The Best Bedding

Is your bed your favorite spot at home? Many people seem to l-o-v-e their beds, but I’ve never completely felt that way. I get in, it feels fine to be going to sleep, but it’s no great shakes. Then, after we moved, we switched to a king size mattress, so we needed new bedding. We picked out a set from the online brand Brooklinen and everything changed…

Now I love my bed so much, I actually think about it during the day. And when I climb in, I’ve caught myself whispering, “Bed bed bed bed bed bed bed,” because I’m so happy to be there. I even read more now because I want to get into bed earlier. This duvet cover in Bedford navy stripe (which gets over 500 five-star reviews) has a classic vibe that’s slightly masculine. White duvets also get instantly dirty with little kids (at least with our kids), so it’s nice to switch things up with some pattern. We’re using it with an all-season down comforter.

Brooklinen’s sheets — we have this white set — are crisp and somehow always cool to the touch. (How do they do that?) And our old pillows were either too thick or too thin; my neck would often feel cramped in the morning. But these down pillows are just right.

Founded on Kickstarter two years ago by a husband-and-wife team, Brooklinen tries to find the middle ground between plain sheets from big retail stores and expensive luxury European brands. They offer their beautiful, high-quality sheets at a fair price because they sell directly to customers online.

I honestly can’t say enough good things about Brooklinen’s bedding. (The girls at work keep making fun of me for going on and on :) I’d definitely recommend them and am so happy I’ve discovered them.

Brooklinen is giving Cup of Jo readers a discount: Get $15 off your first order using the code CUPOFJO2017, through May 31st. (Their bundles, which include pillow cases, a sheet set and a duvet cover, are a great value — 25 percent less than individual pricing.)

What are your secrets to a comfy bed? Please share your tips!

Thank you so much, Brooklinen!

(Photos by Alpha Smoot for Cup of Jo. Styling by Kate Jordan. This post is sponsored by Brooklinen, which makes linens we really love. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that support Cup of Jo.)

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Heidi Heifetz

September 10, 2018 8:41am 8:41 am

I have to add my voice to these glowing reviews for Brooklinen sheets. I just received my Luxe sheet set and have to say, I am completely UNDERWHELMED. I expected crisper, heavier sheets like the finest hotels I have stayed in. Possibly I bought the wrong set and should have bought the other type they offer but since there were no swatches of all three that I could have checked I had to wing it for $150. Now I feel a bit TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF. It would be nice if Brooklinen were to offer to send me their classic set to try.

MaryS

August 16, 2018 12:39pm 12:39 pm

Thanks for your review and intro to Brooklinen. I don’t mind paying a bit more for quality and that’s what I expect when I get my first order. I also used your discount code and the site offered free shipping, so my order is around $115.

Alex Wallace

June 7, 2018 10:29pm 10:29 pm

For those uninformed people that think that shearing sheep is inhumane (and/or that they are killed for their fleece) THIS is what happens when you don’t shear them regularly. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3220414/Enormous-Canberra-sheep-overgrown-fleece-gets-haircut-years.html

Bel

May 3, 2018 10:06am 10:06 am

Clearly not a post geared to working middle class families who can’t afford to spend 100+ on sheets.

Reply to Bel

June 6, 2018 1:27am 1:27 am

OK – I spent about $125 on a set two years ago, wash them every 3 days and they are just keep getting softer.

Wamsutta sheets at Bed Bath and Beyond cost nearly as much and after six months are nasty.

I buy based on a Cost-per-Wearing formulat – and these sheets busted through all my expectations. A new set I asked for and received for Christmas from my mum & dad is still in the box – the current set is nowhere near ready to retire.

Alma Maynard

March 29, 2018 5:37pm 5:37 pm

I have a poodle-mix dog. I have him sheared every spring. If I don’t, he is way too hot in the Texas summers. He doesn’t stay out all day in the heat but why should he suffer when he is out? I think shearing sheep every spring is being good to them. It is also providing humans with warmth and comfort. I won’t eat mutton or veal. I don’t eat very much meat of other sorts either but as long as the animal is killed for food, I don’t have a problem with it.

Joan

Reply to Alma Maynard

March 30, 2018 12:50pm 12:50 pm

Interesting story…(smh)

JASMINIA G

Reply to Alma Maynard

May 2, 2018 12:00am 12:00 am

YOU HAVE MADE MY DAY LOL

Erica

March 12, 2018 1:07am 1:07 am

I don’t suppose they use organic/GOTS certified cotton? I’ve vowed not to buy anything else for bed/bath linens from now on (really, any other type of cotton…)

Beatrice

February 25, 2018 5:31pm 5:31 pm

I’ve never tried Brooklinene, but I have Peacock Alley, Sferra, Boll and Branch and Thomas Lee. The Thomas Lee are the best hands down. they are the closest I have found to the percale of yester-year. And when they come off of the clothesline it’s like making your bed up with sunshine.

Maggie

January 17, 2018 2:49pm 2:49 pm

Unable to locate a spirited away set of my grandmother’s crisp white sheets, I have been in search of a close second for years. I have bought many very expensive brands, only to fold them up and hand off to a grateful sister or her kin.
And then I found Brooklinen. Love at first sight and sleep. Six months in and many washes later, the sheets are perfect. And a great bargain. And I use the cloth bag to bring my shoes to work!

FrecklesUSA

November 27, 2017 3:35pm 3:35 pm

Bed tip: keep a brush/handbroom (normally used for the car –I bought mine at PEP Boys) handy for clearing/cleaning off both bed linen and top cover/comforter of crumbs, hair, dead skin, or whatever else until its time for laundry.

Inson Wood

November 7, 2017 9:13pm 9:13 pm

Not typically a direct to consumer on line type of shopper – Brooklinen is one of the few internet stores I can confidently recommend. Brooklinen sheets are fantastic when you want amazing quality and aren’t quite ready to use Pratesi on an every day basis or simply aren’t willing to fork out 10k on bed linens. Their Duvet is simply to die for – the perfect linens for everyday use or that Hamptons home with multiple guest rooms.

Anne

August 27, 2017 5:11pm 5:11 pm

I just got my fitted sheet and I was seriously underwhelmed…these sheets are way overhyped by the company. Bed Bath and Beyond sells higher quality sheets. Ive washed it 4x and it’ll be a back up sheet…not nearly soft enough. I told the company what I thought….these are the kind of sheets a kid just out of college should buy.

Cindy

August 18, 2017 9:56pm 9:56 pm

I bought the Brooklinen sheets and was underwhelmed. They touted themselves as the best sheets and on and on. They were OK but not the best I’ve had. Their thread count seemed kind of low. In fact, nowhere did I find a label that said how much the thread count was. I think they exaggerated in their advertising.

Reply to Cindy

January 18, 2018 3:01pm 3:01 pm

Which style sheet did you get?

Reply to Cindy

May 31, 2018 11:09am 11:09 am

Believe it or not, thread counts mean absolutely nothing when referring to quality. A thread can be made of polyester, or the cheapest and lowest grade of cotton and you can still make a 500-1000 thread count sheet with that. Some manufacturers count a two ply thread (two threads twisted together to make one thicker thread) as two threads instead of one. The only standard of quality when it comes to “threads” is what that thread is made of. Egyptian cotton is a very long fiber which lends itself to creating a very strong yet soft and one thread. A 200 thread count Egyptian cotton sheet is much better than a 500 count cheap cotton sheet. A 500 thread count Egyptian cotton sheet will feel noticeably thicker and heavier, which depending on your preference, could be better or not.

Michael Kelley

March 11, 2017 11:16pm 11:16 pm

If you believe the TC printed on sheet advertising, I’ve got some ocean front property in Arizona I’d love to sell you.

Monica

January 4, 2017 1:02pm 1:02 pm

Thank you for using lambs wool. My husbands grandmother made her mattress out of it and every year she would take it apart and wash the stuffing and let it air dry, then re-stuff the mattress. It was such a comfortable bed, warm and completely breathable. She had pillows that I was able to have handed down. She was from a ranching area and people used what they had around them to live. And those lambs? They have to be sheared. If people don’t think so, try walking a mile in all that fluff that has been growing for years and years…I’d call THAT inhumane.

Jenny

Reply to Monica

January 11, 2017 2:46pm 2:46 pm

A lot of animals coats actually insulate them from the warm or cold, but go on with yer bad self….its inhumane. Im sure lambs had an evolutionary plan to grow coats so hot that if the hands of a human dont intervene, its….well, inhumane. Hahahahahha

allie

Reply to Monica

January 11, 2017 5:45pm 5:45 pm

Lambs wool sounds great. Im not sure why so many people on hear think it inhuman. Lambs have to be sheared every year and it does not harm them. Large scale livestock farming in general can be inhuman because profit can become more important than the animals well being, but if buyers are willing to pay more for better cared for animals the market will likely shift. I know lots of local people who own small herds of pet lambs that are well cared for, I wonder how difficult if would be to make a lamb wool topper?

Diane

Reply to Monica

October 16, 2017 12:28am 12:28 am

Some truly bizarre comments about lambs wool. Do these people think the animals are killed for their wool? Wool is way more environmentally friendly than synthetics. It’s a renewable resource and sheep are not factory farmed.

Thomas

Reply to Monica

October 28, 2017 2:55pm 2:55 pm

Jenny’s comment made me laugh. Do you think she has ever been on a farm?

Roger Williams

January 2, 2017 7:07pm 7:07 pm

One added wonder, if it hasn’t been mentioned above: Under the sheets there should be a lambswool mattress cover. They are available from a number of suppliers, but real lambs wool is a good bet for the very young and very old (read “leakage”) as well as anyone in the middle (think luxury warmth). They can be washed in a home washer, and are warm to the touch.

Moreover, if you made the king out of two mattresses, the thicker lambswool king-size is the best crack cover I have found so far. Better than the foam inserts, better than nothing.

Caroline Satterfield

Reply to Roger Williams

January 3, 2017 9:15am 9:15 am

This all sounds good, and at a different time in my life I would have jumped on this product. I’m still using my down products, but will no longer be purchasing any more, There are reasonable substitutes. The fact that “real” lambswool is being promoted is very upsetting. I wish producers of bedding would start to think of these issues. You could reach a whole different market. Just because people are trying to be animal and environmentally friendly doesn’t mean we’re poor and can’t afford luxury.

Kathy Barry

Reply to Roger Williams

November 26, 2017 11:28pm 11:28 pm

Roger,
Do you realize “better than nothing” means it is NOT better than ANYTHING?
I think you meant to say “better than anything,” no?

Maria

December 16, 2016 8:16am 8:16 am

Always on the look out for a great sheet set at the bargain stores. This helps! ;). Of the subject…where did you get that reading light in the photo. Ive been looking for something just like it.

Thanks! Maria

Tawni

December 12, 2016 1:42am 1:42 am

Your bedroom is so dreamy and calming. Can’t wait to see the rest of your apartment!

Shira

December 11, 2016 2:00pm 2:00 pm

I do not “get” duvets! I have one now, and I hate it. Even with the ties on every corner, the middle of the edges get bunched up, and I never wash it because it’s such a pain in the butt to put on (yes, I’ve seen the YouTube “trick,” but couldn’t make it work in real life). I love the print on my duvet and wish I could just get it as a comforter!!

Susan

Reply to Shira

January 11, 2017 2:22pm 2:22 pm

I hate duvets too! My mom, who is very stylish, just puts her duvet on top of everything instead of putting the instert inside. It looks much more crisp rather than fluffy.

gertie

Reply to Shira

February 21, 2017 12:25pm 12:25 pm

Hi Shira,
My hubby kept “bugging” me for a duvet, ( from his European days)…I found that its the way you setup/make the bed…regarding the top sheet also.. I found that a segmented down blanket worked much better as all the down does not get bunched, and I also found ” corner clips” ( bed bath beyond type etc) that secure the comforter to the duvet at 4 corners ( Large black/silver document paper clips work well also ) Then I placed another comforter ( from a previous bed set Maybe a bed in a bag type as its not to be seen) and place it in there and USE IT AS A COMFORTER! Sewing it and making that Duvet Cover YOUR NEW COMFORTER!! Just some thoughts… Best wishes and ZZZZzzzzzzzzz

Susan P.

Reply to Shira

April 2, 2017 6:20pm 6:20 pm

Bed, Bath & Beyond sells “clips” that are “fabric-friendly” and covered with a thin layer of foam. I’ve been using them for ages to hold my down comforters inside the duvet cover(s). They also make small plastic snapping holders which you could place anywhere on the sides, edges, corners, etc. of the comforter to hold it securely in place. As for price, the sets are under $10, some even less. I’ve found them very handy to have around!

vanessa

December 9, 2016 9:01pm 9:01 pm

who makes the bronze sconce beside the bed? on my husband’s christmas list!

Martha

December 9, 2016 2:57pm 2:57 pm

LOVE Brooklinen! Bought a set a couple of months ago when we downsized to a queen bed. They are the best sheets I’ve ever owned. And I’m with you on the looking-forward-to-bedtime thing. Crisp and cool and oh so luxurious. They’re magic. Such a great find.

Dottie Louise

December 9, 2016 2:36pm 2:36 pm

I totally get what you mean! I’m currently in the ‘not-so-in-love-with-my-bed’ category. I hope to change this soon! Our sheets are great, 100% cotton and white, but our comforter on the other hand is pilling and feels of a much lesser quality. I was thinking about making my own comforter, like to sew one, but we’re planning on changing our bed size in the future so it’s hard to commit to a large sewing project that might not fit our needs for very long. Decisions, decisions!

I love your bedding choice though, I’m off to look through Brooklinen now! Great post!

Samantha

December 9, 2016 12:33pm 12:33 pm

LOVE the look of the Bedford navy stripe. I’ve never really “loved” my bed either, so maybe I’ll have to try these… ;)
http://www.wonderlandsam.com

Kim McLean

December 9, 2016 12:04pm 12:04 pm

Ohmygosh, we JUST got our hardcore set, we ordered them on Black Friday! I chose the Bedford stripe in grey, so lovely. This has me pumped! I’m going to wash them this weekend!

Sarah

December 9, 2016 12:00pm 12:00 pm

I’m obsessed with Smart Bedding. I tried another brand of linen bedding, Melange Home before trying to save like $50, but I just never loved it. I got the Smart Bedding and it was instant obsession, both my husband and I. The design is genius, snapping the top sheet to the duvet cover so you never get tangled up sheets. And the linen is so far superior to anything else I’ve felt, so soft right of the bat. Amazing customer service when I had a return and questions and great price.

Nicole

December 9, 2016 11:07am 11:07 am

Just an FYI to those who may order these- they are super scratchy at first. I was SO disappointed because all I had read online were rave reviews. Luckily, after about 5-6 washes, they felt much less scratchy. So, now I do like them, but I definitely felt like I got scammed by their marketing. I realize now that they only post 5 star reviews on their website. I wrote a review with less stars and it was not published- I feel this is pretty deceptive. I suppose that is their right, but don’t be fooled!

Anyway, I do like the sheets now, but it was a lesson to me to not be tricked by clever/pervasive internet marketing.

Ashley

Reply to Nicole

December 9, 2016 11:46am 11:46 am

Thanks for the heads up!

Kristin

Reply to Nicole

December 10, 2016 7:06am 7:06 am

Do you rally like them now? 5-6 washes is a lot! Are they silky feeling or cotton like?

Reply to Nicole

January 11, 2017 2:26pm 2:26 pm

I had the exact opposite experience actually! Their Luxe sheets were incredibly soft right from the first use. I followed their instructions to wash once before initial use and they felt exactly how you want your sheets to feel on your body. With each follow up washing, they have gotten even softer without losing their quality and substance.

And regarding their clever marketing, seems like their products speak for themselves!

Sam @ Hygge Wellness

December 9, 2016 10:51am 10:51 am

These sheets look so comfortable! I love that it’s a husband/wife team behind the business. Thanks for sharing!

http://hyggewellness.com/blog

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