Cotton sheets with a thread count of 300 to 500 are often considered a good choice for comfort and durability, though you can find comfortable sheets at lower thread counts (our best percale pick ...

Similarly, pima and Egyptian cotton, which are long-staple fibers, “will have a smooth feel and be durable because of the length of the components that make up each thread,” First explains.

Cotton sateen is denser and smoother, with a thread count somewhere between 250 and 400. The bottom line: Unless you know what you’re looking for, thread counts are mostly a meaningless ...

You might think a higher thread count means higher-quality sheets, but manufacturers have tricky ways of manipulating that number. They can use low-grade cotton that's thin when spun.