Here I’m taking a look at the Hudson Sheet Set from 10 Grove.
Table of Contents
First Impressions
Now when I was unpacking the sheets, the first thing I noticed is they hit you right away with the wash care instructions and some helpful tips for how to maintain the pristine look and feel of your bedding.
They also give you a very charming tote. It says “Staying in is the new going out.” Frankly, I can’t disagree.
Now, when it comes to the sheets, these are very nice sheets. I’ve been testing bedding long enough to know just by feeling when it’s a high quality fabric.
Feeling the sheets feel very strong, durable but also very impeccably smooth to the touch. I also love the style.
There are several styles available. There are four collections from which to choose but I’m testing the Percale Sheet Set in the Hudson collection.
It’s got this pretty, very stylish double border on both the top sheet and the pillowcases.
I’ve got the color in white, and Olive Martini green, but again there are other styles from which to choose.
Materials
Let’s go ahead and take a closer examination of what exactly these sheets are made of.
These sheets are made from 100 percent long-staple Egyptian cotton. They feature a 400-thread count and a percale weave.
What does that all mean? Let’s take it piece by piece.
First of all, a lot of folks are under the impression that thread count is the sole indicator of sheet quality. That’s simply not the case.
In fact, the length of the fibers, also known as staples, used to weave the bedding goes a long way in letting you know how soft, smooth and durable a sheet set is going to be.
The general rule of thumb is the longer the fiber, the more soft and durable the bedding will be.
That said, Egyptian cotton is widely regarded as one of the most superior types of cotton, because it’s known for its long, fine, supple fibers, and is picked by hand from the Nile River Valley.
Like I said, as soon as I felt this fabric I could feel how super strong and durable it is. It’s giving me this impeccably smooth hand feel that is unique to Egyptian cotton.
All right, so what about thread count?
There is a little bit of misleading advertising around thread count.
If you see a thread count that advertises, “1,800-thread count,” sometimes that might be just a little bit of a marketing ploy.
To give you a refresher about what thread count is, it refers to the individual yarns per square inch of fabric. Anywhere from 400 to 600 is considered luxuriously high.
We’ve got a 400-thread count here and it’s making for a very smooth finished product.
Lastly, when you’re on the hunt for cotton bedding, you’ll notice that you’re posed with two options, percale or sateen.
These terms refer to the weave style used to weave the bedding itself. Sateen is known for its silky smooth hand feel, whereas percale is known for its cooling crisp properties.
The sheet set is offered in both percale and sateen and I’ve got the percale. It is giving me that classically crisp cotton feel but it does have a natural sheen to it, thanks to the long-staple Egyptian cotton.
It does feel very smooth and not so starkly crisp, that it’s almost a little rough. True to a percale weave, I’m definitely feeling some really light breathability with the sheet set. Just giving me a good idea that it’s going to help me sleep cool.
What You Get?
What do you getting with each sheet set? It depends on what you chose.
Each bedding collection is offered in three options – plain and perfect, a little something extra, and the whole shebang.
Plain and perfect comes with just a fitted sheet and a set of pillowcases. The whole shebang comes with a full sheet set as well as an additional duvet cover.
What I have is a little something extra and it’s basically the full sheet set. You get the fitted sheet, top sheet and two pillowcases.
Something I liked about the pillowcases aside from the very charming double border that’s on the end, is they feature envelope closures.
That means that rather than having your pillows spilling out of the side, you’ve got it safely tucked away with an extra piece of fabric.
Now that we know exactly what the sheet set is made of, let’s recap the highlights and potential pitfalls, so you know if it’s the right set for you.
Pros
After thoroughly testing this bedding, I’m definitely putting it in the luxury sheet set category.
To be honest, there’s a lot that I’m liking about it, but just to highlight a few of my personal favorite features.
First of all, it’s made from 100 percent long-staple Egyptian cotton. It feels very smooth to the touch but I can also feel the durability. I get a good idea that it’s going to take me through many years of use.
Another thing I’m really liking as a hot sleeper, is I found the fabric to be nice and breathable. I could feel the air flowing through the fabric as I was rolling around.
There are also a lot of cool things about the brand itself. On the 10 Grove website, you can take something called the Blind Feel Test. This is ideal for sleepers who aren’t really sure whether they prefer a percale weave or a sateen weave.
When you take the Blind Feel Test, they take you through all sorts of questions about your sleep habits, your fabric preferences, whether you sleep hot or cool.
All kinds of things to get a better sense about which weave style is going to be the best match for you.
10 Grove also offers something called the swatch program wherein sleepers can actually have a swatch of the color that they’re thinking about for their bedding, sent to their home.
You can hold it up to your drapes or hold it up to your carpet or even your pajamas, just to make sure you’re getting the perfect color coordination that you want.
Another thing worth noting is that 10 Grove prides itself on offering shoppers the true Direct-to-Consumer experience which essentially means that the same mill in Italy that buys the yarn, is the same mill that weaves the fabric and the same mill that finishes the fabric.
At which point it’s sent to 10 Grove’s home base factory in Texas, where the fabric is hand cut and sewn and then shipped directly to you.
Why does this matter?
More middlemen between you and your product can often mean price markups, or inconsistent quality which is why many shoppers prefer to cut out the middleman as much as possible.
Cons
Of course, there are a few things to note about the sheet set before you make your purchase.
First of all, cotton percale does tend to wrinkle easily and this sheet set is no exception. Luckily, it is machine washable.
I pulled them out of the dryer as soon as the cycle is finished, stretch them out over the mattress. That should serve to keep the wrinkles at bay. Of course, if you can’t stand a single wrinkle, you can iron on a warm setting.
When it comes to long-staple Egyptian cotton, it does tend to come with a higher price tag. These sheets are no exception.
However, price does range quite a bit depending on the size you get, which collection you get. That said, ranging from $125 to $490 it’s just not going to be in everyone’s price range.
Alex P. Davis has a BA in Interior Design from The New York School of Interior Design and 10 years of experience expertly designing sophisticated interiors.