We all sleep. In fact, sleep experts estimate the average person sleeps through 27 years of life. For that, we deserve luxuriously comfortable sheets. That brings us to thread count.
We've come to believe that higher thread count means better sheets. But the very term "thread count" is confusing to most of us. To be specific, thread count is the horizontal and vertical number of threads per square inch of fabric.
For decades, this has been the accepted guideline in the U.S. textile bedding industry. But times, they are a-changing. According to the National Textile Association, "yarns were counted as one yarn, regardless of whether the yarn was a single ply or multi-ply yarn. (A multi-ply yarn is one yarn that has been created by twisting two or more yarns together). In recent years, however, some textile suppliers have changed the way they have determined thread count by counting plied yarns individually. This practice inflates the thread count numbers to levels which double or triple (or more) the thread count."
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Bottom line is that a sheet with a 250 thread count, counted the traditional way, but plied four times, could be packaged as a 1,000-count sheet, counted the new way. That's misleading, says the Federal Trade Commission, and people are buying it.
This little twist on counting threads becomes important when consumers base purchasing decisions on thread count. So if you see a package with "1000 Thread Count" in large, lovely font, don't automatically believe it. Look for smaller, less attractive font that might read "2-ply" or "4-ply." Then put it back.
Now here's an insult to your injury if you fall for the counting-plies trick. First, the manufacturer's profit is inflated because they sell higher-thread-count sheets at an increased price. Second, wrapping the thread actually weakens the structure of the fabric. This means those expensive sheets won't last very long, and you'll be in the market for new bedding sooner than you need to be.
Look for single-ply sheets. This should mean you're getting the thread count you're paying for. You should know that Consumer Reports says thread count from 200 to 400 "is fine," and beyond 400, the only difference is likely to be price.