Choosing bed linen for your motorhome, caravan or boat
Like us, you probably think of your motorhome, caravan or boat as a cosy home from home, or maybe it's your own mobile 5 star hotel! You’ve put a lot of thought into choosing it, so why not choose the right bed linen too.
The bed linen you would choose for home is not necessarily the right solution for your motorhome/caravan/boat. Your bed may have cut offs, rounded corners, a rounded end or be trapezium shaped, in which case rectangular duvets and sleeping bags may drape untidily and other bed linen will fit badly. Your bed will undoubtedly be larger or smaller than a normal single or double bed. It may also be difficult to make your bed because it is difficult to get at on all sides.
At Freedom Is… we provide bed linen which is hand made to fit YOUR mattresses. Whatever the shape or size of your bed, we hand make your bed linen, here in the UK, to fit perfectly. If you have a popular make of motorhome or caravan, you can just provide us with the make, model and year of manufacture and we will determine your mattress size from our records. Alternatively, you can provide us with the dimensions of your mattress and we will manufacture your bed linen to suit.
Please note that for boats we will probably need you to measure the mattress for us or provide a template if that is easier. This is due to the fact that most boats are manufactured to include a certain level of customisations so it is difficult to be sure of the mattress sizing.
Recommendations for Fixed, Shaped double beds
The fixed beds found in caravans/motorhomes/boats are normally shaped in some way and are often smaller or larger than a standard double bed. Add that to the fact that they are generally enclosed on one or both sides means that standard bed linen just does not fit, making it uncomfortable to sleep in and untidy to look at. Standard bed linen is made to overhang your bed on both sides and this is generally not possible in your caravan/motorhome or boat bed.
Sleeping Bag or Duvet?
One of the most important decision in choosing your bed linen is whether you want a sleeping bag or duvet. There are several things to consider here:
1. Are you ever cold at night in your caravan due to draughts?
2. Is your mattress less than comfortable?
3. Is your bed difficult to access for making up?
4. Is your bed against a wall?
5. Do you have to stow away your bed linen at night?
If the answer to all of these questions is NO, except for the size and shape of your bed, it is probably similar to your bed at home and so you may prefer to choose a Duvet Set.
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, we recommend that you choose a Shaped Snuglux Duo Sleeping Bag or our Snuglux Sleeping Bag. This isn’t just a sleeping bag, it has removable covers for easy laundering and you can choose the warmth you want by selecting the filling from our range of duvets. See Snuglux Duo for a more comprehensive description.
If you decide to choose a Shaped Snuglux Duo Sleeping Bag , we shape it to your bed. We have spent a lot of time and gained valuable experience in providing bed linen that is the correct size to enable a comfortable nights sleep, yet still looks good 'when you are not in it !'. Alternatively, If you would prefer to tell us the dimensions that you want it making to, that's fine!
Choosing the filling for your Snuglux Sleeping Bag or Snuglux Duvet
The weight, softness and warmth of a duvet depends on its tog rating and filling. We supply high quality Microfine duvets in a variety of tog ratings. They are hollow fibre quilts which have finer fibres for greater comfort & warmth and an easy care poly/cotton cover. They are non-allergenic and fully washable at 40ºC.
You may prefer a natural filling such as feather or Goose down, in which case, please ring us to discuss your requirements.
Choosing Your Duvet's Tog Rating
Tog ratings are based on a duvet's ability to trap warm air. The higher the tog rating, the warmer the duvet will feel. The following is a simple guide:
Lightweight summer duvet 4.5 tog
Spring/Autumn weight duvet 9 - 10.5 tog
Winter weight duvet 13.5 tog
Our combination duvets offer great flexibility. They consist of two separate duvets, a lightweight 4.5 tog for summer and a warmer 9 tog for autumn and spring. During winter, you simply put the two duvets together for a really warm 13.5 tog duvet. Or you can use a combination duvet in a Snuglux Duo sleeping bag. Use the 9 tog in the top and the 4.5 tog in the bottom or vice versa.
Choosing a Fitted Sheet
You will need a fitted sheet if you are using a Duvet/Duvet cover rather than a Sleeping Bag.
You need to ensure that your fitted sheet is the right shape for the bed, that the wall is the correct depth for your mattress and that it is sufficiently elasticated to ensure that it doesn't slip off. All of our shaped fitted sheets are made to the exact dimensions of your mattress and they are elasticated all the way round, not just on the corners, to ensure that they stay in place.
You may also want a top sheet to protect your duvet cover. For this, we provide a Semi Fitted Top sheet which is shaped to your bed and elasticated around the bottom third of the sheet to help hold it in place.
Choosing a Mattress Protector
A mattress protector helps to keep your mattress clean and free from marks and stains. Choose your mattress protector from our range of fabrics: Quilted for extra comfort, Drimat to save against spills, Fleece for a softer feel or simply Cotton for durability. Our mattress protectors are made to the same design as our fitted sheets, deeper than your mattress and elasticated all the way around, not just the corners, so that they stay in place.
Memory Foam Toppers
If your mattress is not as comfortable as you would like, you may benefit from a memory foam topper. The thicker the topper, the more effective it will be in making your bed more comfortable. We can supply a 2.5cm or 5cm (1” or 2”) topper made from a mattress grade quality of Memory Foam. For fixed double beds we generally recommend the 5cm topper as you do not need to worry about storage during the day. However, bear in mind that a double bed topper weighs about 7kg. If you have a make up bed, you will need to be able to roll up and store your topper during the day, so a 1" topper would probably be more practical.
All of our toppers are supplied with a removable Coolmax cover. COOLMAX® fabric is a performance fabric that includes an effective fibre-based moisture management system. The system can move perspiration away from the body, and through the fabric, where it can evaporate quickly, allowing you to feel cooler and more comfortable while you sleep.
Recommendations for Fixed Single beds
The Fixed Single beds found in caravans/motorhomes/boats are often smaller than a standard single bed. Add that to the fact that they are generally enclosed on one side means that standard bed linen just does not fit, making it uncomfortable to sleep in and untidy to look at. Standard bed linen is made to overhang your bed on both sides and this is generally not possible on the bed in your caravan/motorhome or boat bed.
Sleeping Bag or Duvet?
One of the most important decision in choosing your bed linen is whether you want a sleeping bag or duvet. There are several things to consider here:
1. Are you ever cold at night in your caravan due to draughts?
2. Is your mattress less than comfortable?
3. Is your bed difficult to access for making up?
4. Is your bed against a wall?
5. Do you have to stow away your bed linen at night?
If the answer to all of these questions is NO, except for the size and shape of your bed, it is probably similar to your bed at home and so you may prefer to choose a Duvet Set.
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, we recommend that you choose a Snuglux Duvet Sleeping Bag. This isn’t just a sleeping bag, it has removable covers for easy laundering and you can choose the warmth you want by selecting the filling from our range of duvets. See Snuglux Duo for a more comprehensive description.
Choosing a Fitted Sheet
You will need a fitted sheet if you decide to use a Duvet/Duvet cover rather than a Sleeping Bag.
You need to ensure that your fitted sheet is the right size for the bed, that the wall is the correct depth for your mattress and that it is sufficiently elasticated to ensure that it doesn't slip off. All of our shaped fitted sheets are made to the exact dimensions of your mattress and they are elasticated all the way round, not just on the corners, to ensure that they stay in place.
You may also want a top sheet to protect your duvet cover. For this, we provide a Semi Fitted Top sheet which is shaped to your bed and elasticated around the bottom third of the sheet to help hold it in place.
Choosing a Mattress Protector
A mattress protector helps to keep your mattress clean and free from marks and stains. Choose your mattress protector from our range of fabrics: Quilted for extra comfort, Drimat to save against spills, Fleece for a softer feel or simply Cotton for durability. Our mattress protectors are made to the same design as our fitted sheets, deeper than your mattress and elasticated all the way around, not just the corners, so that they stay in place.
Recommendations for Bunk beds
The Bunk beds found in caravans/motorhomes/boats are often smaller than a standard bunk bed. Add that to the fact that they are generally enclosed on one side means that standard bed linen just does not fit, making it uncomfortable to sleep in and untidy to look at. Standard bed linen is made to overhang your bed on both sides and this is generally not possible on the bed in your caravan/motorhome or boat bed.
Sleeping Bag or Duvet?
One of the most important decision in choosing your bed linen is whether you want a sleeping bag or duvet. There are several things to consider here:
1. Are you ever cold at night in your caravan due to draughts?
2. Is your mattress less than comfortable?
3. Is your bed difficult to access for making up?
4. Is your bed against a wall?
5. Do you have to stow away your bed linen at night?
If the answer to all of these questions is NO, except for the size and shape of your bed, it is probably similar to your bed at home and so you may prefer to choose a Duvet Set.
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, we recommend that you choose a Snuglux Duvet Sleeping Bag. This isn’t just a sleeping bag, it has removable covers for easy laundering and you can choose the warmth you want by selecting the filling from our range of duvets. See Snuglux Duo for a more comprehensive description.
Choosing a Fitted Sheet
You will need a fitted sheet if you decide to use a Duvet/Duvet cover rather than a Sleeping Bag.
You need to ensure that your fitted sheet is the right size for the bed, that the wall is the correct depth for your mattress and that it is sufficiently elasticated to ensure that it doesn't slip off. All of our shaped fitted sheets are made to the exact dimensions of your mattress and they are elasticated all the way round, not just on the corners, to ensure that they stay in place.
You may also want a top sheet to protect your duvet cover. For this, we provide a Semi Fitted Top sheet which is shaped to your bed and elasticated around the bottom third of the sheet to help hold it in place.
Choosing a Mattress Protector
A mattress protector helps to keep your mattress clean and free from marks and stains. Choose your mattress protector from our range of fabrics: Quilted for extra comfort, Drimat to save against spills, Fleece for a softer feel or simply Cotton for durability. Our mattress protectors are made to the same design as our fitted sheets, deeper than your mattress and elasticated all the way around, not just the corners, so that they stay in place.
If you have any advice on choosing bed linen for motorhomes, caravans, boats, campers etc. which I could add to this page, or if you have any comments on the contents of this page, please email me at comments@freedomis.co.uk