Supima cotton is a special type of cotton that you may not come across very often. But it you have heard of it, you know that this is very high quality cotton. Read on to find out exactly what is Supima cotton, where it gets its name from, and what makes it special.
Some of you know perfect well what is Supima cotton. Feel free to skip the middle part and scroll to our selection of the best Supima sheets available on Amazon. Or pick your next superstar bedding from our top 3 right here
| Best Price | Best Quality | Sizes and colors |
 Casper |  Linger |  Malouf |
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What Is Supima Cotton?
Supima is a portmanteau of supreme and pima. So to understand what is Supima cotton, we first have to know what is Pima cotton. Pima cotton is a long or extra-long staple cotton. It grows in only a few areas of the world: Peru, the USA and Australia. Supima cotton is a special type of pima cotton that comes only from the USA. But not all US-grown pima cotton is considered superior. True Supima cotton bears the Supima® trademark.
Where Does Supima Cotton Come From?
The first half of the 20th century saw a rise in the demand for pima cotton. A group of US family farmers decided that the quality of the cotton must not suffer due to the higher demand. So in 1954 they established the Supima non-profit organization. To goal was to group pure and high quality pima cotton in the US. To better manage and promote Supima cotton, they started a license program. These days the Supima® trademark is quite an exclusive club. Only around 600 select US manufacturers and retailers have the license.
Supima cotton needs a hot arid climate and irrigation to grow. So only a few areas in the US, like the Southwest and Far West, are suitable for cultivation. Of all the cotton grown in America, pima cotton makes up around 3%. The number of licensed Supima manufacturers and retailers is quite small, as we saw above. So Supima cotton is even more rare.
What is Supima Cotton Like?
Supima cotton is special, as it comes strictly from the USA. But apart from that, this cotton type shares other characteristics of pima cotton. Most importantly, this cotton has long or extra-long staple fibers. Staple refers to the length of an individual cotton fiber. This determines much of the quality of the fabric. Fibers can be short, medium, long, or extra-long.
Long stable cotton fibers are at least 1.3/32 long. While extra-long staple means that the cotton fibers are at least 1.3/8 inches long. Long and extra-long staple fiber makes for better quality sheets. This is because there are less fiber ends sticking out from the fabric. You just don’t need that many fibers to sow into a sheet in the first place. Although tiny, these ends make the fabric surface less smooth and soft. The other reason why you should prefer sheets from longer staple cotton, is because they are less prone to pilling. Which also makes them more resistant to tearing or breaking.
What Is Supima Cotton Used For?
Supima cotton is most widespread in the clothing industry. You can find men’s and women’s shirts, denim, t-shirts, socks, shorts, pants, and other apparel. But not only that. Supima cotton is also used for making other products. Such as bed linen, towels, bathrobes, and even furniture.
Best Supima Cotton Sheets
Casper sheets
In the recent years, Casper has revolutionized the world of sleeping. And one thing that they’ve taken to the next level is bedding. Their Supima cotton comes from California. These sheets have a 400 thread count. Casper’s sheets have 2-ply threads. We don’t usually recommend multi-ply threads, but this is an exception. Casper has done their research. And found that this is the perfect combination of thread count and plies. The result is an extraordinary sheet. You’ll get a breathable, cool, and wonderfully strong sheet set. All this goodness comes at a slight downside as well. Since they’re so good, the popular sizes and colors are often sold out.
Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King
Colors: Cream, White, Grey/Slate, Navy/Azure, and more
Price: From $75
Threadmill Home Linen
Threadmill Home Linen has a beautiful 100% Supima cotton sheet set with a 1000 thread count. They use single ply threads of extra long staple cotton – a great indicator of the high quality of the sheets. The sheets are strong, heavy, super soft, and the sateen weave makes them smooth to the touch. One thing that makes Threadmill Home Linen stand out is their green approach. Their factory runs solely on wind and solar energy. The chemicals they use in the production process are harmless. Even to the most sensitive skin. Last but not least, they don’t use any plastic packaging. They sell the sheets straight from the factory without using any middlemen. With the goal of keeping the costs down for their clients. There is just so much to appreciate in both their approach and their sheets.
Sizes: Queen, King, Cal King
Colors: White, Ivory, Dark Grey
Price: From $111
Tranquil Nights sheets
These 1000 thread count Supima cotton sheets are from Tranquil Nights. With a sateen weave, they’re silky smooth to the touch. So if you’re looking for that silky feel, this one’s for you! The sheets are made from long staple cotton, which is a great quality one. It’s less prone to tearing and pilling, as is the case with short and medium staple cotton. Tranquil Nights covers the most common sizes and has a beautiful color selection as well.
Sizes: Full, Queen, King
Colors: White, Taupe, Grey, Aqua, Blue Jean
Price: From $128
Miracle sheets
The Miracle Supima sheet set has a special twist to it. It’s made from Supima cotton, yes. What’s special about them is the anti-microbial silver that is woven into the sheets. This prevents 99.9% of bacteria growth. What does that mean? It means that you can wash these sheets 3 times less frequently than other sheets. But it also just keeps the sheets clean, odorless and is friendly to your skin. The sheets have a thread count of 500 and a sateen weave, which makes them super silky to the touch.
Sizes: Twin, Full, Queen, King
Colors: Stone
Price: From $75
Linger sheets
These Linger Supima cotton sheets have a sateen weave with a 500 thread count. What we love about them are the extra-long staple fibers, their softness and smoothness. The sateen weave gives them a subtle sheen as well. You can choose from a selection of small but beautiful colors. This is a really classic sheet set with excellent quality!
Sizes: Full, Queen, King
Colors: Cream, Dark Grey, Frost Grey, Powder Blue, White
Price: From $170
Linger sheets (more)
Linger has another great Supima sheet set available. If the sateen weave is not your favorite and you’re looking for something more grounded, these percale sheets with 400 thread count are for you. The percale weave makes the set crisp and cool. As for the style, this set has an ogee print, which gives a touch of class with a twist.
Sizes: Full, Queen, King
Colors: White/Navy, White/Frost Grey
Price: From $150
Malouf sheets
Malouf deserves a spot in our selection due to the excellent quality and large size selection. While many manufacturers focus on a limited number of sizes, you can probably find the one that you’re looking for thanks to Malouf. There are so many great things about this set. The extra long staple fibers mean that the sheets pill less and are soft, the single ply 600 thread count satin weave gives you a wonderfully smooth and breathable sheet set, plus they fit mattresses that are up to 22” deep!
Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King, Split King
Colors: White, Charcoal, Smoke, Flax
Price: From $210