Finding the right sheet set is vital to getting a good night’s sleep, but with so many options on the market, it’s hard to know where to start. This 400-thread-count Pottery Barn percale sheet set claims to be especially soft and versatile. To see if these sheets were worth buying, I tested them myself, sleeping on them for several nights and evaluating their key features, from material and texture to color and fit. Read on for my insights.
Material + Texture: Smooth and cooling
This sheet set includes a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, and two pillowcases (though if you order a Twin or Twin XL size, it only comes with one). The material is 100-percent organic cotton in a percale weave, meaning the fabric is lightweight and closely woven for a crisp feel. The sheets also have a thread count of 400, meaning each square inch of fabric contains 400 threads. Generally, sheets in the 400 to 600-thread-count range tend to be sturdier and more affordable than sheets with ultra-high thread counts, but still soft—and that was definitely the case with these. Each night, these sheets felt cool to the touch but were also comfortable and inviting. While the fabric had a slight sheen to it, it’s subdued and only adds to the rich feel of the material. At first, I was worried they might be slippery, but I’d characterize the fabric as smooth rather than overly silky. I also liked that the material is Fair Trade Certified, meaning that it’s constructed using fair and safe labor practices. It’s also Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS)-certified, which means it meets high-level environmental criteria as well as social responsibility standards. All in all, you can feel good about purchasing these sheets.
Color: Calming and rich
I ordered the Porcelain Blue color in a Queen size. In the product image on Pottery Barn’s website, the sheets appear to be a very light blue, but in-person, the color is slightly richer. These sheets are also available in Navy, Gray Mist, Classic Ivory, Soft Rose, and White.
Fit: Slightly off
When I stretched the fitted sheet over each corner of my mattress, it felt stable and firm—I didn’t feel the need to be gentle with it as I have with other cotton-based bedding. However, the fit itself was a little awkward. I have a pillow-top mattress that measures about 12 inches in depth. When I pulled the fitted sheet onto the corners of my mattress, I noticed that the sheet pockets wouldn’t lay flat. This set is able to fit a mattress up to 16 inches in depth, but should your mattress fall short of that measurement, you may be left with stiff corners. After a wash, however, I noticed that the corners were slightly flatter.
Wash: Holds up well, but wrinkles easily
These sheets are machine-washable. I washed them in warm water and on a medium tumble dry, which worked great. I thought they held their form after multiple washes, but unless I put them on the bed straight out of the dryer, they wrinkled very easily. Once the fitted sheet was on my bed, the wrinkles weren’t that noticeable, but my pillowcases stayed crinkled until I slept on them for a night or two. All and all, this wasn’t a deal-breaker, but it was a bit annoying.
Price: A little expensive, but worth every penny
Retailing for $81 (Twin/Twin XL) to $119 (California King), this sheet set isn’t exactly budget-priced, but because it seems to hold up beautifully in the wash—and because the fabric is organic and ethically sourced—I think it’s a great value.
PB Classic 400-Thread-Count Organic Percale Sheet Set vs. Tuft & Needle Percale Sheet Set
This Tuft & Needle percale sheet set echoes the Pottery Barn set terms of both price and quality, although its thread count is 215 (compared with Pottery Barn’s 400). Still, the sheets look and feel very similar, except that the Tuft & Needle set doesn’t have as much of a sheen. The biggest difference between these two sets is that, unlike Pottery Barn, Tuft & Needle doesn’t specify that its sheets are Fair Trade Certified. Physically, both sets are comfortable and durable, but ethically, the Pottery Barn set is the clear winner. Need some help finding what you’re looking for? Read our review of the best organic sheets. The PB Classic 400-Thread-Count Organic Percale Sheet Set is worth its slightly higher price tag because of its durability and its cool, comfortable feel. Plus, it’s Fair Trade Certified, so you can feel especially good about buying it.
