Many people make the mistake of trying to use regular sheets on their waterbeds.  This doesn’t work well, because waterbeds are longer than regular beds.  In fact there’s about a 10 inch difference — most regular beds are about 74 inches long, while waterbeds generally run about 84 inches.  This is one of the most important reasons to buy real waterbed sheets: they are long enough to fit waterbeds!

Depending on the type of frame and mattress of your bed you may find it’s difficult to get your sheets on the bed, and keep them on.  There are a couple of elements that are designed into waterbed sheets that help solve these problems.  These design elements are particular to waterbed sheets alone.

First the top and fitted sheets of a waterbed sheet set are usually connected at the bottom and middle of the bed. This keeps the sheets together and helps to keep them on the bed.

The second unique design feature of waterbed sheets is called the Pole sheet.  Pole sheets are constructed with a casing in each of the corner pockets of the bottom sheet.  Once the pole is slipped through the casing, it will grab the corner of the wood frame to hold the sheet in place until you are ready to take the sheets off of the waterbed mattress.  Pole sheets make keeping your sheets on the bed very easy.

The third design feature of waterbed sheets is the inclusion of flaps on the fitted sheet that allow you to tuck in the sheet and keep it where you want it.

You will not find any of these design features in standard bed sheets, meaning that you will  have a heck of a time keeping anything but actual waterbed sheets on your waterbed.

Your best bet for saving money on waterbed sheets is to buy them in a set, along with the comforter.  That way you can save over 30% compared to buying all the components separately.  You can also find waterbed sheets on sale and in discount stores, often making them just as affordable as buying regular sheets.