All You Need to Know About Thread Count

Thread count. These two simple words have raised many an eyebrow in recent years.  In this article you will discover many tidbits of information that will assist in your understanding of what thread count is, the myths and truths about it, why it may or may not be important, and how it can affect the way you approach shopping for fabrics, such as bed linens in the future.

Thread, as defined in the Webster Comprehensive Dictionary is: A very slender cord or line composed of two or more yarns or filaments, as of flax, cotton, silk, or other fibrous substance, twisted together.

Now that you know what a thread is, let’s apply it to thread count.  Thread count, put simply, is the number of warp-lengthwise thread and weft-widthwise thread woven together in one square inch of fabric.  When cotton was first used in making fabrics, thread count as we know it today, didn’t exist.  It only became popular as a marketing tool in the last 2 or 3 decades.  This led to much confusion for the consumer, as some manufacturers used this to promote their products as higher in quality due to the thread count used in their fabrics.  The real misleading part about that was the manufacturers were advertising higher thread counts than the actual thread counts used in the material and the first myth was born.  Some manufacturers would count each thread to calculate their thread count and some would count each fiber or ply that made up each thread for their calculations. This is where most of the confusion came from for the consumer.  Now, the acceptable practice for thread count is counting each single thread as one, no matter how many plies or fibers are in each thread.  If you look on the label and find single-ply, which is one thread, two-ply or four-ply, the two or four ply means the individual threads have been twisted together to produce thicker thread that in turn produces a heavier fabric.  The finer the thread means the more threads per square inch, which results in a higher thread count.

The truth about thread count is really in the type and quality of cotton used to make the fabric.  The long staple or fibers found in Egyptian cotton are the most desirable and better quality.  It has the longest fibers, which make stronger, softer and more durable fabrics.  The quality of the thread is most important in thread count.  If the quality is inferior then the thread count doesn’t make that much difference in the finished product.  For example, a 400 thread count fabric made with inferior quality fibers can produce a fabric no better than a 200 thread count fabric made with higher quality fibers. This is where the consumer needs to be wary, read the labels carefully and ask questions about the type of cotton or blends of cotton used in the fabric.  When addressing the blends of cotton used, ask about the percentage of cotton and other types of threads used, possibly polyester, in the blend to determine if the fabric will be right for you.  The use of blends is common, but usually not noticed by the consumer when purchasing sheets or bed linens, for example.

The way a fabric is woven also plays a part in the thread count and there are different types of weaves.  The term insertion began to be used as a weaving term to distinguish quality in the weaving process.  The more insertions used in the weaving, the lesser the quality of the fabric.  For example, a 400 thread count fabric woven using a one pick insertion can be a much better fabric than a 1000 thread count woven with 10 pick insertions.  We’ll start with the basic weaves first.

• Muslin – a plain weave with a low thread count of anywhere from 140 to 180.  Muslin usually has a rougher hand or feel to it.
• Percale – a plain weave, but more closely woven with a higher thread count, usually around 200 up to 400.  This one over one weave produces a stronger fabric, but limits the thread count that can be achieved to 400.
• Flannel – a loosely woven plain or twill weave of medium weight with a raised surface that produces a thicker, softer feel.  Thread count doesn’t play a large part in this type of weave due to the brushing or napping of the fabric.
• Sateen – a weave in which the fabric is woven four over one.  This means four yarns act as one and most of the yarn is on the top surface of the fabric which results in the silky smooth feel or touch of the fabric.  This weave can produce a much higher thread count, up to 1000 threads per square inch.  Satin also uses this structured weaving process, but satin is produced by using different types of threads, such as silk or polyester instead of cotton or sometimes rayon.

Labels on fabrics don’t usually tell you the type of weave used, but the descriptions of the different types of weaves may assist in identifying what type of fabric the consumer may want to purchase.

Today we have much more detailed information about what our fabrics are made of and how they are constructed to produce the different products on the market.  Dispelling the myths of thread count, weaving and the types of threads used can significantly change the way the consumer determines what products would be the best quality for the price.  Ultimately, thread count plays a smaller part in this determination than in the past, but should be considered when shopping for products such as bed linens.