Shopping for California King Sheets
I remember when I was young, listening to my parents complain that their queen size bed just wasn't long enough. Dad was tired of finding his feet at the end of his 6 foot 4 inch body hanging off the bottom of the bed.
Neither of them were large people, so they were more than happy with the width of their bed, and didn't need the bulk of a standard king size bed. But since they were both much taller than average, they just wanted more room for their feet. So they were thrilled when the longer California King beds became available, and they were able to buy one in the early 1980's.
Now California King beds are much more common here in the western states. To prepare for shopping for sheets for this type of bed, you'll first want to know:
Sheet Size
When you're shopping for sheets, the first thing you want to make sure of, of course, is that you're buying California King size sheets. Regular king bed sheets will not fit your bed. You need sheets designed to fit the dimensions of your Cal King mattress, which is 72€ wide x 84€ long.
You also need to make sure the sheets are deep enough to fit the thickness of your mattress, plus any mattress pillow top or cushion you have on top of it. King sheet sets are labeled with both the mattress size they cover and the thickness they can fit. Sheets that fit deeper or thicker mattresses are called deep pocket sheets. The label will indicate whether they fit 16€, 18€, or even 22€ or greater.
Look and Feel
Although I do most of my shopping online these days, when I'm shopping for new sheets I first like to go into a specialty store like Bed Bath and Beyond. There you can actually touch and feel samples of each of the bed sheets they carry.
If I find something I love, I either buy it then and there if I'm sure it's what I want, or I jot it down on my list and may end up getting it online later when I've made my final decision.
Some of the things to consider when assessing the look and feel of sheets are thread count, fabric, and design. Thread count measures how much tight the fabric weave is per square inch. I've found that the best sheets to buy have a thread count of 400-800, although 300 are sometimes nice too. Don't let this number fool you though, as it's not the only indication of quality and comfort. I've felt 1,200 count sheets that were rough and thin to the touch.
Feel different fabrics and weaves to see what you like best. I like the feel of percale cotton, as it adjust to my body temp throughout the night, and is smooth and comfortable against my skin.
Then select a color or pattern that you like and that will fit well into the overall d©cor and theme of your room.
Price
Like most things we shop for, Cal King sheets come in a wide range of prices, based on all of the factors above, and the overall quality. You can find nice simple sheet sets for under $50 at places like Target or Penney's, all the way through to luxury designer sheet sets for over $500 at department and specialty stores.
Neither of them were large people, so they were more than happy with the width of their bed, and didn't need the bulk of a standard king size bed. But since they were both much taller than average, they just wanted more room for their feet. So they were thrilled when the longer California King beds became available, and they were able to buy one in the early 1980's.
Now California King beds are much more common here in the western states. To prepare for shopping for sheets for this type of bed, you'll first want to know:
- Dimensions of your mattress - Cal King mattresses are 72 inches wide by 84 inches long
- Thickness of your mattress - Measure how deep it is from top to bottom. This is usually between 14-24 inches.
- The look and feel you want - Consider the d©cor of your bedroom and the color of comforter or bedspread that you may already have.
- The amount of money you can spend - It's always wise to have a budget in mind before starting your search.
Sheet Size
When you're shopping for sheets, the first thing you want to make sure of, of course, is that you're buying California King size sheets. Regular king bed sheets will not fit your bed. You need sheets designed to fit the dimensions of your Cal King mattress, which is 72€ wide x 84€ long.
You also need to make sure the sheets are deep enough to fit the thickness of your mattress, plus any mattress pillow top or cushion you have on top of it. King sheet sets are labeled with both the mattress size they cover and the thickness they can fit. Sheets that fit deeper or thicker mattresses are called deep pocket sheets. The label will indicate whether they fit 16€, 18€, or even 22€ or greater.
Look and Feel
Although I do most of my shopping online these days, when I'm shopping for new sheets I first like to go into a specialty store like Bed Bath and Beyond. There you can actually touch and feel samples of each of the bed sheets they carry.
If I find something I love, I either buy it then and there if I'm sure it's what I want, or I jot it down on my list and may end up getting it online later when I've made my final decision.
Some of the things to consider when assessing the look and feel of sheets are thread count, fabric, and design. Thread count measures how much tight the fabric weave is per square inch. I've found that the best sheets to buy have a thread count of 400-800, although 300 are sometimes nice too. Don't let this number fool you though, as it's not the only indication of quality and comfort. I've felt 1,200 count sheets that were rough and thin to the touch.
Feel different fabrics and weaves to see what you like best. I like the feel of percale cotton, as it adjust to my body temp throughout the night, and is smooth and comfortable against my skin.
Then select a color or pattern that you like and that will fit well into the overall d©cor and theme of your room.
Price
Like most things we shop for, Cal King sheets come in a wide range of prices, based on all of the factors above, and the overall quality. You can find nice simple sheet sets for under $50 at places like Target or Penney's, all the way through to luxury designer sheet sets for over $500 at department and specialty stores.
