Thread count is what the ignorant look at. When buying sheets, skip over that metric as its useless. Maker A uses threads the size of a jump rope and may have a thread count of 6 and Maker B uses threads that are 25 microns and has a thread count of 1000. Which will last longer? Real Egyptian. What you are alluding to is fraud and you are subject to it with sheets from Target or $1500 Sferra sheets. So wringing your hands on this subject is silly as we have to trust the manufacturer. Metrics of sheet purchase are as follows, so mix and match them and sally forth. Linen is a material. Linen is generally viewed as having a longer lifespan than cotton. Linen is generally more pill resistant than cotton. Linen is generally viewed as cooler than cotton. Cotton is a material. Cotton is generally viewed as having a shorter lifespan than linen. Cotton is generally less pill resistant than linen. Cotton is generally viewed as warmer than linen. Percale and sateen are weave types. Percale weaves are generally viewed as cooler than Sateen weaves. Percale weaves are generally viewed as having a longer lifespan than Sateen weaves. Sateen weaves are generally viewed as being softer while Percale weaves are generally view as crisper. Short staple cotton will pill faster than long staple cotton. Short staple cotton will also feel less soft than long staple cotton. What is long staple cotton? I will declare it like Michael Scott: Egyptian cotton, Supima cotton and Pima cotton are the terms generally used unless it generically states, "long staple cotton". If you don't see these words, it is not long staple cotton. More on reddit.com

http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-sheets/

I really like this review of a bunch of sheets. They are pretty detailed and you can pick based on what sounds good to you.

There is also an "under $50" version.

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Would not purchase bedding on Amazon if I were you. They have such a bad counterfeiting problem and most of the sheets that are labeled “Egyptian cotton” are actually microfiber More on reddit.com

Reposting good information that u/jessthepest posted in here a long time ago. They deleted their post, otherwise I’d link back to it (I saved it all in a file for when I purchased sheets!): Thanks u/jessthepest ! — THREADS Ok, here's a little info on bedding you might like to know from a fabric expert! => ME :-D First up! we have thread count! Every bedding company and their mom is riding the "highest thread count" train. But does thread count actually affect the durability of sheets? Yes, but not in the way that you think! The way that companies are able to squeeze more and more threads per square inch into their sheets is by thinning the threads. The thinner the thread, the more of 'em they can pack into that space. Unfortunately, the thinner the thread, the more likely it is going to break. With infinitesimally small broken threads, you're going to be looking at the most uncomfortable problem with old sheets: pilling. (Yuuuck!) Nothing will make you suspect someone ate crackers in your bed faster than pilly sheets. So DON'T go for some of the more insanely-high thread-count sheets. There is one thing you do have to decide before determining which strata of thread count you want (thick-thread/average count, or thin-thread/higher count). Do you like your sheets crisp, stiff-feeling, kinda snappy? Are you the type of person who actually sleeps with a top sheet? tucked in under the mattress with a blanket and a coverlet on top? Or, do you like your sheets to be silky, smooth-feeling and drapey? Do you always wind up with your blankets wrapped around your legs and don't even bother with a top sheet anymore because it just gets all twisted up anyway? If you're the first type, go for percale sheets, 200-300 thread count. Yup. I know that sounds craaazy! 200 threads/square inch? Ah, but there's a method to this madness. Percale sheets have a high thread-thickness (also called denier), and it's quite difficult to shove more than that in the measurable space. Because of this, they are aaaahmazing workhorse sheets. I have hand-me-down percale sheets my grandmother got when she was a teenager! working at Penney's that look brand-spankin' new. These sheets were in heavy rotation among herself, my grandpa and their 10 kids, but I have zero qualms about using them now. If you're the latter type of person, I'd recommend a sateen weave (NOT satin weave!) of about 400-800 threads per square inch. Any more than that and the company is either a) lying and counting the number of threads in the twist of the yarn, rather than the single yarn thread, or b) is spinning so small they won't last a season, much less BIFL. Oh, and jersey sheets? Just don't do that to yourself. Whoever thought of turning a tee shirt into a sheet was an idiot. I'm cutting this off now, so it doesn't get too long, but I'll reply to this comment to add more food for thought. Edit, misspelled sateen cuz it's midnight FIBERS Ok, next there's a multitude of fibers to choose from: cotton, combed cotton, egyptian cotton, cotton flannel, cotton/poly, poly/cotton, polyester microfiber, rayon microfiber, microfiber, linen, cotton/linen, linen/cotton, silk (real, from worms), wool. These all have their pluses and minuses, but the real question you have to ask yourself is: what's my sleeping temperature? Cotton is obviously a popular choice, partially because it's so versatile. It can be crisp, if it's a percale; silky, if it's a sateen; fuzzy, if it's a flannel, but it can't be all of these things at the same time. Crisp cotton is best if you run hot. Since the sheet doesn't mold to your body, it introduces an element of air flow appreciated by many. Sateen is sorta-neutral, sorta-warm. Since it molds around you, it tends to mirror your own body. I don't like sateen because for some reason my thighs are always sweaty while my feet are always freezing. Flannel, since it's fuzzy, is able to trap warm air pockets in the sheets to keep you warm. NOT to be used by the furnace-sleepers out there, and if you share a bed with a furnace-sleeper, don't even try to make flannel work. The downside to all cotton is that once it gets wet, it stays wet. And it feels super yucky when wet Linen is the coolest of all the materials. And it is a royal bitch to find. Not only do most vendors catagorize all their sheets as "linens," but even when you sort by fiber, a few son-uva-bitches call cotton sheets "linen." (bastards.) Anywho, linen has the amazing ability to draw just a crap-ton of moisture away from your body and never feel damp or yucky. The Company Store has been the only place I've ever purchased linen sheets and I would recommend them. They aren't for sale on amazon (they list there, but you can't buy through amazon). Linen in general is heart-attack expensive. Wool is more of a flexible fiber. Everyone knows it's great at keeping things warm, but it can also be used in the summer. Since wool locks moisture away in the fiber, it can keep mildly sweaty people from feeling like they showered in bed. It does take a long time to air-dry if it does get wet, can smell a bit like sheep, can be scratchy if you've a wool allergy-- oh, hell... there're reasons why no one other than Irishmen or New Zealanders buys wool sheets--get wool blankets, instead! Silk's number one downside is the cost. Now, when I say silk, I mean from real worm, not-vegan silk. Not that rayon-silk shit, or some silk-look/habuti shit or some polyester-satin shit people call silk but doesn't act, feel, look or any other way even remind people of silk once they actually feel and appreciate silk. Silk sheets are what I have in my amazon wish list for when I'm wildly rich I can drop $500 on them just to use them on my anniversary (or have my kids use as my shroud when I die). Silk is the pinnacle of everything humans want next to their skin other than another human. It is tactile manna. I can't actually go on, I'm getting emotional just thinking about it. Now, for man-made fibers. I will admit, I am a snob when it comes to natural vs. man-made fibers; so please do read some bias in this next paragraph (but not too much!) Polyester, rayon (yes, yes, I know rayon is derived from wood pulp), and any microfiber sheet are significantly hotter than any natural fiber would be. So, if you are ALWAYS freezing (a nurse, perhaps? or that lady in the office wearing a cardigan when it's 110*F outside?), you may want to sample a poly or poly-blend sheet. The benefit of these, is that the thread is stronger, thinner, longer than any natural fiber, so if you want insanely silky sheets without fear of pilling, here you go. .. CONTINUED BELOW More on reddit.com