5 Most Durable Bedsheet Materials - A How To Choose Guide

Bed sheets are one of the most vital pieces of furnishing in our homes. On average, a person spends about one-third of their life in bed. With the work-from-home culture becoming the norm, and adults using their beds as both, a space to relax and their workspace, choosing the right bed sheet material is essential. If you are wondering about what materials are available, and what would work best for you given the place you stay in, we have it covered for you here.

Given how much time you spend in bed, and everything that your bed sheets come in contact with, one of the most cleaned objects in every household is the bed sheet. Since cleaning bed sheets involves a rigorous wash and dry cycle, at least once a week, choosing the most durable materials is of utmost importance. While some materials are great for your bedroom as far as feel and look are concerned, they may not be durable, and could end up burning a hole in your pocket.

In this article, we have put together a few of the factors that you should look into while choosing a bed sheet that is not only comfortable and pleasing to the eye, but also durable.

1. Climate

One of the most important, yet overlooked, factors is the climate that you live in. There are some bedsheets that you can use in any weather, any climate, but the atmospheric conditions of the place you call home could be a huge deciding factor in the durability of your bed sheets.

First of all, you choose a bed sheet material depending on how comfortable it keeps you during the day and night, when you spend time in bed. This is why most people, all over the world, prefer cotton bed sheets. Cotton is absorbent, light weight and comes with a host of qualities that makes it the most sought-after material globally. Whether it is a hot and humid climate, a hot and dry one or something that alternates between hot and cold, cotton bedsheets help to regulate temperature, wick moisture and retain its shape and elegance through multiple washes.

What is more, cotton bed sheets come in different weaves to suit the needs of every client. Given that good quality cotton bedsheets are highly durable, this choice is quite simple to make. When you purchase cotton bed sheets from renowned manufacturers like Blue Dahlia, you can rest assured that you are getting your money’s worth and some of the most durable cotton bed sheets available in the market.

Second, based on the outside temperatures, the fabric can fade easily when it is hung out to dry multiple times. In hot climates such as in many places in India, when bed sheets are washed and hung out to dry for a long period of time, the heat of the sun could lead to fading of the material. Therefore, choosing a material that is more durable for hot climates is integral. Cotton emerges the winner in this as well. While organic cotton and the natural dyes that are used with it could fade over time, the material remains soft and comfortable, without any pulls, rips or tears throughout its lifetime.

 2. Comfort of the material

Durability with comfort is something that makes any bed sheet appealing. The most durable materials that are also comfortable to use are cotton, linen and polyester. While cotton is renowned for how comfortable it remains from the first use to its last, linen is another material that is lightweight and popular because of its comfort. New users of linen say that the material could be scratchy and stiff when they use it for the first time.

Some varieties of cotton fibre are more durable than others, such as Egyptian cotton and the variety found in India. Linen gets more comfortable with wash, and is one of the most durable materials available in the market. However, linen is quite expensive and is not something that is budget friendly for most people.

3. Weave

The weave is another major deciding factor when it comes to how durable your bedsheet is. There are two main types of weaves- knitted and woven. The knitted bedsheets do not last as long as the woven ones. There are different types of weaves, the most popular ones being percale and sateen. While the most basic percale pattern is made of one thread over and another thread under, creating a warp and weft pattern, sateen patterns have up to four threads over a single thread. This, however, creates a weaker weave and the bed sheet may not be as durable as expected.

 4. Thread count

The thread count means the way that a fabric is woven, that is, the number of fibres per square inch. This thread count makes a huge difference when it comes to durability as well. The bedsheets from Blue Dahlia with a thread count of 280TC are lightweight, breathable and extremely durable. The bedsheets that have a thread count of 1000TC are heavier to the touch, and do not fray easily. The rule of thumb is that bedsheets with higher thread count are more durable than others. However, many bedsheets sellers have taken to creating different ways to market their brands, and even vouch for bedsheets that are 1500TC. This could prove to be a waste of your money, as ‘double ply’ bed sheets and other marketing fads do not account for the original thread count; rather, they use loopholes to make their products more interesting.

 5. User(s)

The durability of your bedsheets is largely determined by the way they are used. So, when choosing your bedsheet material, you must keep the user in mind. Are you choosing a bed sheet for the guest bedroom, which is hardly in use? Or are you choosing one for your little ball of energy who loves to jump on the bed, laze around and spend time drawing or playing on the bed? Depending on whom you are choosing the sheets for, it would be a great idea to choose one with the right thread count and material. Usually, the most preferred materials are synthetic ones such as polyester, rayon and Tencel; and the natural material, cotton.

6. Maintenance

Durability of the bedsheet also depends on how you maintain it. Cotton is again one of the most flexible materials when you choose based on the maintenance factor. Polyester, being a synthetic material, does not require much in terms of care during maintenance as well. Choose those materials that need minimal care- a mild detergent, some warm water, and flexible temperature settings. It is better to choose materials that do not require multiple wash cycles and heavy drying. A tumble dry is a great option.

If you are the kind who likes to dry your clothes by hanging them outside in the sun, then, the choice of bedsheet material should also depend on that. Some materials happen to experience a ‘pull,’ that is, they have fibres sticking up from the material. These are not great for your bedroom, though they come cheap. In the long run, these materials are not durable, and so you end up spending more than you normally would.

You can decide the material of your bedsheet based on these factors, and make an informed choice.