Q: My husband and I have IKEA mattresses in both of the two bedrooms in our apartment. They are super comfortable to sleep on, but they are also only about 8 inches thick, which makes it nearly impossible to find a nice quality, good thread count, set of sheets to fit them!
The smallest fitted sheets I can find on the regular market "fit up to 15 inches", and even the "nice" sheets at IKEA "fit up to 11 3/4 inches." The sheets just get bunchy when you sleep and it's pretty annoying. Do you know of anywhere that sells really nice sheets for smaller mattresses? Or have any tips on getting sheets that are too big to fit better? There have to be some fellow New Yorkers out there with this problem!
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They have mattress clips that look sort of like suspenders - an elastic band with clips at either end. Google sheet suspenders or sheet grippers.
You might try to try sheet straps to pull the bunching under the mattress. Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/HomeDeluxe-Deluxe-Sheet-Straps/dp/B002DN6COU
If you add a feather bed (in the winter) it will be even more comfortable and the extra space in your fitted sheets will be filled up.
This may be a bit inconvenient and perhaps out-of-budget (I received mine as a birthday present), but I use this as a bottom sheet:
http://roughlinen.com/smooth_white_sheets.html
It takes a bit longer to make the bed the "old-fashioned" way, with the tucking & all, but it stays in place and I love the feel of the fabric.
If the linen elastic-less sheet is too pricey, perhaps getting a king flat sheet and trying that out?
The average flat sheet isn't long enough to tuck under both the head and foot of the mattress. In the olden days, before fitted sheets, you lined up the bottom edge of the bottom flat sheet with the edge of the mattress, and only tucked the top edge under. Then you tucked the upper sheet under the bottom end of the mattress, which supposedly held the bottom sheet in place. (This never worked well for me, when I was a kid. And it basically means that you entirely remake your bed every morning.) This problem could be overcome by sewing a strip of fabric along one end of the flat sheet, to make it longer.
The Vermont Country Store sells 100% cotton sheets for "slender" mattresses. They are designed for a 9" mattress.
They make clips that slide onto the edge of the mattress, over the sheet, to help hold it on. I find them easier to use than the elastic suspender things. If you use a fitted mattress pad that is also too big, you might consider getting clips/suspenders for that, as well.
You are not alone in your search for decent fitted sheets, by the way. I have this same complaint, and I've seen in posted in several forums.
Love the comforter/duvet! Does anyone know where I can find it or something similar??
Perhaps sizing down will help - maybe try using a full-sized sheet for a queen-sized bed? This works perfectly for my sleeper sofa.
Last time I was at Target, they had only 18" sheets. I found some 13" at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, but they are super cheapo and come out of the dryer the worst wrinkled mess I've ever seen. BB&B carries some 15" Wamsutta sheets that are pretty reasonable. This is the best I've found lately for my old mattress.
Why can't you just buy a king sized flat sheet? Is there a reason it has to be fitted?
@RuthTooth - I grew up using two flat sheets on my bed. The bottom flat sheet doesn't stay tucked in very long. Most mornings, I had to completely un-make my bed in order to re-make it with an unwrinkled, unbunched-up bottom sheet. The standard flat sheet is not long enough to cover a mattress and be tucked under the edge of the mattress at both top and bottom. If you move around at all while you are sleeping, the bottom sheet ends up a total mess, rumpled and wrinkled and not tucked in at all.
You can use two flat sheets. But fitted sheets, if you can find the right size, work much, much better.
And a little bit of bed-making history. Back when people used two flat sheets on their beds, many frugal people, or people trying to reduce their laundry load, used each sheet twice. A new top sheet every week, with the used top sheet from the week before switching to use as the bottom sheet. The theory was that you really didn't get the top sheet dirty, because it was resting on top of you, while you might get the bottom sheet dirty, because you were lying on top of it. This reduced the bedding laundry in a household by half.
I have an EDSELE and find that my sheets from Lands End and LL bean stay on fine with out bunching. They have lots and lots of elastic all the way around and I think than makes the difference.
I have a king sized ELSFJORD mattress from Ikea, even thinner, and have found some sheets at Target that have been AMAZING. The fitted and flat sheets are sold separately, and if I remember correctly the fitted sheet is labeled as fitting mattresses from 9" to 20", because there is a stretch panel at the head and foot. The Elsfjord is only about 6" thick -- very hard to fit! -- and, again, these sheets ended up being so perfect I have gone back for 2 extra white sets. No slippage, very soft, seem higher quality than affordable price and thread count would indicate.
After a quick look online I *think* they are these: http://www.target.com/p/target-home-ultra-soft-300-thread-count-fitted-sheet-flat-sheet-and-pillowcases-collection/-/A-13973178
based on the color selection. I really can't say enough good things about them. Hope this helps someone else!