"According to Consumer Reports, a thread count of 200 is fine; 400 may be softer. But anything above 400 will likely only provide a higher price tag [source: Consumer Reports]."
*So how are counts such as 800 or 1,200, which some manufacturers claim, even possible? How could you fit that many threads into a single inch? The short answer is you can't. "Some manufacturers use creative math to boost thread count," explains Consumer Reports [source: Consumer Reports].
In the spirit of free enterprise and competition, manufacturers battle to calculate their tread counts high, higher and highest. They count not just each thread, but each fiber (called plies) th*at make up each thread. So a single thread might be four plies twisted together; one manufacturer will call that one thread, while another manufacturer will call that four threads.
To untangle this inconsistency, Consumer Reports hired an independent textile lab to count threads in a $280 queen sheet set with a manufacturer-stated thread count of 1,200. The lab counted 416 threads per inch, just 35 percent of what was claimed [source: Consumer Reports].
The Federal Trade Commission even got involved in the fracas, thanks to a request made by the Textile Bedding Committee of the National Textile Association. Bed, Bath & Beyond got sued for misrepresenting thread count and, without admitting any wrongdoing, settled the suit on July 26, 2008, by offering refunds, gift cards and discounts [source: Bed, Bath & Beyond Court Settlement].
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Now that you bought sheets, go buy towels
