Kid’s Bedding Ensemble & A Bed-In-A-Bag – Do You Know the Difference?
By Sherrie Le MasurierShopping for kid’s bedding can be confusing. You can buy a bedding ensemble or a bed-in-a-bag; or if you rather, a quilt or duvet; or may you want to opt for a comforter or a comforter set. Oh, by the way, did you want a bed skirt or a dust ruffle to go with that?
No wonder some parents find outfitting their child’s bed with just the right kid’s bedding set a bit of a challenge and we haven’t even discussed thread counts yet.
Here are the facts…
Bedding Ensemble: A bedding ensemble can be any combination of bedspreads, pillow shams and a bed skirt. Like a kid’s bed-in-a-bag, a bedding ensemble is one of the easiest ways to change the look of a kid’s room. It is essentially a coordinated, pre-assembled kid’s bedding set that varies by the manufacturer. Furthermore, coordinating window treatments and decorative accessories like lamps, kid’s rugs, photo frames and waste paper cans are usually offered to complement bedding ensembles.
Bed in a Bag: A
bed-in-a-bag is an easy and affordable way to outfit your child’s 
Comforter Set: A comforter set includes a comforter, bed skirt and pillow sham(s). What it doesn’t come with is sheets. Depending on the manufacturer, some comforter sets may also come with throw pillows, window panels, tiebacks and valances.
Comforters: Kid’s comforters are usually filled with synthetic and add color, pattern, and interest to your kid’s room while providing a layer of insulating warmth. Comforters cover the top and sides of a mattress but typically don’t cover the pillows or the box spring.
Duvet Set: Compared to comforter sets or bed-in-a-bag sets, duvet sets typically consist of two items only - a duvet cover and matching pillow sham(s). Duvet covers are essentially pillowcases for duvets and add ornamentation to your child’s bed. A great feature of a duvet set is you don’t need to put it over an actual duvet instead you can insert a comforter that’s still good, it just no longer matches the decor of the room.
Quilts: Quilts are a lighter alternative to comforters. This traditional bedcovering is made by stitching together a top fabric, batting and a backing fabric. Quilts often feature a decorative pattern or print and are used in conjunction with pillow shams.
Bed Skirt/Dust Ruffle: Essentially, the terms bed skirt and dust ruffle are interchangeable and are way to hind your box spring and give your child’s bed a finished look. They are pieces of fabric used to cover a box spring on three sides – one with a tailored skirt and the other with a ruffle. Whether you select a dust ruffle or a tailored bed skirt both cover a typical box spring and feature a standard drop of 14 ½".
Sheet Sets: A typical sheet set comes with a flat sheet, fitted sheet and two pillow cases. A twin set comes with one pillow case.
Be sure to note the pocket size when purchasing sheet sets. Pocket size refers to the depth of the mattress the sheet can accommodate. Most standard mattresses are 12", most deep-sized mattresses are 15" and extra-deep mattresses are 18".
Fitted Sheets: A fitted sheet is also commonly referred to as a “bottom sheet”. It fits snuggly around a mattress.
Flat Sheets: A flat sheet is often referred to as a "top sheet." This is placed atop a fitted sheet and then tucked under the sides and bottoms of the mattress.
Thread Counts: The term thread count refers to the number of threads woven lengthwise and crosswise into a square inch of fabric. Tighter weaves improve comfort and durability. For example, a thread count of 200 is better than a thread count of 100.
Hopefully the above definitions of a bedding ensemble, a kid’s bed in a bag, various bed sets as well as individual bedding accessories like bed skirts and dust ruffles has been helpful in clarifying just what’s want in kid’s bedding.
Happy Shopping!
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