How to Judge a Bedsheet Before You Buy It
Every bedsheet brand in Pakistan says "pure cotton" and "premium". The label alone will not tell you which sheet lasts. Five things will: what the fibre is, how long it is, how it is woven, what the thread count really means, and how the sheet is finished. You can check most of them in a shop, and the rest on the product page, before you pay.
This is how a mill judges cloth. It takes two minutes, and it is the difference between sheets that pill in a year and sheets that get better with every wash.
If you would rather see the result first, all our sheets are 100% cotton and every page names the weave and the thread count: browse the bed sheet sets.
1. Read the fibre, not the adjectives
Look for one line: the material. "100% cotton" means what it says. "Cotton feel", "cotton rich", "poly-cotton" and "microfibre" do not. Blends are cheaper to make and they have a place, but they hold heat and they pill sooner, because the two fibres wear at different speeds.
If the material is not written anywhere, ask. A brand that knows its cloth will tell you.
2. Ask how long the cotton is
Cotton fibres are called staples. Short staples leave more loose ends on the surface of the yarn, and loose ends are what roll into the little balls you see after a few months. Long staples spin into a smoother, stronger yarn with fewer ends sticking out.
So "long-staple" and "Egyptian cotton" on a label are worth reading. They mean a finer yarn that stays smooth for longer. Our T300 Luxe sheets are long-staple cotton, and the T400 Luxe sheets are long-staple Egyptian cotton.
3. Know the weave you like
The same cotton can be woven two ways, and they feel nothing alike.
- Percale is one thread over, one under. It is crisp, matte and cool, like a pressed shirt. It creases, and it softens with every wash.
- Sateen floats more thread on the surface. It is smooth, with a soft sheen, and a little warmer and heavier than percale.
Neither is better. If you sleep warm or like a crisp bed, choose percale, such as the Toile Heaven Percale Sheet Set. If you want a smooth bed that drapes, choose sateen, such as the Skyfall Sateen Sheet Set. A good product page always tells you which one you are buying.
4. Treat thread count as a range, not a race
Thread count is the number of threads in one square inch of cloth. More threads, finer yarn, denser and smoother sheet, up to a point.
The catch is ply. Some sheets twist two or three thin yarns together and count each one, so a sheet sold as 900 can be a 300 sheet counted three times. It feels heavy and it does not breathe. A single-ply sheet in the 144 to 400 range, made from good cotton, will outlast it.
A simple way to read our own labels:
- T144 and T200: light, everyday sheets. Easy to wash, quick to dry.
- T300: our finest everyday weight. Silkier and heavier.
- T400: the densest and smoothest we make.
5. Check the finish with your hands
In a shop, or when your order arrives, do four things:
- Rub a corner between your fingers. Good cotton feels cool and dry. A waxy or slippery feel can be a finish that washes out.
- Hold it up to the light. The weave should look even, with no thin patches.
- Look at the hems. Straight, close stitching that does not pucker. Loose threads at the corners come apart first.
- Measure the fitted sheet's pocket. It should be deeper than your mattress, with elastic all the way round, so it stays on.
6. Judge it after the third wash, not the first night
A new sheet can be stiff or extra smooth because of how it was finished at the mill. Wash it before you use it. Good cotton softens over the first few washes and keeps its colour. Machine wash cold, tumble dry low, and iron percale if you like it crisp.
If the sheet pills, thins or loses its shape inside a year, that is the fibre or the weave telling you what it was made of.
What this means for choosing a brand
The best bedsheet brand is the one that tells you all five things plainly: the fibre, the staple, the weave, the thread count and how to wash it. If a page only gives you a colour and the word "premium", keep looking.
We come from a mill, so we put those facts on every page. Choose the weave you like and the weight you want, and see every one in Bed Sheet Sets. Delivered across Pakistan in 1 to 5 business days, with a 30-day exchange.
The Linen Company. From Nishat. Since 1990.