Really cool picture and interior design.  Check the post with 75 other images, here.

When I first started working for The Picket Fence, I had an idea about what thread count was, but I was much less familiar with concepts such as staple, finish, weave, or hand; though they all are important factors in deciding which sheets to buy.  Thankfully, we have recently had meetings with some of our fantastic sales representatives, and the ladies from Peacock Alley and Sferra not only showed their products, but also explained what made them leaders in the bedding industry.  Anyone walking into our store who has touched or seen these bedding collections can see the amazing quality and feel of their products, and our representatives took the time to explain to us exactly how they achieve this amazing quality.

Thread count is the most recognizable measure used to advertise sheet bedding quality, but it isn’t the only factor to consider.  In order to get the best quality bedding you also have to pay attention to the staple length of the cotton, the weave and the finish, and the hand of the sheets.  These are all important factors when you are trying to discern how a sheet set from Target and one from Sferra/Peacock Alley are so vastly different.  Because of the two representatives I now know exactly what I need to look for when picking out a good product from a bad one, and today I want to share this wonderful information with you.

To be honest, there is so much information, I could write a really long post and not fit it all in.  So I will do my best to keep it short and simple.  There are a few basic things that one must know, and these are the points that I will highlight in this post.

First and foremost, I wanted to tackle the most confusing aspect of sheet construction: thread count. Thread count is defined as: the number of threads woven lengthwise and crosswise (weft/warp) into one square inch of fabric.  While most suppliers agree that the number of threads per square inch by itself does not guarantee sheets are of superior quality, they agree that most Americans use thread count as a barometer to judge the quality of a sheet set.   This is where the average shopper gets confused.  (Remember the Target vs. Sferra/Peacock Alley example).

As I keep mentioning, thread count is only one component of quality.  The type of cotton used (including the staple), the fineness of the yarn, the technique used in weaving, the way the fabric is finished, and embellishments, if any, are a few other equally important components.

• Type of cotton used: It is generally agreed that 100% Egyptian cotton is the finest cotton in the world.  It has longer fibers (staples) than other types of cotton which means it has fewer ‘joins’ in the yarn.  There are different grades of Egyptian cotton from low to high.  When spun into yarn, fibers are aligned to impart a thin, strong strand.  The longer the staple the less chance of ‘piling’ or unraveling creating weak areas in the fabric.  Always look for 100% Egyptian Cotton.  And READ CAREFULLY!  It only has to have 2% Egyptian cotton to put Egyptian cotton on the label.  You truly ‘get-what-you-pay-for’ in Cotton.  (This factor alone goes a long way towards differentiating sheets from Target and Sferra/Peacock Alley, but it is only the start of the differences.)  Target may use cotton from Egypt, but they are using the lowest quality cotton with a very short staple.  The higher quality companies use higher priced, higher staple cotton.  This means their products are more expensive, but you get a better quality product that you can literally see and feel, and one that will last exponentially longer.  Because thread count has become such a misleading label, many European Mills do not even put thread count on their packaging.
• Yarn and weaving:  When companies are using the best cotton in the world they are able to create very fine, smooth yarn, and these finer yarns result in a much better feel to the sheets.  Though fine yarns typically result in higher thread counts in the finished products, they also result in simply having a better product regardless of the thread count.   Also, it is important to note (and difficult to discover) whether a product has a single ply thread or double ply.
• The finish (but not the end): Percale is a traditional weave which is one thread over and one thread under.  This weave results in a crisp, fresh feel.  Percale sheets stay cooler in the summer and they absorb moisture easily.  Sateen (not to be confused with satin, which is a weave using either silk or synthetic fabrics) is a weave with 4 threads over and one under which gives it more ‘surface’.  It has a ‘satin’ side and a dull side, these sheets are silky smooth to the touch and have a fantastic lustre.  These are not the only two weaves, but they are by far the most popular and it could get very confusing to go into all the other weaves.
• The hand: The hand of a sheet simply refers to the way that a sheet feels when touched, and this is where you can really tell the difference between the finest sheets in the world and some of their competitors.  When you touch a sheet from Sferra/Peacock Alley you can feel how smooth the fabrics are and how clean the weave and finish to the sheets.  Some companies will try and fool you with chemical washes before they ship their products to enhance the hand while in the package, but not only are these washes unhealthy for the consumer, but they are quickly washed out revealing the true quality of the product.  Our manufacturers don’t have to resort to chemical washes and simply deliver the best products in the world.

Once again, there is so much information I could write a very, very long post.  But to save time, and to save your eyes, the above infomation is enough to allow you to make an informed decision and ask the right questions when shopping for your new bedding.  Remember that there is more to thread count than meets the eye, and it’s only one component of a truly fantastic bedding set.  I hope you enjoyed this post, if you have questions feel free to leave a comment below.