Class action lawsuits arefiled in the recent past accusing of misleading information about the threadcounts in bedding sheets. Thread count implies the number of vertical andhorizontal threads woven inside a square inch of the fabric. More the thread count,softer the fabric feels, and the more expensive it is. This is a primary decidingfactor for consumers shopping for bedding sheets, because higher thread countsimply better quality, softness, and is more comfortable for sleeping. Sheetswith more counts are believed to be softer, warmer, and long lasting. Threadcount in a sheet may range from 80 to 700 though normally stores sell sheets witha thread count of 180 to 320. Higher counts of 1,000 and 1,200 are in theluxury class. Thread count is a big marketing tool for the sale of linensheets.
A recent class action lawsuitfiled by a woman in Florida states that manufacturers deliberately deceiveconsumers by giving misleading information about high thread counts so thattheir products fetch more money in the market. Some companies twist two or morethreads together; called two-ply or multi-ply, before weaving them. Two-plyor multi-ply means two or more fibres twisted together to make one yarn tomake the sheet heavier. Each of these fibres is counted as a separate thread bythe selling company counting two-ply strands twice. So a two-ply 300 strandthread count became a 600 strand count product. The National TextileAssociation counts each braid only once irrespective of the number of plies.
A lawsuit against Bed Bath andBeyond states that the company has mis-represented the thread count in itsbedding products sold in stores and website by stating more number of threadsin the fabric rather than the actual count. Linen Source Inc., a company withannual turnover of $80 million USD is accused of inflating its thread count ashigher as 300 percent, so that it can charge more from its customers. A schoolteacher bought bed sheets and pillow cases with an impression that it has 1200thread count. Later on it he came to know, that it had only 400 thread countsand sued the company for selling a 400 counts sheet at the price of 1200counts. The company denies the allegations stating that this is an act ofconspiracy of its competitors. Another suit was filed against the worldslargest retailer, Wal-Mart, alleging them of selling sheets with inflatedthread counts while the actual counts were much lower than that indicated inthe package. The thread counts in the sheets were actually lesser than thecounts specified in the package. These cases include grievances of shoppers whobought linen sheets with a misleading thread count listing.
But higher thread count does notnecessarily mean durability of the fabric. The quality of the fibres and its finishingis more important for its durability. Linen, flannel, or jersey sheets have lowthread counts due to the type of fabric. High thread count would spoil the lookof these fabrics. A consumer report states that cotton and cotton blendedsheets with 180 to 200 thread counts will stand more wear and tear and will becomfortable as well.
References:
3) http://www.tradingmarkets.com
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