All About Egyptian Cotton Bed Linen

Egyptian cotton is widely known to be the best quality cotton in the world – but why does it have this reputation, and what does ‘Egyptian cotton’ actually mean? 

We’ll go into much more detail below, but Egyptian cotton is sourced from a plant named Gossypium Barbadense which is exclusively grown on the fertile banks of the River Nile. Irrigation systems that were established thousands of years ago channel a continuous supply of nutrients from the river to the plants, which grow for longer than other cottons at a slower pace, producing incredibly fine fibres.

What is Egyptian cotton?

There are many different varieties of cotton grown all around the world, all with differing qualities that produce fibres unique to the particular plants they are grown from. When shopping for bed linen, you are most likely to come across three different strands of cotton:

American Upland – this is the most commonly planted and used cotton in the world. 

Pima – this is a high quality, long-staple cotton with a soft weave, which is commonly used for clothing that is designed to be more comfortable.

Egyptian cotton – this usually has the longest and finest staples of all cottons, and is commonly used for luxury bed linens. However, not all Egyptian cotton is of this quality and other varieties of cotton (such as extra-long staple Supima cotton) can be as good as or better than lower quality Egyptian cotton.

Genuine Egyptian cotton is only sourced from the Gossypium Barbadense plants that grow on the banks of the River Nile. Here, the plants thrive thanks to the ideal climate, abundance of water and the unique chemical composition of the soil. These conditions combine to create a unique environment, unlike anywhere else on Earth, where some of the cotton plants produce extra-long-staple, straight fibres which are individually hand-picked to prevent them from breaking. These long, straight fibres are the reason why Egyptian cotton is so soft and strong. Sheets weaved from the best quality Egyptian cotton will feel incomparably soft to the touch, and are strong enough to last for a lifetime. 

What is Giza cotton?

Not all Egyptian cotton is created equally. The very best in terms of high quality, strength and softness is Giza cotton, which has long-staple or extra-long-staple fibres, depending on its grade. If you’re looking for bed linen of an exceptional quality, the term ‘Gold Seal Egyptian cotton’ is what you want to be looking out for. Beware that marketers have cottoned on to the popularity of Giza cotton and products are sometimes being labelled with ‘Made from Giza cotton’ when Giza cotton seeds have been grown outside of Egypt. The quality of the fibres is determined by both the plant itself and where it was grown, so pay close attention to labels. 

To make things more confusing, there are different grades of Giza cotton which are determined by the length, diameter and condition of the fibres. Longer fibres and smaller diameters mean the yarn can be spun finer. These different types of Giza cotton are identified by numbers referring to the year the cotton strains were hybridised. There are two categories of Giza cotton:

Long-staple fibres: Giza 86, Giza 89 and Giza 90.

Extra-long-staple fibres: Giza 87, Giza 88 and Giza 45. 

If you are ordering from our Atelier bespoke collection of bed linen, you have the option of selecting Giza 87 700-thread-count cotton; one of, if not the very best qualities of cotton available in the world. The extra-long-staple fibres of Giza 87 cotton are famed for their uniformity, which makes exceptional, incomparably soft sheets.

Is Egyptian cotton the best?

When choosing bed linen, it is important that you consider several factors together rather than homing in on one term such as ‘Egyptian cotton’. Remember that not all Egyptian cotton is created equal. Its fibres can be regular, long or extra long staple – for high quality sheets, you need long or extra long staple. 

The most important consideration for bed linen is the length of the fibres. The reason that Egyptian cotton boasts such an excellent reputation is that the very best Egyptian cotton has long or extra-long-staple fibres. However, Egypt also grows regular cotton – and both long and extra-long staple cotton is also grown elsewhere in the world, such as Supima cotton which is grown in America.

The very best cotton is 100% extra-long-staple Giza 87 Egyptian cotton. 

The Cotton Egypt Association (CEA) is dedicated to keeping Egyptian cotton pure by auditing cotton mills and requiring manufacturers to become accredited with their Gold Seal of approval. The seal confirms that DNA tests have proved that the cotton fibres originated on the banks of the Nile River.

Alongside the quality of the cotton itself, the quality of the finished bed sheets is also determined by the finishing techniques and heritage know-how used by the mills, and how exactly the cotton is woven. All of our bed linen is crafted in heritage, family-run mills in Italy and Portugal, which have been weaving cotton for generations. 

How is Egyptian cotton different from regular cotton?

Bearing in mind the previous point about whether Egyptian cotton is the best, there are many qualities which make 100% extra-long or long staple Egyptian cotton stand out, especially for bed linen. Long and extra-long staple Egyptian cotton fibres create sheets which have an unrivalled softness and are incredibly long-lasting, helping you to have a better night’s sleep. The smoothness of the fabric also results in a better drape, giving you exceptional bed linen that looks as good as it feels.

Egyptian cotton with long or extra-long-staple fibres is much stronger than ‘normal’ cotton, which means that bed linen crafted from Egyptian cotton will last much longer; making it an investment for both cost-per-use and for lessening your impact on the planet. 

How can Egyptian cotton be misleading?

Marketing laws allow bed linen that include just 51% Egyptian cotton fibres to be advertised as ‘Egyptian cotton’, meaning that customers will often be deceived into purchasing cotton of a questionable quality. We are proud that all of our bed linen is 100% Egyptian cotton, but it can be tricky to know if you’re buying the very best or falling for a marketing ploy.

You also need to be aware that not all Egyptian cotton is of the same quality. ‘Standard’ cotton is also grown in Egypt and can be marketed as Egyptian cotton despite not being long or extra-long staple. It is also possible to market Gossypium Barbadense cotton grown elsewhere as ‘Egyptian cotton’ – while the plant may be the same, if it is not grown on the banks of the Nile, the quality will be significantly impacted.

Look for the following information to be sure that you’re buying the real deal:

• 100% Egyptian cotton

• Accredited Gold Seal from the Cotton Egypt Association (CEA)

• Long-staple or extra-long-staple fibres

• Giza 87 or Giza 45 Egyptian cotton

• The Egyptian cotton logo, depicting a black triangle

All of our bed linen crafted from 100% Egyptian cotton has an accredited Gold Seal from the CEA. Our Atelier bespoke bed linen can be made with Giza 87 Egyptian cotton.