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Why Egyptian Cotton?

There's a lot of opinion and information out there on the internet about Egyptian cotton and some of it is, frankly, a load of fluff.
Below is our little guide that will hopefully dispell some of the myths and reinforce some of the truths about why Egyptian cotton is so great.

Egyptian cotton is a luxury fabric woven from cotton grown only in Egypt on the banks of the Nile.
The growing conditions there are perfect for the production of cotton that produces long staple and extra long staple yarn.

Egyptian cotton produces finer and stronger yarns than other cottons.
The long staple or long fiber of Egyptian-grown cotton means that there is more continuous fiber to use when creating threads or yarns. This yarn is smaller in diameter yet stronger than other cottons. Smaller yarn means that more threads per square inch can be use to create stronger fabric which is light in weight yet breathes well.

When shopping for Egyptian cotton check the thread count as it is an indication of the quality
This number represents the number of threads woven into a square inch of fabric but the quality of the yarn used is just as important.
Any fabric with more than 180 threads per sqaure inch can be called percale, but Egyptan cotton has the long staple yarn that is the best you can get in terms of smoothness, strength, durability and at the same time softness.

Egyptian cotton is heavy in structure but feels light, and its density makes it very resistant to wear and tear.
It's not uncommon for Egyptian cotton products to last for decades.

Egyptian cotton bed linen may feel stiff at first, it will start to soften after a few washes.
It is part of the nature of Egyptian cotton that the more you wash it the softer it becomes. So, like a fine wine, your Egyptian cotton bedding will improve with age.

Egyptian cotton is much more likely to retain its original colour than regular cotton over time.
It's very absorbent, soaking up a great deal of colour during the dye process.

Egyptian cotton does not require any special care compared to regular cotton products.
Unless specifically stated otherwise, Egyptian cotton can be placed in the washing machine, tumble-dried (remove whilst still slightly damp), and ironed on a low setting. Click here for washing tips

Percale is not a type of fabric.
Percale simply means the thread count is 180 or more. Percale can be 100% cotton or a blend of cotton and other fibers. All our own brand Egyptian cotton percale bedding is 100% Egyptian cotton.

There is an American version of Egyptian cotton known as Pima cotton.
Pima cotton is a hybrid of Egyptian cotton and others cultivated in the US to compete with native Egyptian cotton. It produces only extra long staple yarns as opposed to Egyptian cotton that produces both long and extra long staple yarns.