# Confused about cotton bedding. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 20, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648 "2017-03-20T21:07:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648/21 "2017-03-22T19:01:19Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Would that be the $15 dollar sheets that say ‘Egyptian cotton’ or the $400 dollar set? How do you identify the difference between good quality Egyptian cotton sheets and the knock off that includes 10% cotton from Egypt and still calls their product ‘Egyptian Cotton’ The term has become meaningless. The $400 kind, though I buy them on sale for 50% off. I’m a big believer in investing in quality mattresses, pillows, & bed linens since I will spend at least 1/3 of my life in bed. I love my bed more than I love most people. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648/22 "2017-03-22T22:52:25Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > The $400 kind, though I buy them on sale for 50% off. I’m a big believer in investing in quality mattresses, pillows, & bed linens since I will spend at least 1/3 of my life in bed. I love my bed more than I love most people. Sounds like you agree that “egyptian cotton” is not a qualifying phrase by itself. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648/23 "2017-03-22T22:53:52Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > This. I have about 6 sheet sets and the best are the two sets I have from Costco. They are cool, crisp, and smooth. The edges don’t tend to wrinkle up like some other sheets I have. Pretty sure these are the ones: > [https://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Signature-540-TC-Cotton-Sateen-Weave-Queen-Sheet-Set.product.100070104.html](https://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Signature-540-TC-Cotton-Sateen-Weave-Queen-Sheet-Set.product.100070104.html) > > They go on sale a couple times a year. > > Comforters are another ball of wax. You might want to look into a duvet and cover as an option. I have a warm apartment. I’m looking for a thin comforter, and no more than that. Isn’t there shift when you use one of those covers? ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648/24 "2017-03-23T01:01:55Z")
Thread count just tells you how thin the thread is. What is more important is whether it’s a sateen weave or a percale weave. In my experience, a sateen weave (4 over 1 under) is more comfortable. A percale sheet generally has a plain weave (over-under every thread) and is somewhat rougher. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648/25 "2017-03-23T01:34:32Z")
For the summer I like a crisp 300-count percale. Winter will be bamboo or cotton flannel or sateen. If you’re looking for a not-too-warm blanket, something like a [woven cotton](https://www.amazon.com/Elivo-Cotton-Hospital-Thermal-Blankets/dp/B01CDD17I0/ref=sr_1_3?s=bedbath&ie=UTF8&qid=1490232796&sr=1-3&keywords=cotton+blanket) is nice, or sometimes I just use a flannel top sheet over my sheets. StG ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648/26 "2017-03-23T03:50:54Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > Thread count just tells you how thin the thread is. > > What is more important is whether it’s a sateen weave or a percale weave. > > In my experience, a sateen weave (4 over 1 under) is more comfortable. > > A percale sheet generally has a plain weave (over-under every thread) and is somewhat rougher. > > YMMV. I think thread count is something that gets manipulated and cheated. There are ways to make it higher with very bad product. I would love sateen or percale. But try looking for a comforter with your favorite look and feel with it. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648/27 "2017-03-23T09:14:27Z")
There is a website called SweetHome that tests and provides recommendations for home items. Rather than weighing the options, Consumer Reports style, they aim to provide on single recommendation that represents the best value for most people’s needs. They are my go-to when buying anything. I believe they review both cotton and linen sheets, as well as duvets. I do want to note that they were disappointed with the longevity of all of the linen sheets that they tested. Apparently they don’t actually last forever these days. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648/28 "2017-03-23T14:10:26Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Sounds like you agree that “egyptian cotton” is not a qualifying phrase by itself. Correct ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648/29 "2017-03-23T14:24:58Z")
For me it is 100% cotton percale all the way. I have been getting sheets from Macy’s. I tried a set of Liquid cotton which felt wonderful but were, to me, just too thin. I prefer a heartier sheet and found it in percale. I once bought a set of 1000 thread count sheets and they were like canvas. Very thick and uncomfortable. I have a King size bed and any sheets/comforters for it are expensive. Since I have a little dog that sleeps in my bed I can’t have anything quilted that has a lot of exposed threads because he get his nails caught in the threads. I searched out and found an old timey 100% cotton chenille bedspread which is great. It does shed and creates a lot of lint when laundered but I can live with that. The struggle is real though regarding finding the right products. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648/30 "2017-03-23T15:04:11Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > There is a website called SweetHome that tests and provides recommendations for home items. > … > > I believe they review both cotton and linen sheets, as well as duvets. I do want to note that they were disappointed with the longevity of all of the linen sheets that they tested. Apparently they don’t actually last forever these days. Thanks for that great website – I bookmarked it for future use. [http://thesweethome.com](http://thesweethome.com) The do have reviews of both cotton and linen sheets with a great deal of useful information. I don’t think they were disappointed in all the linen sheets, only some of them – good news that the ones high on my list from Rough Linen get a good review. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648/31 "2017-03-23T17:16:01Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > I have a warm apartment. I’m looking for a thin comforter, and no more than that. Isn’t there shift when you use one of those covers? A little, but there are ties on the inside to keep it mostly in place. I think you can get different “thicknesses” or warmth levels. Ours isn’t that thick and we add a thermal blanket in the winter. I’ve never been too concerned with the material of our comforters or duvet covers since I’m really only touching the sheets. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648/32 "2017-03-24T00:21:21Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > I think thread count is something that gets manipulated and cheated. There are ways to make it higher with very bad product. Higher doesn’t mean better. Higher means the thread is thinner. A quality sheet will have a thread count of anywhere from 200 to 500, i.e. that many threads per square inch. Anything above that point means they’ve taken threads and twirled them together to, essentially, make the “threads” thicker. So something with an 800 thread count will actually have coarser threads than a 500 count. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648/33 "2017-03-24T14:42:44Z")
With regard to the duvet/coverlet we bought a light wool blanket from [Pendleton](https://www.pendleton-usa.com/product/Blankets-Throws/Featured/Washable-Wool-Blankets/ECO-WISE-WOOL-PLAIDSTRIPE-BLANKET/166771/sc/2422/c/2421/pc/2178.uts?selectedColorCode=BLSG) and in the cooler months put a cotton coverlet over the top. It breathes and is very warm despite being light. We have had really good luck with Calvin Klien’s sheets as well as bamboo and microfibre. On a king size bed they aren’t cheap but they have also lasted us many years, especially f you folllow the washiing instructions. When we shop we look at deep pockets, thread count, weave (Percale is our preference), price, 100% cotton (Also tend to prefer natural fibers, micro and bamboo rayon notwithstanding), and lastly feel. It’s the combination overall that works. You may also want to look at [Gluckstein](http://www.glucksteinhome.com/product-category/products/bedroom/sheets/) as well. They have some gorgeous sheets! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confused-about-cotton-bedding/782648.md?page=1)