Linens Limited 100% Egyptian Cotton 200 Thread Count Fitted Sheet, White, Super King

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When it comes to quality, the weave of bed linens is arguably more important than the thread count itself. The two most common types of weave are percale, which uses a relatively straightforward ‘plain weave’ (one thread is woven over another thread) and secondly, sateen (where four threads are woven over one thread).

There’s a misconception that, when it comes to thread count, bigger is necessarily better. That’s not always the case. Thread count offers a broad indication of quality, but there’s a big element of subjectivity to selecting your bed sheets. Gopinath said a 250 to 300 thread count was optimal (there’s wiggle room, though, as Maher said 200 was also good).Surprisingly, it's not the thread count that makes hotel sheets so luxurious, it's the type of weave. Most hotels use percale sheets with a thread count of 400-500, with the idea they with suit most sleepers and stay in good condition despite washes. Percale itself is the simple weaving technique of one yarn over, and one yarn under, resulting in a matte finish that's cool to the touch. This is what creates the fresh, high-quality feel you get with hotel bedding. What type of sheets are the best quality? Gopinath and Maher agreed that good-quality sateen sheets ranged from 300 to 600 thread count. The number could creep higher, but this would create a very heavy sheet. The type of fabric and its weave makes a difference in the best thread count. Percale is also known as “plain weave” with a simple one over, one under pattern, so average-quality percale sheets may be around 180-200 thread count. By contrast, a sateen weave has a more tightly woven pattern, so average-quality sateen sheets will be closer to 250-300.

Egyptian cotton is produced in the upper region of the Nile delta in Egypt, the lush fertile grounds give the ideal conditions to produce a high quality cotton bud and procures some of the longest staple yarns which are then spun in high tech mills to produce this superior quality percale bedding fabric. A percale fabric is considered the best quality as it is stronger and a more even weave which reduces any potential snapping and shrinkage of the yarns. With this type of weave, you can use finer and softer yarns to produce the best quality bedding. We spend so much time in bed, having the best quality and comfort while you sleep is more important than you think, in deep sleep the sheets will keep you dry and cool and feeling calm and rested. Do you enjoy crisp, lightweight bedding that sleeps cool and doesn’t drape or cling to the body too closely? If so, you’ll probably enjoy the feel of percale sheets. Percale is a type of weave that produces material with a crisp hand-feel and an airy structure. It is also known as “plain weave.” In addition to sheets, percale is used to construct men’s dress shirts. Percale sheets are normally produced from cotton, but this weave can also be used for other fabrics such as polyester and rayon from bamboo.Fiber content. 100% cotton is the most popular, and there are premium (i.e. “long-staple”) cottons, like Egyptian and Pima, that make the fabric even softer and more durable. Just keep in mind that these sheets may be more expensive, and there have been instances where brands mislabel regular cotton sheets as Egyptian. Like percale, sateen is a weave commonly used for sheets and pillowcases. In the table below, we’ll outline the key differences between these two weave types. When people talk about thread count, they’re talking about the number of horizontal and vertical threads woven into a singular square inch of material. Essentially, it’s how densely the fabric is populated with thread. A lower thread count means there are fewer threads, a higher thread count means the bed linen is rich with individual threads. In our tests, top-rated bed sheets often have thread counts between 300 and 500. Anything above 500 isn’t necessarily better (so don’t be deceived when you see thread counts over 1,500), and on the flip side, you can still find quality sheets with thread counts under 300. On top of that, even though our tests have shown that the 300 to 500 thread count range is a sweet spot, a sheet that falls into this range isn’t guaranteed to be high quality: Again, fiber content and construction are more important.

Plain weave has the warp (vertical) and weft (horizontal) threads evenly alternating. In satin weave the weft threads “float” over several warp threads (usually four) at a time, resulting in smoother and more lustrous fabric. While many sleepers love percale sheets for their crisp hand-feel and consistent breathability, the material is also susceptible to heavy wrinkling and may be too lightweight for cold weather. The table below summarizes some of percale’s most notable pros and cons. Pros READ NEXT: Our round-up of the best mattresses available The best sheets to buy for every recommended thread count 1. White Company Essentials Egyptian Cotton range: Best everyday thread count sheets When thinking about the best thread count for sheets, it’s important to remember an age-old saying: Quality over quantity. The quality of the yarns or threads used is often more important than the quantity of threads, or thread count.Thread count is used as a rough indicator of the softness and feel of a fabric. It’s also used heavily in marketing to imply that a specific product is of a higher quality than competing sheets. While this is all true to a certain extent, thread count is far from the only consideration when it comes to the overall quality of a set of sheets. Most percale sheets and pillowcases can be washed and dried in any household machine. However, you should not wash them too frequently because laundering breaks down the fabric and causes wear and tear. To preserve the material and extend your set’s lifespan, consider line-drying your percale sheets and pillowcases instead of drying them in a machine. As you browse different sheet sets, you’ll notice terms like “long-staple,” “Pima cotton,” and “blended percale.” While similar in structure, each type of percale offers distinct pros and cons for sleepers. Below, we’ve highlighted four of the most common percale categories. It should also be noted that many popular bed linen materials are not measured in thread counts at all. Silk, for example, is assessed by momme, a Japanese measurement which indicates the weight in pounds of a given fabric measuring 45 inches by 100 yards. Percale’s tight weave structure makes the material quite durable, especially compared to sateen. The fabric shouldn’t pill too much or attract lint during cleanings.

While percale is quite breathable and well suited to warm weather, the fabric is a bit too thin and lightweight to insulate you from the cold. You may want to consider a heavier sheet set for the winter months. Sheets with a higher thread count are generally more expensive, and are marketed as being higher quality. As we’ve discussed, however, a higher thread count can be an indication of higher quality, but that’s not necessarily the case. Polyester or blends: Unlike cotton, polyester fibers are manufactured in a factory and can be produced to be super thin, meaning polyester and cotton/polyester blends can have thread counts in the thousands. In fact, manufacturers are coming up with techniques to use thin polyester yarns with the sole purpose of increasing the thread count claim. Flannel and knit fabrics: These are usually made with cotton, but you likely won’t come across thread counts for them. That’s because flannel sheets are sold by fabric weight and jersey-knit sheets have an entirely different construction than traditional woven sheets.

200 Thread Count Cotton Percale Extra Deep Fitted Sheets

Of course, remember that thread count is not an end-all, be-all measurement. The quality of the yarns, the manufacturer’s production process, the weave type, and many other factors all contribute to the performance of a set of bed sheets. Other constructions include flannel for winter and jersey-knit sheets, which feel more like a T-shirt. Though it comes down to personal preference, our testers tend to prefer the smooth feel of sateen. Each woven fabric consists of vertical threads known as warps and horizontal threads known as wefts. For percale, the wefts pass – or “float” – over the warps in a one-by-one pattern, forming a grid shape that leaves the material with a crisp hand-feel that will gradually soften over time. Percale’s tight structure requires fewer threads than other weaves, so its thread counts are generally lower and the fabric is relatively lightweight. This sets percale apart from other weaving techniques such as sateen and twill.