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You’ve purchased an elegant new Stearns & Foster sleep set. And, though it’s certainly soft enough to sleep right on top of the mattress, you’ll probably want luxurious new linens for your new bed.
Here we’ve gathered a basic overview of the terminology and materials you’ll encounter when shopping for linens.
Fabric Types
There are two types of fabrics – natural and synthetic. Natural fabrics are breathable and absorb moisture. They include cotton, silk, linen and wool. Most high quality sheets are made from natural fabrics. The finest cotton sheets are made from Egyptian cotton, which has the longest cotton fibers, giving it softness and a very luxurious feel. Supima and Pima cotton fibers are also long, which creates a soft, smooth and durable fabric. Cotton in general is an excellent choice for comfort and durability.
Silk sheets are of course luxurious. They are measured on weight called the “momme weight” (mm). Momme (pronounced “mummy”) is a Japanese unit of weight used to measure and describe silk fabrics. The higher the momme weight, the better quality of silk. An average silk sheet would be between 10-12 mm.
Synthetic sheets include polyester and nylon fabrics. There are some cotton/poly blends, which will not wrinkle as much as 100% cotton sheets, but do have a tendency to pill. The biggest difference in having synthetic fibers in the sheets is that they will not breathe or absorb moisture as well as natural fibers. Also, synthetic sheets are typically warmer and less expensive than natural fiber sheets.
Weave
The weave of the fabric that makes up your sheet will also contribute to its softness and durability. A standard weave alternates one stitch over, one stitch under to create a durable, soft fabric. Pinpoint weave is a stitch of two over and one under, which creates a more durable, but less soft, fabric. Sateen weave is four stitches over and one under, which means more threads are on the surface of the fabric. This makes it very soft, but less durable, than other weaves.
Thread Count
Thread count is an often-cited but rarely understood factor of linen quality. The term “thread count” simply means the number of threads per square inch of fabric. Generally, the higher the thread count, the softer the fabric.
But, realistically, there’s a limit to the number of threads in one square inch of fabric. When sheets claim to have a thread count of 500 or higher, they’re usually describing threads that have been twisted together. This does not increase the softness of the fabric and, often, lower quality materials are used. So sheets with a 1000-thread count could actually be 250 four-ply cotton threads made from low-quality cotton.
Pay more attention to the quality of the materials used in the sheets, such as Egyptian cotton, and then compare thread counts between similar quality fabrics.
Sizes
You’ll obviously need sheets that fit the stated size of your mattress – full, queen, California king, etc. But you’ll also need to make note of the depth of your mattress. You might need to purchase extra deep fitted sheets, especially if you have a Pillow Top or Box Top mattress, to avoid the sheets slipping as you sleep.
Here are some dimensions to use as a guide:
- STANDARD DEPTH: 7 to 9 inches
- DEEP MATTRESS: 10 to 15 inches
- EXTRA DEEP: 15 inches to as deep as 22 inches
If you’re worried about finding sheets to fit your new mattress, be sure to visit our retail partner, Sealybedding.com. Their Best Fit!® sheets are guaranteed to fit mattresses 7” to 20” deep.
