Swanson Beddings May 5-Piece 100% Cotton Bedding Set: Duvet Cover and Two Pillow Shams (Oversized King)

*I PAID FULL PRICE FOR THIS ITEM AND WAS NOT ASKED OR COMPENSATED FOR MY REVIEW IN ANY WAY.*I hesitated to buy this set after a few recent duds I had to return because they claimed to be 100% cotton but turned out to be cheap synthetics. I also have some kind of sickness where I'm a little obsessed with bed linens, and really picky about them. I can't do microfiber or polyester blends; they're too hot and have that slick, fake feel. Sateen or percale, Pima or Supima, Egyptian or USA-grown, I only do 100% cotton for feel, breathability, look, and longevity.OVERALL QUALITY: This set really is genuine cotton, and I was taken aback at how heavy it is. Too often when you buy online, even if you manage to get real cotton, it ends up being thin and flimsy. This set is a very good weight and a soft but smooth texture. I'm actually impressed with the weight, look, and feel of it. I found 2 loose threads that pulled away easily with no snags or unraveling. They apparently were just left behind by the cutter.PILLOW SHAMS: I saw other reviews where some people got shams that were just the light grey, and others got the darker colors. In the Q&A section the seller stated that this is random, just depending on the fabric happens to land when they cut the shams. I don't know if they're making them more uniform on purpose now, or if I just got lucky. Mine are beautiful deep plum on one side, light grey on the other, with the filigree leaf design on both sides; they're completely reversible and both have the same pattern.COLOR:. I saw the debate over whether this is more burgundy or purple, and the seller stated most people feel it is closer to burgundy. I have to disagree, and I'm actually glad. Mine definitely leans more purple, but not a Crayola or grape purple; it's a beautiful plum and deep mauve. I feel like I got lucky again there, because I really wanted more mauve/plum, not another maroon or burgundy set.PICS:. I included two pictures of the shams, one with flash and one without, to show the color in different lights. The shams are shown side by side, one plum side up and the other grey side up to show the reverse. The pics were taken when the set came straight from the dryer, no ironing, just smoothed by hand and folded to give an idea of what to expect as far as wrinkles. Genuine 100% will *always* wrinkle in the wash, if it doesn't it's fake; but this set has such good weight that the wrinkles are minimal if you take it out of the machines promptly and give it a good shake.1-STAR DEDUCTION:. I honestly would've given this set 5 stars, which is huge coming from a linen fanatic. The only reason I couldn't is because the set did have an odor. It's not really a chemical odor, just a strange smell I've noticed in a lot of fabric that have deep reds or purples, so I can only assume it's related to the dyes or dyeing process. I washed the set immediately upon receipt with Gain Original and Downy Odor Defense with Febreze scent beads. I thought it was all good, but the dye smell punched through all that once the set was dried. In the past I've just left it to air out and the dye odor dissipated after a few days, so I hope that's the case here as well.RECOMMENDATIONS: I feel very comfortable recommending this set for the overall look, feel, fabric weight, and stitch quality. I also highly recommend adding white vinegar to the pre-wash and rinse for the first washing, to keep the dark colors from fading or bleeding into the lighter shades. I had no problems with fading or bleeding so far. I also recommend airing the set out after washing it on arrival. If the dye smell doesn't go away, I'll update my review.

So far I am very happy with this duvet cover. The pattern is just like in the photo. The revere side is also very pretty with soft pastels and a more muted pattern. The background color on the back is a very very pale green. It is lovely. The material is soft and has a very nice feel to it. (It is NOT rough or scratchy). I immediately washed it, as there was a slight odor upon opening the plastic packaging. If you are a total anti-wrinkle person, you will want to iron it. I didn’t see the wrinkles as overly obvious and wasn’t about to iron a huge duvet cover. Once I put it on the bed all the wrinkles seem to disappear. I think it did shrink a tiny bit. Nothing major but I put it on the bed to see the size before I washed it, and after I washed it. And it does seem to have lost an inch or two on the width. It washed up beautifully tho - colors didn’t fade. It is soft and flexible enough to fit in my washer without a problem. I did not need to take it to a laundromat for washing because of it being oversized. I have a king down duvet and I ordered the California king duvet cover. I want a duvet cover that hangs down past the duvet inside it - more the look of a bed spread. This gives me about 2 -3 inches on each side beyond the duvet. I can’t use the corner ties (my duvet does not have corner ties anyway) so I use clips (made for this purpose) to hold the down duvet in place inside the cover. This cover (Cal King) is nice and long and the way it hangs down at the end, over the sides, and comes up far over the bed pillows is exactly what I want. The pillow shams have about an inch to inch and a half border on them, which makes them look really nice on the bed. Overall, I am very happy with this duvet cover - it is exactly what I wanted. I am glad I went with the California King size rather than just the king cover. The extra room allows for a nice look as it hangs down over the sides and I don’t worry about shrinkage!

The product was not exactly as pictured. There was some striping and color blending stripes that you can see up close that isn’t pictured that make the product look dated. It’s definitely more purple not burgundy. If it were 1994 and I was a pimp, this would be what’s up. One big zipper. Easy to load comforter. Reversible, so that’s kind of nice. I don’t know. Its preference. I don’t mind it but my wife isn’t a fan.

Wonderful material which washes and dries beautifully. Remove from dryer upon completion and no ironing needed.

Love the colors and It was easier to insert the duvet than my old one that didn't open very far. At first I couldn't find the zipper. But after posting a question and was told it was hidden several inches above the bottom on the reverse side. Never would have looked there. Although that prohibits it from being reversible. That's the reason it got 4 stars.

Pattern and color are perfect for my lifestyle and budget. I loved my old comforter, but it was looking threadbare. I found this duvet cover. I can't beat the value. I bought a king and it fit perfectly over my old king comforter.I will have to buy a few kIng sized pillow to fill out the shams and the pillow cases. They washed up really nicely! I hate microfiber with every fiber of my being and these are so soft and cozy I don't mind the wrinkles!

So the picture made it look more redish which is what I was looking for and it turns out to be more purple then red. This would have been a problem it I didn't end up liking it so much. It works with the red times in the wood in my room and purple is my favorit. It doesn't match the sheets I have (which are more red then purple) but it really like it anyway. The material is soft and it fit my queen bed perfectly. I have a king size down comforter that fit in it well and because of the size difference it's really fluffy now. All in all I'm very happy but if you are wanting something red not purple do not pick this one.