Buzzwords

Is Egyptian Cotton the Best For Bed Sheets?

Egyptian Cotton in sheet marketing is almost as ubiquitous as high thread counts. And as with thread counts, what it actually means is not always fully understood by everyone.

Egyptian cotton is acknowledged as the best quality, long staple cotton in the world. Although it historically all came from Egypt, today “Egyptian” cotton is grown worldwide.

Egyptian cotton grown in Egypt is still, however, considered the best due to the particular climatic conditions and the fertility of the soil along the Nile in its delta area. Much has been done to protect the name of Egyptian cotton by organisations such as the Cotton Egypt Association but there are still plenty of producers using it as a way to falsely push their sheets on consumers.

Common questions about Egyptian Cotton Sheets

Is all Egyptian Cotton grown in Egypt?

  • Only 1% of the world’s cotton is grown in Egypt, and unfortunately there is little accountability in textiles when it comes to what brands claim. In 2016, target refunded $90 million to customers for misleading labelled sheets, so consumers must remain vigilant when buying egyptian cotton.

Is Egyptian Cotton 100% cotton?

  • Only if labelled as such. Some sheets will contain genuine Egyptian cotton threads and advertise themselves as such but they will be blended with lower quality cotton to lower costs.

Is Egyptian Cotton the best you can get?

  • Egyptian cotton is not just one thing. Giza 45 is the highest quality grade Egyptian cotton available and is considered to be the world’s finest cotton, however there are many other grades of Egyptian cotton (Giza 70, Giza 77, Giza 87, Giza 88, Giza 92, Giza 93).

Other Facts About Other Countries of Origin

Country of origin plays an important role, as the lower the grade of cotton, the more processing, artificial treatment and chemicals needed to bring the fibres or yarn up to a workable standard. These extra processes damage and weaken the natural fibres, in turn producing a sub-standard quality. Countries like India, China, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are renowned for taking shortcuts when making fabric. It is not uncommon that they will blend their cotton with lower quality cotton fibres, or use excessive chemicals to make the cotton look marketable, thereby weakening the yarns and the woven fabric.