While cotton is the most common stuff for bed sheets, other materials, such as silk, fleece and microfiber are used as well. The smoothest, silkiest sheets are normally a satin-weave silk, plus a polyester-based satin, both of which are slippery smooth. Nevertheless, when it comes to sheets, cotton is still king. The sleekly delicate, smooth feel of cotton sheets comes from a combination of factors like type of cotton, weave and thread count.
Kinds of Cotton
All cotton isn’t the same. To get a sheet to be shiny and smooth, it has to come from the ideal kind of cotton plant. Egyptian, Turkish and pima cotton are the three common varieties that have extra long staple fibers, meaning they make a nice, but strong and smooth thread. Sheets produced exclusively from either of these types of cotton feel smoother and silkier than those combined with different cottons. The other common cotton collection is upland cotton with short to medium fibers, which make a lasting sheet, but lack the same silky smooth feel of the longer-fiber cottons.
Weave Types
Different weaves generate a dissimilar feel, even from the same raw material. The percale weave creates a gentle, cool sheet which tends to feel cool against the skin and also can rubbed smoothly. Jacquard and damask are both heavier weaves with patterns woven into them. Sheets which feel silky smooth and buttery soft are usually made out of the satin weave known as sateen sheets. These sheets have a small glow on one side, feel somewhat warmer on the skin and resist wrinkling more than other cotton sheets.
Thread Count Matters
Thread count is the number of threads per square inch of material. Estimated thread count is great, but the highest thread count isn’t always the ideal. Low-quality cotton doesn’t feel super smooth however large the thread count. Good sheets are located in the 200 to 250 thread count range, but the ones which appear and feel that the smoothest happen in the 350 to 500 thread count range. A thread count of 1,000 doesn’t necessarily indicate the ideal sheet. Manufacturing companies inflate thread counts by twisting numerous threads together along with other methods which don’t always make a higher-quality sheet.
Other Factors
Other materials can be combined with cotton to make an even softer, silkier feel while still maintaining the advantages of cotton sheets. Cotton blended with silk is equally smooth and strong. Cotton blended with polyester in the ideal weave can feel slippery like satin. Cotton paired with bamboo fibers creates a soft sheet which resists wrinkles and has a smooth drape. Cotton and linen sheets are crisp, but much less likely to feel as silky and smooth as additional fibers.