We spend over 30% of our lifetime nestled in bed, and we are firm believers (and firm mattress lovers) that such a huge portion of our being ought to be spent in as much comfort as humanly possible. Our bedding and mattress choices are so personal, so to ensure you’re in with the best chance of getting that quality shut eye, take some time to explore your options and see what will work best for you.
The world of bed linen can feel somewhat overwhelming, so we have penciled in the most important things to consider for buying bed linen, and debunked some key questions you’re likely to have when it comes to finding your perfect match.
1 – Which bed linen material is best?
Our bed linen collection is made up of both linen bedding and cotton bedding, and each have differing characteristics that will ultimately come down to personal choice as to which you might prefer.
Linen Bedding
Linen is made from the fibers of the flax plant, a blue flowered crop most commonly found across Western Europe. Made in small quantities, flax is a hard fibre to work with, making linen an expensive material to produce. While linen sheets will cost more than synthetic fabrics initially, it will also long outlive non-natural alternatives that will need replacing after a couple of years, so it’s worth considering the cost-per-sleep ratio on that basis.
- Linen bedding is the ideal bed linen fabric for use all-year-round. Owing to its moisture-wicking capabilities, linen is thermoregulating ensuring your sleep isn’t disturbed during hot summer nights, and you’ll stay toasty and warm throughout winter.
- Linen not only looks better after use and washing, but the fabric also gets softer with time. It’s pre-washed too, so it’s super soft, won’t shrink, lose its shape or fade after purchase.
- Its natural crinkles evoke a relaxed feel in your bedroom and conjures a sense of calm.
Cotton Bedding
All the cotton we use across our cotton bedding collections, and cotton towels is sourced in partnership with the Better Cotton Initiative, the world’s leading sustainability initiative for cotton. Our cotton bedding is either cotton percale - the type of weave used to make this type of cotton, or seersucker cotton – a textured puckered fabric.
- The Percale weave results in a smooth, matte finish with no sheen to it.
- Its feel is cool to the touch and highly luxurious.
- Our seersucker cotton bedding offers a textured finish more like that found within linen bedding, also resulting in a more lived-in look.
- Our cotton bedding is 200 thread count.
- All our linen and cotton bedding is OEKO-Tex Standard 100 Certified, ensuring your bedding is free of any nasty chemicals and toxins that could be potentially harmful to both health and the environment.
Left: Mineral Red Ticking Stripe, Gingham and Raspberry linen bedding. Right: Warm Blue Seersucker Stripe bundle
2 – What bedding is best for my interior?
Exciting! You’ve decided on your bed linen fabric, now to decide which style or print to go for. 2023 has seen our biggest leap into prints and woven fabrics, so there is an abundance of choice. We have delved into florals with two archival prints from The Design Library: Meadow + Spring Sprig, more of everyone’s favourite: Gingham bedding in both linen and cotton styles, bold deck chair-inspired stripes, and heritage style designs – quite the selection. Our bedding is designed to sit beautifully as complete ensembles, but equally dreamy when combined with contrasting designs and colours. Take full advantage of our mix and match bundle builder – we have this function for both our linen bedding and cotton bedding options – the world is your bed linen oyster.
We also offer swatches, so you can order up to five fabric samples to see what the fabric looks and feels like in person before making your final decision.
3 – Which bedding size do I need?
Fabric sorted and your colour combo is settled, now to choose the size you need. Here is our bedding size guide to ensure you pick up the correct size:
Our product USPs:
- Inside ties to keep your duvet cover tied to your duvet, ensuring it doesn’t slip down or move while you sleep (you’ll wonder how you ever coped without them before).
- Our linen fitted sheets feature elasticated edges all the way round to make bed making easier. They’re also ideal for deep mattresses up to a depth of 40cm (16 inches) - no sneaky corners appearing on this mattress thank you!
- Buttons on our cotton duvet covers are made from eco-corozo, made from the nuts of Tagua trees, harvested naturally to avoid deforestation, and our linen duvet covers feature buttons made from coconut shell - generally considered a waste by-product of the food industry.
4 – How do I care for my bed linen?
Both our linen and cotton bedding are pre-washed, so there’s no need to wash before making your bed, but of course if you would prefer to wash beforehand, then do.
When washing your new bedding, we find simplest methods tend to work best:
- Wash your bed linen on warm once a week
- We recommend not using any fabric softeners as this can build up on the fabric, making it stiffer
- Air drying is preferable, but you can tumble dry on low – just give it a good few flicks as it comes out of the washing machine
- Crinkles are actively encouraged here at Piglet in Bed, no ironing necessary
5 – The final flourish
Finally, complete your dreamy bedding ensemble with as many or as little extras as your heart desires. Layer differing textures with throws, cushions, quilts and shams to create a final look that you can’t wait to bound into each night – we love to see your cozy bedding looks, so be sure to tag or mention us on socials @pigletinbed.
Left: Dusk Blue Ticking Stripe and Botanical Green linen bedding, with Botanical Green waffle throw. Right: Cafe au Lait Cotton bedding with Warm Blue wool blanket
