Egyptian Cotton

Egyptian Cotton, as its name suggests, comes from Egypt. It is known for its long cotton fibers (known as staples). However, not all Egyptian cotton is equal.

Like upland cotton, Egyptian cotton can vary in staple and overall quality. Many unscrupulous manufacturers have tried to capitalise on its popularity by using inferior short fiber lengths, including only a small percentage of Egyptian cotton in their products, or using low grades of Egyptian cotton.

For this reason an Egyptian cotton logo was trademarked in 2001. This guarantees to the consumers that the product is made from 100% ELS (extra long staple) Egyptian cotton, providing customers with an assurance of quality. The Staple of Egyptian cotton ranges from 28.6mm to in excess of 35mm.

Pima Cotton

Pima is a generic name for extra-long staple cotton (ELS) grown in the US, Australia, Peru & a few other select locations.  Cotton is considered Extra Long Staple (ELS) or American Pima if it's 34.9mm or longer. It was previously known as American Egyptian cotton or Sea Island cotton & comes from a species known as gossypium barbandense.

Supima Cotton

Supima is the trademark name used to promote and market textile and apparel products made from 100% American Pima cotton. It is the consumer's only guarantee that a product is made of 100% ELS American Pima cotton.

Upland Cotton

Upland cotton is the most common species of cotton, accounting for more than 90% cotton production worldwide.  It comes from a species known as gossopium hirsatum.  The average staple of upland cotton is 26.5mm, however it can vary from as low as 20.6mm all the way up to 38.1mm.

Staple length - the long and the short of it