There are three types of cotton you’ll see in sheets: standard, Supima, and Egyptian. Each offers a unique feel that will appeal to different sleepers. Here, I’ll be discussing Egyptian cotton sheets, which are typically high-quality, luxury sheets. In this roundup, I’ve gathered a list of the best Egyptian cotton sheets. I’ll go over what makes them unique in terms of feel, performance, and more.
Our Top Picks for the Best Egyptian Cotton Sheets
- Silk & Snow Egyptian Cotton Bed Sheets – Best Overall
- Parachute Sateen Sheets – Best Sateen
- L.L. Bean Premium Egyptian Cotton Sheets – Best Percale
- Pure Parima Yalda Set – Best Eco-Friendly Egyptian Cotton
- Peacock Alley Emily Sheets – Best Egyptian Cotton Sheets on Amazon
Best Overall- Silk & Snow Egyptian Cotton Bed Sheets
Silk And Snow Egyptian Cotton Sheets
The Silk & Snow Egyptian Cotton sheets feel luxurious and soft.
Mattress Clarity Score
5.00 / 5
My favorite set of Egyptian cotton sheets come from Silk & Snow. This company makes its Egyptian cotton sheets with 100% long-staple Egyptian cotton. This means that the threads are long and durable.
Silk & Snow also got its Egyptian cotton sheets OEKO-Tex certified, meaning that no harmful chemicals or toxins went into the processing and production of these sheets.
They’re a great pick for hot sleepers, featuring a lower thread count of 300, coupled with Egyptian cotton’s natural breathability. For reference, thread count refers to the number of threads woven into a square inch of fabric. The lower the thread count, the less threads in a square inch, so there’s more opportunity for air to flow through the sheets.
They won’t feel as crisp thanks to the sateen weave used to construct them.
RELATED: Best Cooling Sheets
What Makes the Silk & Snow Egyptian Cotton Bed Sheets Stand out?
- These sheets will feel luxuriously soft, and have a bit of a sheen on your bed thanks to the sateen weave.
- Silk & Snow sells these in three shades of white, and two shades of blue for some variety.
- You have 100 nights to test them out, and if you keep them you get a one-year warranty. So, they should last that long, if not more, with good care!
Full review to come!
Best Sateen- Parachute Sateen
Parachute Sateen Sheets
The Parachute Sateen Sheets are high-end and luxurious.
Mattress Clarity Score
4.40 / 5
Read Full Review
One set of Egyptian cotton sheets we love because of the sateen weave comes from Parachute. The sateen weave leaves these sheets feeling silky smooth and buttery soft. If you love cotton sheets, but don’t want them to feel super crisp, this is the set to look at.
These sheets are also made with long-staple Egyptian cotton, making them fairly durable. Currently, Parachute only sells these sheets in white or three light shades.
RELATED: Percale vs Sateen Sheets
What Makes The Parachute Sateen Sheets Stand Out?
- The long-staple cotton threads make these very durable.
- The sateen weave makes these sheets feel buttery soft.
- These sheets have deep pockets, and can fit mattresses up to 16” tall (most beds range from 8” to 14” tall).
Read our full Parachute Sateen sheets review.
Best Percale- L.L. Bean Premium Egyptian Cotton Sheets
L.L. Bean Premium Egyptian Cotton Sheets
The L.L Bean Premium Egyptian Cotton Sheets are available in many different colors and add a touch of luxury to your bed.
The other weave style is the percale weave. This weave makes sheets feel very crisp and look matte. My favorite Egyptian cotton sheets with this weave come from L.L. Bean!
You may know the company for its clothing, but it makes some high-quality Egyptian cotton sheets, too! They come in five different colors for anyone looking for variety. And these sheets can fit mattresses up to 15” tall.
The percale weave makes this set very durable, and with a thread count of 400, they should be breathable. Hot sleepers, take note!
RELATED: Best Cotton Sheets
What Makes The L.L. Bean Sheets Stand Out?
- L.L. Bean offers a one-year satisfaction guarantee on these sheets, meaning you have one year to make returns or exchanges.
- They have that classic, fresh pressed shirt feel that cotton fans love.
- They should be a great option for hot sleepers.
Full review to come!
Best Eco-Friendly Egyptian Cotton Sheets- Pure Parima Yalda Sheets
Pure Parima Yalda Sheets
These eco-friendly sheets are available in many different size options and colors.
It is nice to know when you’re sleeping on a safe, eco-friendly product. Pure Parima uses authentic Egyptian cotton that has been OEKO-Tex certified. And Pure Parima uses sustainable packaging for its sheets.
The Yalda set features a sateen weave, and feels super soft to the touch. Pure Parima sells many different Egyptian cotton sheets that feature embroidery and many color options if you’re looking for variety as well.
What Makes The Pure Parima Yalda Sheets Stand Out?
- The cotton is certified authentic from Egypt and is grown and processed in safe and toxin-free ways.
- The fitted sheet can fit mattresses up to 18” tall so you shouldn’t have to worry about the corners popping up during the night.
- You have 100 nights to test these sheets, make exchanges, or get a refund.
Full review to come!
Best Egyptian Cotton Sheets on Amazon- Peacock Alley Emily Egyptian Cotton Sheets
Peacock Alley Emily Egyptian Cotton Sheets
Peacock Alley’s Egyptian Cotton sheets feature a sateen weave and durable construction.
Everyone loves the convenience of shopping online, and when you find a high-quality option on Amazon, it’s like hitting the jackpot!
Peacock Alley’s Emily Egyptian cotton sheets are an online exclusive set of sheets, found only on Amazon or Peacock Alley’s website.
They, too, feature a sateen weave which makes them feel very soft to the touch. Out of all the sheets on this list, they feature the highest thread count, 500. This makes them feel much softer than most. And for cold sleepers, these might be better at keeping you warm during the night.
What Makes The Peacock Alley Emily Sheets Stand Out?
- The sateen weave and higher thread count make these a very soft set of sheets.
- You can only find them online, through Peacock’s website or Amazon!
- Peacock offers a few color options to pick from.
Full review to come!
What is Egyptian Cotton?
One of the three main types of cotton, Egyptian cotton is, as its name suggests, grown in Egypt. Many brands on this list have made sure to get a certification of authenticity, as to not pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. This means the company can verify that the cotton used did, in fact, come from Egypt.
There are two main differences between Egyptian cotton and traditional cotton. The first being that it is often said to be more durable. This is because the cotton bolls produce longer fibers without breaking, which can be spun into stronger yarns.
Because of this ability to be spun into longer, finer threads, Egyptian cotton is much softer than traditional cotton. However, because most companies will import the cotton, this tends to drive up the price, making Egyptian cotton sheets cost more than cotton grown domestically.
What to Consider When Looking For The Best Egyptian Cotton Sheets
Here are a few key considerations to keep in mind when shopping for the best Egyptian cotton sheets.
Material
Believe it or not, not all companies will sell you 100% Egyptian cotton. In 2016, major retailers such as Target and Walmart discovered the textile mill they were working with was using fake Egyptian cotton. Target went as far to make a massive reimbursement to its customers.
One surefire way to know you’re buying 100% Egyptian cotton is to look for a Cotton Egypt Association (CEA) certification of authenticity. The CEA will DNA test cotton to ensure that the cotton was, in fact, grown and sourced from Egypt.
Sheets on this list that have the CEA certification of authenticity include Silk & Snow, Pure Parima, and Peacock Alley. While Parachute doesn’t list this certification, the company reports the cotton used in its sheets is grown along the Nile river.
Here are some things you can look for if the sheets don’t have this certification:
- Price – As unfortunate as it is, pure Egyptian cotton won’t run you $20-50. Most of the Egyptian cotton sheets on this list hover around $200 or more.
- Durability – Egyptian cotton is incredibly durable, so if your sheets start to show signs of wear and tear around six months to a year in, they might not have been pure Egyptian cotton.
RELATED: Best Materials for Sheets
Weave
As mentioned throughout the list above, there are two main weave styles used to make sheets: percale and sateen. Both are fairly common for Egyptian cotton, and what you should go with ultimately boils down to your personal preference.
Percale cotton sheets will feel crisp, like a fresh pressed shirt. This is what we mean when we say “crisp cotton feel.” Percale sheets will often be more durable and breathable.
Sateen weave sheets will feel much softer. If you think about it, sateen sounds like satin, which is what this weave style will feel like. They won’t feel as crisp. They also tend to have higher thread counts, which makes them better at retaining heat. So if you sleep cold, or sleep in a cooler climate, this weave style could be a good option.
RELATED: Percale vs Sateen Sheets
Feel
One quality that sets Egyptian cotton apart from standard cotton is that it feels much softer. As mentioned, the weave style does play a role in the feel of sheets made with Egyptian cotton, too. But overall, the best Egyptian cotton sheets will feel much softer than standard cotton.
Thread Count
Egyptian cotton can be spun into very fine threads. Much finer and thinner than standard or Supima cotton. Because of this, some of the best Egyptian cotton sheets can have higher thread counts.
For reference, thread count really just refers to the number of threads woven into a square inch of fabric. It’s not the only indicator of a high-quality product. In fact, many high-quality sheets can have lower thread counts.
Because of Egyptian cotton’s ability to have higher thread counts, Egyptian cotton sheets with higher thread counts will be much softer, but can retain heat more. Typically, the highest you want to see Egyptian cotton sheets at is around 700, but I wouldn’t recommend anything over 1,000.
To learn more about the best thread count for sheets, be sure to check out our full article!
Durability
One other difference between Egyptian and standard cotton is that the fibers grow much longer, and can be made into long-staple cotton threads. These long threads make Egyptian cotton much more durable.
The weave style will also play a part in durability as well. Percale is a much sturdier weave style, and will last longer than sateen weave sheets. Sateen sheets are more prone to pilling.
With good care, Egyptian cotton sheets should last you at least two or three years.
Breathability
Cotton is a naturally breathable material. In general, you shouldn’t overheat underneath a set of Egyptian cotton sheets. However, a sateen weave sheet with a high thread count may retain heat more than a lower thread count percale sheet.
Caring for Egyptian Cotton Sheets
How to Wash Egyptian Cotton Sheets
The best care instructions are the easiest: machine-washable. And the good news is that Egyptian cotton sheets are machine-washable! All the ones mentioned in the list above have easy care instructions.
It’s important to note, however, that care instructions will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Common care instructions I’ve seen are cold water washes, and tumble dry on low.
But make sure you read the instructions provided!
The Benefits & Disadvantages of Egyptian Cotton Sheets
| Benefits | Disadvantages |
| Egyptian cotton feels much softer than standard cotton. | Because it’s an imported material, it can be pricier. |
| Its ability to grow longer threads make them more durable and long lasting. | Some companies can sell cotton sheets, though it might not be authentic Egyptian cotton. |
| It’s very breathable and will keep you cool at night. | The cotton has to be grown in Egypt for it to be considered Egyptian cotton. |
FAQs
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the best Egyptian cotton sheets!
What’s the best thread count for Egyptian cotton sheets?
Thread count just refers to the number of threads woven into a square inch of fabric. Egyptian cotton can be spun into very fine threads. And because of this, more threads can fit into a square inch of fabric. A general range for Egyptian cotton sheets tends to be 300-700. Though I wouldn’t recommend anything over 1,000, as companies can artificially inflate thread count at that point.
Are bamboo sheets better than Egyptian cotton sheets?
The main difference between bamboo and cotton sheets is in their feel. Bamboo tends to feel more like soft satin, where cotton can feel much crisper. Overall, personal preference plays a big part here. If you like the satin feel of sheets, opt for bamboo. If you want crisp sheets, cotton is the better choice.
RELATED: Best Bamboo Sheets
Do you have to iron Egyptian cotton sheets?
Many of the cotton sheets on this list are machine-washable and have the ability to be dried in the dryer. If you’re particular about wrinkles, brands like Parachute recommend you can iron if you see the need to.
Is Supima or Egyptian cotton better?
Many tend to gravitate towards Supima cotton. After all, it’s USA-made and its longer fibres make it softer than Egyptian cotton.
Is Egyptian cotton or regular cotton better?
Egyptian cotton tends to be softer, more durable, and more breathable than regular cotton.
