Why Thread Count Isn't Everything

 

At Sotre, when we help our customers with their sheeting, we ask detailed questions such as:

What size is your bed?

What temperature do you keep your room at night?

Do you like to launder yourself, or dry clean? Then I discuss the appropriate way to launder and shrinkage with linens.

Do you use a comforter on your bed?

Does your bed have a bed frame (it goes all the way around the bed) or just a headboard?

How many pillows do you sleep with and what size?

Do you prefer percale or sateen sheets?

Thread count is relatively unimportant when it comes to the quality of sheeting and bedding.  It is simply the number of threads in a square inch of fabric, typically from about 190/195 to 1020 per square inch of fabric. A good way of thinking about thread count is temperature control. The higher the thread count, the denser the fabric, the warmer the sleep. The lower the thread count, the more open the weave, the better air-flow allowed, the cooler the sleep.

 If you want cotton sheets, buy long-staple or extra-long-staple cotton. The term “staple” refers to the length of the actual raw cotton fiber. Longer is better because it is stronger and more durable.  "Egyptian" cotton is often used as a marketing tool but rarely any brand can actually claim to use Egyptian cotton because it is so rare - only one percent of the world's cotton is grown along the Nile Banks.  Only the most premium brands have access to Egyptian cotton but the luxurious feel make it worth the price - at Sotre we offer Egyptian cotton sheeting by our top brands:  Dea, Leitner, Matouk and Sferra all offer a true Egyptian cotton in their lines.

Linen is a hardy textile made from the flax plant. The beauty of linen  is that it breathes and gets softer as you use it. We offer many brands that have linen sheeting and some of our customers have linen bedding well over 20 yrs old.  While linen tends to be a bit more expensive than cotton, its longevity far outweighs its cost.

How many sets of sheets should you have?

In a perfect world, we recommend three sets: One set on the bed, one in the linen closet, and one set in the laundry. You want your sheets to rest between uses, so rotation is important. Just like your shoes, if you wear one pair every day, they’re going to wear out faster than those that you would wear once or twice a month. We want you to enjoy your linens for a long time.

At Sotre, we provide value to our customers through our customer service and our knowledge and experience. Our Sales Manager, Lee McKee, has over 21 years of experience in the business and came to us after running her own linen store, the Linen Registry.  we have the ability to help you create a custom bed (with or without a custom monogram) and we work directly with the vendors on a daily basis and as a result have built relationships with them which allows us to closely follow the progress of your order from beginning to end.

 

We would love to see you soon and if you comment on our blog, you can receive 15% off your next purchase.