It's time to address the thread count madness.
Every day there's a new bed linen brand vying for your attention with ever higher thread counts, but is that what really matters when you're buying bed linen?
Absolutely not, and we're here to bust some thread count myths. But first of all, what is a thread count?
Thread count refers to the number of threads or strands per square inch of fabric, counting horizontal and vertical threads. It helps to indicate how tightly woven the fabric is.
When it comes to bed linen thread counts, it’s important to remember an age-old saying: quality over quantity. The quality of the yarns or threads used is always more important than the quantity of threads, or thread count.
Here is some advice on what to look for when choosing bed linen, based on our extensive experience of weaving our own fabrics for over 20 years and working with top hoteliers and interior designers, i.e. with the serious linen professionals.
Point 1: Let's eliminate anything below 300 thread count (the yarns are too thick to provide the smoothness we must expect from good quality linen).
Point 2: Above 300 thread count, what matters is not the highest thread count at all, but rather the quality of the yarn itself - because you can only weave really great linen with good long individual staple yarns. What most brands don't tell you is that to reduce their costs, they use lots of short (read: cheap & inadequate) yarns and join them up to make a longer thread - this leads to pilling and bobbling which you'll start to notice after only a few nights.
In these cases, each low quality fiber is counted, leading to over inflated thread counts like 600, 800 or 1000. So these fabrics claiming to have this high thread count are actually lower in quality than a 300 thread count made from long, individual fibers.
So don't be fooled by big claims about low priced-high thread count: this should be a red flag. You'll be cheated out of your hard-earned cash.
Point 3: Pay attention to the feel of the fabric on the top side but also on the underside of the linen you are looking at - the underside will reveal quite a lot - for example how well woven is it and how tight is the weave? Pay attention to the stitching on the seams which reveals the manufacturer's attention to detail and pride in their product which - you've guessed it - will translate in better yarns too.
Point 4: An important point to consider should be which weave to go for - percale or sateen? How do you want it to feel against your skin? Percale cotton will feel cool and crisp with a matte finish and sateen cotton will feel buttery soft with a slight sheen. What kind of weight do you like your bed linen to have - lightweight and airy (percale), or comforting and cosy (sateen). Don't get too hung up on the thread count, but be aware that when it comes to legitimate thread counts, a lower one will feel lighter and a higher one will have more weight to it.
In Conclusion
You are better off with a fantastic 300 thread count made with individual fibers than a poorly made 800 or 1000 thread count with short, weak fibers. The highest percale thread count you can get from high quality fine individual long staple fibers is approximately 300, so think about this when a brand is claiming much higher.
At London & Avalon, we keep things simple. We offer the best-selling Island Collection which is a 300 thread count percale weave - using individual long staple fibers of 100% Egyptian Cotton. No ifs, no buts. It gets better with each wash, and independent laundry engineers have guaranteed it will last in mint condition for 250-300 washes. That's not to say it won't last longer, but nearly 6 years of weekly bed changes and continuous use is not a bad start!
If you prefer your bed linen to have a soft and silky (but not shiny) feel, choose our TC500 Heritage Collection. With the same guarantee of longevity, we reach this number but taking 2 sets of 250 individual long staple fibers and finely twisting them together to reach 500. We can achieve this because of the quality of the fibres we use...no short weak yarns tied and twisted together here!
So don't fall for the marketing myths, and companies who give you a choice of sheeting in 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 1000 etc. Ask yourselves why they're doing that. Simplicity is good.
We hope that this will help your decision-making next time you have to buy new linen, but if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us here.