The Truth about Thread Count

The 'thread count' tells you how closely woven a fabric is, enabling you to some degree to determine its quality. It is a useful tool, but over time has been used and abused and become a bit of a misnomer.

Too often sheeting is advertised as having a particularly high thread count when in actual fact there is information in the small print that contradicts this. When checking the thread count it is important to take a few other factors into consideration other than just the thread count.

Per square inch or per 10 square centimeters?

The thread count tells you how many warp (vertical) and weft (horizontal) yarns there are criss-crossing in a particular area of the fabric. Normally this figure relates to how many are in a square inch, but more often than not, this important information isn't given. If a figure is given, it is often per 10 square centimeters, which makes quite a difference.

Alternatively, if bed linen is advertised as having a 'Thread Count of 600', this statement could actually mean it was 150 per square inch. So it's important to know.

So what's so important about thread count?

A reasonably high thread count is important for good bed linen as a closely woven fabric is more serviceable and will shrink less. However, confusion often surrounds the thinking that the higher the thread count the better the fabric's durability and quality. If the yarn used to produce the higher thread count is thinner and weaker, the fabric will not be stronger, so, if your bed linen has a higher thread count, it will be softer but will not necessarily last longer.

Essentially, it comes down to personal preference.

What is the thread count of thread design's sheeting?

The majority of our sheeting is 300 thread count per square inch with a crisp hand feel.

Can I dry my sheets in the dryer?

We do not recommend that you dry your sheets in a clothes dryer. The best way to dry your Thread Design products is to hang them flat on the line. This will minimise creasing and maintain the lovely crisp hand feel our sheeting is renowned for.