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The first thing to appreciate is the fact that Egyptian Cotton is actually grown in Egypt on farms alongside the Nile.  The rich soil and the region’s humidity combine to make for ideal growing conditions.  The cotton is also spun into thread there as it has been for centuries—although the spinning process is now modernized.  Of course, from there the thread is shipped around the world.

As a buyer of products made from Egyptian Cotton (which is wise on your part) there are a couple of indicators to be looking out for.  Apparently a number of manufacturers were prone to co-opting the name “Egyptian Cotton” for their products.  They lied.  So the Egyptian government created a logo to certify that Egyptian Cotton is the real deal.  The logo features a cotton plant in the center of a heavy triangle a la a pyramid.  Look for it,  the guarantee of 100% Egyptian Cotton, when you shop.  If it is not 100%, but a percentage, the product does not have as much of the excellent characteristics Egyptian Cotton offers.

A second consideration is “thread Count” (TC).  As the TC increases, meaning the number of threads you could count with a powerful magnifying glass in one inch of fabric, the cost goes up. Starting at a minimum of 200 TC, the number of threads in an inch of fabric can approach 1200 plus.  The cost plus the comfort factor will appreciate accordingly.  But, in the long run, the comfort factor pays the dividends on the investment.  Egyptian cotton items will outlast the others.

 What is it specifically about Egyptian Cotton’s durability characteristic that makes this fabric a good buy?  Simply because the Egyptian Cotton fibers tend to be longer than competitive cotton fibers.  The cotton fibers from the Egyptian plants frequently runs a couple of times longer than other varieties.  This means that the thread produced from the longer fibers—some 2-plus inches in length—is stronger and more durable through many washes than are competitive fabrics.

 And finally, the nature of the Egyptian Cotton fiber is such that it absorbs moisture and dyes better than other strains of cotton fiber.  The colors are more vibrant in the Egyptian fibers and the color last longer.  So colorful products like sheets, duvet covers, bath towels and clothing intended to absorb fluids away from the skin are most desirable when made of Egyptian Cotton.

There is, in the United States, an interest in “buying American.”  If that is your desire, there is a good chance that you will be very pleased to learn that there is an American grown and produced cotton thread called Pima.  American Indians in the Southwest started growing Pima cotton in in the late 1800’s-early 1900’s.  The battle rages about the superiority of either fabric.  In comparison tests, the Pima does very well against the Egyptian Cotton.  So you have two excellent choices from which to select your next shirt or towel.  Both are superior.

 However, if you really want to sleep like an Egyptian, you know which fabric to select.