Have you ever stayed in a hotel, like the JW Marriot, and fell in love with the bedding? Well I recently stayed at the Marriot in San Diego and could not believe how comfortable the bedding was, especially the duvet comforter. Now I have all the same crap on my bed…the duvet, the sheets, the mattress pillow, but my bed does not feel this way. It is not as comfortable, period. The duvet comforter was lofty and didn’t crush like mine and I did not die of heat stroke! So what is the difference?

Exquisite bedding

When shopping for bedding there are three major things to be considered, four if you want ultimate and unbelievable comfort. Here are my suggestions:

1) Sheets-

Bottom line, buy the BEST you can afford. Most people go straight for the thread count. While this is a defining factor for comparing quality, read the fine print! Bed, bath and beyond sells a 1000 thread count sheet set for less than $250. While this may seem like a bargain, you will quickly find them pilling and falling apart. Sheet Companies can skew the truth by ply of the fabric. Ply is how many threads are wrapped together to make one single thread of cotton. In other words, let’s say the company ties three threads together to make one big thread, an otherwise deemed 200 thread count sheet set can now be deemed as 600 thread count. Case in point, 1000 thread count is typically not necessary. Buy from a reputable company like Frette, Anichini, or VERSAI to get the best in luxury and cost should run a minimum of $500 and up for a good quality set that will last at least 20 years.

How to get the softest sheets

2) Duvet-

Duvets are fluffy and can seem like an easy buy, but many factors come into play when making a purchase. If you have purchased a duvet and it has fallen flat on your bed you have purchased a low quality fill. There are two important things when purchasing a duvet comforter, fill power and sewn through construction. Fill power which is essentially the quality of the down giving it loftiness. The higher the fill power the better the quality. It also allows more air into the pocket making it more fluffy….which equals lofty! The sewn in construction is also very important. You want a box or diamond sewn through construction. This guarantees that the down doesn’t shift or move, giving you ultimate comfort and fluffiness.

3) Pillows

Pillows are definitely a personal preference. But if you are not allergic to down or feathers, it brings the ultimate in comfort. Choose a pillow with feathers in the interior of the pillow for firmness, and down on the outer pillow for softness and comfort. Most pillows come with three options, soft, medium, and firm. Feathers are always the best options for everything because they are squishy and have give when you lay on them.

Bed pillows

Featherbed

Finally, if the above options were not enough, every comfy bed must have a featherbed. Their fill power should be at least 400 or more and contain both down and feathers for the ultimate in support and comfort. Having a featherbed envelops you for the perfect nights sleep and also adds warmth in the winter.