What Does Thread Count Mean?

In the 1990s, a trend started among companies manufacturing bed sheets and linens. The trend involved indicating thread count on the bedsheet sets. Initially with Egyptian sheets, but now the thread count can be found mentioned on sheets produced in a variety of countries and from many different manufacturers. The idea is that the higher thread count found on a sheet, the more comfortable the fabric feels against your skin. Some people think this is a marketing trick or tactic to get people to buy expensive sheets, but thread count is a term used by scientists. Even the government now regulates how a company determines the thread count for its products. 

Thread count refers to the amount of threads found in one square inch of the sheet. Warp refers to the threads running lengthwise across the sheets, while the threads across the width are the weft. The manufacturers must count the threads running lengthwise and widthwise to determine the total amount. If a manufacturer claims that a sheet has a thread count of 600, then it must have 300 threads running lengthwise and 300 threads running widthwise. The best sheets are those with a count of 200 or higher. 

When picking sheets, you should consider how the thread count relates to the feel of the sheets. A thread count of 150 has a texture like muslin. Muslin is a rougher material and this thread count is common in cheaper sheets. A count of 180 is much softer, and feels similar to soft cotton. The higher thread counts have an even softer feeling. A count of 1,000 or more can feel so comfortable that you do not want to get out of bed in the morning. Today, you can find a higher count is Egyptian cotton sheets, but also sheets produced in other areas from other forms of cotton.

 Some claim that thread count has no meaning once a sheet has a count over 200. These naysayers believe that a 200 thread count sheet feels the same as one with 1,200 thread counts, but this is not true. The more threads found in each square inch, the more comfortable and soft the sheets are. The count found in the sheets can vary from 100-150 to 1,800 or higher. The highest thread count sheets are often the most expensive, but can feel like you are sleeping inside of soft and cushioning cloud.

At Bed Linens Etc. we have sheets with thread counts up to 1000!

Sleep Well,

Rose