Why Is Bedding So Expensive? (10 Reasons)

 

The quality of your sleep can be determined by a few factors.

One of those factors is your bedding.

If your bedding is old and starting to come apart, then you might not be as comfortable as you need to be to sleep well.

Shopping for new bedding can be a costly venture.

Considering bedding is just a bunch of cloth, you may wonder what makes it so expensive.

 

Why Is Bedding So Expensive? (10 Reasons)

 

The average price of bedding is around $100 with some sheets even costing as much as $1,000.

Bedding is expensive because of the materials it’s made of, its thread count, the quality of the bedding, certain extra features, and its brand name.

Let’s look at these factors in more detail.

 

1. Cotton Prices

 

One of the most common materials used in bedding is cotton.

Cotton is popular because it’s relatively affordable.

However, there is also expensive cotton.

Cheaper bedding tends to use low-quality cotton.

It might feel a bit scratchier against your skin.

More expensive bedding uses high-quality cotton.

High-quality cotton is more expensive because it’s rarer and takes more skill and steps to make.

Cotton farmers may need to use more resources to grow high-quality cotton.

As a result, they sell the cotton at higher prices.

Bedding manufacturers then pay higher prices for the cotton to make their sheets.

To offset their costs, they sell their items at higher prices, too.

Even cheap cotton can become expensive when cotton farmers experience problems, however.

Cotton prices have soared due to drought.

Without water, farmers have been unable to grow as much cotton as normal.

That impacts the supply of cotton.

With demand high, it makes the price of cotton expensive.

Bedding companies face higher prices, so they sell at higher prices.

Bedding is expensive because of the high price of cotton.

 

2. Silk Prices

 

One of the more expensive bedding options is silk.

Silk is a step above cotton.

For some people, it’s the pinnacle of luxury bedding.

A lot of people treasure silk for its soft and smooth texture.

It can feel extremely pleasant against your skin.

The problem with silk bedding is that it’s usually one of the most expensive types of bedding.

That’s because silk is costly to produce.

Silk comes from a specific insect called a silkworm.

When the worm is ready to grow into a butterfly, it creates a cocoon entirely made of silk.

Silk farmers then take the cocoon with the worm inside and put it into boiling water.

The worm dies, but the farmer gets silk out of the process.

The amount they receive isn’t always a lot.

It can take several silkworms before enough silk is produced to be worth selling.

As such, farmers usually need to have large silkworm farms.

That means they need to carefully feed and cultivate the worms to ensure they’re healthy.

If they become ill or die prematurely, then they won’t produce their silk.

Silk is rare and difficult to produce.

As a result, it’s an expensive material.

Bedding companies that make silk bedding tend to pay high prices for their silk.

To offset that high cost, they have to sell at high prices.

Bedding is expensive when it’s made out of silk because silk is expensive to farm.

 

3. Bamboo Prices

 

A relatively new type of bedding is bamboo.

In an effort to make bedding more eco-friendly and sustainable, some companies have started using bamboo.

Bamboo grows fast and is easy to plant.

It’s far more sustainable than other crops.

However, sourcing bamboo isn’t cheap.

Because it isn’t a mainstream material yet, there aren’t a lot of suppliers out there.

As such, bedding companies have to vie with other companies for the little supply of bamboo there is on the market.

With very little supply and high demand, the price of bamboo is also quite high.

This means bedding companies have to pay a decent amount of money to source their bamboo.

Since they’re spending a lot of money, they’re going to need to offset their costs with higher prices on their bedding.

In addition, bamboo bedding is a niche product.

Those who want to live eco-friendly lifestyles are likely going to buy bamboo bedding even if it’s expensive.

That also reinforces the price.

Bedding is expensive when it uses bamboo because sourcing bamboo is still expensive.

 

4. Thread Count

 

Another big factor that plays a role in the pricing of bedding is its thread count.

Thread count refers to the number of threads in a given square of fabric.

The more thread that a square has, the softer and denser the fabric is.

Higher thread counts are usually of higher quality.

The soft texture is something that people covet.

However, it also means that the bedding is more expensive.

High thread count makes bedding expensive because it means more work goes into the fabric.

It requires more threads, so there are more materials used to make the fabric.

It also means there’s more labor put into it.

Both material costs and labor costs are higher.

Since production costs are higher with high thread counts, the bedding company has to sell its bedding at higher prices to offset those costs.

There’s also an element of luxury to high-thread sheets.

Because they’re so soft, they’re a big hit with celebrities and wealthy people.

This gives the bedding the reputation of being a luxury item.

That means it sells at luxury prices.

Bedding is expensive because high thread counts have higher production costs.

 

5. Quality Of Fill

 

Some types of bedding use a filling to add more comfort.

The type of filling used can also add substantial cost to the bedding.

One of the most expensive fillings is down.

Down usually comes from geese or ducks.

It comes from their under plumage, which is a soft type of feather.

Ducks and geese don’t always produce a lot of under plumage, so it can take a while to get the amount needed to use for fillings.

There’s also a good deal of cost involved since the farmer has to raise their ducks and geese.

If their ducks or geese become ill or die, then they lose out on harvesting their under plumage that year and beyond.

Since down is expensive, bedding that uses natural down is also expensive.

Cheaper bedding tends to use inexpensive fillings like synthetic materials.

Because it’s made in a factory, the cost of producing the filling is quite low.

If you see expensive bedding, then there’s a good chance it’s because it has real down filling.

Bedding is expensive because natural fillings like down are expensive to source.

 

6. Hypoallergenic Properties

 

Bedding companies are aware that down can trigger allergies in some people.

Because down comes from an animal, if someone has an allergy to certain animals, then bedding that has down in it can be a real problem for them.

They might wake up with a rash on their arms and legs, for example.

To help those with allergies enjoy a night of rest, some bedding companies focus on making hypoallergenic bedding.

This bedding tends to use synthetic materials instead of natural ones.

While using synthetic materials may seem like it’d be cheaper, hypoallergenic bedding isn’t always cheap.

Some companies take it to the next level and produce high-quality synthetic fibers and filling to make their bedding.

The bedding might be extremely soft or offer other convenient features.

Others might market their bedding specifically to people who suffer from allergies.

As a result, this bedding becomes a niche product.

The company knows that some people are going to want the product badly enough that they’re willing to pay a higher price for it.

Bedding is expensive when it is marketed as hypoallergenic.

 

7. Temperature-Regulating Technology

 

One of the features of some bedding that can make it expensive is its ability to regulate its temperature.

This is particularly helpful for people who either like to be warm or cold when they sleep.

Some types of bedding use temperature-regulating technology to help a person stay warm.

They’ll capture the heat and essentially keep the individual in a cocoon of warmth.

Those who prefer to stay chilly while they sleep will also find this type of bedding helpful.

The bedding will help absorb the heat so that the individual doesn’t become too hot while they sleep.

Since they are comfortable while they sleep, they’re likely going to experience better sleep.

They might wake up feeling refreshed and energized.

To some people, paying a higher price for better sleep is well worth it.

That helps reinforce the high prices.

The production cost of bedding with temperature-controlling technology also plays a factor in its expensive price.

Whether it’s the materials, design, or engineering of the bedding, bedding touted as temperature-controlled is going to be more expensive to produce than just standard bedding.

Since it’s more expensive to make, the company will charge more for it.

Bedding is expensive when it has temperature-regulating technology because of higher production costs and demand.

 

8. Brand Name

 

The brand name of the bedding certainly plays a factor as well.

There are some brand names that have a reputation for producing luxury bedding.

Their price tends to be high because they’ve marketed themselves as producing high-quality and luxury bedding.

People who have seen their commercials are going to trust them more than a generic brand.

As a result, they tend to spend more money on bedding that comes from a well-known brand name than a generic brand.

Bedding is expensive when it comes from a well-known brand name.

 

9. Bed Sheet Size

 

The size of your bed can also determine how expensive your bedding is.

If you need bedding for a queen or king, for example, then it’s going to be more expensive than bedding for a full or a twin.

That’s because the bedding has to fit the mattress.

Bedding for a king-sized mattress is going to be made of more materials than bedding for a twin-sized mattress.

Since it’s made of more materials, the production costs are higher.

That’s especially the case if the bedding is made of an expensive material like silk or bamboo.

Bedding is expensive when you have a large bed.

 

10. Long-Lasting

 

A final reason bedding is expensive is that some of it lasts for a long time.

Expensive bedding lasts for a long time, anyway.

That’s because expensive bedding tends to be made of more expensive materials.

Those materials end up being a bit more durable than low-quality materials.

Since expensive bedding tends to last a while, it means that most consumers don’t need to replace their bedding frequently.

As a result, the company has to make as much money as it can on the initial sale to hold itself over until the consumer buys from them again.

Bedding is expensive because high-quality bedding can last a long time which encourages the company to sell at a higher price to earn as much money as possible.