Sheet Quality Rant

[anotherAlias]

So this week I discovered that my 1yr old sheets have developed a hole right where I lay.  This is the 2nd set of sheets in a row that have developed a hole after only a year of use.  WTF?!  It's not like I'm washing them with rocks or something and they weren't super cheap.   I'm used to buying sheets that last for several years.  With the holiday sales, I've been looking at higher end sheets thinking that the quality would be better and maybe I could score a good deal.  Yep and then I read the online reviews.  Everywhere I'm looking, the reviews are peppered with people reporting sheets tearing
 way under a year.  Some people claim they've bought the same brand sheets for years and the quality has gone down remarkably with in the past couple years.  This is so frustrating. Where the hell can i find decent sheets.  The 2 shitty sets were from Kohls.  Today I went to Macy's, Penney's and Bed Bath and Beyond and everything was either paper thin or poorly reviewed.  From what I've read online, long staple cotton(Egyptian or Pima) is the quality stuff but user reviews don't seem to support that.  I know polyester would last longer but I'm a 40+ yr old woman and need sheets that breathe.  Where do you guys find sheets that can stand up to weekly washing and don't fall apart yearly?  They used to exist but have they gone the way of the dinosaur?

[cheapbarb]

I've had good luck with Land's End sheets.

[Rosy]

Best quality sheets I found recently were from Aldi - they aree 400 thread count and are holding up great. $39.99
Also purchased a set of bamboo sheets on a whim on sale for $20 at the AFB because I loved the cool purple color:) and they stayed true to color, feel great and held up like new.
Still have some I picked up at Ikea which are going strong after 15 years.

[socaso]

I bought some Tommy Hilfiger sheets from Macy's last year and they are wonderful. The color faded a bit but the sheets feel the same as they did the first time I used them. I do rotate my sheet sets and have 3 sets I use for my bed.

[MoustacheDArgent]

I've purchased some jeans from Kohls their urban pipeline brand I think it's called and they all started getting holes in them after a year.  Terrible quality.

I remember buying Levi's and having them last for years and years.

[Bracken_Joy]

Care is a huge part. Do you keep your nails well trimmed (snags start tears)? Do you sleep with a solitaire mount ring on? Do you use fabric softener? How often do you wash them? If you go to bed with thick lotion on directly against the sheets, it can accelerate the breakdown.

[tipster350]

I have been having the same problem. In the past sheets lasted years. Now my sheets are getting holes and ripping after about a year. Nothing in the way I care for them or my personal grooming has changed. I would willingly pay good money for cotton percale sheets of yesteryear that lasted forever.

[anotherAlias]

Care is a huge part. Do you keep your nails well trimmed (snags start tears)? Do you sleep with a solitaire mount ring on? Do you use fabric softener? How often do you wash them? If you go to bed with thick lotion on directly against the sheets, it can accelerate the breakdown.

I've cared for my sheets the same for the past 20+ years. I wash them once a week in cold water and low tumble dry by themselves with a fabric softener sheet. My nails are trimmed and don't sleep with jewelry.  Like I said, this seems to be a new trend in the past couple years.

[NV Teacher]

After my grandma passed away I was helping my mom clean out her house.  I pulled out the sheets and grandma had patches on top of patches on top of patches.  I come from a long line of frugal people.

[Bracken_Joy]

Care is a huge part. Do you keep your nails well trimmed (snags start tears)? Do you sleep with a solitaire mount ring on? Do you use fabric softener? How often do you wash them? If you go to bed with thick lotion on directly against the sheets, it can accelerate the breakdown.

I've cared for my sheets the same for the past 20+ years. I wash them once a week in cold water and low tumble dry by themselves with a fabric softener sheet. My nails are trimmed and don't sleep with jewelry.  Like I said, this seems to be a new trend in the past couple years.

Ah damn, that doesn't help then.

Maybe do estate sales? If newer ones are all shit, find some old ones =)

[Cranky]

I think that a lot of very high thread count sheets are really thin and tear easily. I’ve been surprised at how thin some sheets are lately.

[Dicey]

Costco. <----- That's a place holder until I can dig up a link to the other, relevant thread.

Found it:
https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/spent-$500-on-bedding-why-didn't-i-do-so-earlier/

Lots more info hefe.

[big_slacker]

Clearly you need some $500 sheets. :p

[LifePhaseTwo]

I’ve had good luck with Costco sheets and bedding, and with their good return policy I would just bring anything back if it turned out that the quality wasn’t good enough.

[geekette]

For years I've gotten (expensive) high thread count sheets that are thick (we enjoyed them at a B&B and got their website).  I would still wear holes at my feet due to restless legs, but since I got treatment, I haven't worn any more holes. 

They also have percale, etc.  I wish someone here qualified for wholesale!

[Dee18]

I recently bought 100% cotton Ralph Lauren sheets at TJ Max on sale for $19.  They are great!  The fabric is thick.  Keep in mind thread count doesn’t tell you how good the thread is so it’s not a reliable indicator of how a sheet will wear.

[ThatGuy]

Best quality sheets I found recently were from Aldi - they aree 400 thread count and are holding up great. $39.99
Also purchased a set of bamboo sheets on a whim on sale for $20 at the AFB because I loved the cool purple color:) and they stayed true to color, feel great and held up like new.
Still have some I picked up at Ikea which are going strong after 15 years.

Bamboo sheets?!  What DON'T they make out of bamboo?

[m8547]

I bought a set of sheets from a brand called Magnolia Organics which one review described as being "like sleeping in khakis" because the material is so heavy. Perfect! They've held up well so far, but I've only had them for less than a year. My other set is LL Bean, and they are holding up well so far, too, but feeling a little thin.

I've noticed with clothing that there's a huge range of quality for fabric that feels the same and has the same weight. For example I've had some jeans (Gap, Levi) wear out after a year or less of daily wear. But my current pair (Lucky) has held up longer, maybe approaching 2 years. I bought two more of those when they had my size on sale, so I'm good on jeans for probably the next 5 years. Unfortunately it seems to be hard or impossible to predict quality ahead of time, and by the time something has stood the test of time it's probably too late to but more of the same.

Perhaps my longest lasting textile is a set of towels purchased around 15 years ago. They used to be cream colored, but now they are pure white. I use them daily, but now (only recently) they are starting to look worse for wear. The edging is coming off, one has a tiny hole, and the hand towels are permanently dingy. But I might as well use them until they totally fall apart.

Washing and drying puts a lot of wear on fabrics. I've noticed tiny holes in some shirts (and my ancient towels) as a result of the agitator in my top load washing machine. If you can upgrade to a front loader and line dry everything, your stuff will last longer.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Best sheets I've ever found flannelette. They're thick, 100% cotton and always pretty cheap. Wash them a few times before using them, and they won't develop little pills of fuzz, and also use both sides of the sheet next to your body and they'll stay soft.

[Dicey]

Clearly you need some $500 sheets. :p

If you think the OP of that other thread spent $500 on sheets you either didn't bother to read the thread or your reading comprehension skills are...something.

[TomTX]

So this week I discovered that my 1yr old sheets have developed a hole right where I lay.  This is the 2nd set of sheets in a row that have developed a hole after only a year of use.  WTF?!  It's not like I'm washing them with rocks or something and they weren't super cheap.   I'm used to buying sheets that last for several years.  With the holiday sales, I've been looking at higher end sheets thinking that the quality would be better and maybe I could score a good deal.  Yep and then I read the online reviews.  Everywhere I'm looking, the reviews are peppered with people reporting sheets tearing
 way under a year.  Some people claim they've bought the same brand sheets for years and the quality has gone down remarkably with in the past couple years.  This is so frustrating. Where the hell can i find decent sheets.  The 2 shitty sets were from Kohls.  Today I went to Macy's, Penney's and Bed Bath and Beyond and everything was either paper thin or poorly reviewed.  From what I've read online, long staple cotton(Egyptian or Pima) is the quality stuff but user reviews don't seem to support that.  I know polyester would last longer but I'm a 40+ yr old woman and need sheets that breathe.  Where do you guys find sheets that can stand up to weekly washing and don't fall apart yearly?  They used to exist but have they gone the way of the dinosaur?

Holy hell, the sheets on my bed right now are from about 1995. I don't think we have bought any since we moved into this house in 2005. We've had one set die in that timeframe.

[Hadilly]

I have been very pleased with my LL Bean sheets. I’ve had them all 2-10 years and they are going strong. I use flannel in the winter and percale in the spring and summer. They frequently have 20% off sales. Great quality and an excellent return policy. Not quite Buy It For Life, but not far off either.

[lizzzi]

I have been very pleased with my LL Bean sheets. I’ve had them all 2-10 years and they are going strong. I use flannel in the winter and percale in the spring and summer. They frequently have 20% off sales. Great quality and an excellent return policy. Not quite Buy It For Life, but not far off either.

This, absolutely.

[2Birds1Stone]

Darn, I was hoping/expecting this was going to be a rant about toilet paper sheets!

Here goes nothing........Charmin ultra soft is garbage. Literally falls apart while wiping. Ain't no one got time for dingle berries.

[TomTX]

Darn, I was hoping/expecting this was going to be a rant about toilet paper sheets!

Here goes nothing........Charmin ultra soft is garbage. Literally falls apart while wiping. Ain't no one got time for dingle berries.

https://smile.amazon.com/Bidet-MB110-Non-Electric-Mechanical-Attachment/dp/B001KKRCFA/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_g5171374337?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0&ie=UTF8

[Zap]

I got a new old stock percale sheet set from eBay. I think they were JCPenny's house brand. Wear like iron, and exactly what I slept on as a kid. Perfect.

[anotherAlias]

Darn, I was hoping/expecting this was going to be a rant about toilet paper sheets!

Here goes nothing........Charmin ultra soft is garbage. Literally falls apart while wiping. Ain't no one got time for dingle berries.

Oh this is a much better topic than my initial rant. Lol.  Thread highjacking approved :)

On the original topic, after much internal debate I spent an unmustachian amount of money on some American made percale sheets.  They have a 100 night trial period and free returns ...crossing fingers.

[FInding_peace]

I started having this problem recently and figured out that, for me, it's because my heels are getting a bit dry and cracked during the winter.  It's what the above poster was saying about snags; the tears in the sheets are starting at my feet.  I started wearing socks to bed, which is kind of cozy anyway in the wintertime, and I might eventually be unmustachian and splurge on a pedicure as well. 

[Penn42]

For winter sheets I've got a $29.99 set of flannels from IKEA that have lasted well for me, and I'm a kicker. 

[Bracken_Joy]

I started having this problem recently and figured out that, for me, it's because my heels are getting a bit dry and cracked during the winter.  It's what the above poster was saying about snags; the tears in the sheets are starting at my feet.  I started wearing socks to bed, which is kind of cozy anyway in the wintertime, and I might eventually be unmustachian and splurge on a pedicure as well.

Try putting lotion on before the socks at night. It gives it time to really seep in. I always did this with eucerin cream when I was dancing- I could go from an actual visible fissure to healed overnight doing this!

[RedmondStash]

We get our sheets from Marshall's or Ross. You can get deep discounts on higher-end brands. We don't pick specific brands, just the pattern and type we like, and I try to keep an eye out for high thread count if I remember. So far, we haven't had trouble with them developing holes.

We haven't bought sheets in several years, though, so I'm wondering if quality has been going downhill recently.

[Acorns]

My summer sheets are from Macy's, I think I bought them in 2008. They replaced sheets from Bed Bath and Beyond that were only 5 years old but were really thin and already had lots of holes. The sheets from Macy's have held up really well, they were one of the store brands, Charter Club or Ralph Lauren, something like that. The biggest difference between the BBB sheets and the Macy's sheets is that the Macy's sheets are THICK. They have been washed so many times by now that they are also very soft, but still feel thick and crisp, so I think the trick is to feel the sheets before you buy them and see if they feel thick and substantial, or thin and flimsy.

My winter flannel sheets are from Garnet Hill and I LOVE them! They replaced LL Bean flannel sheets that were about 10 years old and had gotten thin and not very flannel-y anymore.

[Dragonswan]

Target - sheets - Threshold brand

Toilet paper - Cottonelle - 2 ply

[GoCubsGo]

LL Bean for summer sheets have been amazingly durable and perfect if you like cool crisp sheets.  I'm on my 8th year with weekly washings and a border collie constantly jumping on and off the bed.  Pricey, but worth it.

[Livingthedream55]

I've been very pleased with jersey sheets (get at Target) really cheap (Queen set under $40) and have lasted me for years. They are stretchy (which I like because I have a foam topper and they stretch well to accommodate that) and super comfortable.

[margered]

I know from experience that rough heels abrade sheets and make holes.

[I'm a red panda]

After my grandma passed away I was helping my mom clean out her house.  I pulled out the sheets and grandma had patches on top of patches on top of patches.  I come from a long line of frugal people.

I always remember hearing that when your sheets wear out in the middle, you should cut/rip them down the middle, then sew the two sides together. That way the sides are now the middle and the wear is on the outside.


That said, we've had our (Target) sheets for over a decade, and they are holding up fine.

[FiftyIsTheNewTwenty]

Another vote for LL Bean, the percale ones.  The Sweet Home rates them #1 now too.

The first quality Ralph Lauren that you can often find at Marshalls or TJ Maxx are really good.  But most outlet-store Ralph Lauren is junk made especially for the outlets.  You can tell the difference by the packaging.  I couldn't tell you offhand what it is, but I know it when I see it!  Maybe check out a real Polo store to see what it looks like.

Laura Ashley = same story.

[Proud Foot]

A little over a year ago we got these Casper sheets. Wife and I both get hot while sleeping and these have been the best so far for keeping us cool. We wash them regularly every 2-3 weeks and so far they still look new. We were able to get them at Target using the red card for 5% off plus a few gift cards and coupons so they were not as expensive as on the website.

[Firehazard]

If anyone knows of a crisp cotton percale sheet where the hem doesn't crease and wrinkle all to hell, please speak up!  I love cotton percale, but having the hem all bunched up all the time drives me crazy.  Eventually they perforate along the creases. 

 I switched to microfiber a few months ago when I found a great deal at Costco ($16 for a king set), and those sheets are so luxuriously soft, so pretty and don't wrinkle at all.  After 8 months they show no signs of wear or fading.  But even in winter I find them pretty hot after I've been in bed for a while.

[anotherAlias]

If anyone knows of a crisp cotton percale sheet where the hem doesn't crease and wrinkle all to hell, please speak up!  I love cotton percale, but having the hem all bunched up all the time drives me crazy.  Eventually they perforate along the creases. 

 I switched to microfiber a few months ago when I found a great deal at Costco ($16 for a king set), and those sheets are so luxuriously soft, so pretty and don't wrinkle at all.  After 8 months they show no signs of wear or fading.  But even in winter I find them pretty hot after I've been in bed for a while.

The ones I ended up buying from Cotton & Care don't wrinkle too bad.  They aren't wrinkle free but I've been able to smooth them out for the most part by running my hand over them once the bed is made.  They are by no means cheap but I'm crossing my fingers on durability.

[Fomerly known as something]

I started having this problem recently and figured out that, for me, it's because my heels are getting a bit dry and cracked during the winter.  It's what the above poster was saying about snags; the tears in the sheets are starting at my feet.  I started wearing socks to bed, which is kind of cozy anyway in the wintertime, and I might eventually be unmustachian and splurge on a pedicure as well.

Try putting lotion on before the socks at night. It gives it time to really seep in. I always did this with eucerin cream when I was dancing- I could go from an actual visible fissure to healed overnight doing this!

My Dad and more importantly my Mom swear by Ahava foot cream.