Textiles

Start with the need, not the set

There is no need to buy all the textiles at once. It is more practical to work out what exactly has to change or be added.

If the position of your head during sleep is not right, start with the pillow. If the nights are too warm or too cold, look at the duvet and its filling. If the main job is protecting the mattress, a mattress protector is what you need.

That approach lets each item be chosen for its function, rather than simply for belonging to one brand or one set.

How to choose a pillow

For a pillow what matters is the shape, the height, the resilience, the filling and your usual sleeping position. The same pillow will not be equally comfortable for everyone.

Those who sleep mostly on their side usually need the space between the shoulder and the head filled adequately. Sleeping on the back puts different demands on height, and for sleeping on the front an over-high pillow can be uncomfortable.

The VENETO catalogue has classic and orthopaedic constructions, versions for children, and pillows with memory materials. The properties of one filling should not be carried over to the whole category — check the composition of the particular product in its specifications.

Memory Foam and other fillings

Some of the pillows use Memory Foam — a foam that responds to load and adapts to the shape of the body. Others use fibrous and combined fillings.

Whether a pillow has Memory Foam is better checked in the specifications: the type of filling is not always obvious from the name.

The difference between fillings is felt in resilience, in how the shape recovers, in the feel of the surface and in the rules of care. So the construction of the particular pillow matters more than any general claim about the "best" type of filling.

How to choose a duvet

For a duvet the key parameters are warmth, filling, cover material and size.

The catalogue has versions for different seasonal scenarios, among them lighter duvets for the warm months and solutions for use all year round. There are products for children as well.

Do not go by the calendar season alone. In a well-heated bedroom a lighter duvet can be comfortable in winter, while a cool room in autumn will call for a warmer one.

So compare the specifications of the particular duvets, and take into account the temperature of your own bedroom and your own sensitivity to warmth.

The size of a duvet

Before ordering, check the size of the bed, the mattress and the duvet cover you intend to use.

A duvet has to suit not only the width of the sleeping area but the habits of the people sleeping under it. For two users, extra width can matter more than it does for one.

If you already have bed linen at home, the simplest thing is to check the inner size of the duvet cover first and then choose the textiles to match. Check the sizes available for a particular duvet on its current product page.

How to choose a mattress protector

A mattress protector goes on top of the mattress. Depending on its construction it can protect the surface from everyday soiling, from moisture and from wear.

Some of the products use membrane fabrics and other materials with protective properties. Check the exact composition and the rules of care in the specifications of the particular protector.

Pay attention not only to the length and the width of the mattress but to its height. Some protectors come in two versions, differing in the height of the side panel. If the mattress is around 400 mm high or more, check whether a version with a side panel matching its actual height is available.

An under-mattress pad does a different job: it goes between the mattress and the base of the bed. So the two are not interchangeable.

Materials depend on the particular product

There is no single universal composition in the textile category. Different products may use cotton, polyester materials, membrane fabrics, Memory Foam and other fillings.

So a statement like "all pillows and duvets have a 100% cotton cover" should not be carried over to the whole range without checking the particular product page.

The material has to be judged together with the function of the product: for a pillow, the properties of the filling and the construction; for a duvet, warmth and breathability; for a protector, how it fastens and what it protects against.

Textiles for children

The category has pillows and duvets for children, made for the particular scenarios of a child's sleep. In choosing such textiles, the recommendations for adult products should not be applied automatically.

For a child's pillow it is especially important to check its size, its height, its construction and its filling. For a duvet — the size, the warmth and the composition of the cover and the filling.

Go by the purpose of the particular product and by the manufacturer's age recommendations, where those are given in the specifications.

Care

Textiles with different fillings cannot be washed and dried by one rule. Before cleaning for the first time, check the recommendations for the particular product.

• Keep to the washing temperature stated by the manufacturer.
• Do not tumble dry unless the instructions allow it.
• Products with Memory Foam should not automatically be cared for in the same way as pillows with fibrous filling.
• Clean a mattress protector according to the composition of its fabric and membrane.
• Make sure the product is completely dry after washing before using it again.

Proper care matters not only for how things look but for keeping the shape and the properties of the materials.