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Slim, black hangers with clothes on them on a wooden rod in a closet.

The Best Slim Space-Saving Hanger

Published by welcomeobjects

I remember when I discovered those thin flocked velvet hangers, the ones first made popular by Joy Mangano. I was living in a studio apartment in San Francisco without much closet space. My clothes needed to fit into an Ikea wardrobe. The velvet hangers were a revelation. Compared to the plastic tubular hangers I was using before, I could pack in way more with the velvet hangers. Over time, I switched all of my hangers to the velvet ones.

** this post contains affiliate links **

But one thing I didn’t consider was their longevity. Lately, whenever I pull one of these hangers out, there’s a good chance it might snap in my hand.

Three broken black velvet hangers

These flocked velvet hangers were not made to last. I never know when one is going to break on me, but it seems often.

I didn’t buy these hangers thinking I’d need to replace them. It just didn’t occur to me that hangers could break so easily. Perhaps the plastic has gotten brittle over time. (I’m not sure how long I’ve had these hangers. About seven years?)

And that, dear reader, is how we’ve come to today’s post about reliable slim hangers. Because I’ve been researching hangers after my big move.

My Hanger Search Criteria

Here’s what I looked for:

  • Thin – Because I still need to pack a lot into a small space in my NYC apartment
  • Sturdy – None of this breaking apart in your hands stuff
  • Non-slip – Can’t have clothes falling onto the floor
  • No Bumps – Must be sized appropriately for petite me. (I generally wear XS or S.) Hangers can’t be too big, which can lead to funky lumpy shapes in the shoulders.

The hanger that met all these requirements was the Mawa Silhouette Ultra-Slim Shirt Hanger.

A black slim Mawa hanger on a white surface.

Mawa Silhouette Ultra-Thin Shirt Hanger – $50.75 for 20 from Mawa. However, they are currently $39.99 for 20 on Amazon. (But the price varies. I was able to snag them at $37 for 24 on Amazon.) You can also find them on Wayfair and Food52.)

Mawa makes these hangers in Germany out of rolled metal. The company says they are committed to sustainability and environmental protection though their website is light on specifics. Mostly, they tout their hangers as being “free from toxins and harmful substances” such as heavy metals, formaldehyde, and phthalates.

While Mawa makes various styles, from the Euro Collection (designed specifically for items with wide necklines) to the BodyForm Collection (for coats and suits), I went with the Silhouette Collection for an every day shirt hanger. This line comes in two widths: standard (3/8″) and ultra thin (1/8″). Being tight on closet space, I went for the ultra thin, which is true to its name.

Two hangers placed on top of each other for comparison.

A size comparison between the Mawa hanger and a flocked hanger.

What I Like the Mawa Silhouette Ultra-Slim Shirt Hanger

  • They’re lightweight, slim, and strong. Mawa says each hanger can hold up to 8 pounds. (I have not tested this limit though.)
  • The hangers have an anti-slip coating. In my experience, clothes stay put, though it’s not 100%. Occasionally a tank top will fall.
  • The small size is petite friendly. The hanger measures 15.75″ across. (A con, however, for larger-sized or wide-necked clothing.) There’s even a petite version of this hanger that’s 14″ across should you need something smaller.
  • They’re designed to avoid weird shoulder bumps. The gently sloped curve of the hanger seems to work. I haven’t noticed any bump issues.
  • These hangers also come in an array of colors. I’ve found them in black, white, red, copper, silver, blue, pink, and yellow. It’s nice to have options. I ended going with black, which may be a little boring, but it came out to be the cheapest. Also, most of my clothes are dark, so I figured black would work well visually with my wardrobe.

Drawbacks

  • The price. At $1.60 to $2.50 each depending on where you buy them, they’re pricey compared to other hangers. (Though for some reason the petite ones are cheaper if you need 80 of them at once.) A flocked hanger goes for 60 cents each at Target. (Or only 45 cents each if buying 100 at a time.) A handsome wooden hanger from Ikea goes for about $1 a piece.
  • I’ve found that when a couple of these empty hangers are next to each other, sometimes they stick to each other. But this isn’t a big deal.
  • The only other issue I’ve run across is that the hook part of the hanger is a bit small. The wooden rod in my closet is approximately 1 3/8″ in diameter. While I can place the hangers on them no problem, they face a little resistance when I want to remove them. Sometimes, depending on where they are on the rod — it seems some parts of the rod are slightly thicker than others — I have to hold the hanger at the stem in order to extract it from the rod. Is this annoying? A little bit. But not as annoying as having hangers break on you. This shouldn’t be a problem with metal rods, which are thinner.
Closeup of the hook area of two hangers. One is larger than the other.

Size difference in the hook part of a flocked hanger versus the Mawa hanger.

I started with a 24-pack of these hangers in November and soon bought another pack. So far, so good. I’m quite pleased with them and how well they’re working out for petite clothes. My plan is to buy a new pack every now and then to replace my old hangers as they break. Even though these Mawa hangers are pricer than other brands, I’m hoping the price translates to better quality and durability.

What about skirt hangers? Good question. That entailed a more complicated search. I’ll share my pick for the best slim skirt hanger in another post.

A person with black hair standing outside in front of tall straw plants, wearing the Everlane Cheeky Jean in brown with a red-orange cardigan.

Everlane Review: The Original Cheeky Jean

Published by welcomeobjects

My only clothing purchases so far this year have been a couple pairs of jeans. With my size changing during the pandemic, I only owned one pair of jeans that fit: the Everlane Way-High Jean (reviewed here). Time for some more! I’ve had my eye on the Everlane Original Cheeky Jean for quite some time, but they were out of my size in the colors I liked for a while. With restocks and new colors coming in, I finally gave them a try.

** This post contains affiliate links, but was not produced in partnership with any brand. I bought these jeans myself. If you shop through my links, I may earn a commission. As always, all opinions are my own and I only write about items that interest me. **

The Original (or not so original) Cheeky Jean

The Original Cheeky Jean is so named to differentiate it from the ’90s Cheeky Jean, a similar Everlane jean. But these aren’t actually the original originals. These are an updated version.

The current late 2021/early 2022 iteration (what I’m calling 2.0) is an update on their first Cheeky Jean design. Here’s how they’re different, according to Everlane: “We updated this with an even higher rise, a straighter leg, and a raised back-hook seam that lifts and tightens.”

To add to the confusion, Everlane also made the Japanese Denim Cheeky Jean, which Everlane says “was previously known as the Original Cheeky Jean.” These were also known as the Cheeky Straight Jean from about 2017-2020, from what I gathered reading older posts from other bloggers. So, there’s at least three versions of “Original Cheeky Jean” out there: version 1.0 (probably called just “The Cheeky Jean”), the Japanese denim ones, and version 2.0. Maybe there are other ones that I missed. (I haven’t been closely monitoring this situation over the years.) If you’re shopping for these jeans secondhand, be careful! Make sure you’re getting the version you want.

One way to get more info is to ask sellers to take a photo of the inside tag. The Japanese denim ones were made in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, which should be listed on the tag. The 2.0 ones have “The Original Cheeky Jean. Organic Cotton” printed on the tag, as well as the location of the factory: Colombo, Sri Lanka. You can also ask for measurements. The 2.0 jeans have a higher rise at 11 3/4″ while the Japanese denim ones (and I assume the 1.0) version are 11″.

Also, there is a Curvy Cheeky Jean. It has the same high-rise, straight leg look as these various Cheeky Jeans, but Everlane adjusted the hip-to-waist ratio for those with hourglass shapes. (Which is not me, so I didn’t try them. But maybe they’re for you!)

Fabric Details

I initially ordered the Original Cheeky Jean in the washed midnight color. From the photo on their website, I thought they’d be a very dark blue. But what showed up was more of a mid blue.

Two images of the same pair of jeans: the stock photo is to the left and shows a darker blue. The actual item is on the right.

Everlane Cheeky Jean in washed midnight: As seen on the website (left) and what I received (right).

While this is not the first time the color of an item didn’t line up with what I expected while shopping online, it’s the first time it happened with Everlane. Usually, I find their photos to be pretty accurate.

I ended up sending these back after taking a poll on Instagram. (Thanks to everyone who participated!) While the washed midnight is not bad color at all — quite a classic one — it’s not for me. Shortly after I sent this pair back, Everlane released some new colors, so I rebought these jeans in coal (black) and clove (brown).

Fabric: The fabric is a 13 oz denim, a medium weight that’s similar in feel to the Way-High Jeans. They’re 98% organic cotton and 2% elastane. The tags say they’re low-stretch, which seems accurate to me. They do stretch a bit as you wear them, but not substantially so.

Everlane Cheeky Jean in two colors: black and brown, from the front.

The Everlane Cheeky Jean in coal and clove.

Everlane Cheeky Jean in two colors: black and brown, from the back.

The black rear tags on these feel like fabric, whereas on other Everlane jeans they’ve been made out of leather. Note, also, the “E” on the back pocket, which is new. Everlane jeans that I purchased in prior years — and even in the fall of 2021 — didn’t have this bit of branding.

Everlane claims these jeans are their cleanest yet. They use Roica® V550 yarn, “the first stretch yarn worldwide that isn’t made with harmful chemicals. This innovative fabric, along with the use of microplastic-free dyes and recycled trim, has allowed us to be one of the first companies to make denim that doesn’t dirty the planet.”

Where It’s Made: The Hirdaramani Factory in Colombo, Sri Lanka, which has been certified carbon neutral. While Everlane often links to a page about each of its factory, there is no page for this one. Previously, it seemed that all of their jeans were coming from the Saitex factory in Vietnam (some of their jeans still come from there), so this is a newer vendor for them.

How the Original Cheeky Jean Fits 

Here’s a 5′9″ model wearing size 27 regular in clove, according to the Everlane site. I wonder if she might actually be wearing the ankle length, though. They looked cropped. While the Original Cheeky Jean comes in both ankle and regular lengths, the clove colorway seems to be available only in ankle length.

And here I am wearing the same jeans in size 28. I’m 5′ 4″ so the ankle length falls like regular length on me. (As a petite person, I’m grateful for the ankle length option.)

Everlane Cheeky Jean in brown as worn on a person with black hair, shown from the front and back.

Original Cheeky Jean in clove  // Everlane Shirt [discontinued, similar] // dr. Liza flats [review]

Sizing: These fit true to size. I went with my normal size, a 28. For reference, my hips are about 37″. The inseam for the ankle length is 26.5″. The regular is 2″ longer.

Fit: I was looking for something with a straight, slightly tapered leg and these deliver. These jeans hug at the waist and hips and then gently skim the leg. Regular readers will know that I only wear high-rise jeans, and these also check that box for me. Everlane says the rise is 11 3/4″, but my tape measure says they’re more like 11 1/2″.

A person with dark hair, posing outside in brown Everlane Original Cheeky jean and a redish cardigan. Everlane Cheeky Jean in brown, worn by a person with leopard print boots, from the front.
Everlane Cheeky Jean in brown, worn by a person with leopard print boots, from the side. Everlane Cheeky Jean in brown, worn by a person with leopard print boots, from the back. There is a phone in one back pocket.

These jeans nip in at the waist. My body shape is kind of straight, so they’re a bit snug for me at the waist. Ditto with my thighs, which are almost too powerful for them. These jeans are not uncomfortable, but if I just ate a big meal, these would not be the pants I’d reach for. All in all, they fit snugger in the waist and thighs than the Way-High Jeans. Also, I noticed some color to color variation. The black pair felt tighter than the clove pair. I find the shape flattering all around, including the back. The high back pocket placement accentuates the booty. After all, they’re called the Cheeky Jean.

How they Wear: I’ve had these jeans for a little over a month, wearing them multiple times a week. They keep their shape throughout the day. No bagging out. No stretching a whole size. They feel pretty consistent. I washed them inside out, air dried, and they washed nicely. Over the years, I’ve found Everlane denim to be of good quality and these are no exception.

What’s the difference between the Original Cheeky Jean and the ’90s Cheeky Jean?: They’re quite similar, but there are differences: One is the fabric. The ’90s Cheeky Jean is 100% cotton while the Original has a touch of stretch. Second, the cut is a little looser in the leg with the ’90s ones. Third, the ’90s version has a button fly where as the original have a zipper fly.

I personally prefer the fit of the Original Cheeky Jean. I also can’t be bothered with button flys. So, the originals — or version 2.0 anyway — it is for me. Overall I’m happy with the fit. Styling wise, the leg works with just about everything in my wardrobe, so I find them easy to wear. Yes, I am here for that mom jean look!

UPDATE 2/24/23 – After wearing the black pair nearly every day for three weeks on vacation, I must report that they do stretch out more than I initially thought. It felt like almost a whole size! However, I’ve lost a couple pounds since I originally wrote this post and wearing them daily was admittedly kind of excessive. (I was purposefully packing very light on this trip.) So, keep that in mind. But if you’re between sizes, I’d size down to accommodate for the stretch.

I’ve reviewed a lot of Everlane over the years. You can find a directory to all my Everlane reviews here. If you found my review helpful, please consider shopping through my link. Thank you!

A gold Kallax bookshelf on gold legs with blue Drona storage cubes.

Easy Ikea Hack: Adding Legs to a Kallax Shelf

Published by welcomeobjects

Today I’m sharing a super easy Ikea hack: adding legs to a Kallax bookshelf.

Reasons for Adding Legs to Ikea Shelves

Why would you want to do such a thing?

1. It looks cool. Adding legs instantly elevates (pun intended!) the look.

2. It could make accessing stuff a little easier.

3. Depending on the height, it could create some storage space underneath.

4. In some buildings, you might have vents or radiators near the baseboards. Raising your furniture keeps from blocking them.

5. It helps with vacuuming. On the one hand, you’re creating more area to vacuum when you raise furniture off the floor. But on the other  hand, I feel like you can really get around a piece of furniture and vacuum better when it’s off the floor.

Using the Ikea Kallax as a Dresser for a Small Space

In my case, I wanted to turn a Kallax shelf into a dresser. The bedroom in my Brooklyn apartment is only 10 by 10 feet. A queen bed takes up most of the space. While I could probably squeeze a dresser in, opening it would be awkward. There’s just not enough space to both open the dresser and stand in front of it.

Most dressers are 18″ deep. Kallax is 15 3/8″ deep and those couple of inches make a difference. I also figured that cube storage is easier to access in a tight space than pulling out a whole drawer. (Another option is the Eket cabinet, which is even smaller at 13 3/4″ deep. Ikea even sells its own legs for the Eket.)

A gloss gray 2x4 ikea kallax bookshelf

Ikea Kallax in high gloss gray (color no longer available) – $99.99

To store clothes, I added Dröna foldable storage cubes. (I’ll write another post about how to organize clothes in storage cubes. It’s a bit of a challenge since at 13″ tall they’re deep.)

A glossy gray Ikea Kallax bookshelf with blue Drona storage cubes.

Drona storage box in dark blue – $6.99 (These used to be $5, but Ikea recently raised prices on a lot of items, probably due to supply chain issues.)

After I loaded up my things in the Kallax, though, I didn’t feel satisfied. Visually, it just seemed kind of heavy, especially in such a small room. So I decided to add legs. Raising it by 6 inches also made it a better height in relation to the bed.

Where to Buy Furniture Legs

There are lots of places that sell furniture legs. Honestly, shopping for the legs was the most time-consuming part of this whole process. A few places to look: home improvement stores, Amazon, and Etsy. There are also companies that specialize in this, like Prettypegs. (A word of caution: Etsy bills itself as a marketplace for handmade and artist-made items. While some folks on Etsy are artisans and woodworkers, there are lots of manufacturers that list to the platform and crosspost to Amazon too.)

For me, my requirements for furniture legs were:

  • Brass or gold colored  — I thought that would look best with the high gloss gray of my Kallax
  • Adjustable since I live in a 100-year-old building and the floors can be uneven
  • Available for purchase in a quantity of 6. To be on the safe side, I opted for 6 legs to better distribute the weight. But some sellers only offer furniture legs in sets of 4.
  • Budget of $35

I ended up buying these gold-colored aluminum legs on AliExpress. They took about a month to ship from China.

gold cylinder furniture legs

a gold furniture leg, showing the base and the leg.

Assembling the Legs onto Kallax

Adding the legs to the Kallax didn’t take long for me and the Mister. First, we placed the legs where we wanted them. Then I taped them down with painters tape.

A 2x4 Kallax bookshelf in gray with legs placed on top

Next, we made pilot holes with a nail. Just a few taps will make a hole to help guide the screw in.

The base of a leg on a Kallax, held down with painters tape. A hand is nailing a pilot hole through the base.

Then, we screwed the plate into place. Because Kallax is kind of hollow — the frame is chipboard or fiberboard, but the inside is a honeycomb filling structure made mostly of recycled paper — it’s not hard to use a screwdriver by hand.

A hand using a screwdriver to screw in a metal plate.

But of course, things go faster with a drill if you have access to one.

Hands using a drill to screw in screws to a metal plate on a Kallax bookshelf.

Once we had the metal plates in place, we screwed on the legs.

A hand screwing in a furniture leg onto the metal base connected to a gray Kallax bookshelf.

OK, here they are all in place. Time to flip it over!

Six gold legs attached to a Kallax bookshelf.

Tada!

A gray Kallax bookshelf on gold legs.

Here’s where our Kallax lives. See, I’m not kidding about it being a small room. My nightstand (the Knarrevik) is right between the bed and Kallax, so I only keep things I don’t need to access often in that bottom left cube.

A gold Kallax bookshelf on gold legs with blue Drona storage cubes.

I wish I had room to take an after photo of my Kallax with legs from the front view. But in between the very first photo in this post and this last one, my bed arrived. So, I can no longer get a clear shot of the Kallax from the front. I even contemplated moving the Kallax out to another room to get a photo for the sake of bloggery, but eh, that’s a lot of work. (If you’re curious about the bed, check out my review of the Thuma bedframe and Saatva mattress I decided on.)

It’s a small change, but I feel like the legs make a difference. It looks a little more luxe. Plus, I like to tuck my slippers under it.

If you’re thinking about adding legs to a Kallax shelf, go for it. It’s an easy transformation.

UPDATE 7/1/22 – I just noticed that Ikea is finally offering their own legs for Kallax. They sell this square-legged metal base in white and black for $27. I don’t remember seeing this option when I was furnishing my apartment in the fall of 2021, so it must be new. (The oldest review on their site for this product is from December 2021.) Not bad! Of course, hacks are still the way to go if you want a different look.

The Saatva HD mattress on a bed frame, as viewed from the side.

Saatva HD Review: This Mattress Saved My Back (plus, a promo code)

Published by welcomeobjects

When I moved in the fall, I needed a new bed. While I knew what bed frame I wanted to buy right away, the decision around which mattress to get took much longer. I checked out at least a dozen brands, from established big names to newer brands.

Well, it’s no surprise from the title of this post, but what I ended up buying was the Saatva HD mattress. In this post I’ll go into the shopping process, the components of the mattress, and my experience with it.

I’ll also share my Saatva referral code and some tips on how to save money at the end of this post.

My Mattress Criteria

I limited my search to mattresses I could see in person. Guess I’m kind of old school that way. Even though many direct-to-consumer brands promise free delivery and a generous trial period, it seemed like an inefficient way to find a mattress. Particularly for someone as picky as me.

Because everyone has different preferences, I should tell you my mine. I’m a back sleeper. Here was my criteria:

  • Firm. I learned that I prefer firm beds when I traveled in Asia. Mattresses there are generally much firmer than American ones.
  • Good for bad backs. I’ve been having lower back pain, so supporting my back is a high priority.
  • Low motion transfer. Motion transfer refers to how much you can feel it when someone you’re sharing the bed with moves around or gets in or out of bed.
  • Quality materials.

About Saatva

I learned about Saatva from a friend who has a bad back — like went-to-the-ER-because-of-debilitating-back-pain bad back. Saatva is a luxury mattress brand that began in 2010. They design with backs in mind. “Every Saatva mattress is engineered for pain-free sleep, with dedicated lumbar zone support to promote healthy spinal alignment,” says their website.

The company also touts eco-friendly materials. As far as I can tell, that means using organic cotton and foam made from renewable oils.

Saatva started as an online business. But luckily for me, they have a showroom in Manhattan, so I could check out the goods in person. (There are also showrooms in San Francisco and Washington, DC.)

Visiting the Saatva Showroom

Saatva was the last mattress brand that I looked at. By the time I got to them, I had already lay awkwardly under bright ceiling lights upon many a mattress in showrooms. My experiences with these other mattresses was OK. Most of them felt more or less the same to me, and not quite as firm as I wanted.

The one exception was the Temperpedic Pro-Adapt, a memory foam mattress that touts NASA-developed materials and felt noticeably firm. (NASA invented memory foam, so really, any brand using memory foam could make this claim.) At $3,300 for a queen, it also cost more than what I had just sold my old car for. The wait for one of these mattresses was at least two months. The memory foam comes from factories in Texas that have been trying to catch up with production ever since the February 2021 freeze that shut down power across the state for days. I did not want to wait that long or spend that much.

When I lay down on it, I thought, “Wow, you can tell this one is the most expensive.” What can I say? It just felt the nicest.

I visited the Saatva showroom intending to buy the Saatva Classic, their most popular mattress. It’s an innerspring mattress with a euro pillowtop. A queen retails for $1,695. This mattress comes in three firmness options. In order of increasing firmness, they are: “plush soft,” “luxury firm,” and “firm.” But in the store, I realized the Classic had more motion transfer than I liked.

Next, I tried Saatva’s memory foam mattress, Loom and Leaf, which comes in two levels of firm. A queen retails for $2,099. This mattress felt firmer than the Saatva Classic and had less motion transfer.

Lastly, I checked out the Saatva HD, a hybrid mattress with innersprings and foam. It only comes in one level of firmness, though the website strangely doesn’t mention what level of firmness it is. At $2,795 for a queen, it was the most expensive option out of the three. When I lay down on it, I thought, “Wow, you can tell this one is the most expensive.” What can I say? It just felt the nicest.

In terms of firmness, it felt firmer than the Saatva Classic, but comparable or just a touch less firm than the Loom and Leaf memory foam mattress. It also came in at the middle when it came to motion transfer. In retrospect, I realize now that I’m not sure what level of firmness the mattresses in the showroom were. Was I trying a luxury firm or a firm in the Classic? Assuming that the Classic I tried was a luxury firm, their most popular model, which is rated as a 5-7 — the higher the number, the more firm it is — I’d say the HD is a 7-8.

I went back and forth between the Loom and Leaf and the HD. Both offer pressure relief, though in different ways. The Loom and Leaf has “ultra-premium 5-lb memory foam and high-density foam layers” that contours to the body. The HD touts a “Patented Lumbar Zone® Technology” that adds “enhanced support for your lumbar region, while 5-zone natural latex offers excellent pressure-point relief.”

Memory foam mattresses have more of that sinking-into-the-bed feeling, whereas with the hybrid HD there’s more of a lay-on-top feel. In the end I asked the sales associate which type of mattress (innerspring versus memory foam) was better for back pain. When he said innerspring, that was the excuse I needed to splurge on the pricier Saatva HD.

Components in the Saatva HD Mattress

The saatva hd mattress on a bedframe.

HD stands for Heavy Duty, something I learned later on the website, not in the showroom. Saatva markets the HD online as “the first luxury heavy duty mattress for bigger bodies.” “Specifically engineered to comfortably support people weighing up to 500 pounds, our heavy duty hybrid innerspring mattress delivers optimal support in every sleep position.”

Now, I am not part of this demographic. I’m actually a small, petite person. The Mister also isn’t part of this demographic. In the time it took for the mattress to arrive, I worried that I had chosen wrong since we are not the intended audience. But, it turns out I didn’t have anything to worry about.

What’s inside this mattress? Here’s a graphic I grabbed from their website.

A diagram of the components of a Saatva HD mattress showing 6 layers.

There’s a 3″ pillow top made with breathable organic cotton. (Or 2.3″ — the website description has two different measurements for the pillow top. I think it’s closer to 3″.) Next come the natural latex foam and memory foam. These go on top of 12.5 gauge recycled steel coils. I am by no means a mattress expert, just a person seeking better sleep, so I don’t feel equipped to evaluate the HD’s various components and how they compare to other mattresses.

But I will say I tried to compare these coils to the ones on other mattresses, and a lot of other brands don’t list the gauge. Then again, Saatva doesn’t list the gauge size on its Classic mattress. This makes me think the 12.5 gauge is thicker than most. Saatva claims they are 25% stronger than the industry standard. You can find all the specs here.

All these components make for a heavy mattress. It’s also tall at 15.5″. The Saatva HD requires a solid surface to support its heft. Slats on a usual platform bed won’t cut it. Saatva sells its own foundation for this mattress. But the sales associate said I could use my own bed frame so long as I added a solid layer. He recommended that we acquire some 1/4 inch plywood to place on top of my slats. (You can see how it looks in my review of the Thuma bedframe.)

A closeup of the corner of the Saatva HD mattress.

The Saatva HD features a substantial pillowtop.

My Experience with the Saatva HD Mattress

The mattress was available 12 days after I ordered it — faster than the estimate of up to three weeks that they initially gave me. White glove delivery into your home is included in the price. Delivery was excellent. The delivery company they work with in New York City worked with care. They maneuvered this heavy mattress into my small bedroom, which was a little bit of a challenge since I have a narrow hallway.

A closeup of the top of the Saatca HD mattress with tufted buttons.

The cover is made of organic cotton.

Saatva has a generous 180-day trial period. If you’re not happy with their mattress, they will refund you and pick it up. They do charge a $99 fee for pickup, but I think that’s fair. I’m halfway through the trial period, but I don’t see any need to send this mattress back.

Though this bed was designed for someone bigger than me, I find it works for me. Here’s my impression of various aspects of the mattress:

Motion Transfer: As I mentioned before, motion transfer was not the best out of all the mattresses we tried. (The memory foam mattress was better.) But it’s not too much of an issue for us. Though I do sense my partner getting in and out of bed, it’s not bothersome.

Edge Support: Edge support is great. Not too much sagging when you sit at the edge of the mattress.

Feel: Though the mattress is firm, it’s not hard. I generally don’t care for pillowtops, but in this case, the pillowtop provides a cushy luxe feeling that compliments nicely with the firmness. Overall, it’s still a pretty firm mattress. If you prefer a mattress that contours more to your body, this one probably isn’t for you.

Temperature: Saatva says the cotton cover, natural latex, and open coils help promote air flow and keep things cool. In my experience, it’s working. I tend to heat up as the night progresses. With my old mattress, I used to wake up in the middle of the night to shed layers. So far, I don’t sleep hot on this mattress.

Back Support: Most importantly, how did this mattress affect my back pain? With my old mattress, I woke up daily with a sore lower back. Initially, I still woke up with a sore back (though less sore) with the Saatva. But one day, a few months into sleeping on the Saatva HD, I realized that I no longer woke up with any back pain! Since then, I’ve only woken up with a sore lower back once when I slept for a rare 10 hours straight.

The tag on the Saatva HD mattress with has an American flag and says "The environmentally friendly ultra-premium luxury mattress. Made in America."

Saatva mattresses are made in America.

Value & Final Thoughts

The $2,795 price tag for a queen mattress was more than I initially wanted to spend. But waking up without back pain is worth it. Sure, there might be another mattress out there that’d ease my back pain just as well and cost less. But, time is also money as they say, and I’ve already spent a good deal of time researching. The materials and construction of the Saatva seem excellent and luxe. I’m not mad about spending this much money for a quality mattress with a 20-year warranty.

I also saved several hundred dollars on the price by buying the mattress during a promotion. And there always seems to be a promotion going on. If there isn’t, Saatva offers a standing discount of $225 on purchases of $1,000 or more for certain professions, including teachers, health care workers, first responders, military, and civil servants.

Overall, I’m very pleased this purchase. Though I ended up going with the HD, all of their mattresses seem like good options to consider. I just recommended the Saatva Classic to a family member who wanted a more medium firm mattress. And now I recommend Saatva to you.

If you’re interested in Saatva, here’s my referral code, which will take $100 off your order or $1,000 or more. When you click through to the site it should say, “View Your Extra $100 off at Cart or Checkout” at the top. You can use this code in conjunction with a promotion. (I will also receive a monetary gift, so thank you!)

Two different women models, one Black, one brown, wear two different shirts, which are both tied at the front. One has longer sleeves than the other.

Vetta Boyfriend Shirt vs. Girlfriend Shirt

Published by welcomeobjects

When I first learned of Vetta, an ethical brand that makes convertible clothes and capsule collections, it was one of their tops that caught my eye: the Boyfriend Shirt. Then I saw that Vetta makes another shirt, the Girlfriend Shirt. I went back and forth on which one to get for a long time before finally settling on the Boyfriend Shirt.

Now I own both. (Funny how that happens.) So, I decided to write a post comparing the two tops in case anyone out there, like me, was deliberating over which one to get.

Boyfriend Shirt vs. Girlfriend Shirt

The Boyfriend Shirt and Girlfriend Shirt both retail for $98 and come in sizes XS to XL. Just yesterday, Vetta released some limited edition colors of both styles made from deadstock fabric.

The Boyfriend Shirt is definitely roomier all around. It’s oversized on purpose. (You can read my detailed review of the Boyfriend Shirt here.) The Girlfriend Shirt fits more true to size.

Here’s both shirts in XS. The Girlfriend Shirt is on top of the Boyfriend Shirt. As you can see, the Boyfriend has more material all around. Not only is it wider by about 3″, but it’s longer too. Another major difference is the sleeve length. On the Boyfriend Shirt, it falls below the elbow, while on the Girlfriend Shirt it stops above.

The Vetta Girlfriend Shirt in cream laid on top of a dark blue Vetta Boyfriend Shirt. The Boyfriend shirt is larger and has much longer sleeves.

The Girlfriend Shirt on top of the Boyfriend Shirt. Both are size XS.

Here’s how both shirts in XS look on me worn different ways. For reference: I’m a dress size 4, generally wear S or XS depending on the brand and the cut, and am 5′ 4″.

Two images of me wearing two different shirts. One on the left is longer and larger.

Boyfriend Shirt vs. Girlfriend Shirt: With V-neck and buttons in front. Also wearing the Vetta Everyday Pant, Allbirds Flats [review], dr. Liza Flats [review]

Two images of me, a person with long black hair, wearing two different shirts. The shirt on the left has longer sleeves. Both shirts are knotted in the front.

Boyfriend Shirt vs. Girlfriend Shirt: Tied in front

Two images of me wearing two different shirts with a rounded neckline. The shirt on the left is longer in body and sleeves.

Boyfriend Shirt vs. Girlfriend Shirt: With rounded neck

Two images of me wearing two different shirts and the same pants. The shirt on the left is longer in the sleeves.

Boyfriend Shirt vs. Girlfriend Shirt: With rounded neck, tucked in

The longer sleeve length of the Boyfriend Shirt gives it a more drapey, elegant look. (Though in some cases, such as when untucked, it gives it pajama vibes.) Plus, you can wear it as a light layer like a cardigan.

However, the sleeves can also be overwhelming on someone with a smaller frame. I bought the Boyfriend Shirt in XS secondhand from someone who is smaller than me. The Boyfriend Shirt was just too much shirt for her. She preferred the proportions of the Girlfriend Shirt.

Do note that both shirts have low arm pits, which can take a little getting used. As you can see from the photo of the shirts laid out, it’s a bit lower on the Boyfriend Shirt. This cut may render either shirt unworkable for someone with a large bust. (I go into details about the low armpit thing in my review of the Boyfriend Shirt.)

A Closer Look at the Girlfriend Shirt

Since I ordered the Girlfriend Shirt in two different sizes to try, might as well share what they looked like. Here’s the XS on top of a S.

Two shirts laid on top of each other. The one on top is slightly smaller than the one on the bottom.

The S is bigger than the XS by about 2″ bust-wise. The S in the Girlfriend Shirt is similar in size to the XS in the Boyfriend Shirt, though the Boyfriend Shirt is still a bit bigger. (The Girlfriend Shirt in S has a 42″ bust measured all the way around while the Boyfriend in XS measures 43″.)

Interestingly, though, once I tried on the Girlfriend Shirt in the two sizes, I felt like there wasn’t a whole lot of difference when it came to the fit (at least on me), besides the length.

Two images: Me wearing the same shirt in two different sizes.

The Vetta Girlfriend Shirt in XS and S, with V-neck and buttons in front. Also wearing the Vetta Everyday Pant, dr. Liza Flats [review]

Two images: Me wearing a shirt in two different sizes.

The Vetta Girlfriend Shirt in XS and S, with V-neck in front, tied.

Two images: me wearing the same shirt in different sizes.

The Vetta Girlfriend Shirt in XS and S, with rounded side in front.

Since I’m petite, I decided that it made more sense to keep the XS since it’s a little shorter. It almost doesn’t matter, though, because I almost always wear it tied up or tucked in.

Styling Considerations

In some ways, the Girlfriend Shirt seems like a more wearable top because of the shorter sleeves. I feel that I can throw it on with nearly any bottom. Here’s a couple outfits I’ve created with it.

Me, a person with short black hair, standing outside wearing the Everlane Way-High Jean with sandals. There are red brick homes in the background.

Outfit is from this post.

Me wearing the Giesswein Wool Sneaker with a navy skirt, standing in front of greenery.

Outfit is from this post.

With the three-quarter sleeves and the slouchier fit of the Boyfriend Shirt, I take care to not style it with something too flowy or baggy on the bottom. Then again, the ability to wear the Boyfriend Shirt like a cardigan comes in pretty handy. When I packed a 6-week housesitting capsule this fall, I chose the Boyfriend Shirt over the Girlfriend because I knew the Boyfriend Shirt could do double duty.

A person with black hair wears the Vetta Boyfriend Shirt in blue open like a cardigan over a black tank top and black jeans.

Outfit is from this post.

A person with black hair wears the Vetta boyfriend shirt tucked into a satiny polka dot pencil skirt.

Outfit is from this post.

So, which one is better? Hard to say. I feel like they’re both good, just different. Sorry if that’s a cop out answer, but it’s true. I now own the Boyfriend Shirt in two different shades of blue. And I wouldn’t hesitate to get the Girlfriend Shirt in another color. I don’t know if I reach for one style more than the other. I find they both play well with my wardrobe. Nevertheless, I hope this comparison was helpful.

A flatlay of clothing items: a red sweater, blue shirt, red pants, black pumps, and blue suede flats.

The Year in Shopping Less: 2021 Recap

Published by welcomeobjects

It’s time to look back on my clothing shopping habits of the past year. 2021 marked my fifth year of trying to shop more ethically and sustainably — and most importantly, to shop less.

I didn’t really set a goal for myself in 2021. In 2020, my goal was to buy no more than 20 items and make half of my purchases secondhand. (I succeeded in the first part, but not the second.) What can I say, it was a nice round number: 20 in 2020. But after a year of this pandemic, I approached 2021 with a general desire to downsize my wardrobe. I thought, “Just do your best.” (This applied not just to my shopping, but to life in general.)

The Numbers

So, how did I do? I spent $1,158 on 17 items. (This number does not include underwear, jewelry, or items I buy infrequently like this wallet.) This is the least I’ve ever bought in one year, though similar in count to 2020. Here’s a quick overview of past years: A decade ago, in 2011, I bought 66 items. In 2017, the first year of this blog and when I started to pay attention to my consumption, I bought 40 items. Since then, I’ve acquired less every year.

A bar chart showing the number of clothing purchases made from 2011 to 2021. 2013 had the highest number at nearly 80 and 2021 the lowest at 17. The graph mostly trends downwards over the years.

The majority of my purchases in 2021, 88%, were from ethical brands. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve gotten this shopping less thing down. At least that’s one area of my life where I’m making progress!

Here’s a breakdown by category:

Shoes – 7
Tops – 2
Sweaters – 1
Dresses/Jumpsuits – 1
Pants – 2
Sweats/Loungewear – 3
Outerwear – 1

** affiliate links below **

Ah, footwear. Not surprised that I logged the most acquisitions in this category. It’s a constant struggle for me with shoes. Many shoes don’t stay in my closet because of fit or comfort issues. I purged quite a few pairs of shoes when I moved a few months ago. But in 2020, I found a brand that seems to work for me, dr. Liza. (Read my review of the flats and booties.) So, I’ve been adding pairs to my wardrobe from them during sales. Four of the 7 pairs I bought in 2021 came from them. (Shown at the top of this post are dr. Liza’s blue suede flats and black sneaker pumps.)

The next category with the most purchases is sweats/loungewear, which makes sense given the ongoing pandemic. Two of these purchases were sweatpants (these in particular, reviewed here.) The outerwear was a puffy vest, a useful item that I wear often. These purchases are ones that I deem as useful and needed.

Then there are the items that I don’t really need, but that brought me joy. Not to mention, they added more color to my wardrobe. These include the Girlfriend Shirt, the Boyfriend Shirt, the Every Day Pant (all from Vetta), and the Jonah cardigan from Curator SF.

I also decluttered 31 items from my closet throughout the year. Most of these I donated before I moved. So, in total, I reduced my wardrobe by 14 items.

Welcome Objects 2021 Wardrobe Count 
Additions: 17
Subtractions: 31

Shopping Habits & Patterns

Me, a person with black hair, wearing a black tank top, black straight leg jeans, black boots, and a red cardigan with balloon sleeves.

Wearing mostly items I bought in 2021: Curator SF Cardigan // Everlane Way-High Jean [review] // dr. Liza Booties [review]

Like prior years, there was a burst of shopping in November to take advantage of holiday sales. I was quiet in January and February. (Makes sense. I tend to chill after the holidays.) But otherwise, I shopped at a consistent pace, placing an order about once a month from March to July.

Overall, I was pretty good about pausing to think through my purchases before buying them. There was one exception, though. One impulse buy. And it’s the one purchase that turned out to be a dud.

I thrifted a leopard print dress from Community Thrift before I left San Francisco. It’s a tighter-fitting cut with stretchy material. I should have known that the dress wouldn’t work for me. In fact, if I’m being honest, I did know right there in the store that the cut was not flattering for me. (I tried it on over my clothes as Community Thrift doesn’t provide fitting rooms.) But there were so many other things I liked about the dress. It was only $10. And I thought, well maybe?

Well no, not maybe. My body isn’t suddenly going to change.

This dress was my only secondhand purchase this year. Interestingly, the one item that didn’t work out for me in 2020 was also a secondhand item. Why am I striking out with these secondhand buys? I think what happens is that I drop into a scarcity mindset. “I’m not going to run across this again.” Or, “This is such a good price for this thing.” I need to slow down so that I can be more clearheaded when it comes to secondhand as well.

It remains one of my goals to buy more secondhand when I do decide to buy something, so I better figure this out! For 2022, I want to continue with a low-buy year. I suspect I might buy more this year because I’ve moved from a place with a constant climate to one with seasons. I definitely have some wardrobe gaps. What shopping/consumption goals, if any, are you setting for yourself this year?

Alright, time to close out this reflection. I leave you with this recap of some of my favorite outfits from 2021.

A collage of product photos: a glass bath canister, gray towels, a ceramic utensil holder, a stainless steel colander, and white dishes.

Favorite Housewares Buys From Quince, Target, and More

Published by welcomeobjects

Hope you’re having a good start to your year. To be honest, I feel quite bummed about this latest Covid surge. I had a quiet holiday — didn’t travel or do much. Because of omicron and the high rate of transmission here in New York City, I’ve been laying low. No more visiting museums, working out at the gym, or dining in. (I had just started eating inside restaurants again this fall, though I felt nervous about it.)

We are all unpacked in our space now after the big move, and have acquired the major pieces of furniture we needed, starting with a bed. The bed and sofa were key to making this place feel more like a home. What is home, if not a place where you can veg out and watch TV?

Since I’ve been seriously nesting and on a housewares buying frenzy these last few months, I thought I’d share some of my favorite buys for our new apartment.

** some links below are affiliate links **

Quince Turkish Spa Bath Towels – By far the best towels I have ever owned! They’re luxuriously thick and soft yet don’t take too long to dry. They rival any nice hotel towels. I prefer them to my other towels, which are Macy’s Hotel Collection. (Though I’ve owned those towels for many years, so it’s not a fair comparison.) A set of two retails for a reasonable $39.90. I actually bought the organic ones in gray, which cost $5 more for the set. But those have disappeared from the site. Quince ships directly from the factory, so things might take a little longer to arrive — these shipped from Turkey — but they’re worth the wait. If you’re interested in Quince, here’s my referral code, which will take $20 off your first order. UPDATE 6/4/22: Here’s my full review.

Ikea Idealisk Colander – This large stainless steel colander has adjustable arms that you can place over your sink. I’ve neglected all my other colanders since getting this one because it’s so convenient to use. (Other brands make a similar product, but the $10 price at Ikea can’t be beat.)

CB2 Matte White Utensil Holder – I appreciate when objects are simple and get the job done. This ceramic utensil holder from CB2 is sturdy and large enough for my many cooking implements. I also find the minimalist look and slightly tapered shape very pleasing.

G-TING Dish Drying Rack – I spent more time than I’d like to admit shopping for a dish rack. My requirements: small-ish but capable of holding a fair amount, attractive, and drains well. (Duh! But, I’ve had dish racks that didn’t drain well, which led to grossness.) This dish rack from G-TING meets all those requirements. With its wooden handles, it strikes a handsome look, similar to Yamazaki Home’s Tosca Dish Drainer Rack. But it’s cheaper and more functional because of the adjustable swivel spout. (The tray on the Yamazaki looks like it requires emptying by hand. Who has time for that?) Only con is that the wooden handles get discolored, but I’ve been oiling them whenever I oil my cutting boards and that seems to help.

Made by Design 18-Piece Glass Dinnerware Set – Made out of tempered glass, these dishes from Target are lightweight and reminiscent of the Corelle dishware I grew up with — but the shape is more modern. The set consists of dinner plates, salad plates, and small bowls for six. I also added these 44 oz glass dinner bowls. Ikea makes similar glass dishes at an great price, so I added some serving bowls from there. Though the shape is different, they fit right in with the Target ones in terms of texture (a matte exterior and a glossy interior). So far, I really like these dishes and hope they’ll prove to be more chip-resistant than my prior porcelain dishes.

Threshold Glass Bath Canister – These tinted glass canisters with a ridged design add an elegant touch to my dated bathroom. I bought two: one to store Q-tips and another for reusable cotton rounds. But, be careful as the entire thing is glass, including the lid. Alas, the Mister already broke one so I’ll be ordering a new one soon.

Italic Albee Card Case Review

Published by welcomeobjects

The pandemic has unexpectedly changed some of my habits, sometimes in areas I never would have thought: like what wallet I carry. Although I’ve been happy with my zip wallet over the years, lately I’ve been wanting something smaller.

** some links below are affiliate links **

I often wear my Lo & Sons Waverly belt bag when I’m out running errands — a change from pre-pandemic when I’d usually grab a larger tote. The zip wallet feels a bit too big for the belt bag. While it fits, it takes up more real estate than I’d like, crowding other items. My solution: try a card case.

There are many card cases out there, but I turned to Italic because my first experience with their products (a sweater that I reviewed here) was good. (I am wearing that same sweater now as I type this.) When I first wrote about the brand earlier this year, they had a membership model. But a few months ago, they opened up their products for purchase without a membership.

Italic’s Albee card case is quite compact at 5.3″ wide by 3.7″ tall. It has four card slots on one side, one large slot on the other side, and a zipped compartment in the middle. It comes in nine different color/hardware combinations. Most of them are smooth leather, but two are textured Saffiano leather.

I decided on the poppy orange with gold hardware, a fun pop of color that would be easy to spot in any bag.

The wallet arrived in a timely fashion — and somewhat as a surprise to me. I didn’t get a shipping notification, so didn’t know when to expect it. Here’s what it looked like when I first got it.

A hand holds up the Italic Albee card case in orange, showing the back side, which has a pocket.

The other side has has one pocket.

A hand holding up the Italic Albee card case in orange, showing the zipper.

The interior is cotton twill.

When Italic revamped their business model and their website a few months ago, they began including a little more info about the manufactures they work with. Italic didn’t name the manufacturers before. Now they do. This card case is made by Tannerie, a family-owned business that is one of the largest manufacturers of handbags in the world.

Italic says the company prioritizes sustainability and points to its investments in solar power. However, the description doesn’t include much info about materials, other than to say that this card case is made from calf leather and cotton twill. I’d like to know more about the process for tanning and dyeing the leather.

I’ve used this card case for about two months now. I find the number of slots just the right amount. I keep a little bit of cash in the zippered section, though finding exactly what I want can take a little longer since I have to fold up the bills. Even fully loaded up, the case is quite slim.

The leather feels soft. The zipper works well. The stitching looks straight. The slots aren’t too tight that I have problems pulling my cards out. And they’re not too loose that cards fall out. There’s no branding whatsoever, which I appreciate. I have no complaints. The price is right too at just $30. Comparable card cases run at least twice this price. And a luxury brand one, like this Saint Laurent case in a similar orange color costs 11.5 times the price and has one less pocket.

An orange card case with four credit card slots, along with a small black belt bag, sunglasses, lipstick, and some gold rings.

My card case after two months of use. Italic card case // Lo & Sons belt bag // Stila lipstick

Overall, I’m quite pleased with this card case. The craftsmanship seems good and it’s just the right size for days I want to be more minimal.

BTW, if you’re a woman shopping for other slim wallet options, don’t forget to look in the men’s section. (Why are wallets gendered? Let’s just consider them unisex already now.) There you will find this even smaller card case as well as this slim bi-fold wallet.

A walnut colored Thuma platform bed with white bedding in a room with concrete walls.

Thuma Bed Review: A Sturdy & Worthy Upgrade

Published by welcomeobjects

Today’s review is about one of the biggest furniture purchases I’ve made in years: my bed. When I moved across the country recently, I decided not to take the Ikea bed frame that I’d been using for the past decade. It had served me well, but at some point I shoved some wood beneath the center metal beam because I worried about its ability to support the mattress.

I used the move as an opportunity to upgrade to something of higher quality. And I knew exactly what I wanted because Instagram had been bombarding me with ads for a particular bed frame. I’m sorry to say this, but the ads worked. How did Instagram know that I wanted a Thuma bed frame?

Why I Bought the Thuma Bed

Stock photo of a simple walnut colored platform bed with white headboard and bedding.

Thuma The Bed – $1,095 for a queen

The things that sold me on Thuma?

First, it’s solid wood (or maybe not — see the update below). Thuma says it uses wood from rubber tree plantations that are located close to their factories in Vietnam. “By doing so, we’re repurposing trees that have already reached the end of their latex producing life-cycles and are otherwise discarded. This process also minimizes our carbon footprint by vastly reducing transportation emissions compared to other companies who import materials located much farther away.” OK, that all sounds excellent.

Second, I appreciate the design: It’s a simple platform bed with clean lines. This fits right in with my decor aesthetic, which favors the minimalist and modern.

The words that really got me, though, were “Japanese joinery.” The whole bed only requires two screws during assembly. The rest of the pieces lock together through joinery.

Lastly, the price seemed reasonable. A Thuma queen bed frame retails for $1,095, which is a little less than bed frames at retailers like Crate & Barrel or West Elm. The price did go up by $100 this fall from $995. (I missed out on the old price. Oh well). But, you can get $45 off the purchase price — I’ll share how at the end of this post.

UPDATE 6/23/22 – I had originally said that the bed was solid wood because it seemed that way to me, but some Redditors say that it isn’t! I wrote to Thuma to ask if their bed was solid wood or composite, and if they used other materials in addition to wood. They replied, “We use upcycled rubberwood” and unsatisfyingly referred me to their About page, which says the bed is GREENGUARD Gold certified but doesn’t detail what exactly goes into their products. The description for the bed says there are no MDF or veneers, but I’m still not sure what “handcrafted, repurposed wood” means exactly. But I take it if it were solid wood, it would say solid wood.

Ordering Experience

I ordered the queen bed frame in the walnut finish with a light linen headboard on a Thursday night. Originally, the whole bed frame, which ships in three boxes, was to arrive on Tuesday, but only the headboard arrived on time. The rest of it arrived on Wednesday. Still, that’s pretty fast. But then again, I live in NYC and the boxes shipped from Maryland. Depending on where you live, it could take longer. Thuma is based in San Francisco, so I assume they have a West Coast warehouse as well.

Assembly

The assembly process was a breeze. Compared to assembling an Ikea bed, it’s way easier. It took me and my partner about 35 minutes — and that includes the time it took to unbox everything and lay out the pieces.

Speaking of unboxing, shoutout to whoever designed the packaging. Each box was clearly labeled so you know what it contains. Heck, even the empty boxes that are just there to take up space and keep things from shifting around are labeled so that you know what their purpose is. And there was not a piece of styrofoam in sight! (Styrofoam isn’t commonly recycled, so it almost always ends up in the landfill.)

Packaging that the Thuma bed came in. There are slats and a box in the corner with the words printed on it, "This is just an empty box. Nothing to see here."

Thumbs up for the packaging. Everything was well labeled, and most of it was cardboard, and thus could be recycled.

A hand holding up a corner leg of the Thuma bed.

One of the Thuma bed frame legs.

To set up the bed, first lay the sides of the frame and the legs out:

Pieces of the Thuma bed frame laid out on a rug on the floor.

I think I ended up turning one of these side pieces the other way, but no big deal. It was easy to figure out.

Then, like a puzzle, put the pieces of the frames into one leg, then another and another.

The corner of the Thuma bed frame, which is held together by joinery

Japanese joinery!

Once you have all four sides locked into place, it’s time to add the center beam and post.

The pieces of the Thuma platform bed, partially assembled, on a gray rug with a wave pattern.

The center post screws right into the center beam.

The cylinder center post of the Thuma bed.

And then two large screws secure the center beam, one of each end of the bed. Those are the only screws involved in the whole assembly. No tools needed.

A large black screw at the end of the Thuma bed.

Next, unroll the slats.

Slats laid out on the Thuma bed frame.

The felt wrapped around the slats at the edges and center is a nice touch

In my case, I also needed to add some plywood because the new mattress I bought (the Saatva HD, which I’m reviewing in another post) is heavy and requires a solid surface. I had some quarter inch plywood cut to fit on top of the slats.

Closeup of plywood on top of the slats of the Thuma bed.

Added a layer of plywood to support my heavy mattress.

How the Thuma Bed Has Fared

First off, it is just a wonderfully solid bed. No shifting, no creaking, no noise, none of that. Apparently it has a weight capacity of 1,500 lbs. At 13″ height, it’s a bit taller than other platform beds I’ve owned. (The 13″ is the distance from the floor to the top of frame. The clearance underneath the bed is 9″). Before it arrived, I was afraid that the frame combined with my taller-than-average mattress would be too tall for petite me. But it worked out fine. I like the height now.

If there are any complaints about the Thuma bed, it’s usually about the headboard. The headboard does not attach to the frame. They call it a pillowboard because it is literally a big firm cushion that just rests on the frame against the wall. This might be a problem if you don’t want your bed right against the wall. But the nice thing about the pillowboard is that the cover is removable and washable.

Also, if you have a deeper mattress like I do (my mattress is 15.5″ tall), the pillowboard looks woefully short. (Thuma uses mattress of 10 to 11 inches for their own photos.)

The pillowboard on the Thuma bed. It is low with this particular mattress.

The Thuma pillowboard with a 15.5″ height mattress.

I prefer my headboard to be higher so I can rest against it to read in bed. Thuma sells a pair of bolsters for $45, which comes wrapped in the same linen weave fabric as the pillowboard. My solution was to use 6″ styrofoam blocks that came from another furniture order to raise the headboard. Other people have tried yoga blocks for this same purpose.

A hand holds up a block of styrofoam.

Much cheaper, though less attractive, than the Thuma bolster: a styrofoam block. But, who is going to see it?

The pillowboard on the Thuma bed

A more visible Thuma pillowboard after propping it up on styrofoam blocks.

Other complaints I’ve seen on Reddit concern color. One Reddit user said that the natural finish for the bed frame was more yellow in person than it appeared online. Others wish the walnut stain was richer and darker.

Then, there are the color options for the pillowboard, which comes in linen (what I have) and charcoal. Thuma released new pillowboard covers in a light gray (fog gray) or green (spruce). But that costs extra. ($75 for a queen cover.) You can’t initially buy the bed with a pillowboard in one of these alternate colors. I do think it’s silly that they offer these other pillowboard colors, but don’t let you choose them in the initial bed frame purchase without paying extra to add it.

Overall, though, I’m really happy with this purchase. The bed is sturdy, seems well made, and has a lifetime warranty. The pillowboard is comfy and conducive to reading in bed. Thuma has a 100 day trial period. If you decide not to keep it during that time, they’ll set up a complimentary return. I wouldn’t know how that process works, though, because I’m definitely keeping this bed.

The Thuma bed in walnut on a gray rug in a bedroom.

The Thuma queen bed in my small NYC bedroom.

As I get older, sleeping has become increasingly important. I’m really glad I upgraded my bed. I consider it a good investment in my well-being.

If you’re interested in Thuma, you can save $45 through a referral code. Here’s mine. If you use this code, it will also generate a coupon for me, but it’s off a $100 purchase, and I’m not planning on buying anything else from Thuma. (Actually, I unsubscribed from their emails, so I don’t even receive the coupons anymore.)

UPDATE 6/21/22 – In May Thuma reduced the referral code to $25.

UPDATE 8/1/22 – It looks like the referral link no longer generates a code. Instead, the referrer must enter your email. But you can use the coupon code FORBEDTIME to get $25 off of a first-time purchase of the bed. (If you have found my review useful, please consider clicking through to Thuma from my blog.)

UPDATE 9/23/22 – At the end of August, Thuma added a wood headboard option, which costs $600 more than the pillowboard.

A collage of items I bought in November: a sun hat, Baggu Cloud bag, Everlane jeans, a Simple Wood Goods storage cube in walnut, and a Takeya cold brew pitcher.

November 2021 Shopping Diary

Published by welcomeobjects

I had a quiet Thanksgiving this year, but a more festive one than 2020. Last year, our household of two ate by ourselves and zoomed with others. This year, thanks to vaccines, we gathered with a handful of family members. Over the weekend, I continued with my tradition of Thanksgiving Konmari-ing — I gave away a bunch of household items on my local Buy Nothing group.

But I also shopped Black Friday sales quite a bit for myself. Compared to other years, I bought more than usual. My excuse is that due to moving recently, I needed to replenish some things. (But as you’ll see, this excuse doesn’t work for all my purchases, like the wardrobe ones). Here’s what I bought in November. (Not all of it has arrived yet.)

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Skincare & Beauty Buys

Pixi Endless Shadestick, MatteLast Liquid Lipstick, Glow-y Gossamer Duo, and Mesmerizing Mineral Palette. During the move, I threw out the majority of my makeup, most of which I’ve had since 2016. I figured it was time for some fresh stuff. I like this cruelty-free brand for their unfussy packaging and botanical ingredients. These are new-to-me products I haven’t tried before.

Londontown Gel Genius Base and Top Coat and Pink Illuminating Nail Concealer. Nail polish was prohibited from the moving pod, so I brought just a few bottles in my carry-on and gave the rest away. I’ve had good experiences with Londontown products (see my review here) so I turned to them to replenish some basics. I also bought a bottle of Piccadilly Square, an orange-red color that I’m hoping is similar to OPI’s Cajun Shrimp.

Stratia’s Liquid Gold moisturizer and Night Shift. These are part of my regular skincare routine, so I stocked up during their annual sale. (You can read about an earlier iteration of my skincare routine here.)

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA, Buffet serum, and Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F. Lactic acid was another stock-up buy. But the other two are experiments. I confess that I’m a bit haphazard when it comes to skincare. I just kind of try stuff. Guess I’ll be googling how to use these soon.

Wardrobe Buys

Baggu Cloud Bag, Big Baggu, and Packable Sun Hat. I’m planning on using the Cloud Bag (in the peppercorn color, now sold out) as a gym bag. It’s lightweight and made out of nylon, so I can easily wash it. I already own a Big Baggu, but added another one since it seems I’m schlepping more stuff around in New York than I did in San Francisco. And I’ve had my eye on the sun hat for a while. I never could find it in store to try on, so I just went for it during their Black Friday sale.

Curator SF Jonah Cardigan in brick. This was on my fall wardrobe wish list. Funny that I moved all the way across the country before making my first purchase from this San Francsico-based brand. And I actually used to live close to the location of their first store! I’m loving the cropped length and the balloon sleeves.

dr. Liza booties in black, flats in navy suede, and flats in golden sand. (See my reviews of the flats here and the booties here.) I also pre-ordered the sneaker pump in black using store credit. I had bought these pumps in another color earlier this year, but they were too small, so I sent them back. Here’s hoping the new size fits.

Everlane Track Jogger. I’ve been living in my black Track Joggers, which I reviewed here. So I decided to add another one in heathered burnt sugar. (Alas, it came with the embroidered E on the thigh, which I could do without.)

Everlane Original Cheeky Jean in washed midnight. With pandemic weight changes, I need new pants, and thicker ones at that for the fall. Denim went on sale for a day so I ordered these. Still waiting for them to arrive, so we’ll see if they work for me.

Housewares Buys

CB2 Contact Mugs. With this move, I finally have a dishwasher. Life changing! But we’re going through our mugs so quickly, sometimes before we’re ready to run the dishwasher. I like these for their simplicity, plus it looks like the handles are large enough to wrap four fingers around them. (I’m not into mugs with small handles.) UPDATE: These have now arrived and I can only wrap three fingers around the handle. They’re also heavier than expected. Think I’ll probably return them.

Full Circle The Ring Veggie Scrub Brush. I love all the Full Circle products I bought recently, so I turned to this brand again when I needed a veggie brush. (I found it a little cheaper here.)

Graf Lanz Bierfilzl Square Felt Coasters. Do I need new coasters? No. But I’ve been coveting these for years. Treated myself to the pack of six in the blue colorway.

Takeya Cold Brew Coffee Maker. I’ve been wanting to make my own cold brew. Reading up on this particular contraption, it seems like it doesn’t make the most flavorful cold brew. However, it might be the easiest one for me to use since it’s also a pitcher that I can just leave to brew in the fridge.

Simple Wood Goods Storage Cube in Walnut. How to store our vinyl? We could get an Ikea Kallax, which would be the most affordable solution. But we’re already using a Kallax in another room, and I don’t want everything to be from Ikea (especially the stuff made out of fiberboard and paper). We found this small business in Cincinnati that makes modular storage cubes out of wood, some with a handsome walnut veneer. Each cube is 5 times the price of a 2×2 Kallax, though. I waited until Black Friday to see if there’d be a sale. There was at 10% off. We ordered four. This was definitely the most expensive purchase this month.

Did you partake in any holiday shopping?