We buy all the products we test — no freebies from companies. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission, which helps support our testing.
Wondering about the luxurious world of Egyptian cotton sheets? We researched dozens of sets and purchased 7 of the best on the market, at full price, to compare side-by-side. Our experts designed objective tests to simulate years of use to better analyze quality and value. We slept in every set through hot summer nights to judge comfort, curled up on early mornings to assess feel, and put them through repetitive wash and dry cycles to learn about durability. If you've been considering stepping up your sheet game, our experts have done the work to help you find the perfect set for your bedroom.
Editor's Note: We updated our Egyptian cotton sheets review on July 10, 2023, to assess our lineup and make a note on the advertised pocket depth of our Best Buy Award winner.
Extra elastic bands around corners of fitted sheet
REASONS TO AVOID
Delicate care required
Slippery fitted sheet
The Pure Parima Luxury 400 is a soft and luxurious set with excellent fiber quality — the extra-long staple, 100% Egyptian cotton creates a fine-spun yarn and a strong weave. Of all the sheets we tested, this is the only set certified by the Egyptian Cotton Association (CEA). This means you can feel confident that these sheets are pure, DNA-tested Giza cotton grown in the Nile River Valley. These silky, supple, soft sheets draped over our testers like a steady stream of water rolling over the skin. Our thick mattress challenged the fitted sheet's 17-inch deep pockets, but the full-length elastic wrapped around the bottom kept them in place, holding strong with the extra-wide elastic bands on the four corners. The smartly constructed envelope pillowcase and flat sheet are sewn with a hemstitch — an uncomplicated yet chic detail that gives them the feel we would associate with a custom-tailored suit or dress. We tested a set labeled as tan in color, but the thick sateen knit gave off more of a golden sheen, which to our delight, only increased the air of luxury.
Typically, a higher price point means higher quality to match, and you'll certainly pay a pretty penny for this pure-Egyptian cotton sheet set. Despite the primo quality, we noticed a few mis-stitches on the hem of the flat sheet, even though there were no runs or snags after several cycles of washing. Paying special attention to the care instructions is particularly important for the life of these linens. If you desire a crisp look, you will have to iron this set — but make sure to use a low setting, because we accidentally left a tiny burn mark on the pillowcase when ironing. Ensuring you take the right precautions, we think you'll be rewarded with pleasant sleep for years to come with the Pure Parima Luxury set.
Thread Count: 400 Material Type (per tags): 100% CEA-Certified, extra-long staple Egyptian cotton Pillowcase Style: Envelope
Health Rating: OEKO-TEX 100
The hemstitch that highlights both the pillowcases and the flat sheet is a visualization of the lush comfort these pure Egyptian cotton sheets offer.
15-inch pockets did not fit 18-inch bed, as advertised
Pocket Depth
When we initially tested these sheets, Mayfair claimed an 18-inch pocket depth on the fitted sheet. We found this claim untrue. Since then, however, they have changed the advertised pocket depth for these sheets to 16 inches. This is still less than the 15 inches we measured during testing. The price has also increased slightly since our test period, but we still maintain that these are a good value purchase.
Featuring a classic design and crisp feel, the Mayfair 800 sheet is a budget-friendly choice that we'd be pleased to find at any B&B. These sheets are malleable but still feel fresh, like the ultimate summertime linen, and don't feel slippery when you climb into them. They became softer with each wash, giving us the impression that they'll only break in and get better as time goes on. If you sleep warm and toss and turn all night while trying to find the perfect temperature, these will give you a lot of air space, especially in the leg area. The color options vary from neutral to an array of vivid pastels and bold, darker hues. As one of the few models available in a Twin XL size, they're as perfect for a beach house as they are for a dorm room.
With its 15-inch pocket, the fitted sheet can be a bit tight. It did fine when tested on a 12-inch mattress and a topper, but we couldn't get the corners to stretch around an 18-inch mattress. Although white sheets are typically never on the winning side of a wine spill, the Mayfair set was the most noticeably stained after our testing. Still, these are minor issues compared to our main gripe, which is that the set lacks tags listing its materials. In fact, our set was missing all of its (federally-mandated) tags. Although the packaging lists them as 100% long-staple Egyptian cotton — and boasts the CEA trademark label — there isn't a reliable indicator on the sheets themselves. We even attempted to contact the manufacturer multiple times to verify their material sourcing but to no avail. Though the Mayfair set is certainly a great price-point deal, we can't confirm that they're 100% Egyptian cotton.
Thread Count: 800 Material Type (per tags): No tags to verify material type Pillowcase Style: Standard
Health Rating: None
Simple in design, but ideally crisp on the bed.
These sheets are the perfect option for those who want to explore the world of Egyptian cotton without spending hundreds of dollars.
The Brooklinen Luxe Core 480 is like a favorite t-shirt: lightweight and oh-so-soft to the point that it's hard to imagine wearing anything else. We are thoroughly impressed by the craftsmanship of these sheets, which feature a 'relaxed-fit' feel without the formal air of hotel luxury offerings. Their soft, smooth feel will make you question the sanity of getting out of bed in the morning. If you want truly pressed, crisp sheets, you'll have to bring out the iron, but of the sets we tested, the Luxe Core's lightweight, supple cotton came closest to lying flat fresh out of the dryer. The tags explicitly recommend washing before first use, but thanks to an OEKO-TEX Standard 100 rating, you can rest easy knowing that all harmful chemicals were removed from these sheets before they left the factory.
However, like so many others who make the claim, this well-crafted bed set is not pure Egyptian cotton. The tags only indicate 100% cotton, and we verified with the company that the sheets are sewn with long-staple fibers, but the cotton is sourced from both Egypt and India. Also, at only 15 inches, the pockets on the fitted sheet are some of the shallowest we tested. However, thanks to very thoughtful stitching and hem design, the fitted sheet laid wholly round at the corners and came close to evenly covering a thick, 18-inch mattress. The same quality craftsmanship extends to the flat sheet and pillowcases. Although you will only find simple backstitches and no highlights, the design of the envelope pillowcases is by far the best of any we examined for this review.
Thread Count: 480 Material Type (per tags): 100% long-staple cotton; blend of cotton from Egypt and India Pillowcase Style: Envelope
Health Rating: OEKO-TEX Standard 100
Perfectly professional in fit and feel.
Don't be fooled by the basic packaging, these sheets offer nothing but the highest quality feel and fit.
For those seeking comfort in the cold, the Chateau Home Collection 800 is a nice, heavyweight option to have on hand come wintertime. If you enjoy the full-body hug of a weighted blanket, this is the sheet set to match. This set's flat sheet is significantly thicker than any other we tested, comfortably draping for a snug feel when you tuck yourself in at night. The fitted sheet's deep, 16-inch pockets are reinforced with an additional elastic cinch that wraps around the edges, ensuring that they stay in place even underneath the most restless sleepers. A heavy, sateen weave not only results in a much more substantial feel but also affords an incredibly smooth finish.
This thick, sateen weave, however, comes with some downsides. These sheets are supposedly certified as 100% Egyptian cotton, but the weave is so dense that they feel more like a cotton/polyester blend. Additionally, the Chateau Home sheets are initially very stiff. Repeated laundering makes them slightly more supple, but they lose a bit of their softness. Although they are marketed as OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified, they carry no tags to confirm this accreditation, and their stiff feel makes us wonder if they actually undergo that specific factory process to remove production chemicals. These criticisms aside, we found this set to be surprisingly breathable despite its hearty weight. There is no real reason to pack these sheets away when the weather starts to warm up, as we found them very comfortable to sleep under alone, even on a hot summer night.
Thread Count: 800 Material Type (per tags): 100% long-staple Egyptian cotton; carries CEA label Pillowcase Style: Standard
Health Rating: None
Even for a light color, we loved how the deep color saturation shined through on this heavy sateen sheet set.
The high thread count of these sheets contribute to a beautifully weighted set of sheets, well-suited to keeping Egyptian cotton on your bed through the colder months.
The Linen Home 800 falls within the Goldilocks zone of bed sheets: not too thick, not too thin, but just right for a comfortable night's sleep. Linen Home calls their finish a “satin weave,” and this turned out to be surprisingly different from the normal sateen weave on every other sheet we tested. The sheen is slight and offers a nice alternative for those who want a heavier weight bed sheet but dislike the slippery feel of a heavy sateen finish. Without being too lightweight, the flat sheet offers plenty of room to move about, but it's also substantial enough for those of us who are comforted by a swaddle of sheets. The deep, 19-inch pockets on the fitted sheet should be more than enough to accommodate even the thickest mattress. These thicker sheets are also sewn with sturdy, high-quality stitches, including an invisible/ladder stitch to seal the pillowcases.
Unfortunately, we have good reason to question the validity of the Linen Home sheets as a pure Egyptian cotton sheet set. Per US federal regulation, cotton can only be listed with a country of origin if those fibers undergo DNA testing that links them to a particular growing region. Though these are advertised as 100% long-staple combed Egyptian cotton, the tags only indicate “100% cotton,” which means it could be a blend of other, lesser-quality yarns. In addition, we had some pause because these sheets are advertised with multiple OEKO-TEX certifications — both Made in Green and a Standard 100 certification. Having multiple certifications from OEKO-TEX is somewhat unusual, and there are no tags on the sheets to verify any accreditation from this institute. We feel that these are a high-quality set of sheets designed with durability in mind, we're just not sure they can be classified as true Egyptian cotton sheets.
Thread Count: 800 Material Type (per tags): 100% cotton Pillowcase Style: Standard
Health Rating: None
The pockets of this fitted sheet fit our 19" deep mattress perfectly, while the flat sheet afforded enough room to move comfortably around underneath at night.
Highly decorated packaging may be an attempt to hide some of the fatal flaws of these sheets behind a well-marketed design.
Offering online direct-to-consumer sales, URBANHUT provides its quality, Egyptian cotton bed sheets at a competitively lower price. Though the URBANHUT 800 set is scarcely more affordable than other similar sets we tested, we can certainly appreciate this approach, especially because the company leans into sustainable manufacturing practices like wind power and water recycling. Though technically a sateen weave sheet, the finishing process seems to only affect the weight of these particular sheets. As a result, they have the fresh feel of pressed linen and offer another alternative to the slick texture of a heavy sateen sheet. They instantly feel cool and crisp when you slide into bed, and despite their 800-thread count, they feel much lighter than similarly weighted sheets. These Egyptian cotton sheets are also effortless to launder — we were able to remove stains without any issue, and wrinkles pressed out easily.
The 16-inch pocket on the fitted sheet is not a great option for larger mattresses, but we had no issues with it staying perfectly in place on a 12-inch mattress with a thick pillow topper. Unfortunately, though these sheets started out fairly soft, they quickly began to lose their suppleness after only a few washings. We noticed a significant number of dropped stitches, and this was one of the few sets that displayed obvious thin spots across both fitted and flat sheets. For those expecting the luxuriously smooth finish of a sheet labeled with a sateen weave, we suggest checking out some of the other options because these will probably disappoint. And like a few of the other companies we tested, these are advertised as being manufactured up to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 specifications, yet there were not any tags to indicate this certification. Although these can be a bit stiff for their weight, their finish is a nice change of pace from the norm, especially for those who love cool, crisp bed sheets.
Thread Count: 800 Material Type (per tags): 100% long-staple Egyptian cotton Pillowcase Style: Standard
Health Rating: None
These sheets felt instantly fresh when laid out across our bed: cool, crisp, and just enough weight to keep you warm into the early morning hours.
Only offered through major online retailers, URBANHUT guarantees that the cost-savings of near direct-to-consumer is paid back through their work towards more socially- and economically-conscious production.
The Thread Spread True Luxury 1000 sheets might be the best midweight option we tested. This robust, 1000-thread count set feels surprisingly airy. But in this case, we're not using this term synonymously with cooling. Instead, the increased air space combined with the high thread count means that these sheets are much warmer than expected, which is great for cold sleepers. When compared directly to other sheets of similar thread-count weight, no other set comes close to the pleasantly neutral temperature control of this set. Although the lightly-sateen finish is a bit starchy at first, they softened after repeated washings. These sheets have a bright color palette to complement their feel, one that again offers a fresh alternative to the heavy sateen finish of other bed sets.
We were fairly disappointed, however, with the overall quality of these sheets. This is another example of a manufacturer claiming an OEKO-TEX Standard 100 rating without including tags on the sheets themselves. Despite an initial impression of sturdy construction, a closer look revealed a lot of dropped stitches, particularly across the seams of the flat sheet. Although the pillows sport an invisible/ladder stitch, it was sewn crookedly, indicating a lack of precision in the manufacturing process — thoughtful design, but shoddy craftsmanship. Still, for those willing to put the time into ironing out these exceptionally wrinkly sheets, the Thread Spread does offer a nice, bright, long-staple cotton sheet with the crisp feel of pressed linen.
Thread Count: 1000 Material Type (per tags): 100% long-staple Egyptian cotton Pillowcase Style: Standard
Health Rating: None
The deeply saturated color of these sheets is a sign that their sateen weave offers a warmer sleep than other, similarly weighted options.
Just like other 1000-thread count sheets included in this review, these sheets are going to feel heavier than they appear.
Why Trust GearLab
After significant research of dozens of the top-rated bed sets on the market, we purchased seven of the best Egyptian cotton sheets — all at retail prices — to undergo tests of their overall quality. Our expert team draws upon years of experience in scientific research to design assessments that analyze every important detail of these bedsheets. Although we were restricted to a limited testing period, we attempt to simulate years of use by spending a lot of time examining each sheet set. We poured red wine on them to see if the stains would come out. We put them through multiple wash cycles, taking detailed notes on durability and whether they changed in terms of skin feel over time. We scrutinized every seam and stitch for craftsmanship and quality. And, of course, we slept in them to test things like breathability, heat retention, adaptability to the seasons, and just how easy it is to roll around at night. This is all in an effort to bring you honest, unbiased results based on side-by-side comparisons so that you have the information you need to select a sheet set that will give you many restful nights.
Ready to climb into some incredibly comfortable Egyptian cotton sheets? Our expert reviewers did the "hard" work to bring you honest, objective critiques of some of the most popular options on the market.
The dreaded red wine stain... we made sure to test which sheets are most easily cleaned from even the most disastrous spills.
These sheets saw a lot of trips through the washer, all with the intention of simulating years of use to bring you a solid analysis of long-term durability.
For this review, we enlisted the expertise of two Senior Review Editors, Aaron Rice and Maggie Nichols. If you've ever visited the high deserts of the American West, then you will understand the extreme temperature swings that happen both daily and seasonally. As high-desert dwellers (of New Mexico and Nevada, respectively), these two editors searched for those impressive sheet sets that could keep them cool through summer heat, and warm through long, snowy winters. Both also work from home, so it's likely that they spend even more time than most in bed. All these factors make them perfect candidates to tackle the challenge of taking some of the most highly reviewed bed sheets on the market and putting them through GearLab's famously rigorous testing process.
Ahhh, is there anything nicer to climb into than a freshly made bed? We slept in every set to directly compare them side-by-side.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Analysis and Test Results
We spend nearly a third of our lives in bed, so we formulated a testing plan that encompasses everything we could want from a set of bed sheets. We developed five comprehensive and mutually exclusive metrics to rate each one: skin feel, temperature control, utility, ease of cleaning, and durability. Each metric is weighted according to its relative importance — for example, skin feel is much more important than ease of cleaning for most people — and then compared each set of sheets to one another to break down the nuanced differences.
Many of the Egyptian cotton sheets we tested have a heavy sateen finish, which gives them a particularly smooth texture.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Skin Feel
Regardless of whether or not you wear pajamas to bed, you know you want to wrap yourself up in a cozy set of sheets. We understand that skin feel is a very subjective quality to measure — one person may look for an ultra-soft set, and another might want their sheets to feel crisp — and they may even share the same bed. Thus, we made sure to take this into account, testing aspects including softness, smoothness, slipperiness, stiffness, and flexibility. We slept in every pair, with and without clothes, to judge how each felt. We also washed and tested how each set changed in feel over a series of trips through the washing machine. Though some improved in quality, others diminished, which we factored into our assessment.
So what really makes sheets soft?
Though there is no short answer to this question, it certainly doesn't begin and end with thread count. Here are a few key factors that go into making sheets softer:
Staple refers to the length of cotton fiber. Long and extra-long-staple fibers can be spun into finer yarns that also serve to increase the strength of sheets.
Yarn Size, or Thread Size, is a fineness rating, and like all diameter gauges, the higher the number, the better. The finer the yarn, the more fibers can be woven into a square inch, resulting in a higher thread count.
Thread Count is the number of threads woven into a square inch of fabric. Traditionally, the finest thread count of a single-ply yarn was 400. Many manufacturers use two- or multiple-ply yarns to boost their thread count claims, even though this doesn't generally result in a finer construction.
Without a doubt, the finest set of sheets we tested were the Pure Parima Luxury 400. From the time we pulled these out of the packaging to the last night of sleep we enjoyed before having to sadly pack them away, these sheets were a perfect 10 when it came to skin feel. They hit all the marks, somehow managing to be simultaneously soft, smooth, supple, crisp, and silky without being slippery. These sheets fall naturally around the body — our lead tester remarked that they “feel like water on your skin.” Yet these pure Egyptian, extra-long-staple cotton sheets are at the bottom of the list in terms of thread counts, which proves that fiber quality and thread size influence the quality of a set of sheets more than thread count alone.
The Pure Parima sheets are the only set we tested that is CEA-certified, guaranteeing that they are made with 100% pure extra-long staple, Giza cotton... some of the softest in the world.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Trailing not too far behind in the ratings were the Brooklinen Luxe Core 480 — again, a lower thread count sheet that shined in terms of softness. These offer up less of a sateen finish than the Pure Parima, giving them a more relaxed feel that is slightly more lightweight and significantly crisper. These sheets may look simple in comparison, but when it comes to pulling them up on a hot summer night, we wouldn't want anything else wrapped around us.
If you prefer a set of sheets that are easier to curl up in come early morning, we suggest sheets like the Brooklinen Luxe Core with a much lighter sateen finish.
The shinier, heavy sateen finish sheets - like the Linen Home set - are unbelievably soft, but not nearly as supple as others.
Temperature Control
While American Upland cotton is usually heralded for its durability and soft feel, it hasn't always been known as the best when it comes to temperature control. But Egyptian cotton improves upon this classic fault, thanks to its long-staple fibers. The much finer-spun yarns contribute to increased airflow compared to an Upland cotton with the same thread count. Though they may not be quite as moisture-wicking as bamboo sheets, they seem like a significant improvement over a classic cotton sheet.
Finish and Weave
A choice must be made as to whether or not threads will undergo a finishing process before they are sewn together to create a bedsheet. Mercerisation is a chemical and pressure treatment process that increases fiber strength, improves dye uptake, and imparts an identifiable luster. This finishing process goes hand-in-hand with the silk-like Sateen weave that involves one horizontal (or weft) thread crossing over four or more vertical (or warp) threads before going under one. This is a tighter weave, with a tell-tale shiny appearance due to the sealed fibers and an increased thread density. This results in a smooth and silky feel and increases warmth, but unfortunately makes them prone to snagging.
In a plain, or Percale weave, one weft thread is sewn over one warp thread and then under one to create a simple lattice pattern. Percale weaves are sewn with untreated cotton fibers that result in a matte finish. They also tend to soften with wear and washings, resist snags, and thanks to a less condensed weave, are lighter weight and more breathable.
In the same way that all of us have individual preferences when it comes to feel, we each have particular tendencies regarding our preferred sleeping temperature. Some people sleep hot, some sleep cold, and some are able to find that Goldilocks zone that leads to an ideal night's sleep. For the warm sleepers of the world who tend to roll around at night, we loved the Brooklinen sheets for their lightweight, supple Egyptian/Indian cotton blend that affords a ton of air space around the legs. Although we didn't have the opportunity to review any percale weaves this time around, for the warm sleepers who prefer a cool, crisp sheet, both the Mayfair 800 and URBANHUT 800 sets are great options, thanks to their more lightweight sateen-finish.
The URBANHUT sheets are lightweight, crisp, and much cooler than many other options we tested.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Conversely, those who sleep cold or prefer a thick, heavy bed sheet for the wintertime should look at the heavy sateen sheets we tested. Topping this pile is the Chateau Home Collection 800, whose thick, sateen weave is heavyweight among Egyptian cotton sheets in the best possible way. We found it functional even in the heat of summertime, on those nights when it's too hot for a blanket, but the blast of the fan makes it feel too cold to sleep just under the sheets. And, for those seeking a flawless, Goldilocks-type of temperature regulation, again, the Pure Parima set is as comfortable to lay under on a hot night as it is to curl up in on a cool morning.
If you prefer a slightly lighter weight sheet, but still want the warmth of a denser sateen weave, the Thread Spread True Luxury set is a great option.
For those who sleep hot, think of the Mayfair set as that great pair of hotel sheets that you could never recreate in your home... until now!
Utility
A comfortable Egyptian cotton sheet can be your ticket to some sweet dreams, but it can quickly become your worst nightmare if it springs out of place and wraps you up like a burrito every other night. Therefore, the first and most obvious question to ask when judging the usefulness of a new set of sheets might be, “will this fit my bed?” To test utility, we considered how different pocket depths accommodated mattresses of various thicknesses, checked to see how well sheets wrapped around corners, judged elastic effectiveness, and stuffed various-sized pillows into the cases to see how well each fit. We intentionally and aggressively rolled around at night to see if the sheets shifted or rode up (or attacked us with a burrito wrap!) Our experts also considered the variety of color palettes and sizing options available.
The Pure Parima set is the only one in our review that includes extra thick elastic bands to guarantee your fitted sheet stays in place until it's time to take it off to launder.
Some of the best fitted sheets are those with thick elastic bands that wrap 360-degrees around the mattress, like the one included in the Linen Home set.
An ingenious design we have yet to see elsewhere, the fitted sheet of the Chateau Home Collection incorporates an extra elastic band that is sewn directly into the sheet, and supports the full, bottom elastic wrap.
Measure Your Bed
As you can tell by now, there is a surprising amount of variability even in a “standard” set of bed sheets. Even more surprising is the debate throughout the industry as to what the correct size is for, say, a Queen-size bed that will always measure 60 x 80 inches on the surface. Our advice? Measure your bed — particularly the mattress depth, because this seems to be the single greatest variable when sizing a fitted sheet correctly. Keep in mind that older mattresses tend to compress over time, so it is best to err on the side of caution and add 1-2 inches to that measurement.
Even if the Pinzon fitted sheet adequately pulls over a thick mattress, this is not the only one that ends up with what we dubbed “elf ears” in the corners, proof that they don't fit quite as well as it may appear.
Credit: Aaron Rice
The Linen Home 800 sheets scored highly in this regard, with truly deep, 19-inch pockets, a full variety of sizes offered (including Twin XL), and 16 different colorways. Although the Thread Spread True Luxury came close to the depth of this fitted sheet with 18-inch pockets, we had to pull it tight to make it around a thick, 18-inch mattress. Only the Pure Parima sheets offer an extra elastic band to secure the corners of your fitted sheet. But the Chateau Home Collection is designed with an interesting take on the same concept, incorporating an extra corner cinch that is actually woven into the fitted sheet. The envelope pillowcases of the Pure Parima and Brooklinen sets fit nearly every size pillow very nicely.
The Brooklinen pillowcases have an envelope design that not only fit many different thicknesses of sheets, but fit perfectly to make sure they stay in place.
Even though the THLAND set includes envelope pillowcases, they sag off the end of the pillow. Not only does this look sloppy, but it makes it annoying to pull the pillows out of the case.
Are Egyptian cotton sheets an environmentally friendly option?
It's tough to put “cotton” and “environmentally friendly” in the same sentence when considering the current market for these goods. OEKO-TEX does offer an additional MADE IN GREEN certification that expands upon their Standard 100 accreditation (discussed below) to designate textiles that are “manufactured using sustainable processes under socially responsible working conditions.” Overall, however, cotton textile production remains a dirty business. Currently, conventional cotton production uses 16% of insecticides over only 3% of the world's farmland, and organically sourced cotton makes up less than 1% of the global marketplace. Progress is slowly being made, but it's important to check your sources. The Cotton Egypt Association (CEA) has been working to implement the Egyptian Cotton Project, which tries to help farmers implement organic farming practices, reduce water consumption, and promote health and welfare education — all of this with the goal of making the world's best cotton even better.
Even if your new bed set doesn't include an envelope design pillowcase, your pillows should still be able to fit well. The Thread Spread True Luxury set exemplifies a case with a great fit: just enough material to cover the end of the pillow, but not so much extra that it flops around.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Ease of Cleaning
One misconception about Egyptian cotton sheets is that they are difficult to launder or require exceptional care to maintain. While there are some hard-and-fast rules — no bleach, no fabric softener, no hot dryers — almost every sheet we tested was easily washed in cold/cool water and either line-dried or tossed in the dryer on a low setting. In this sense, these sheets are particularly eco-friendly. We sought out the nuances of cleaning these sheets by running them through many wash and dry cycles, and even purposefully stained them with red wine and deodorant to see if these would lift out without special care. As with all cotton sheets, you will never achieve perfectly pressed sheets without ironing. But we did note which of the sets came closest to sidestepping this by putting them on our beds right out of the dryer, and which repeatedly required extra attention to iron out wrinkles.
Even the white sheets of our review showed a difference in red wine stains. Note that these look particularly dark because this was between washing and drying, but the Brooklinen sheet (middle) fared much better than either the Mayfair (left) or the THLAND (right).
Credit: Aaron Rice
We washed all the sheet sets on a cold water delicate cycle, using a mild detergent and no special stain treatment. Of course, darker colors definitely helped hide red wine stains, but we were surprised how easily the wine stains lifted from the light blue Thread Spread sheets after only one wash. Only the Mayfair and Linen Home sets required additional washes.
The proof is in the tags that the Brooklinen set is OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified.
Credit: Aaron Rice
OEKO-TEX, the standard in textile testing
It's a long road between a cotton ball and your bedsheets. Like all textile production, this manufacturing process is, unfortunately, quite chemical-intensive. But to ensure that those chemicals don't follow you into your bedroom, many producers opt to have their post-production textiles tested for any remaining harmful chemicals. An OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification means that your sheets pass these independent tests and are verified to be “harmless in human ecological terms,” oftentimes exceeding national and international requirements.
We cannot express how important it is to either line dry, or tumble dry these on a low setting. We found many other user reviews stating that their Egyptian cotton sheets shrank to an unusable size when dried on medium or high.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Due to the finer spun fibers, Egyptian cotton sheets are notoriously prone to wrinkling, but there are some exceptions to this rule. Fresh out of the dryer, the Brooklinen sheets looked neatly pressed on the bed, thanks to their nearly sheer material weight. Alternatively, the Thread Spread fitted sheet was almost impossible to iron all the wrinkles out. For particularly fine sets, like the Pure Parima sheets, it is important to exert extra caution in ironing — we put a very small burn mark in one of these pillowcases, all due to the extra pressure of an overlapped seam underneath.
The difference between ironing, and not: the pressed, crisp look afforded by ironing (right side) vs. laid on the bed fresh out-of-the-dryer without ironing (left side) displayed on the Pinzon flat sheet.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Durability
Cotton is a rough-and-tumble fabric that is known for long-lasting durability. Despite the appearance of luxurious fragility, Egyptian cotton can indeed last the long haul. Pitfalls of a sateen weave aside, the extra-tightly spun threads of pure Egyptian cotton sheets are designed to go the distance — but they must be properly cared for to do so. Although we didn't intentionally set out to ruin any of the sheets we tested, certain marks of craftsmanship and trends in material feel gave us some insight into a product's longevity.
The extra reinforced seams on the Mayfair sheets also reinforces their value when it comes to durability.
Credit: Aaron Rice
When it comes to textiles, a well-sewn piece will last longer than something that is poorly crafted. We closely inspected seams and stitches, elastic hems, and even the face fabric itself — of course, considering differences in thread count — in search of any signs that would lead us to question a set's durability. We also poured over other user reviews, making notes about any recurring issues.
We were less than impressed by the sloppy sewing on the Thread Spread True Luxury pillowcases.
Even the highest quality Egyptian cotton sheets are susceptible to user-damage. Here is a small burn mark on a pillowcase of the Pure Parima set, that we caused accidentally by ironing over a doubled-up layer of fabric hidden underneath.
Often, the higher quality the product, the more attention is paid to craftsmanship, and this is exemplified in the design and stitching of the Brooklinen sheets. While the Pure Parima set also falls into this same category of perfectionism, it lost a point here due to its gentle care requirement. The Linen Home set also awed us with all-around quality stitching and a thick, durable weave that gave the impression that those sheets are as tough as nails (an assumption backed up by other consumer reviews.) As expected, the thicker options like the Chateau Home set also scored well in this metric, inspiring visions of wrapping us up for years to come.
Noticeably high quality stitching is a good way to judge the overall craftsmanship of a sheet set. The quality of the well-stitched Pinzon pillowcases is reflected in the durability of the entire set.
Credit: Aaron Rice
So, what's the real deal with Egyptian cotton?
Although the cotton plant is native to North America, the soil and environmental conditions of the Nile River Valley combine to make it the ideal location to grow some of the world's finest, long-staple cotton fibers. As a result, something of a black market has emerged around marketing cotton sheets as Egyptian, even if those fibers come from elsewhere. In response to the market being flooded with fakes and knockoffs, the Egyptian Cotton Association (CEA) formed to ensure that both farmers and producers get the credit (and prices) they deserve for their fine products. It is best to check whether a manufacturer is accredited by the CEA by contacting them directly. Additionally, all CEA-certified bedsheets should carry the association's trademark logo.
The CEA only certifies those manufacturers who are using 100% Egyptian cotton, and this tag is not only a good way to judge cotton quality, but care of craftsmanship as well.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Conclusion
Wading through the sometimes murky waters of Egyptian cotton sheets can seem like a lot to work through, especially if you plan to purchase these online without seeing or feeling them first. We hope that by testing some of the best Egyptian cotton sheets available, this review will help guide you to the perfect set for your bedroom.
After this review, we're convinced that the cost of the Pure Parima set is well-worth the investment for a high-quality set of Egyptian cotton sheets.
