Size of beds, cost of bedding

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Buscador

Newbie

Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 7
Location: Nanjing, China
Status: Offline

Posted: Sep 21, 2004 - 02:06 AM
Post subject: Size of beds, cost of bedding

I will be moving to Nanjing next month and since there are not enough English speaking westerners in Nanjing to have a decent forum, I have been checking this one out. I have two somewhat related questions:

1. What size are the beds I am likely to find in a furnished apartment? In Taiwan, they are generally 150cm x 180cm, as opposed to the 150cm x 200cm or so Queen size I was used to in the USA. So what should I expect in China?

2. How much is bedding? The lower end stuff is ridiculously expensive here in Taiwan for the quality--roughly twice US prices--and finding anything that does not have flowers or something cute on it is difficult at any price.

Magnolia
Board Biatch

Joined: June 01, 2004
Posts: 31098

Posted: Sep 22, 2004 - 03:01 PM

I wrote a long reply to this the other day ... it is gone now. maybe in the transition to the new site design, although it shows that there have been responses. Will look again tomorrow. Hope you got to see it ... good luck with your move!

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BOYCOTT BENSON SALON

Buscador

Newbie

Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 7
Location: Nanjing, China
Status: Offline

Posted: Sep 23, 2004 - 11:47 PM

Hi Magnolia, unfortunately I did not see it. I appreciate the time you obviously put into it. Could you possibly summarize it for me? I especially need to know the size to expect before next Monday, so I know whhether to bring my bedding from Taiwan. Thanks for the good wishes.

Magnolia
Board Biatch

Joined: June 01, 2004
Posts: 31098

Posted: Sep 24, 2004 - 09:58 AM

Ok ... here goes.

The standard bed sizes in Shanghai are 150x200 or 180x200. However, please note that not all frames are standardized, which means that sometimes a custom matress has been made to fit the frame. Not too common, but does happen (has happened to me). The US sizes are different than those in China. I had to have 10 US Full mattresses made for a showroom because the standard China sizes would not work with US sheets and duvets, comforters, quilts, etc.

Note that China (not sure about Tawain) uses a platform system so there is no boxspring on most beds. Just a mattress, which can often be thinner and more firm than US mattresses (not too many pillow tops here). Accordingly, the fitted sheets do not have deep pockets. You can easily purchase pads, eggcrates or lambswool covers to help make the bed more comfortable.

Linens. Can be puchased in many places throughout the city. Small shops, Carrefour, department stores, Ikea. The quality is mid level and the prices not too bad. Most sets will be sold with a fitted (although it does not have the elastic banding in some cases) sheet, duvet and two pillowcases. Sometimes you can find a flat sheet should you prefer to use two sheets. Although it often cofuses the Ayi and the bed in made strangely.

To be honest, the lower thread counts work well here because the dryers are very small which causes lots of wrinkling of the higher count sheets. I don't like laundry druing outside, but this is a personal choice. If it doesn't bother you, then you can purchase higher count sheets and not have to worry about ironing them if you have them dryed outside.

Many brands are available, Aussino, Esprit, and lots of local and imported ones. The designs are usually pretty colorful and yes, there are a good number of florals. It took me over one year to find something that was remotely decent ... and I paid an arm and a leg. It is not something I would even have considered at home. But it is fine and better than what I did have.

Best of luck with your move!

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BOYCOTT BENSON SALON

Buscador

Newbie

Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 7
Location: Nanjing, China
Status: Offline

Posted: Oct 15, 2004 - 04:09 PM

Thanks for the info, Magnolia. Based on your info, I gave my Taiwanese bedding to a friend, and left my US bedding in storage in the US. Of course, as luck would have it, Nanjing appears to be different from Shanghai. The beds I have been seeing here appear to be exactly like my 150 x 180 bed in Taiwan, so now I wish I had brought the nice solid blue bedding it took me months to find in Taipei. Of well, those are the breaks.

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It ain't so much the things you don't know that get you in trouble. It's the things you know that just ain't so. -Artimus Ward