Please help me find new bedding in the UK

[Blueskytoo]

I buy John Lewis bedding be use of exactly this reason - I need the softness and smoothness too. I've got both their 200 and this one, the soft and silky range, which I find lives up to its description, although it's not cheap. But they do have a sale on at the moment, so there's that. I've not yet found anything hat helps with the temperature control, sadly, but at least that bedding doesn't irritate my skin and leave me uncomfortable. I'm not sure if it's a sateen or not but it's close enough.

The softest bedding I've got is a BluebellGray one that I originally bought from Next but have since bought second hand from eBay just bevause it's so soft and smooth on my skin, so that's a route that's worth exploring if you've already got a set you like and it's not manufactured any more. I always had e to wash eBay stuff several times to get rid of the Very strong laundry detergent smell though, which makes me feel sick and I can smell even through plastic packaging.

Also, Kitty's friend mentioned about detergent - I now use these laundry strips which have very little smell and I don't use fabric softener at all. We do now love in a softer water area, but beige we moved to Scotland we loved in Cambridge which has really hard water and I used to use white vinegar as a softener which works great and doesn't make your clothes smell like a chip shop, I promise! I used to put in about a US cup full per wash as it was a handy measuring thing I had to hand and that seemed to be about right for my washing, but you might need to experimemt to find the right amount for your water, it saved me a fortune in detergents and is much better for both the environment and my clothes,

Another option for bedding is to look for high quality hotel bedding suppliers as they will often have decent stuff although it's usually white. A satin stripe is good.

Hope this is helpful, best of luck.

Edited because I can't spell at 6am, apparently.

 

[Hummingbird]

Thank you very much for all the informative replies.

I ordered a pair of the Paoletti pillowcases to see what the set is like. They were very different to what I was expecting. I thought they would be crisp and stiff like the Cath Kidston set.

It was a thicker fabric and half soft, half rough, quite weird!! It also had the strongest smell I've ever had from any bedding. I think I can manage the print, but it smelt so bad that I was more interested in getting it out of my room than looking at the pattern!

They are now soaking in a washing up bowl of water with half a cup of bicarbonate of soda and 100ml vinegar. They will then be washed several times with soap nuts and more bicarb and vinegar before I try one.

I'm very grateful to have someone to do this for me; I know many meeps don't.

It's interesting that the M&S comfortably cool get a couple of mentions by @JemPD and @NelliePledge . I had seen them a couple of months ago, but they didn't have any dark colours then. I thought it was one to keep an eye on, as they had good reviews.

I've just been a little wary that the M&S products with trade marks/technology such as comfortably cool, stay new etc., as they probably have an extra dose of chemicals. Does anyone know what they might be? And if they are likely to be OK for someone who has a lot of difficulty with smells?

I hope to reply to the rest another time. Thank you all.

 

[JemPD]

And if they are likely to be OK for someone who has a lot of difficulty with smells?

I am very sensitive to smells too, and have bought and used those sheets without een washing first, on more than one occasion if i remember correctly. So witha good long wash i think they would be fine, for sure they have no ongoing smell like other things have done in my experience. And i can smell things everyone else says they cannot smell, at all, so i'd feel reasonably confident.

I should mention i havent purchased them since last year though so cant guarantee they havent changed something.

 

[Mij]

Well I decided to splurge on a set of flax linen sheets and I can't say that they kept me cooler than sateen cotton, in fact I prefer bamboo cotton.

 

[bobbler]

I'm bedridden with severe ME and have allodynia, as well as temperature control issues and visual issues, so finding a duvet cover that is soft enough is very difficult.

100% cotton is probably best but open to suggestions, but no silk, velvet or textured fabric.

I've previously got on with some Next ones, but they seem to have changed the quality of the duvet covers and weave of the sheets. If there are any fabric experts who can advise as to how this affects feel that would be great. The last ones I bought were washed a lot and worn in for me but unfortunately didn't soften up like usual. They would be fine for a healthy person, just not me.

Has anyone tried this brand? I would really like this first one for obvious reasons , but there's too much visual information.

https://www.dunelm.com/product/paol...llowcase-set-1000180094?defaultSkuId=30719350

I'm considering the second one, but unsure if I can manage the images.

https://www.dunelm.com/product/paol...llowcase-set-1000190657?defaultSkuId=30744160

Deep blues, purples, greens are best for my eyes. Low contrast is important. I would prefer not to have plain, but that's fine if necessary.

I love art, flowers, nature but my eyes don't agree!! Bonus points for any hummingbirds!!

I would really appreciate any replies, this has been written for me and any replies could take a while, but please know they are appreciated.

Thank you fellow MEEPS!!

I'm incredibly sensitive to anything not soft enough and it has to be cotton (temperature). This is to the point that I've had sheets in the past that even when they were ironed would leave my legs red from them moving over them during the night.

I used to buy the highest count House of Fraser sold many years ago but the last time maybe 7yrs ago I found even those had got rougher. A big search landed me at Tielle: https://tielleloveluxury.co.uk/?gcl...iLCaFyN1Pk9E1-SiyB_XwmICR3owB8X4aAgvZEALw_wcB

I buy the 400 'soft and strong' (the 600 used to be called something different and sounded like it wasn't as soft, plus it was significantly more expensive don't be fooled by the thread count number vs the 1,000 count you get in other shops - it is softer than ones that say way higher thread counts elsewhere as I was buying and comparing, and I realised there are a few 'tricks' as to what counts as what on that front) and it is more than soft enough. They tend to come large (e.g. the sheets are big enough to go over a topper or a v deep mattress), seem quite thin (in a nice way) but can be washed at 60 without shrinking like others I've had in the past have done. My sheets still look brand new and first one was bought in 2017 (and as you can imagine I spend a lot of time at least sat in bed).

The issue is: they mainly only do white, if you want choice on the colour front they've only got non-white in the whole set inc sheets etc at 400 there are some options, duck egg blue and grey. Having said that I can imagine given they are all white and the fabrics that then dying it to whichever colour if you find what you want would work well?