A lot of words can be used to describe cotton: soft, smooth, comfy, and cozy, to name a few. But when it comes to finding quality cotton sheets and pillowcases, how can you separate truly exceptional cotton fabric from all the fluff? Start by looking at the cotton fiber itself.
The Fiber Factor
All cottons are not created equal. They’re differentiated by the length of their fiber (or “staple”), the fine little strands that make up a raw piece of cotton. Some cotton species have shorter fibers. Others have longer fibers. Some even have extra-long fibers. It all depends on the type of cotton.
The most common type of cotton, Upland, is made of short-staple fibers that offer reliable quality at an affordable price. This is the most common variety on store shelves. Long- and extra-long staple cottons include pima cotton and Egyptian cotton. These cottons are renowned for their superior quality thanks to the length of their fibers.
Length Equals Strength
So why are long and extra-long staple cottons so desirable? Because the longer the cotton fiber, the stronger, softer, and more durable the resulting fabric.
Fabrics made of long-staple cottons fray less, pill less, wrinkle less, and even fade less than fabrics made with their short-staple counterparts. This difference is especially important when selecting bedding, as it endures daily use over a longer period of time than almost any other type of cotton product. Long-staple cotton sheets will feel luxurious longer, leading to a more comfortable night’s sleep for years to come.
Beware of Blending
Long-staple cottons have become synonymous with superior quality. Sometimes, however, what you see on the label may not match what you find in the actual product. Dishonest manufacturers may blend their long-staple cottons with cheaper, short-staple ones in an effort to cut costs. The result is an impure cotton product sold at a premium markup, and it’s unsuspecting consumers who pay the price.
There’s only one way you can be sure you’re getting an authentic extra-long staple product, and that’s with foolproof scientific verification.
You may think it’s enough to look for “100% pima cotton” on the label. But even that’s no guarantee the fabric is pure. There’s only one way you can be sure you’re getting an authentic extra-long staple product, and that’s with foolproof scientific verification.
PimaCott is the only pima cotton brand that doesn’t just claim to be made of extra-long staple cotton — it proves it. Thanks to a revolutionary tracking system, PimaCott is able to monitor its pima from the time it leaves the farm to the time it’s woven into sheets, towels, and more. This ensures it's never blended or contaminated.
So if you want the highest quality sheets available, don’t just look for 100% this or that. Look for the PimaCott logo, and rest assured you’re getting the luxuriously soft, superior quality of real extra-long staple pima cotton.
