What is the Difference Between Supima Cotton and Regular Cotton?
Not all cotton sheets and luxury bedding items are created equal. In fact, Supima and regular cotton are actually two distinct and different species of cotton. The main difference between the various types of cotton is the type and length of fiber. Regular cotton has an average fiber length of about an inch, but Supima cotton has fibers that are typically 1.5 inches.
The shorter the cotton fibers, the rougher the yarns and threads, which causes pilling on the surface of items like sheets. The longer fibers of the Supima cotton add to the softness and durability of products for your bedroom.
Supima vs Egyptian Cotton
When referring to luxury bedding options, you may have also heard the term Egyptian cotton. While they are sometimes confused, Supima and Egyptian cotton are completely different. The term Egyptian cotton only indicates the country of origin of the cotton and does not indicate anything at all about the quality of the sheets and luxury bedding. The majority of Egyptian cotton is from long-staple or even a regular cotton variety. All items marketed as Supima cotton, however, are labeled as such to indicate that the cotton used was indeed premium, extra-long staple cotton.
Supima vs Pima Cotton
Another term used in luxury sheets and bedding products is Pima. Although it sounds much like another luxury cotton used for sheets, Pima is actually just a generic term meaning a better quality of cotton. This does not, however, indicate that the product is made with the high quality extra-long staple cotton. Supima cotton refers to American-grown, extra-long staple cotton used in luxury linens. The word Supima is actually the licensed trademark that is used to promote luxury cotton linens. In order for sheets to use the Supima name, the fabric must have been properly sourced through a licensed supply chain.