The Sateen Cotton Bedding

There's no single best number. Counted honestly, look for roughly 200 to 400. Consumer Reports found the sweet spot is about 400, and its top-scoring percale sheets were 280 thread count. The fibre and the yarn matter more than the count: long-staple cotton spun into fine yarn makes a softer, stronger sheet at a modest thread count. Ours is 300 thread count sateen woven from long-staple Egyptian cotton.

Usually not. Consumer Reports says you can't fit 1,000 threads into a square inch on a loom. Counts that high usually come from plied yarn, where two to four fine strands are twisted into one yarn and every strand is counted: 250 four-ply yarns become a 1,000 thread count. The US Federal Trade Commission's position is that a plied yarn counts as one thread. A sheet made this way is heavier and warmer, but not necessarily softer or longer lasting.

Not ours. How warm a sheet sleeps depends mostly on the yarn. The sateen that sleeps hot is usually a 900 thread count of thick, plied, short-staple yarn, packed tight; it's also the cheaper sheet to make. Ours is 300 thread count woven from fine, long-staple Egyptian cotton, so air moves through it. Percale's plain weave is light and airy too, and linen is the most breathable fabric we sell.

Sateen. Its smooth surface wrinkles less, while percale's crisp weave creases more and many people iron it. If you'd rather not think about creases at all, look at linen: it creases too, but the relaxed look is part of its charm and it never needs ironing.

Staple is the length of each cotton fibre. The USDA classes cotton from short (0.25 to 0.94 inch) to extra-long (over 1.38 inches), with long staple at 1.13 to 1.38 inches. Longer fibres spin into finer, stronger, smoother yarn with fewer loose ends, so the fabric feels softer and pills less. Our cotton bedding is long-staple Egyptian cotton.

Egypt grows some of the longest cotton fibres in the world, and long fibres make softer, stronger, smoother yarn. The name alone isn't a guarantee, so look for the staple length too. Ours is long-staple, combed Egyptian cotton.

A flat sheet, a fitted sheet and two pillowcases (one with a Twin/Single). You can also buy a fitted sheet, a duvet cover or a set of 2 pillowcases on its own: choose the piece at the top of this page.

Our fitted sheets have 17" deep pockets, so they fit most mattresses, including thick and pillow-top beds.

A zipper, plus corner ties inside that hold your duvet in place.

Twin/Single, Double/Full, Queen and King, in White, Oat, Sky, Charcoal and Fog.

Machine wash cold with a mild detergent and like colours. Skip fabric softener, bleach and harsh chemicals. Tumble dry low, with wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. Iron on the cotton setting if you like a crisp finish.

Yes. The Percale Cotton Bedding is 200 thread count cotton percale in white: crisp, matte and light. Switch to it with the weave buttons at the top of this page.

No. Linen yarn is thicker and less even than cotton yarn, so linen is described by weight in grams per square metre (GSM) instead. Ours is 165 GSM. The Flax Linen Bedding page explains how to read it.

Shipping is free across Canada and arrives in 2 to 5 days. We also keep some bedding in stock at our showroom at 290 Queen St W. Pick-up is first come, first served, so call (416) 840 0224 to check before you visit.

No. Our prices stay the same every day. The one deal we offer: 20% off sheets, duvets and pillows when you buy them with a mattress, applied automatically in your cart.