High Thread Count Egyptian Cotton Bed Sheets - Part 3

If you have read parts 1 & 2 of this thread you are armed with some basic terminology and knowledge about high thread count bed sheets. How will this information help you select quality bed sheets when quality and price varies so wildly from one retailer to the next?

First you can know that single ply sheets are a pretty safe bet for quality. With single ply fabrics, higher thread count usually does indicate a more luxurious bed sheet fabric.

Other factors that would affect fabric quality include the grade of the cotton used and the manufacturing process. Lower grade cotton and fast manufacturing techniques will result in lower priced finished goods. So with bed sheets, you get what you pay for. The quality is a hidden characteristic that can be felt, but not necessarily read on the package label.

Current manufacturing of single ply fabrics limits thread count to about 500-600 threads per square inch. After that, all fabrics are multi ply. Fabrics over 1000tc are most likely triple ply or more. These super high thread count fabrics are not necessarily lower quality, in fact most of them feel great. Some critics say that because multi ply sheets are usually made of shorter fiber cotton, they will pill more easily and therefore be less durable. If this is true, it is offset by the fact that the fabric is thicker (heavier) than lower thread count fabrics, and more durable for that reason.

With sheet sets over 600tc, it’s a little more complex to assess quality. Retailers and wholesalers don’t usually have access to the fiber length or quality of the cotton used in a sheet set. That information can only be obtained at the factory where the yarn is spun. Once the yarn is spun, there is no way to properly assess fiber length, even with lab tests. Consumers are left to apprise quality with their own fingers, choosing what feels good to them.