Brylane Home

Full review
The excitement and urgency at BrylaneHome.com was clear. The banner read: “Our Semi-Annual White Sale & Clearance; Hurry, Order Now! Quantities are Limited!” Who wouldn’t feel compelled to buy something—anything—that could help you “Save up to 80%”?

My wife sent me a link to the website to look at a comforter set that she was considering purchasing. Not knowing exactly what to expect from a “white sale”, I nonetheless went to the site and discovered the term basically means linens of every fathomable color and pattern. I actually only saw one white comforter set on the whole site. But, hey, I’m a guy and “white sale” occupies the same senselessness in my brain as “sewing notions.” It’s just one of those things that you don’t over-analyze.

The Online Store

The BrylaneHome.com website was cheery enough, and easy enough to navigate. The parent company—RedCats USA— heads a family of retailers, including: Chadwicks, Lane Bryant Catalog, Jessica London, KingSize and others.

My wife discovered BrylaneHome when she received a catalog in the mail one day. Both the catalog and the website offer a reasonable selection of bed and bath merchandise (such as bedding, towels, hampers, etc.). In addition, there are items for the kitchen (tableware, storage, gadgets), home décor (office, rugs, slipcovers), an art gallery (200 items), and even furniture (accent tables, shelves, patio). You even have the ability to view the actual catalog on the website, if that is your preference.

Each product page provides a description, the ability to zoom in on the item (which is essential for seeing pattern detail), and an option to email the item to a friend. My wife used the email feature to send me the link to the comforter she had in mind.

The Selection and Purchase

Comforter choices are categorized as “Comforter Sets” (59 items), “Total Bed Sets” (43 items), “Comforter Sets under $30” (21 items); and “Jacquard-Woven Comforter Sets” (14 items). Not knowing the difference between a “Total Bed Set” and a “Comforter Set”, I clicked on the website’s glossary. Brylane Home’s trademark “Total Bed Set” includes the comforter, bedskirt and 2 standard shams (1 with twin, 2 king with king). Plus a matching 180-thread count percale sheet setק flat, 1 fitted and 2 standard pillowcases (1 with twin, 2 king with king) with an average price of $59.99. The price is identical for any size from twin to king. Amazing!

The regular Comforter Set includes the comforter, bedskirt and appropriate sham(s). There may be matching sheets and accessories available, but they are not included in the set. The Comforter Sets range in price from $19.99 “Special Purchase” to $99.99 for newer items. Again, the prices are the same for any size. That really got my wife’s attention!

Since our master bedroom bedding had seen better days, we wanted a comforter set that would work well with our cherry four poster bed. There were several styles of elegant bedding that we liked in the category—“Jacquard-Woven Comforter Sets”. I checked the glossary and discovered that the word Jacquard means: “An elaborate woven or knitted pattern made on a Jacquard loom.” In other words, the pattern wasn’t printed onto the fabric, but was woven into it. To me, that sounded like a sign of good quality. And at an amazing $44.99 for a scroll motif style trimmed with gold cording, we figured we just couldn’t go wrong. Even if it wasn’t the highest quality, the price was so reasonable that we could buy a couple of different styles and rotate them with the seasons. They are dry-cleanable, so at least there’s not the worry that they’ll fall apart in the washing machine.

Order Fulfillment

We went through the typical check out process with no problems: add to cart, register, fill in the billing and shipping info, confirm, and wait for the email receipt which arrived promptly. The UPS shipping charge for the $44.99 set was $8.99, which is more or less in line with other online retailers. Our order was placed on a Tuesday, it shipped from Indianapolis on Wednesday, and we received the package on our doorstep on Thursday.

Bottom Line

For a total of $54, we received a complete queen size, jacquard-woven comforter set in three days time. Of course the quality isn’t 5-star hotel for that price, but it is very attractive and drapes well on the bed. I will say that the reverse side of the comforter is where costs were probably cut—the plain fabric is drab and of mediocre quality. But since that side of the comforter will never see the light of day, it is not a concern for us. The colors on the right side are vibrant, but not gaudy. It more than met our expectations, and we will definitely head back to BrylaneHome.com to re-do our second bedroom.