We spend 2800 hours a year under our comforter! Sleeping is essential, but it's also an essential moment of relaxation to recharge our batteries, and comfort and well-being are two factors to consider when choosing bed linen.
Your bed is a little universe in itself. Whether you're sleeping, reading or playing, with your family or as a couple, the bed is an essential part of our daily lives, and we don't always give it the importance it deserves. The choice of bed as furniture, of mattress according to your needs and tastes, but also your bed linen! The patterns of course, for visual comfort, but also the material from which the sheet is made. A fabric will have different properties and qualities depending on its composition, weave and treatment.
So it's important to know which fabric to choose for your bed linen before you buy!
The different materials for bed linen
The material of choice remains cotton. This natural fiber is absorbent and soft to the touch, guaranteeing a pleasant, comfortable and durable sheet. What's more, cotton is easy to care for: it can be washed quickly, withstands high temperatures - up to 90° - and dries easily.
Nevertheless, there are a number of different suggestions for the raw materials used to weave the sheets.
Linen: another natural fiber, linen also has thermoregulating properties. Linen facilitates moisture evacuation while retaining warmth. A linen sheet is therefore pleasant in all seasons. It's best in summer, especially if you live in a hot region. Another advantage is that linen is naturally hypoallergenic. Beware, however, of print quality. The natural fiber loses this quality if it is dyed using a process that does not comply with European textile standards.
Last but not least, linen is very hard-wearing, and doesn't fade with each wash, even becoming naturally softer to the touch with each wash. Linen is not for everyone, however: it will always feel less soft to the touch than a cotton sheet, is less easy to care for and can take a long time to dry.
The happy medium:métis sheets! If you're hesitating between linen and cotton, métis is a blend of at least 45% linen and the rest cotton. You benefit from the characteristics of both fibers: the softness and fineness of cotton combined with the thermoregulatory and anti-allergenic qualities of linen.
Finally, polycotton sheets are made from a blend of polyester (50%) and cotton (50%). Polycotton sheets are lighter than those made from natural fibers, and also quicker to dry. Polycotton sheets can withstand high temperatures and tumble-drying, and as they are virtually wrinkle-free - simply lay them out immediately when clean, or fold them as soon as dry - they don't need ironing. And they're less expensive than natural-fiber sheets. On the other hand, they lose much of the breathability and thermoregulation of a natural fiber. As a result, they are much less comfortable to live with and less soft to the touch.
The different weaves for a bed sheet
From the same raw material, the way in which the threads are interwoven will give the fabric different characteristics: silky, fluffy, stretchy... So depending on your desires, you can choose one or other of these weaving methods for your bed ensembles.
Cotton Percale is made from the longest cotton fibers. The essential characteristic of cotton percale is its tight, regular weave: the threads cross (one above - one below) in a continuous, regular pattern. This weave structure gives percale stability and strength along its length, as well as a high-quality look and feel. The tighter and denser the percale weave, the more beautiful and upscale the bed linen.
The higher the number of threads/cm2 in the weave, the better the percale's specific qualities: at least 80 threads/cm2 for standard percale; 120 threads/cm2 for top-of-the-range and luxury sheets. A higher weave yields a rare, exceptional product. In fact, percale can reach 300 threads/cm2, making the sheet almost crisp to the touch and offering maximum breathability and comfort.
Like percale, satin is tightly woven from long cotton fibers. Satin is also soft to the touch. The difference lies in the appearance of cotton sateen, which has a satin finish, as its name suggests, and is therefore shinier than percale, which has a matte finish. This visual difference is due to the way the threads are interwoven during weaving.
Flannel is a cotton fabric that has been mechanically combed to achieve a fluffy look and feel. Below a certain degree, it is simply referred to as combed fabric. Flannel is characterized by an extremely soft, warm feel. It's ideal for winter, in slightly chilly rooms.
Among the sheets frequently associated with bed linen, we also find jerseys. However, this is a knitted fabric, not a woven one, which gives it the elasticity that makes it so popular for fitted sheets and bed linen protection. Elastic in both directions, it will not deform in the wash or over time.
So how do you choose your bed linen?
Now that you know all about materials and weaves, you may be wondering how to choose your bed linen. Then there's the final, decisive element in the final choice of your future bed ensemble: the print. And here, it's a question of taste!
Here too, however, you can opt for quality, by choosing collections with a limited number of copies, in favor of a rare print. You can turn to the designs of textile designers, for the quality of the drawings and the power of the prints. Last but not least, you can focus on the quality of the finishes - piping at the pillow seams, printed comforter cover reverse, matching fitted sheet - all of which are hallmarks of a top-of-the-range brand with exceptional designs.