Most founders, put in front of a camera, will tell you their product is worth every cent. Daniel Tan, co-founder of Weavve Home, opened with something we've never heard a bedding brand admit.

“I’m here to share something no other bedding brand will say. We made our TENCEL™ bed sheets so good, it’s really difficult to make money off them.”

(Daniel Tan, Co-Founder of Weavve Home)

We sat down with Daniel to unpack that line: what goes into a set of Weavve Home's TENCEL™ bed sheets, what the cheaper version would have looked like, and why the brand nearly never made them at all.

The Sheet That Could Have Cost Half as Much

The starting point of the conversation was a version of the product that never existed: the one Weavve Home could have made instead.

“We could have made something that looked identical on a website, but cost half to produce. Lower yarn count? Non-certified lyocell? Skip a certification or two? First glance, you probably couldn’t tell the difference. But after the first wash or the first use, you’ll know.”

(Daniel)

It's a familiar shape in bedding. Two sets can share the same photography, the same colour names and a similar description, and diverge only months later, when one starts to pill and lose its drape. The savings sit on the brand's side of the ledger; the cost shows up on the customer's side, after the first few washes.

The Four Decisions That Added Cost

Daniel listed the choices plainly. None of them is hidden; all four are printed on the product page. What is rarely explained is what each one would have saved, and what it would have cost the person sleeping on the bed sheet.

“We used certified Lenzing TENCEL™, not any generic lyocell, but the certified fibres from Lenzing AG. We use an 80s yarn count that not every mill can produce. The weave took multiple rounds to get right. We carry OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification. Every single one of those choices added cost.”

(Daniel)

Certified Lenzing Fibre, Not Generic Lyocell

TENCEL™ is a trademark of Lenzing AG, the Austrian producer that makes the fibre from sustainably sourced eucalyptus wood in a closed-loop process. Plenty of "lyocell" sheets use uncertified fibre spun to a looser standard. Weavve's Signature range is 100% Lenzing TENCEL™ Lyocell, which costs more per kilogram and behaves more predictably, wash after wash.

An 80s Yarn Count Not Every Mill Can Spin

Yarn count describes how fine each thread is; the higher the number, the finer the yarn. Weavve's TENCEL™ bed sheets in Singapore use an ultra-fine 80s yarn, and the commercial consequence is simple. Fewer mills can spin it, which means less room to negotiate, and a finer yarn means more of it goes into every square metre of fabric. The upside is the silky drape customers mention most often, something a coarser yarn cannot imitate.

A Weave That Took Multiple Rounds

The Signature TENCEL™ sheets are woven into a 400 thread count, single-ply sateen. According to Daniel, the first samples were acceptable, and acceptable was not the brief, so the team kept sampling until the weave balanced smoothness, breathability and durability. Every round costs fabric, factory time and weeks on the calendar.

OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, on Every Product

The collection carries OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification, meaning the finished bedlinen is independently tested for harmful substances. It is the one item on the list most customers would never notice if it were skipped, which Daniel sees as the strongest argument for keeping it.

Featured Product

Signature TENCEL™ Classic Set

Certified Lenzing TENCEL™ Lyocell in an 80s yarn, 400 thread count sateen.

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A Brand That Nearly Stayed With Cotton

The part of the story most customers don't know is that TENCEL™ was not the starting point.

“We didn’t start with TENCEL™. Everyone assumes we started with TENCEL™. We didn’t. We started with cotton, and we very nearly just stayed there. When we launched, the whole range was cotton. Good quality cotton. But I kept asking myself, what exactly are we building here? We were making what a lot of other brands were making, and I wasn’t satisfied with that answer.”

(Daniel)

The turning point, as he tells it, was physical rather than strategic.

“Then I came across TENCEL™. And the moment I felt it, I knew something was different. It was the texture, the way it managed heat. I couldn’t unfeel it.”

(Daniel)

Making an unfamiliar fabric the hero of a young brand was a risk. Cotton bedsheets needed no explanation; TENCEL™ bed sheets needed a whole education. What tipped the decision was the climate. In humid heat, a fabric that is up to 3x more breathable than cotton and 70% more moisture-wicking is not a luxury; it is the difference between a body that is helped through the night and one that is fighting its own bedding.

“Looking back, cotton was the foundation that taught us what quality felt like. But TENCEL™ was the conviction that made Weavve different. I don’t think one would have existed without the other.”

(Daniel)

Weavve still makes a Cotton Bedlinen to the same standard. For anyone weighing the two, the brand's TENCEL™ vs cotton bedsheet guide lays out the differences plainly.

"I Thought I Was Building a Lifestyle Brand"

Towards the end of the conversation, Daniel said something that reframed the whole cost discussion.

“I didn’t really understand how badly Singaporeans sleep until I started a bedding company. I thought I was building a lifestyle brand. Turns out I was building a recovery tool.”

(Daniel)

The picture he describes will be familiar: sleep as the last item on the list, the thing that happens at 1AM once work is done and the kids are down, before the alarm at 7AM and the cycle repeats. Weavve's own data backs him up. When the brand surveyed thousands of Singaporeans, night sweats were the single biggest bedding complaint, named by 35.4% of respondents.

“Most people in Singapore, they aren’t sleeping well. Not because they don’t want to, it’s because nothing is set up to support it. In a climate where your body is already working to manage heat and humidity, you need a fabric that helps it, not a fabric that traps heat and moisture. We’re trying to change one part of it, the part where you actually lie flat for eight hours. It’s not the whole solution, but it’s the part we can build. And we take that seriously.”

(Daniel)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between TENCEL™ and generic lyocell?

TENCEL™ is Lenzing AG's trademarked lyocell fibre, made from sustainably sourced wood in a closed-loop process to a certified standard. Generic lyocell uses the same basic process but without Lenzing's certification or consistency, which is why it is cheaper and often performs less predictably over time.

Why does yarn count matter in bedsheets?

Yarn count measures how fine each thread is, and finer yarn gives a smoother, more fluid drape. Weavve's Signature TENCEL™ bed sheets use an 80s yarn that fewer mills can spin, which is one reason they cost more to make than sheets with a thicker yarn.

Are Weavve's TENCEL™ sheets OEKO-TEX® certified?

Yes. The Signature TENCEL™ collection carries OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification, which means the finished fabric has been independently tested for harmful substances.

Why are TENCEL™ sheets more expensive than cotton?

Certified fibre, finer yarn and independent testing all add cost before the fabric is even woven. Well-made TENCEL™ also tends to last, so the price per night of use is often closer to cotton than the price tag suggests.

How long do Weavve's TENCEL™ sheets last?

With gentle washing at or below 40°C, no bleach or fabric softener, and line drying, a Signature TENCEL™ bedding set is built to stay soft and hold its drape for years rather than seasons. That longevity is the whole point of the choices described above.

Feel the Difference Weavve Refused to Cut

We ended where we began, on the question of money. Daniel's answer hadn't changed.

“The only reason why Weavve exists is so that you’ll own something that you’ll be happy using years from now. If we cut those corners, we won’t be Weavve anymore. We’ll be just another generic bedding brand. So yes, it’s harder to make money, but we’ll keep doing it anyway. Because the day you actually get into our sheets, we want that feeling to last a lifetime.”

(Daniel)

Everything in this article is what it takes to keep that promise. The Signature TENCEL™ Classic Set is where most people start.

This guide is brought to you by Weavve Home, a Singapore home brand specialising in bedding designed for the local climate. Browse the Signature TENCEL™ Collection to start.