Thread count, does it matter?

12 years ago

last modified: 12 years ago

Does the thread count on your bedsheets matter to you? What's your magical number and can you tell a difference?

Share your experiences and post photos too!

Beautiful Bedroom · More Info

Featured Answer

Jody Markus

12 years ago

The quality of the Cotton is the key! Being educated on what you buy is up to you as a consumer. The best cotton in the world comes from Egypt. The cotton fibers are longer, stronger, more breathable, and hold color better and longer. Pima cotton is the second best cotton. It is grown in Arizona. Where the weather conditions are similar to Egypt. If you are looking for sheets, the quality of the cotton is much more important than thread count. Your better off buying 300-500 thread count in a better cotton than focusing mainly on thread count. Treat yourself! Spending a little extra for a set of sheets is worth every penny!! They will perform better, feel better, and last longer!

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Comments (57)

PRO
Sustainable Dwellings
12 years ago
I love the high count Egyptian linens... but if they ever "pill" they are in the trash.
Bertina Pulkeria
12 years ago
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sheryl N
12 years ago
egyptian and 300+ ;-)
feeny
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
We bought some high (800) thread count sheets and they are driving me CRAZY because unlike my previous sheets (which are also all cotton, but a lower thread count) they wrinkle like crazy and I am much too lazy to bother with ironing sheets. So they feel extremely soft and luxurious to sleep on, but the wrinkled top edge as it folds over the duvet cover is a constant aesthetic annoyance to me.
kimdee24
12 years ago
feeny -- the trick to higher count sheets is to dry them on medium or medium low rather than high.. they come out far less wrinkled! Sometimes, I'll iron them, but just the top quarter or so, because I'm a bit OCD like that.
feeny
12 years ago
Thank you, kimdee! That's a great tip. They are in the washing machine as we speak, so I'll set the dryer on medium and give it a try. I kept thinking maybe I should be putting a clean tennis ball in with them or something to keep them fluffed in the dryer, but this would be much easier! Fingers crossed it works in our case.
kimdee24
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
Hope it helps! Fluffing them mid-cycle is also helpful.
feeny
12 years ago
Oh dear, that is way too much work for me! ;-) It's bad enough trying to remember to take them out of the dryer when the cycle finishes rather than leaving them there wrinkling. Our laundry room is in our unfinished basement, so it is easy to forget about it since I'm not on the same floor.
kimdee24
12 years ago
LOL, well the lower heat should help, but do try and get them out as soon as they're done!
Jeannie Nguyen
Original Author
12 years ago
Such a good tip, @kimdee!
Beerpocketbook
12 years ago
Does anyone have information about good so-called "wrinkle-free" sheets? My experience is that they feel wonderfully soft when you touch them with your hand, but itch like crazy when you try to sleep on them. It's a little like sleeping on fiberglass insulation until you aggressively & repeatedly wash them. This is in spite of higher thread counts and quality cotton. Has anyone else experienced this?
Nancy Travisinteriors
12 years ago
I buy 800 count or higher. no you do not need winkle free.
unwantedadvice
12 years ago
You are really better off with organic sheets, not that I have any. Wrinkle-free, etc. have chemicals to keep them from wrinkling. Read an article about this ages ago in some home magazine and it made sense to me.
palmbay
12 years ago
Pure linen sheets are the Best .
Sharon Roberts
12 years ago
I loathe ironing but hate wrinkles... As
Mentioned already take straight out once finished washing... Then hang on the line to dry...better for the environment too than using dryers.. Spose
It helps we
R
In oz...:-). Egyptian cotton 300 or higher for us...
PRO
User
12 years ago
There are several factors that determine the quality of bedding, including thread count, quality of the cotton as well as fabric construction.

Most experts, including a textile professor as well as a former head of Bloomingdales and Macys, agree that anything above 400 thread count for bedding is "creative counting." Read more here: http://www.craneandcanopy.com/pages/101-what-does-thread-count-mean
Nicolette van Wyk
12 years ago
BRENDA....I also HATE Sateen sheets. Its a hoax of massive proportion
cebstill
12 years ago
The thread count is not as important as MERCERIZED cotton thread. If the thread is not mercerized it will pill and feel coarse. If the thread is mercerized it strengthens the thread, softens it and it WILL NOT PILL....
lwaylett
12 years ago
I love my sheets cool, and crisp! Not rough, but soft crisp! So far the cotton percale has been my favorite... 300 tc or higher.. The sateen, satins... HOT! awful!
mothanature
12 years ago
lwaylett....what do you buy....that's what I like....just have to have bigger fit (like 18")....really love JC Penney's easy care, but they are too small and don't fit my larger mattress....
PRO
Kathryn Peltier Design
12 years ago
I have read the same studies as Crane and Company. Here is one that says that they can only get between 200 and 400 on the loom, so you are paying for "creative accounting" if you buy higher.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2013/06/everything-you-need-to-know-before-you-buy-sheets/
PRO
Kathryn Peltier Design
12 years ago
I actually like the softness of sateen (not SATIN) sheets over percale, at least on the bottom sheet. I like to mix my sheets up, i.e. I don't always use sets, so it's possible to do that.
Paula Kates
12 years ago
Length of the thread matters too. If the threads are short, it doesn't matter what the thread count is, the result will be scratchy sheets. The longer the thread the softer the feel, this goes for T-shirts to tissue paper. With thread length understood, I buy #350 - 400 TC and they are crisp, cool, soft perfection.
Carol Sykes
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
I have 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and they are like a cloud when I take them out of the dryer. I love them. I also have 500 count sheets which are very nice and have a little sheen to them.
I would never buy less thread count than this.
PRO
EcoSleep Australia
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
Thread count terms have become widely thrown out of proportion for many consumers and confusion then reins! Most good manufacturers will tell you a thread count around the 400-600 is perfect. In a Cotton, Egyptian cotton, Pima cotton or Bamboo. This will mean a light and soft bed set that will make you want to stay in bed longer. Look for sets that don't have the non iron tag as this will mean a chemical has been added to help iron our wrinkles.
Feel the sets and you will know what you like but beware of the chemicals added to make them feel soft!
Ollie Perry
12 years ago
I LIKE BAMBOO COTTON
Jayda DEyry
12 years ago
isn't bamboo rayon?
PRO
Stamps Design Services
12 years ago
Everyone likes something different, I prefer a medium 500-600 tc and all cotton, not sateen.
Austin Boudreaux
12 years ago
I bought 1200 thread count sheets one time. I did not care for them, they were hot and didnt breath. I like 500-600 Egyptian Cotton. They wrinkle but love how they stay white white forever.
User
12 years ago
Agree that thread count is absolutely just hype...so many other factors including dye...our preference is crisp sheets (they are cooler to us). Right now 600 count Egyptian cotton (carried by Target no less) are our preference...but there is even a difference in the dye...the blue is "softer," the chocolate brown is much much crisper...and it doesn't change during the washing...we've had them for 2 years.
Julia Starr
12 years ago
I don't buy anything less than 400 but other than that, I have to touch them. Some of the high thread counts haven't lasted very long and that is annoying.
belynch
12 years ago
I live in Colorado and I use flannel sheets on the bed, fall, winter and spring!!!
PRO
Kathryn Peltier Design
12 years ago
Flannel is the BEST!
mlsilver620
12 years ago
I prefer to sleep on only linen now. The more you wash it, it becomes softer and softer. They last much longer than the other sheets. I love the feel of linen. They're a natural fiber.
mlsilver620
12 years ago
I use white linen so it works well with my matelasse.
mlsilver620
12 years ago
The other thing that plays a big role is what you use to launder your bed linens. It's best to use a good quality detergent like Le Blanc for your bedding. You will notice the difference immediately.
lwaylett
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
Mothanature, I've had some success with the cotton percale at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Have even found good ones at WalMart! I buy sets only. Haven't had a problem with the thicker mattresses fitting in them. Also after some research, I've just ordered a king size set from here: http://www.thomasleeltd.com/index.cfm. (Make sure you order the cotton percale and NOT the bamboo.) After reading this article, and their findings about Thomas Lee bedding, I have decided to give them a try. How can I go wrong with a review that says, "Finally, we have found our crisp, cool, sheets!" ? Good luck!
Beerpocketbook
12 years ago
I commented earlier on wrinkle-free Threshold "performance" sheets from Target. After weekly washings for the past two months, they had finally lost their itchy feel and become quite comfortable . . . Until tonight when my foot went right through the sheet where the fabric had apparently worn. These sheets are no more than two months old. They are 400 thread count. Obviously, there is more to consider in sheets than thread count.
katstevenjacobs
12 years ago
600 thread count is what I like. Lower counts always pill and become very uncomfortable to me.
chinook101
12 years ago
I purched new sheets not paying attention some time ago the tags faded out I have no
idea the Brand or thread count. They are quite soft but mostly they have a "Very crisp
feeling & feel cool & have a "Canvas feel had them for years & still like New I wanted to
try pick up another set but need an Idea where to start Name & Tread count any Ideas
would be great. “Thank You for your Help
duffy2009
12 years ago
Does no one but me miss the 60%cotton 40% polyester sheets of many years ago? They came out of the dryer with nary a wrinkle or crease. I believe they were at least 300 count but that was before we became so conscious of thread count. I still have 2 pairs of double size - one extremely soft and another that is more on the crisp side. I wish they would offer these again as an option to those of us who like nice-feeling sheets that come out of the dryer bed-ready or folding-ready. I love 300+ cotton sheets but they look awful unironed & it seems a pity to put them on a bed that looks so disheveled when made up. If someone would just iron them for me...
unwantedadvice
12 years ago
@duffy2009, I remember as a kid having to iron my pillowcases and maybe the top part of the flat sheet! Crazy thought to me now as I try my darnedest not to iron anything anymore. My SIL had a mix of polyester/cotton sheets that certainly felt soft but I find they do not breathe very well so I would always get hot. :)
Judy Bumbles
12 years ago
I only buy 1000 thread count and after sleeping in these sheet you wouldn't go back to a lower thread count...... It's heaven!
bgfuqua
12 years ago
I hate polyester and all other synthetics in sheets and clothing - makes me sweat.
Katie Motisi
11 years ago
Thread count alone does not matter! There are too many other variables as in weave, thread size, quality of the fabric, etc. It is all about how the sheet feels...by the 10th wash! Sheet manufacturers treat their sheets with special finishes so the sheets feel nice initially but the sheen washes off. Check out a Company called Perfect Linens. They have changed the way I shop for sheets and I will never go back to thread count alone!
klsklar
10 years ago
A set of 300 count Frette sheets have a noticeably smoother feel and quality appearance than any of the so called 1000 tc sheets I've felt. My 500 tc Matouk sheets feel even smoother and better. I haven't seen any of the high end linen makers ever go over 500 tc. I think it's a scam or maybe "the king's new sheets."
km kane
10 years ago
Thread count does not make a good sheet. The quality of the cotton and the make of the fabric does.
salbwil
10 years ago
Which is cooler , 200 or 500 thread count Egyptian cotton percale ?

thanks
linlac
10 years ago
If you like cool soft sheets try bamboo. I've tried them all but these are my favorite. Pricey but so worth it. Tuesday Morning had a recent sale $70 for queen size. Couldn't find the same brand online for under $130.

Thread count, does it matter?

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