Flat sheets versus fitted sheets

The only problem with fitted sheets, as I see it, is that they may shrink. Given that in my experience they tend to vary considerably in fit, this may or may not be a good thing. With one of my fitted sheets, it's a constant battle to get all four corners on the mattress, and I swear it's getting worse after washing.

 

what are they made pf Wits End? i not experienced this but then i only wash at 30/40deg. I have a couple of cotton ones & one 'cool comfort' which is cotton + tencel.

 

It depends what the mattress is sat on ie the the divan/frame and whether the mattress sits 'in' or 'on' it and how deep that part is.

I found Tielle fitted sheets fit a deep mattress with a topper on. But as the mattress needs to be lifted up from the frame to plop the corners round it and I also have various injuries as well as ME I haven't been able to do that myself for a few years.

I don't know whether if it is just a flat base your mattress is on a flat sheet or fitted would be more possible to just try and tuck the corners under without lifting the mattress?

 

Ha! I had similar with Argos and CD player (I know - discussion for another time explaining that but yes it was this year). Apparently you can't open the box and still return it via the online. After I said this was ridiculous and the reason I needed to return it was that it sounded tinny (it was a good brand so not anticipated as you would if it weren't) they, in the middle of covid, relented and said I could try returning instore.

Eventually got a relative to do this later than their returns date (because I rang up to book at return with 5 days spare, getting it to a store via someone else was a bit of a different task) and used the old 'want to swap it for something more expensive so you are actually making more money out of us' trick. But I will remember that forever. Weird they can do that now.

 

that is true. I had different brands before Tielle and a number eventually over the years got slightly smaller - eventually donating them to someone with a smaller bed and it wasn't worth the struggle and getting new ones with more depth (there was more than enough room in the deep ones I bought but I didn't see that as a bad thing - and it wasn't as I have changed beds and toppers since). I was heartened to find egyptian cotton that could be washed at 60 and didn't seem to shrink. Online is quite good for the reviews on these types of matters if you find a site where you can trust them - I just click to the 1 or 2 out of 5 ratings in order to see what issues those dissatisfied people flag up.

Whoever it was who said these things vary greatly in size etc is right. I was buying based on extreme sensitivity to not being soft enough - until I went high enough thread count I had to have someone iron my sheets and still got red raw legs and it was the sheet as had a big soft topper beneath that (I move a lot in sleep but am also just weirdly sensitive to things) so was focused on some pretty specific criteria for myself. I do just remember getting them out of the pack and realising how much more depth they had.

 

good point.

@Leila this may be the difference - i have never had a bed that wasnt a divan - so the mattress sits on top of it, so the corners of with the mattress & about an inch underneath are completely accessible.

 

I don't suppose yours happens to be one that is 'on legs', comfy and not ridiculously expensive?

I have a dogleg staircase so the 'block divan' won't get round the corner. But my woodframe bed is really tricky for that reason and hearing that you can just get under your mattress with no lifting underlines to me how if I found a magic divan that would make a big difference!

 

Ahhh that one has tip-of-tongued me now! also began with C?! often together on retail parks. going to annoy me until I remember that one .. or get so tired I give up lol!

 

Just to clarify in case it got missed - i can only get about an inch underneath without lifting the mattress - so fine for a fitted sheet, but not for a flat one.

In terms of my divan, it was bought a lot of yrs ago. Divans are usually the cheapest option when buying new, but you do have to take care if going from a slatted wooden frame, or a sprung base, to a flat top divan as its just a solid wooden board so it can make your mattress have slightly less 'give' to it.

In terms of size/stairs access, all doubles and some single divan bases come in 2 pieces. I have 'U' shaped stairs that are a bit of a nightmare, but a double divan in 2 pieces went up ok, the single though (as its longer, also had to be a 2-piece base). A U shape is likely easier than a dog leg though.

If you buy from a local firm who do their own deliveries, instead of a big national chain, you may pay slightly more, but if you asked i would imagine they might let you buy it & if it wouldnt go up the stairs would take it back & frefund you. That happened to me recently with the single bed - i'd assumed it would go up but it didnt & the firm just took it back & swapped it for a 2 piece one. They might also be willing to send their delivery men round prior to purchase to assess your stairs.
I've found local firms to be very amenable, in general, to helping however they can because competiton is fierce & they have their reputation to consider.

You could wait till they have a sale on.

Alternatively i wonder if you could get a handyman/joiner to modify your bed - put a large board across it to turn it into a divan style that the mattress sits on top of? Might be cheaper & easier?

 

Ahh it's an ikea one so a good few inches around the side of the mattress over the slatted-bottom. I didn't realise that divans had no give either - as getting a new mattress that compromise back issue when sleeping on front (ie can't be too soft) with all the other issues which would ideally have better softens means I probably would be risking things if I messed with a harder base. I tried a different slatted bed when I got the mattress and had to send it back as it made the bed rock hard - partly because the mattress fit 'too tightly' as if it was slightly wonky on the frame at one corner (the company insisted it had to be delivery men making it and taking it down so I was stuck with it for a week).

I guess it is another one of those that unless (and maybe even if) you have money to go really really expensive then it's a compromise that fits closest. I will never stop hunting (well by asking people on the off-chance) though just in case there is a wonder-base out there for me!

 

the straps of the topper go round the corners of the mattress from on top of the mattress so no easy 'pinning' way. The toppers aren't sturdy enough that it would all stay put I don't think either (I move every 20mins as I sleep stretching out etc so they'd need to be pretty secure).

I appreciate the ideas massively though. Just need ikea to start doing beds with the exact same slats but less side bits on them... you never know one day they might!

 

Comet i think

 

I bought just one fitted sheet yesterday, just to see if it did what I wanted it to do. I measured the mattress carefully. I found only one sheet in my price range of the right size and bought it. I washed it when I got home. It was dry today and so OH and I changed the bedding. I don't know if the sheet shrunk - it probably did (and someone mentioned shrinking earlier in the thread) - but despite my careful measuring and me thinking the sheet would be too big, it is actually really tight. It's usable - just - but using a sheet under tension will shorten its life, I'm sure.

So it turns out that the next size up would have been a better fit and I would also have had far more choice in that size.

 

Cotton, or polycotton, I'm not sure. Never washed above 40°C.

 

Hoorah yes that is the one!

 

We go for extra-deep fitted sheets in 100% cotton, and M&S are the most reliable source we've found. Mistakenly bought regular and deep a few times over the years and they're just not deep enough. We wash at 60 degrees 'cos of allergies, and they last. The fitted sheets always outlast the set of sheets we buy them for, so we end up using them as dust sheets. Liked the sound of Trish's idea too.

 

I've used fitted cotton sheets for decades, bought everywhere from John Lewis to Dunelm to eBay, and I can't honestly say I've had a major problem with any of them. The only slightly annoying one I've had was too deep and so had a rather looser fit on top, but I still used it for ages. I find the cheaper ones are often easier to get on, as they're thinner cotton and don't have elastic all the way around either (it's just in the corners).

My comfiest current sheet and pillowcase set came from Linens Ltd via eBay, I think. It's a nice crisp cotton sateen stripe and the sheet is dead easy to put on. I also have a really heavy grade cotton set that came from Next years ago. The quality is beautiful, but I can only get them on when my arthritic hands aren't too sore; the elastic goes all the way around the edge of the sheet and is much stronger. They stay absolutely smooth on the bed, though, and are lovely to sleep on, specially in the summer.