Here is an article referring to what I was talking about. This one is by consumer reports.
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The manufacturer is counting wrong. According to Consumer Reports, 08/05:
Thread count is the new marketing mantra for sheets. The higher the better, you'll hear. But some sheet makers are boosting thread count simply by counting wrong.
The right way to count is to add up all vertical and horizontal threads in a square inch of fabric. Two hundred is typical and perfectly fine; 400 may provide a finer, softer sheet. Above 400, the only difference is likely to be price.
Our tests included some sheets listing thread counts of far more. The Linensource Regency Collection, $280 per queen set, claims a stunning 1,200.
Then we checked the math. Many sheet makers, including Linensource, count plies--very thin yarns that make up a thread. We hired an independent textile lab to count threads. The actual count: 416. That's just 35 percent of what Linensource claims.
Bottom line: Pick a sheet between 200 and 400 thread count that meets your other criteria. Paying more for higher thread count is wasting money.
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