Wow, you found a set of zillion thread count cotton sheets for an unbelievably low prices. Seems almost too good to be true. You’re right. It is. As consumers, we’ve been taught to equate high thread count sheets with high quality. When you see bed sheets with thread count numbers in the high hundreds, or even thousands – caveat emptor. Take a step back from this implausible product as there’s only so many threads that can fit in an inch.
What is Thread Count?
Thread count, simply put, is the number of horizontal and vertical (warp and weft) threads contained in one square inch of fabric. For example, a 300 thread count sheet will contain 150 warp threads, and an equal number of weft threads. Weaves may vary, but thread count is measured the same.
Airing the Dirty Laundry
Unscrupulous manufacturers exaggerate the thread count of their sheeting fabrics based on the yarn’s ply – not strands. Most likely that purportedly high thread count is the result of spinning short, low quality cotton, or worse, polyester filler fibers, into double, or triple ply yarns, ostensibly turning a 200 thread count sheet made with 3-ply yarn into a 600 thread count sheet.
In general bed sheets claiming 600+ thread count are, pardon the pun, a fabrication. When viewed through a magnifying glass, these seemingly high thread count sheets reveal strands of varying thicknesses, uneven and lumpy weaves, and lots of fraying fibers, all tell-tale signs of poor quality and misleading thread counts.
Even at high thread counts, low quality cotton sheets are so densely woven they inhibit airflow around your body, making for a clammy night’s sleep. And, because much more of the cotton fiber ends are exposed, sheets are less durable and far more susceptible to pilling, becoming rough, scratchy, and uncomfortable to sleep on over time – and not very restful.
So, how can you tell the good sheets from the not so good sheets?
Cotton This
The world’s finest sheets start with the best raw materials – and quality craftsmanship. Supima cotton a trademarked variety of American-grown cotton renowned for its extra long staple fibers. You’ll see it listed by its full name “Supima cotton” – not just “cotton” on labels and product descriptions. If it doesn’t say “Supima,” it’s just cotton.
American-grown Supima cotton surpasses Middle Eastern cousin for quality – and durability. Supima cotton, now synonymous with luxury, can be woven into exceedingly dense, soft, and breathable fabrics that resist piling and fading, and consistently outperform higher thread count sheets made from lesser quality cotton.
When you’re ready to make an investment in a comfortable night’s sleep, look for quality, Supima cotton bedsheets with a believable thread count – for a comfortable and refreshing night’s sleep.