January 2008
Sheets: Wake-up call
NIGHTMARES Problems we found included unsuitable see-through fabric, linen sheets that wrinkled horribly, and buttons.
Silk pillowcases that shred in the wash? Linen sheets so wrinkly after laundering that you might as well not bother making
the bed? Sky-high thread counts based on creative calculating? Note to the makers of sheets in our tests: Stop sleeping on
the job.
Much has changed in the bedding business. Tried-and-true names such as Cannon and Charisma are largely gone, a result of company bankruptcies. High-quality percale sheets--the kind we have recommended--are harder to find, too.
Instead, consumers are faced with high prices, unfamiliar brands, poor-wearing fabrics, and marketing that wrongly places a premium on the highest thread count. Standard sheets used to last years; some of those we tested don't even come close.
In short, we didn't find much to like among the queen sheet sets we tested, which are priced from $40 to $360 and are found in bed-and-bath and department stores and online. They included trendy weaves such as sateen and satin, and nontraditional fibers such as polyester and modal, a cellulose fiber made from wood.
Unsuitable fabrics. The Linens 'n Things Home Brilliance Jersey knit sheets shrank so much after just five washings that they no longer fit the bed. Then there was the Cuddledown Heirloom Voile set, which is sheer. Who wants to see through to the mattress pad or pillow protector? Both sets are discontinued. Even the percale sheets in our tests were only fair for strength, typically a standout feature for percale.
Almost all the tested sheets needed ironing to look their best. Some of the unusual fibers require even more care. Silk needs delicate laundering. Sateen can rip on a toenail or cat's claw; satin can snag even on chapped hands.
Poor quality control. Fresh out of the package, a Bed Bath & Beyond sheet, now discontinued, was 10 inches shorter than it should be. With other sets, we discovered missing or torn components.
What-were-they-thinking design. Buttons on one set of pillowcases allow you to fit king-sized or queen-sized pillows. But you might greet the day with button imprints on your face.
Questionable claims. Some manufacturers use creative math to boost thread count (see Thread counts). Likewise, some sheets are labeled organic. But that simply means that the material is grown without pesticides. Federal regulations don't exist regarding the processing of the raw material, so all kinds of environmentally unfriendly chemicals could be used. "Natural" or "green" labeling may indicate that harsh chemicals such as formaldehyde or chlorine aren't used in processing. Without standards, though, there are no guarantees.
Much has changed in the bedding business. Tried-and-true names such as Cannon and Charisma are largely gone, a result of company bankruptcies. High-quality percale sheets--the kind we have recommended--are harder to find, too.
Instead, consumers are faced with high prices, unfamiliar brands, poor-wearing fabrics, and marketing that wrongly places a premium on the highest thread count. Standard sheets used to last years; some of those we tested don't even come close.
In short, we didn't find much to like among the queen sheet sets we tested, which are priced from $40 to $360 and are found in bed-and-bath and department stores and online. They included trendy weaves such as sateen and satin, and nontraditional fibers such as polyester and modal, a cellulose fiber made from wood.
Unsuitable fabrics. The Linens 'n Things Home Brilliance Jersey knit sheets shrank so much after just five washings that they no longer fit the bed. Then there was the Cuddledown Heirloom Voile set, which is sheer. Who wants to see through to the mattress pad or pillow protector? Both sets are discontinued. Even the percale sheets in our tests were only fair for strength, typically a standout feature for percale.
Almost all the tested sheets needed ironing to look their best. Some of the unusual fibers require even more care. Silk needs delicate laundering. Sateen can rip on a toenail or cat's claw; satin can snag even on chapped hands.
Poor quality control. Fresh out of the package, a Bed Bath & Beyond sheet, now discontinued, was 10 inches shorter than it should be. With other sets, we discovered missing or torn components.
What-were-they-thinking design. Buttons on one set of pillowcases allow you to fit king-sized or queen-sized pillows. But you might greet the day with button imprints on your face.
Questionable claims. Some manufacturers use creative math to boost thread count (see Thread counts). Likewise, some sheets are labeled organic. But that simply means that the material is grown without pesticides. Federal regulations don't exist regarding the processing of the raw material, so all kinds of environmentally unfriendly chemicals could be used. "Natural" or "green" labeling may indicate that harsh chemicals such as formaldehyde or chlorine aren't used in processing. Without standards, though, there are no guarantees.
