Over the last several years the focus on thread count has dominated the bedding marketplace. The numbers have kept going up… first we wanted 400 thread count, then 600 thread count… and now everyone wants 1000 thread count. The sad truth is that by focusing only on thread count the customer is not getting the best product. In fact, thread count is not even the most important quality indicator.
Sheeting Quality Indicators
Fiber Quality: 100% cotton sheets are by far the most popular and widely used type of sheets. (We do also like silk, cotton/silk, modal and linen; but we’re going to focus on 100% cotton.) There is a huge variety in the quality of 100% cotton sheets. The highest quality cotton is long staple cotton. Staple refers to the length of the cotton fiber; the longer the fiber the better because it creates stronger and finer yarns. Among long staple cottons, the longest are Pima and Egyptian. Also note that not all Egyptian cotton is long staple, only the cotton grown in designated areas (Giza lots) is of the premium quality that is associated with "Egyptian cotton".
Yarn Size: The fineness of each yarn is what the term yarn size refers to - the higher the yarn size, the finer the yarn. (think of men’s suiting where they often speak of 100s wool etc) Finer yarns allow for lighter, more supple fabric. Higher thread counts are created with finer yarns, as more of them can be woven into a square inch. Also, super fine yarns can be twisted together, creating 2 ply yarns that can then be woven into sheeting. When 2 ply yarns are made with a very high yarn size, they make a nice product that is not at all weighty or blanket-like.
Finishing: After the cotton yarns are woven into a fabric, the fabric needs to be finished. This includes singeing and mercerizing. The singeing process is vital; it burns off the tiny fuzz that can later develop into pilling on your sheets. Mercerizing is a treatment conducted under tension, in order to increase strength, luster, and affinity for dye. Bed lines of lesser quality may not be singed or mercerized. High quality bed linens will always be.
Thread Count & Construction: Thread count is simply the number of threads per square inch of fabric. These consist of vertical threads (warp) and horizontal threads (weft) woven together. Construction refers to how the thread count is achieved (# of warp and weft yarns, # of picks in the weft, use of 2 ply yarns etc.) To achieve higher thread counts, sometimes 2 ply yarns are used and sometimes multiple yarns (picks) are inserted into the weft. In weave quality terms alone, the best fabric will be made with single ply yarns and have a single pick. The highest thread count you can get with this type of construction is 360. Above that, 2 ply yarns and/or multi-picks must be used.
In a quality product, the incremental comfort value of increasing thread count over 300 is very little. A 300 thread count can feel far superior to a 1000 thread count. Thread count has become a simple metric used by marketing people to capture interest and impress with high numbers. The problem with mass produced high thread count sheets is that to keep the price down, important elements of quality must be sacrificed, meaning in the end the customer gets a product with an impressive thread count but that probably feels no better (or even worse) than something with a lower thread count.
How does this happen?
Lately, the sheeting market has been focusing on "Single Ply" as a selling point because customers are catching on to the fact that high thread count does not necessarily equate to quality. But sheets made with single ply yarns with 6 to 8 picks do not result in the best feeling weave. There is no simple answer to the thread count, ply and pick game; there are thousands of combinations that will make a beautiful product. Keep in mind that with higher thread counts, price and quality do go hand in hand. An extremely high thread count sheet at a very low price is exactly what it sounds like: too good to be true. This is not to say that you have to spend a small fortune for quality sheets - just don't fall into the thread count trap. Unfortunately, a lot of companies don't make it easy to be well informed. At Linenplace, we do our best to present you with all the information you need to find the product that's right for you. We would like to encourage our customers to focus less on thread count and more on the other quality indicators (fiber quality, yarn size, finishing and construction). We believe you will get a better, more comfortable product that truly represents quality and value.
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