When it comes to bed linens, we hear again and again that Egyptian cotton is top-of-the-line, but did you ever wonder what exactly makes Egyptian cotton the finest?
Unlike most cotton, Egyptian cotton is still hand-picked, which ensures the highest level of purity. Furthermore, hand-picking puts much less stress on the raw cotton than mechanical processes, which can break the fibres.
Most importantly, Egyptian cotton has the longest fibres, which - when woven - make for the softest and most durable cotton fabric. This lends itself to sheets that can withstand more stress, outlasting inferior cotton sheets and softening with every wash. Egyptian cotton linens are also much less susceptible to pilling, as the stronger fibres don't break as easily.
To delve a little deeper, there are different varieties of cotton under the Egyptian cotton umbrella, differentiated by the length of the fibre (technically called the staple). Simply enough, they're called Extra-Long Staple (ELS), Long Staple (LS), and regular cotton. Since we've established that longer fibres make softer and stronger yarns, ELS is the best quality Egyptian cotton (and, we're proud to say, ELS is the variety used in all Au Lit bedding).
Because Egyptian cotton has a standing reputation as the highest quality, many products out there will (unfortunately) be labeled as "Egyptian cotton" when in reality they may contain as little as 1% of the material. This is why it's important to be vigilant in making sure the labelling indicates "100% Egyptian cotton."
Are your sheets 100% Egyptian Cotton? Let us know. And sleep well.
