets feel soft & silky at first, but with each wash the pilling gets worse & feels rough.

Acrylic - The cheaper knitted blankets are typically made up of acrylic, another manmade fabric made to look like wool or cotton; however, acrylic is not as breathable & not as soft.

Down Alternative - Comforters & pillows labeled "down alternative" start looking smooth & fluffy, but can get lumpy over time.