When looking for the finest cotton sheets, you need to look for some material that will guarantee great sleep. Bedsheets are available in so many fabrics, but out of all those, cotton is the best.
When looking for the finest material, thread count is not the thing; the quality of the material is. For instance, Supima, Pima, and Egyptian are all high-end sheets.
The thread count fallacy
The notion that thread count determines the comfort of the sheet was created by a marketing mastermind and the theory was later debunked by the Federal trade commission. It’s an idea born out of the competition of several manufacturers who hooked customers to believe that thread count is the accurate measure of the comfort of the sheets.
What’s the thread count?
This is the measure of the vertical and horizontal threads in a square inch. Most of the sheets are 400, although most companies’ packaging claims over 1000 thread count. Other manufacturers twist several yarns to create a high number of threads. The inflated thread count doesn’t in any way make the sheets better. The inflated thread count has never made the fabrics any better.
When buying a sheet, look beyond the thread count and try to understand the quality. If the fabric quality is low, even with a high thread count, the result will be an uncomfortable sheet.
Factors to consider beyond the thread count
The fiber
It’s a fact that if the yarn is long, the fabric will be of better quality. For instance, Supima is one of the fibers known for its length, precisely one and three-eighths long, making it such a perfect one to make comfortable sheets. Average sheets are made of 1-inch long fibers, and these no longer allow for spinning yarn that would be lighter and more durable.
The lightweight allowed by longer fibers makes the sheets quite comfortable and can last long, unlike the shorter ones that lose their grip with a few months of use.
The weave
The weave of the fabric has an impact on how sheets feel against the skin. Various weaves are used to blend fabrics and therefore create an ultimate sheet material.
Sateen
Sateen is a fabric that utilizes spun yarn whose structure is satin where vertical yarns are floated with the horizontal ones. The weave creates the sateen fabric, and the result is a softer luscious sheen. Sateen is durable when tight but not when loose.
Percale
Percale is a standard simple weave that is mainly used for sheets. The thread count is above 180, a tightly woven fabric with a medium weight- quite a simple fabric without a fancy sheen. This type of higher thread count sheet is a combination of fibers like cotton and polyester. The carded yarn is made from yarns of different lengths, and when mixed with a stronger fiber yarn, it becomes strongest and saves money.
When choosing sheets, do not go for a type just because of the thread count but check through a combination of factors. The durability and comfort do not come from one aspect but a combination of qualities.
