If you’ve been looking for new bed sheets, there might be a term that has stuck out recently. At first, you might think you’re reading Egyptian cotton, but it couldn’t be since the price is much, much lower.
No, it’s more likely you’re looking at Egyptian comfort sheets. But what does that mean, exactly, and how is it different from Egyptian cotton?
Here, we’re going to look at the truth behind the name, and why Egyptian comfort sheets are fast becoming a favorite in the bedroom.
What is Egyptian cotton and what is Egyptian comfort?
Egyptian cotton is a famous term when it comes to bedding, signifying the cream of the crop when it comes to cotton sheets. They’re called “Egyptian” because the cotton is grown along the Nile, where the ground is particularly fertile.
This results in cotton that can double the length of other cotton fibers. Because it’s longer, it can be spun into finer yarns that don’t have as many rough endings that lend other kinds of cotton their coarseness.
While there are very few disadvantages to Egyptian cotton, they are some of the most expensive kinds of bedding around.
Despite the name, Egyptian comfort isn’t actually made from Egyptian cotton. It’s a highly-advanced fabric made of polymers that was created to rival, or even surpass, the famous breed of cotton.
Originally created by Walmart, Egyptian comfort is sold by a variety of bedding providers now and is fast becoming a popular alternative to cotton due to the price and a few distinct advantages.
Softer than Egyptian cotton
When describing the comfort factor and the softness of a bed sheet, the fineness of the thread matters. Most often because it dictates the all-important thread count of the bedding. The higher a thread count, the softer and more comfortable the sheet is likely to be.
Egyptian cotton is usually found within the range of a 200 to 400 thread count in its most affordable varieties but can reach up as high as a 1000 thread count.
Because the fibers are much finer in Egyptian comfort, however, you can get up to thread counts as remarkably high as 1800, which results in a much softer fabric.
Unlike Egyptian cotton, however, you won’t be breaking the bank for an 1800 thread count Egyptian comfort sheet. What’s more, Egyptian comfort is well known for having a smooth, almost silk-like softness to it, making it a much lighter fabric.
Stronger than cotton
Egyptian cotton is well known for being significantly stronger than other kinds of cotton, but Egyptian comfort is just as durable, and even longer-lasting. One of the major reasons is the actual thickness of the fibers. Egyptian comfort is made of fibers no larger than 1 denier, whereas cotton usually has a thickness of about 1.5 denier. This might seem like a small difference, but it results in much tighter weave for Egyptian comfort.
Since individual fabrics aren’t very strong, the tighter that weave, the stronger the fabric. So, Egyptian comfort tends to be a lot more resilient fabric, meaning it’s a lot less likely to suffer pilling or tearing even after years of washing and use.
This also means that Egyptian comfort lasts a lot longer than cotton, so you won’t have to replace them as often.
The aesthetic appeal
With such a low denier and a high thread count, the science supports the high quality of Egyptian comfort, but even to the naked eye, it’s easy to tell that these sheets are luxury.
As mentioned, they never pill like cotton does, meaning you’re going to have those little unsightly balls of fabric poking out from the sheets.
As it’s stronger than Egyptian cotton, Egyptian comfort sheets are also wrinkle resistant, so once you make your bed, it looks like you’ve just fitted fresh sheets that have been newly dried.
What’s more, thanks to that low denier, the sheets are highly moisture resistant. Beyond meaning that you’re a lot less likely to be sweating under the sheets, it also means that they’re stain resistant.
If you spill something on your Egyptian comfort sheets, it won’t soak through to the duvet beneath, nor will it ruin the sheets themselves.
They are remarkably easy to clean and, what’s more, they dry three times as quickly as cotton, so you don’t have to worry about fussing over them all the time.
More comfortable than Egyptian cotton
We’ve already stated how Egyptian comfort is softer than all varieties of cotton, but what about comfort? Just because a fabric is soft doesn’t mean it’s comfortable, however. Besides Egyptian cotton, all other varieties are well known for their coarseness.
Egyptian comfort has a smoothness that’s more comparable to silk. What’s more, it’s just as breathable as high-quality cotton. So, not only is it a good insulator in the cold, helping you warm up.
It’s also great for keeping you cool on a hot summer night. This is especially true thanks to the fact that it’s a much lighter and flexible fabric than cotton.
What’s more, thanks to the tightness of the fabric, it’s also allergen resistant. Even cotton as fine as Egyptian cotton is prone to catching dust and pollen and trapping it amongst the threads. That’s not true of Egyptian cotton.
So, if you’re chemically sensitive, have easily-irritated sinuses, or you have dust or pollen allergies, Egyptian comfort could be the solution you have been looking for all this time.
Less expensive than Egyptian cotton
Perhaps more of a deciding factor than all the other factors put together, Egyptian comfort is nowhere near as expensive as its cotton counterpart. In fact, a high-quality Egyptian cotton sheet with a 1000 thread count can cost as much as ten times as much as an 1800 thread count Egyptian comfort sheet. Because it’s a lot easier to produce than the cotton that has to be grown specifically, Egyptian comfort will always be the cheaper option.
With all the advantages of Egyptian cotton, as well as some areas where it even performs better, while still maintaining a lower price there’s no doubt that Egyptian comfort has earned the name. Try them out the next time you’re looking for bed sheets and you’ll be surprised by just how luxury they feel but little they cost.
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