What Is the Best Thread Count for Sheets?
Bedroom sheet thread count

When Companies Advertise Having the Best Thread Count for Sheets, Is It Accurate?

Whether you're a bedding connoisseur or a novice wandering around in the bedroom linen section, here are shopping tips to help both.

January 30, 2025 at 9:34 PM PST
Bedroom sheet thread count

When Companies Advertise Having the Best Thread Count for Sheets, Is It Accurate?

Whether you're a bedding connoisseur or a novice wandering around in the bedroom linen section, here are shopping tips to help both.

January 30, 2025 at 9:34 PM PST

Some homeowners walk into the bedroom linen section with purpose, knowing exactly what the best thread count is, what color to buy, the texture and the material. Other shoppers grab the first thing that matches their bedroom wall art and will fit correctly next to the DIY headboard. And if these two people happen to be dating, expect one-half to scoff at the other buying the worst thread count. To appease both home decor shoppers, let’s break down the basics of thread count 101.

Giraffes and trees printed on pink and white bedroom sheets
Cats Coming

What Is a Thread Count?

On the package or online advertising, that thread count number may mean nothing to some novice shoppers. Here’s what it actually means. “Bedroom sheeting ply” refers to the number of individual yarn strands twisted together to create one single thread in a bed sheet. (Think of it like tying a friendship bracelet.) The “thread count” is the total number of vertical (warp) threads and horizontal (weft) threads in a square inch. For example, if there are 250 warp threads and 250 weft threads per square inch, the thread count is 500.

What’s the Difference Between High Thread Counts and Low Thread Counts?

While the quality of the thread is important, a higher thread count usually means the fabric is more durable and softer. It also traps heat, so a higher thread count may be more ideal for cooler homes and winter weather. Generally, a safe amount is between 200 to 600. Anything lower than that may not be as warm or soften up over time. Expect it to rip or thin after a few rounds in the laundry. Thread counts can also work the other way around, meaning a thread count that is too high (more than 600) can feel stiff and tight.

Foot rest and hamper sit in front of a bed
Max Vakhtbovycn

Is the Thread Count Always Accurate?

While shopping for bed linen, be aware that some manufacturers claim to have high thread counts but are not counting by warp and weft threads. Instead, their artificially inflated calculations are the number of ply spun within each single thread and then twisted together. (Referring back to the friendship bracelet example, they’re counting all of those strands plus each square inch that makes up sheets.)

It’s the equivalent of buying one-ply toilet tissue versus two-ply. You might get the same amount on a roll, but the texture of it is world’s different. You would have to use far more sheets to achieve the same level of cleanliness, and it’s still poor quality.

Additionally, whenever thread count is 1,000 or more, pay special attention to the brand to see why. You don’t have to be a bedding expert to recognize it either. First, avoid sheets that are wrapped up so you can’t touch them. (Or, unwrap the packaging before you leave the store in case you need to return them.) Second, if the packaging has the weight on it, pay attention to how much other sheets weigh versus these questionable sheets. If the latter set is lighter, there’s a higher chance that the material is much thinner than the ply count it promises.

Wooden headboard with lamps attached near a blue and white bed
Pixabay

Does Thread Count Always Matter?

While material matters, a 600- or 700-thread-count sheet could weigh anywhere between three and five pounds. But this weight isn’t etched in stone either. There’s also the matter of material and the size of the sheet (ex. king-size versus twin size). And flannel, linen and silk sheets are sold by the weight and size, not the thread count. Weighted blankets are another bedding option that won’t match the weight of other sheet threads, primarily because they also include plastic pellets or glass beads and are intended to be heavier. They commonly have 300 to 400 thread counts, but this can also vary.

Is There a One-Size-Fits-All Thread Count?

Goldilocks and the Three Bears may have been a fairy tale you heard as a child or share with your own kids, but it’s realistic for adults too. One person taking a nap may find sheets to be too thin, too scratchy and not warm enough. The other thinks these sheets are calm, soothing to the touch and just the right temperature. While the actual thread count can be determined to be faulty, the sheets you choose are an entirely individual decision.



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