Mattress Forum

As far as mattress protectors go, you want something that will hopefully not change the feel of your mattress. i have used 3 different ones. 1 form Tempurpedic had no material on top to help disperse any liquids/sweat, etc. the other two are from GBS and Protect-A-Bed. Between the two, I like the Protect-A-Bed version better as they stretch in all directions leaving virtually no change in feel. I have heard that if you have a very plush mattress, it may feel slightly less squishy, but I have not experienced that and only heard it a couple of times in the last several years. I have had no experience with the other versions of water/moisture resistant pads (vs. the water-proof ones).

If the Dreamfits really are 400TC single-ply and are real egyptian cotton, then they truly are an astounding value. Something tells me they are either 2-ply or not real extra-long staple egyptian cotton.

Here is an excerpt from budgy's post I referenced above:

In the world marketplace, many cheap cottons are also being referred to as "Egyptian Cotton". If an Egyptian Cotton article seems to be a very low price, it is probably not genuine. There are three things to be aware of when you are purchasing Egyptian cotton linens. First of all, there are the contents - Some fabrics are labeled as Egyptian cotton when in fact they have a tiny percentage of genuine Egyptian cotton ~ say 5% or so. Second of all, the definition of "Egyptian Cotton" in some dictionaries is simply any finely woven cotton ~ this does rather leave the door open. Lastly, cotton grown in the country of Egypt may sound expensive and high in quality, but can be any variety. Since American Upland cottons (which are a much shorter fiber) now comprise 90% of the world's crop, it is a safe assertion that this might be in the package.

The more inmportant thing is that you mention they are soft, and that you like them, which is why they're still on my short list. I'm more concerned with their longevity, especially since they're not exactly inexpensive. Right now the St. Geneve "My Favourite Sheets" are looking like the favorite for me to try (even though they're a stripe and only come in 2 colors), but would love to know if there are any other recommended options to consider in my price range. Especially a pima (or supima) percale type sheet. I had these as a kid, and remember them being very comfortable, and long lasting. The LL Bean's I posted above have some bad reviews, so I'm a little leary of them. I can't seem to find any others in my price range.

As far as mattress protection goes, I'd much prefer to stick with all natural products like the St. Dormeir Natural Wool Mattress Pad, or the 100% Cotton mattress pad. I'm leaning towards the 100% cotton right now, but am open to expert opinion.

I saw you recommend the Allegro sheets which are a bit outside my range, but was wondering if they are substantially nicer than the MFS. I can almost get 2 sets of MFS for the price of one Allegro set, but was wondering if the Allegro set will outlast them significantly or are that much nicer of a feel?

Also, please let me know if anyone has experience with any of these:

http://www.garnethill.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDetailView?storeId=10054&catalogId=10054&productId=221425&langId=-1&SourceCode=G1WSB1

http://www.bed-linens.net/cotton-domestic

The Allegro sheets are really nice, thats probably the best priced legitmate egyptian cotton sheet milled in Italy you will find.  The sheets are actually thinner than the 'MFS', but a lot softer after a few washes and likely just as durable if not more so.  I have heard good things about 'Matouk' sheets, supposed to be good for the price.  

Allegro pricing is actually really well priced for what it is, for instance you can compare the softness of the sheet to the St. Geneve Capri, both 300TC Egyptian cottons from Italy.  The Capri fabric is a lot more expensive because they bring the fabric over in 98 different colours.  Allegro they make in 2 colours, and they make a LOT of it. Capri would be a little smoother because its not a stripe fabric.  It may sound wierd to say this because the fabric is woven by a machine...but Allegro is a lot less labour intensive.  In order to set up one of these full width looms it takes about 2 days worth of labour to tie in the warp and weft yarns by hand. 

Funny how I was prepared to spend $1200 to $1500 on a new mattress a few weeks ago. I then find this website, and am now looking at almost $4K after doing much research, between a new 100% natural Flobeds mattress, expensive sheets and a 100% cotton mattress pad. Damn'ed internet!

Anyhow, Thank you all for the great bedding education!

PS. Can anyone recommend a good detergent for washing the Egyptian Cotton sheets? I've read Woolite for darks or Tide are good, but was wondering if there are better/safer products?

As far as off the shelf detergents go the only one I would recommend is Tide Free.  

The best detergent I know of for these types of fabrics is Le Blanc Linen Wash.  It's what I use and it also smells great...although Le Blanc contains no whiteners of any kind so if you order white sheets they will have a hard time removing perspiration stains.  

Another amazing option which is very gentle on fabrics and will probably save you the $42 a year on detergent costs is to use soap nuts. I do not particularly endorse any one seller, but these guys have good info on the product.

http://www.earthsberriesoapnuts.com/

How would the Jeneve series compare to the Capri series of sheets. Both are 300TC. The Capris are made in Italy using Giza, while the Jeneves are made in Israel of a long staple cotton. Do these feel similar? I can get the Jeneves for less than $250: http://www.beddingsuperstore.com/i?store=cat&id=3674&sid=34E5BA1XUPY789

I'm just trying to decide if it is worth the extra $$$ for the Capris. Please give me your expert opinion.

Thanks for your help.