Just as with fitted sheets for a traditional mattress, a properly fitted sheet for your waterbed can make a big difference. A waterbed sheet that does not fit well can be prone to several problems that will make you feel that the money you just laid out for that new set of sheets was not very well spent.

Now there is a big difference between waterbed sheets that are inexpensive and just plain cheap. Sheets that are just plain cheap are that way for several reasons. As with any consumer product, poorly made waterbed sheets are often made in a way that saves money for the manufacturer. Unfortunately any short term cost savings to the manufacturer can actually be more costly in the long run through lost sales.

The advent of large scale online shopping and big box retailing has created competitive pressures in the market that some producers try to deal with in all the wrong ways. Some manufacturers try to cut costs by using materials that are not as high in quality. Another way to trim production costs is to change manufacturing methods. Still another manufacturing short cut is to reduce the number of quality control steps that might otherwise be used. While these short cuts may seem like the answer and look good on paper, the results can spell disaster in a highly competitive market.

Consumers are getting smarter and the online shopping boom has aided many consumers in becoming even more informed. Consumers have access to more and better information than ever before. Internet shopping provides consumers with the ability to comparison shop without having to leave the comfort of their homes. Gone are the days when consumers had no other choice than to jump the family car and drive from store to store looking for the best deal.

I can shop for waterbed sheets from the comfort of my chair and still in my pajamas. Online shopping allows me to shop on websites that I have come to trust to deliver not just a good price but good quality and service.

Through some trial and error I discovered the pitfalls of buying cheap sheets. If the set of waterbed sheets you buy does not properly fit the mattress, you are more likely to see some problems. Some cheap waterbed sheets will be made with just a little less fabric in order to save money. The corner pockets may not be deep enough or have enough elastic material to fit securely on and under the mattress. Waking up to find that the mattress has slipped off the corners can be more than a little annoying. The stitching may pull out in critical points.

Thread count is a very important determinant of the price of waterbed sheets. The size of the sheets you need is the other. Thread count is the measure of the number of threads per square inch of fabric. There is a big difference between 200 thread count fabric and 400 thread count material. The amount of material needed to make waterbed bedding set for a California king sized waterbed is almost twice that needed for a full sized waterbed.

Higher thread count sheets will feel thicker and tend to hold their shape longer. The tougher fabric holds the stitching more securely and I think they look better coming out of the laundry than less expensive sheets. One hundred percent cotton is still my fabric of choice with a thread count of at least 400. Cotton blend fabric, made from some combination of cotton and a synthetic thread like polyester can provide you with excellent durability and are a good value.