When it comes to quality, the weave of bed linens is arguably more important than the thread count itself. The two most common types of weave are percale, which uses a relatively straightforward ‘plain weave’ (one thread is woven over another thread) and secondly, sateen (where four threads are woven over one thread). READ NEXT: Our round-up of the best mattresses available The best sheets to buy for every recommended thread count 1. White Company Essentials Egyptian Cotton range: Best everyday thread count sheets Higher-thread-count sheets are made with finer (thinner) yarns. The more yarns that fit into a square inch, the smoother, denser, and more durable the fabric. When it comes to thread count, most people forget that the quality of threads is far more important than the quantity." —Missy Tannen, co-founder of Boll & Branch Cotton grown in Egypt often produces longer, finer yarns versus regular cotton," says Farah Arshad, Head of Product at bedding brand Dusk. "Generally speaking, the longer the threads, the better the softness and the drape of the material when woven into bed linen." The perks of Egyptian cotton bedding

There’s a misconception that, when it comes to thread count, bigger is necessarily better. That’s not always the case. Thread count offers a broad indication of quality, but there’s a big element of subjectivity to selecting your bed sheets. We recently tested a 1,400 thread count cotton/polyester sheet set that uses one of these techniques and (not surprisingly) it wasn't a top performer. Polyester does have its own selling points – it’s stronger, more wrinkle-resistant and less expensive than cotton – but it certainly doesn’t feel as luxurious as a natural fiber.When it comes to thread count,” Tannen said, “most people forget that the quality of threads is far more important than the quantity." Andrés Modak, co-CEO and co-founder of Snowe, noted, “Luxury sheets aren't simply the result of a high number; first you need the highest quality yarns, expertly woven.” As you can imagine, this isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality. In fact, many companies end up weaving multiple pieces together when the original source of the material isn’t strong enough to stand up on its own. They reinforce it by combining pieces of yarn! Percale is less silky, though more breathable, creating a matte cotton that’s great for everyday use. Experts recommend a thread count in the region of 200-400, and advise against exceeding a 500 thread count. For this kind of breathable design and non-shiny appearance, it’s simply not necessary. Gopinath and Maher agreed that good-quality sateen sheets ranged from 300 to 600 thread count. The number could creep higher, but this would create a very heavy sheet.

Other constructions include flannel for winter and jersey-knit sheets, which feel more like a T-shirt. Though it comes down to personal preference, our testers tend to prefer the smooth feel of sateen. Fiber content. 100% cotton is the most popular, and there are premium (i.e. “long-staple”) cottons, like Egyptian and Pima, that make the fabric even softer and more durable. Just keep in mind that these sheets may be more expensive, and there have been instances where brands mislabel regular cotton sheets as Egyptian. Looking for sheets with a reasonable thread count (200-600 for most styles) will typically produce the best results. Be sure to modify your expectations somewhat depending on the material used.Keep in mind that certain materials are not measured using thread count. Some notable ones include: