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Feb 8, 2006 12:01 am US/Eastern
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Thread Count On Sheets: Less Than Meets The Eye
Experts Say Some Manufacturers Mislead Consumers
by Kirstin Cole
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
You'll be surprised just how low the thread count on bed sheets really is. And what's more, the federal government says the linen industry is rife with deceptive practices and some manufacturers that are boasting 600, 800 and 1,000 thread count are pulling the wool over your eyes.
Thread count is the marketing mantra for millions of consumers searching for a good night's sleep. Erica Phillips is shopping to outfit her new bed. What's she looking for? "I check the thread, the more threads there are the better the quality," she said.
But there's a wrinkle in this approach, says Kathleen Huddy, textile expert at the Good Housekeeping Institute. "Unfortunately, over the years manufacturers and retailers, to sell more sheets, have pushed thread count," she said.
While many sheets do live up to their claims of 300, 400 and more threads per square inch, Huddy says, by applying one count per thread, other companies are using some fuzzy math and counting multiple yarn plies that make up each thread. So 300 becomes 600 and 400 gets sold as 800.
Now the Federal Trade Commission, at the request of the American Textile Manufacturers Institute, is trying to stop what it calls a widespread deception.
The label on a Marsaille sheets boasts 1,000 thread count but according to our CBS 2 News lab test, it's not true.
It turns out the sheets have only a 297-thread count, with three or four plies. Good Housekeeping's Huddy says that's why they feel so heavy. "This feels more like a tablecloth, and you won't want it on your bed."
We went to the manufacturer for answers but no one answered at their showroom. Over the phone they referred us to their retailer who told us the Marsaille sheets follow current labeling rules.
"I would not take at face value some real high thread count," said the Federal Trade Commission's Barbara Anthony.
"We think manufacturers should adhere to what has been a wide industry practice for many decades."
Manufacturer Alan Laytner adheres to that practice. We put a 400 thread count sheet to the test and it was accurate. He says if you think you could simply feel the difference between high count and low count sheets, you're wrong. "Today I've seen finishing techniques that take the lowest thread counts and make them feel very soft because they're hit with chemicals," said Laytner.
But the FTC is now urging manufacturers to come clean by listing the true thread count and ply. "Advertise it in a way that is clear and that won't be misleading to consumers," said Anthony. Consumers are advised to read labels and know a store's return policy. If you're unhappy after three washings, return them and try again. .
Egyptian cotton is best but many insiders concur that buying higher than 400 thread count is wasting money.
The National Textile Association told us the following manufacturers do not inflate thread counts: Dan River, Springs Global, Springmaid, Wamsutta, and WestPoint Home, Inc.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)