Wondering how to find high thread count sheets for your bedroom? How high is too high? Confused where this conversation is going? Well, you have nothing to worry about here. Since we are talking about something as innocuous as thread count, and not some contraband.
On Amazon, or other marketplaces you must have come across bedsheets that boast of thread counts like 800, 1000 at some unbelievable prices (read cheap). These inflated thread counts usually originate from India, Pakistan and China. In fact, so widespread is this practice, that Industry Pundits have coined their own word for this phenomenon and call it “short-sheeting”.
So, what exactly is thread count and how important is it, is something we are often asked? Thus, we decided to crack the code and share our knowledge with you on the high-thread-count mystery, so that you can make informed choices when buying bed sheets for your home.
WHAT IS THREAD COUNT
Let’s start from the basics and first answer, what exactly is thread count (TC)? Simply put, TC is the amount of vertical and horizontal threads weaved in just one square inch of fabric. Thus, a higher thread count sheet will have more weightage, which means, it will be heavier and even cosier. This also ensures that the sheet after a number of washing cycles, won’t disintegrate, which lighter sheets (less than 200 TC) are prone too.
So is a high thread count enough? Well no, as we also have the question of PLY as well. Now, what is a ply you may ask? Well, a ply is the number of yarns in each singular thread and makes the fabric more durable. As a rule of thumb, a Single-Ply Yarn will always be more durable and will have a longer lifespan than a multi-ply sheet. “Our tests have shown that the sweet spot is often 300-500. “Anything over 500 isn’t necessarily better,” said Lexie Sachs, senior textiles analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute (GHI).
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THREAD COUNT
Now just when you think okay this is simple to understand, we have another caveat. You see, most unethical bedding companies, inflate thread count by simply using multi-ply threads and counting each strand of yarn as separate threads. Thus to achieve, an 800, or 1000 TC sheet, these companies weave them into a 300 or 400 TC sheet, multiply it by the number of yarns per strand, and voila you have 600 TC or 800 TC! Thus fooling the customer.
So, what is the magic number for high thread count sheets? Typically a 400 and 500 TC hits the sweet spot, so, definitely pick something between the 400 to 500 TC range.
At Sleeping Owls, we often get asked about launching 1000 TC sheets. To that, we respond by explaining the entire Thread Count gimmick. There is a reason our Luxury Hotel Bedding have a 400 thread count, which may not sound as impressive as a 1000 TC sheet, but will surely be of better quality.
Our hotel-style high thread count sheets have a percale finish, are matte in texture and are crisp and cool to the touch. We do not chemically treat our sheets and they are 100% made up of natural fibres (either cotton or linen).
So as they say, sometimes less is indeed more!
