Thread Count

Thread count is the number of threads (warp + weft combined) woven into one square inch of fabric. It is the standard quality metric for flat woven textiles like bed sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases.

Thread Count for Towels: A Common Misconception

Thread count is not the primary quality indicator for terry cloth towels. Because towels use a loop pile construction, the loops add volume and absorbency independent of thread count. The relevant metric for towels is GSM. A towel marketed as "800 thread count" is using misleading language — evaluate towels by GSM instead.

Thread Count for Hotel Bed Linens

For flat sheets, percale, and sateen bed linens — where thread count is meaningful — standard hotel procurement specs are:

Property Tier	Thread Count Range	Fabric Type
Budget hotel	180–220 TC	Poly-cotton
Mid-scale hotel	250–300 TC	Cotton percale
Upscale hotel	300–400 TC	Combed cotton percale
Luxury hotel	400–600 TC	Egyptian cotton sateen