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Today I went around looking for sheets but could not decide. I found 1 Egyptian cotton sheets - Does cotton in them come from Egypt? 2 Pima cotton sheets - what is Pima cotton? 3 Jersey sheets some of which were cotton while others were a blend of cotton and polyster. What are jersey sheets? 4 damask sheets - I don't know what damask means? Can someone tell me please?. Which cotton sheets will feel more luxurious and what is the difference between all these? Thank you. This message was modified Apr 21, 2011 by helpme
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Thanks for the useful information, Budgy! It reminds me, I actually bought a set of so-called Egyptian cotton sheets for about $20 at one of the travelling expos a couple of years ago. When I got them home, they were super thin, slick and almost like a jersey - I hated them. They were translucent and totally lacked any body - almost like a filmy gauze. I saw them on sale again in a booth at another expo this year again. It wasn't a lot of money to waste, but it certainly was deceptive advertising. I hope you are right that price is the way to gauge quality, which makes sense, but I don't suppose it's any guarantee either, since it sure doesn't seem to hold true after reading some of the reviews of higher priced beds on this forum! Still, I should have been skeptical of "Egyptian cotton" sheets at $20 a set. Why is it that European manufacturers make better quality fabrics, I wonder? I'd hate to shell out $500 for a set of sheets ordered in from Europe, with a no-return policy, and no chance to examine and handle the fabrics in advance. Of course, I wouldn't be in the market at that price point, anyway, so it's a moot point for me! Anyways, thanks again! Very interesting and enlightening posts, as always, and much appreciated.
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Pima/Supima and Egyptian cotton are long staple fibers. Egyptian fibers average about 1 3/8 per staple. Pima is just a tad longer at 1.5 inches per. I personally think the weave and TC are much more inportant. I can tell you that my favorite sheets are a pima/bamboo blend that is the new micro cotton(very soft--essentially a supper combed cotton).
Expect to see a new, upgraded Pima--Supima is a brand/advertising name for pima. The new Pima is being test grown in Arizona(the cotton monopoly in California will not allow it to be grown here even though it was developed as a colored cotton in the late 1980's) and Argentina. It has a staple lenght of well over 2" and can be processed using traditional machines. Interestingly, this new cotton comes colored--mainly browns and tabacco's without any dyeing. This is the reason it isn't allowed in california, the farm industry is afraid it will combine with the white cotton grown here and interfere with the premium prices the farmers get. Last year's crop was purchased by a German manufacturer, all 150,000 bales. This message was modified May 7, 2011 by jeff8407
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jeff8407 wrote:
Pima/Supima and Egyptian cotton are long staple fibers. Egyptian fibers average about 1 3/8 per staple. Pima is just a tad longer at 1.5 inches per. I personally think the weave and TC are much more inportant. I can tell you that my favorite sheets are a pima/bamboo blend that is the new micro cotton(very soft--essentially a supper combed cotton).
Expect to see a new, upgraded Pima--Supima is a brand/advertising name for pima. The new Pima is being test grown in Arizona(the cotton monopoly in California will not allow it to be grown here even though it was developed as a colored cotton in the late 1980's) and Argentina. It has a staple lenght of well over 2" and can be processed using traditional machines. Interestingly, this new cotton comes colored--mainly browns and tabacco's without any dyeing. This is the reason it isn't allowed in california, the farm industry is afraid it will combine with the white cotton grown here and interfere with the premium prices the farmers get. Last year's crop was purchased by a German manufacturer, all 150,000 bales. Supima or 100% American Pima Cotton does get exported to mills around the world...but I have never heard of any of the European mills using it...this doesn't mean the cotton itself isnt of very high quality...but I have just never seen or felt really high quality cotton sheets from India and Pakistan which is where most Supima cotton is being woven, note that most cotton coming from these countries isn't even Pima cotton it is almost always Upland cotton (90% of the world crop). Im not sure who the best companies are to get something like this from....I believe Tempur in the US sells some high quality Supima Cotton sheets. My uncle just got a set of Supima sheets and he is ecstatic about the quality of them...not sure where he got them from. This message was modified May 7, 2011 by budgy
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| Thanks, Jeff and Budgy! I appreciate the interesting and informative posts! There sure are some knowledgeable people on this forum, and I really am glad I found it and that you all are so generous in sharing your experiences and information with us all. |
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Budgy, many many thanks. Are there any retail stores in USA where I can go and get some of these Egyptian cotton and Pima sheets? It is hard to buy over internet when you can't see/touch the sheets. Thus I would like to go to a retail store and get them. Thanks budgy. |
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helpme wrote:
Budgy, many many thanks.
Are there any retail stores in USA where I can go and get some of these Egyptian cotton and Pima sheets? It is hard to buy over internet when you can't see/touch the sheets. Thus I would like to go to a retail store and get them. Thanks budgy. St. Geneve, Sferra, SDH, Schlossberg, Matouk, PeaCock Alley...there are others too...but I am drawing blanks now EDIT: I guess I am just saying I dont think any big box stores are trustworthy in this kind of arena...they bring in cheap products and sell them off as luxury goods. This message was modified May 10, 2011 by budgy
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| You should try bamboo sheets, they are so soft and comfy not to mention bamboo is a sustainable product. I found great sheets at http://www.greenearthbamboo.com/100-Bamboo-Sheets-Sheet-Sets-p/ds0001.htm. I really appreciated that they will send you a sample swatch of the sheets and duvet covers for free so you can actually see what bamboo fabric feels like. The sheets are 250 thread count and come in really nice colors like chocolate and rain blue. |
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I've found the best sheets that don't shrink and still stay on our mattress are from Kohl's--their brand called The Big One. I love the crisp, but soft feel. 60% pima cotton and 40% polyester---helps with shrinkage.They don't pill up. I've tried Egyptian cotton, as well as microfiber and they just don't do the trick for me. I just wish sheets were less expensive! Even on sale, they're more than I want to pay. I can find cheaper ones at Ross-Dress-For-Less, but most of them are the kinds I don't care for after one washing, so I've essentially wasted the money. Jersey sheets are made of the same material a jersey shirt is. Kind of stretchy, soft fabric. I don't care for the feel on sheets. I prefer crisp, but not still soft against my skin. I've never seen damask sheets--just mattresses, couches, draperies, tablecloths, etc. Definition: "A figured woven fabric with a pattern visible on both sides, typically used for table linen and upholstery" Not sure how that would feel to lay on. I'm not a fan of satin sheets, either. Too slippery. The more the thread count, the more "luxurious" sheets are considered. But, I don't always follow that rule. I don't want my sheets to feel TOO soft. It just makes me feel too hot. I like a cooler fabric and sometimes that can be found in a lower thread count. I'm not talking the cheap, cheap percale, but something in the middle like what I found at Kohl's. I can't handle flannel sheets at all. That's all my mother uses because she appreciates the warmth. Maybe if I lived in snow country! :) This message was modified Apr 26, 2012 by BeddyBye
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