You can order samples of their sheet fabrics from Parachute. https://www.parachutehome.com/collections/fabric-swatches
I would think many of the online distributors would be happy to send a fabric sample.
One thing about the samples at Bed Bath and Beyond is that they feel different after you wash them. If I try a new sheet set from them, I often will purchase just the pillow cases. If I don’t like them after I wash them, they I will return them. (They will take them back.) I want to try the Boll and Branch sheets when my current sheets go bad. They do come with a 30 day warranty. If you have used them and wash them a couple of times and don’t like them, you can always return them within the 30 day time frame.
Look for cotton percale- I think that refers to the weave. They feel like the great old sheets some of us remember from our youth. A few years ago, we couldn’t find them at all. (I hate sateen.) Now, lots of places offer them.
Worth looking and if you can, go to a store and feel them. You’d need something bigger to touch than a sample.
Good luck and tell us what you settle on. Good sheets are a special delight.
I am a huge fan of the Charter Club Collection Damask sheets from Macy’s. They can be pricey (particularly for king size sheet sets) but they often have discontinued colors on sale and are usually offering some type of coupon offer. They are the only sheets I buy now.
We liked our Charter Club Damask sheets until one sheet disintegrated after a washing. We’d only had them for 2 years and they weren’t used all the time. Had never had that happen to sheets before. I may try them again in the future, but don’t need any sheets now.
I have some percale sheets…and that “percale” label is NOT what it was in the old days. And it’s not consistent from brand to brand.
I’m a Wamsutta sheet fan, but they don’t make the nice crisp ones I used to buy…and I just tossed the last old set because it’s just plain worn out…really faded…grungy looking.
Sheets are such a personal thing it’s hard to recommend.
I like soft, too, but they often fall apart so fast even when paying major $$$.
LL Bean has a line of Premium Egyptian Percale sheets that I’ve been happy with so far (11 months), so much so that I’ve bought a set for every bed in the house.
I am in love with the LLBean percale sheets that I finally bought this summer. I had heard good things about them for quite a while, but a 20% off sale finally got me to pull the trigger. Not as “soft” as sateen (don’t like sateen), but something about the percale texture is just wonderful.
My biggest issue with sheets is that the fitted ones are now made to accommodate very thick mattresses. Well, our mattress is not that thick, and they bunch up after two nights. Got a couple of no-name sets at Costco that have a panel sewn at the end that keeps the sheets in place. Went back to get another set, but boom, they were all gone.
Percale is a specific type of weave - over/under in particular. I suspect your issue is more with the quality of the cotton than the actual weave. It’s easy enough to tell if a sheet is actually percale or not, just look closely at the weave.
I have found huge variations in the quality of cotton, not only from brand to brand, but even within the same style and brand from one year to the next. It’s impossible to guarantee that your favorite style of sheet you buy today is going to be the same quality as what you purchased last year.
Agree (a little bit) about percale, thumper- I think the deal is to get all cotton and not worry about the thread count being in the stratosphere. It’s part of why you need to feel it first. This difference between percale and modern was obvious to us when we got soe of MIL’s older sheets.
(I got Marriott sheets. Such a fan of Marriott bedding.)
The last couple of sets I purchased were from Nordstrom, during anniversary sale. I think they call them “organic cotton.” They’ve been OK, but don’t last forever. If I get a good LL Bean coupon I’d like to try the ones @doschicos suggested.
When I got my new mattress and adjustable bed frame, they threw in bamboo sheets. They are nice. They came with elastic bands about 18” wide, to keep the sheets in place. So, I added the elastic to my other sheets. One corner has a different color, so I don’t have to guess.
The Bill &Branch sheets are worth a look.
I have the same problem. Its very hard to find anything that fits our mattress. If anyone has any leads on soft cotton sheets that fit thinner mattresses, pass it on. TIA.
The discussion around sheets tends to be around percale (crisp) and sateen (slippery / shiny) and it is hard to find reference to that softness quality I am looking for.
It seems that some percale sheets wash into softness, but not all (or, at least, that is my experience with the Garnet Hill and Company Store percale).
Thus the importance of hearing from others who have found that “soft” quality.
Brooklinen has their twill collection, described as “our softest sheets EVER, made with premium long-staple cotton for a light and cozy feel,” but I am wondering if they are flannel-like, which is not the same as soft percale-ish cotton…
I’d put LL Bean in the soft percale-sh cotton category. They are crisp yet soft, if that makes sense, and get softer with washings. They are sturdy which contributes to their crispness.
Sounds like I should try L.L. Bean – actually, I just slept on some L.L. Bean sheets while we were on vacation, I should have paid closer attention to them.
I have not tried this myself, but this hack is supposed to make your sheets feel ultra-soft …
https://www.southernliving.com/how-to/how-to-soften-cheap-bed-sheets