I bought these 1000tc Egyptian cotton sheets
I thought it meant something. I’ve washed them many times etc…they don’t get softer like people say they feel like paper like a paper bag or something. How can people describe this as soft. Microfiber is soft but this I not soft and idk if I got cheap sheets or what but I can’t understand how these 1000 tc Egypt sheets are worth a dime.
So what kind of sheets are move and are actually soft? I’ve heard some ppl say sheets should only be 300 tc to be soft. I don’t want crispy sheets. I’m thinking need that bamboo rayon stuff… Is that soft? I don’t really want thick sheetsm I feel like thick sheets interfere with memory foams ability to contour and mattresses usually, in my opinion, have a softer cover than my sheets sohonestlybi don’t even want to use sheets… Idk I’m confused.
There is more about sheets and fabrics in post #7 here and the posts it links to but thread counts that high with cotton are very misleading and probably aren’t a meaningful indication of the quality of the fabric. Even if the thread count was accurate … it probably wouldn’t be the best choice for cotton sheets because they they would be much less breathable than lower thread count sheets that used higher quality fibers.
There’s are some good articles about thread count here and here.
Thread count when you are looking at sheets is the equivalent of coil counting when you are looking at mattress innersprings. Both are only one of many variables that can make a difference in the quality and “feel” of the product and both can be more misleading than helpful.
Try ironing your sheets because the dryer will cause the fibers to bunch, if its a sateen weave (pretty sure for other weaves as well) also using regular laundry detergant may cause sheets to lose their feel as well as heat from the washer and dryer.
My best advice is to go out and feel as many sheets as you can/like to so if you end up ordering online, you’ll know what you’re getting. I just got some awesome comfortable sheets but I probably spent way too long researching and going to the dozens of stores to finally get great sheets at a great deal.
Afaik the process of making sheets is much more important than thread count. Today companies use two ply often times to reach high thread count instead of single Lomg staple threads which in various ways are better. There’s a lot of variables that go into the thread count in how it will feel compared to other brands of the same tc (thread count) I’ve noticed the higher thread count, the thicker it usually is which I prefer.
Places I’d recommend looking for sheets are Tuesday morning or homegoods if you have them in your area. Homegoods is by Tjmax but only for home products like sheets. You’ll find much more selection and higher brands there. Tuesday morning is very similar discount store that in my area had more selection of the higher end stuff from $100-200 for sferra (italian) and peackock alley.
Macy’s hotel collection is pretty good but can be pricy, even on sale you’re probably better off looking at Amazon. I’ve found fitted hotel collection sheets for $25 there, while even the sale price at Macy’s was $120 for just the fitted sheet.
Bed bath and beyond has a large selection of sheets but imo quality was not that great compared to the others I’ve mentioned.
Bloomingdales has really nice sferra and some other italian sheets which the name is escaping me and their giza 45 is regarded as the best my some but very pricy. However you can get a feel of what great sheets feel like.
My favorite sheets are an Italian brand called frette. Lucky enough to live somewhat close to their outlet store in so cal. The difference is dramatic compared to all else I’ve seen. They do have a sale and clearance selection on their site but it’s pricy except for their low end hotel sheets. (Good but not outstanding) homegoods does seldom have the mid-upper frette sheets but they are still pricy (to me) $3-400 even with being 60-80% off. If there isn’t a lot of places near you I would suggest gilt or one Kings lane for online. They will sometimes have frette, sferra and other italian and high end bedding for up to 70-80% off.
All these sheets are egyptian cotton but I’m fairly certain what you got is no where near close to the quality of these and probably not even real egyptian cotton. I’ve felt some bamboo sheets and it was a mix depending on company. Home environment has 100% rayon sheets on Amazon that were also at Tuesday morning which felt pretty good. Pratesi, d porthault, bertelli(I believe restoration hardwares) capecchi, maurizio are some I saw at homegoods which were nice enough imo to take pics and save for researching when I was looking (and before I found frette)
I’m not a fan of microfiber as quality down the road and feel in general turned me off. I’ve read that linen breaths maybe the best and some can be found at west elm, restoration hardware and potterybarn. It’s thick so idk how you’d like it.
Sorry for the story and sorry to the admins if I couldn’t use names of stores, just trying to help out. Good luck and I’d be happy to help out if you have anymore questions.
Thanks guys. I don’t have alot of those stores except like Macy’s. Are rayon or bamboo sheets rare. What are do.e stores where o can feel quality bamboo sheets? I also want to know what quality cotton sheets are spose to feel like to compare to mine so I can try bed bath .acys… Etc what else
Hi EZ4HZ, I think thread count used to be a decent indicator many years ago. Thread counts now can be somewhat manipulated or misleading. They define thread count as being the number of vertical and horizontal threads per inch of fabric. That could mean 1000 single threads or if a thread is double ply, only 500 (because there’s 2 plies).
As far as egyptian cotton, it’s become heavily marketed and sought after. The problem some have said is true egyptian cotton requires a specific growing environment and properly prepared it can be very soft. A lot of places are now growing egyptian cotton outside of it’s specific environment in climates it wasn’t meant to be grown in and isn’t nearly as soft while technically being ‘egyptian’ cotton.
You’ll probably find lower thread count sheets that feel softer (300-400tc). After a certain point, (800-1000tc) there’s so many threads per inch that the fibers are very tightly woven and will create a dense, stiffer fabric. Probably something closer to heavy linens, made to stand up to the abuse of thousands of washes etc.
Most of the hotel collection sheets imo feel decent and can point you to the right direction of what good sheets should feel like. Bamboo sheets were scarce in manny stores besides online when I looked. The company I stated before were the onto ones I remember feeling good and There was some at bed bath and beyond but i don’t recall being impressed by them. However they should have a few brands to choose from if you want bamboo.
Thread count means nothing, unless you are one who needs to impress people with your ‘stats’. Understanding the weave - thick sheets are sturdy, not soft.
I have hypersensitivity, body wide - and I did succumb to trying those ‘high end’ sheets - they went to the local charity rather quickly.
Softest sheets I have found = (allow me to preface with the fact that we have switched to organic sheets in the past five years)
A simple organic percale or sateen will soften rapidly when washed, as will a good flannel. My favorite sheets ever, the Coyuchi jersey knit sheets, truly wonderful to the touch.
