What is your highest thread count?/What is your best sheet?

The highest thread count fabric we currently offer is called Regency by St Geneve. It is a 1020 strand count double ply fabric made of Giza Egyptian cotton. From St Geneve's web site:

"Regency consists of exceptionally detailed weaving, resulting in one of the most luxurious and soft cottons you can find. The material is built strong and durable, and has a wonderful and natural luminous shine. The Regency design is so very simple and elegant, making it a timeless collection.

This is a Remarkable fabric woven from two threads, or strands, twisted together to make two-ply threads of exceptional quality; a 1020 strand count fabric. This special twisted double thread imparts greater strength and longevity to the fabric, while maintaining incredible softness.

Due to it's extremely high strand count, the Regency collection is remarkably soft, shiny, and absolutely gorgeous. Sets come in solid Creme or White.”

Technically this makes it both the highest thread count and the best cotton fabric we offer. However, and this is the important part, just because it has an extremely high thread count doesn't automatically make it the right sheet for you.

There are many things that go into making a great sheet and many more reasons that make a great sheet for you as an individual. Thread count plays only a small role. As we noted in the posts "The Thread Count Issue," "Not All Created Equal" and “What does Thread Count Mean?” there are things like type of cotton, weaving techniques and finishing quality to take into account in determining if the sheet is of good quality. So we know that Regency gets all of that right, why might it not be a great choice for everyone? The answer is easy – not everyone sleeps the same way. Some people are always warm, others always cold and others still who sleep well regardless of temperature. There are restless sleepers who move around a lot and ones that lay still like logs. All of them need different kinds of bedding to have the most comfortable sleep, and that's not even taking into account personal preferences for feel regardless of comfort.

To illustrate, I am a warm sleeper. I like to sleep in a cool room with light bedding so that I don't overheat at night. I love the silky softness of the 1020 strand count Regency sheets but putting them on my bed would be a mistake. Why? Because that much cotton in a sheet makes it very dense and very heavy. It's silkiness makes it cling and the weight and density of it traps body heat close to the body. It is a warm sheet which is not an appropriate choice for a warm sleeper. Additionally the weight of it can be troublesome to an active or restless sleeper who may need to be able to easily adjust and reposition the sheet with out waking.

A person who tends to be cold at night regardless of the temperature of the room or one who sleeps comfortably at any temperature will do much better with Regency sheets, as will people who don't move around much. This style of sheeting will provide added warmth to the people who like it and the weight won't be an issue for those who aren't restless sleepers.

So to find the best sheet for you, we need to stop thinking about thread count and start feeling different kinds of sheeting fabrics. There are a lot of different weights and styles available from the lightest, crisp percale weaves to silky, soft sateens and everything in between. You'll need to figure out which is right for you by thinking not only about what feel your hand likes but also about how you sleep. Take into account that a sheet that feels a little crisp and light on your hand will act the same way on your bed. It will be cooler to sleep under than a heavier sheet that may cling to the body like silk. And don't be afraid to ask questions when you're shopping! The people who sell great sheets will know how warm or cool, heavy or light, clingy or floaty a sheet is. We'll be able to point you in the right direction.