Bedding Terms

Baffle Box: A three-dimensional 'box' made with firm fabric found in down and feather filled comforters.
Bamboo: Made from the pulp of bamboo grass and is highly resistant to bacteria. Bamboo fabric is also hypo-allergenic, hence it is a great choice for those with allergies. Bamboo is a highly renewable resource as it grows quickly while using much less water than cotton without fertilizers or pesticides. Bamboo sheets are soft and silky to the touch yet very durable.
Bed Skirt: A bed skirt or 'dust ruffle' is a bedding accessory whch covers your box spring & bed frame. Bed skirts can either touch the floor, or 'hang' nearly touching the floor. A bedding accessory included with bed in a bag sets and somtimes comforter sets.
Bed in a Bag: A bedding set that typically includes a comforter, bed skirt, pillow shams, a sheet set, and pillowcases. Most Bed in a bag sets Queen, King and California King size sets include two pillow shams and pillowcases. Twin Sets includes one pillow sham and/or one pillowcase.
Blend: A combination of two or more types of fibers woven together to make a distinct material. Often cotton is blended with polyester to create a more dense and wrinkle free fabric.

California King: A bed frame, mattress, or box spring that measures 72" wide by 84" long. See size chart.
Comforters: A rectangular shaped quilted bedcover or type of blanket. Comforters are designed to keep the user warm and are somtimes used as a mattress pad.

Comforter Sets: A standard comforter set includes a comforter, bed skirt and one or two pillow shams. Queen, King and California King size sets include two pillow sham and Twin Sets include one pillow sham.

Cotton: A soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant. The length of the cotton fiber is a major factor in determining over-all softness and quality of the cotton. The highest quality cotton is Egyptian cotton, Supima cotton and Pima cotton.

Comforter Cover: See here: Duvet Cover

Coverlet: Any bed covering, such as a comforter, blanket, quilt, duvet, or bedspread

Damask: A rich fabric of cotton, linen, silk, or wool with a raised design or pattern.

Down Comforter: A type of bedding bag filled with materials such as geese or duck feathers. Down comforters come in every bedding size from Twin to Caifornia King.

Duvet: Duvet is the French word for down, as in down from birds. In simple terms a Duvet is a quilt, with a removable cover, commonly used in the place of a bedspread.

Duvet Cover: A duvet cover is a removable cover that encloses a comforter or Duvet.

Egyptian Cotton: Light brown long-staple cotton grown in Egypt. Traditionally, Egyptian cotton sheets were sold in higher end stores, but today you can find them in many linen departments. The longer the fiber, the more durable and luxurious the cotton.

Euro Sham: Typically measure 26"x26". Euro shams are square pillow covers, which are often included with higher end or luxury comforter sets. They are designed to fit the large Euro pillows which are placed behind standard pillows to create added decoration.

Fill Power: A measure of the density of filling in bedding such as comforters; usually defined as ounce/pound per square inch/foot of goods.

Feather Bed: A soft, thick mattress topper filled with down or feathers

Futon: A thin covered mattress placed on a couch like movable frame that can be converted to a bed.

Gusset: A triangle insert that adds strength to edges and corners (such as a seam).

Hemstitch: A decorative stitching along the stitching lines of hems and borders to create an open weave pattern.

Hypoallergenic: A term to describe objects that have a decreased likelihood of provoking an allergic reaction.

Jacquard: Type of weave conceived by Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1801, making possible a variety of intricate patterns. Damasks, brocades, and tapestries can be woven on jacquard looms.

King Size: A bed frame, mattress, or box spring that measures 78" wide by 80" long. See size chart.


Loft: The height or "lift" gained by the depth of the filling material.

Memory foam: A common name for visco-elastic foam, it is a man-made foam than changes its shape in reaction to body temperature.

Muslin: A plain-weave fabric made of a cotton/polyester blend usually not less than 120 threads per square inch

Open Construction: Industry term used to describe comforter construction where the filling is allowed to move around between chambers.

Organic Bedding: "Organic" refers to the way the materials are processed. Organic products do not contain any genetically engineered particles and are biodegradable. Organic bedding which includes mattresses, pillows, blankets and sheets, does not contain any of the chemicals that regular bedding has.

Percale: A densely woven plain-weave fabric, generally 180 thread count or better.

Pilling: Common in bedding with lower thread counts, pilling refers to the tendency of fibers to seperate from a fabric surface and form balled particles of fiber on the surface.

Pillow Case: A pillow covering to protect your pillow from body oils and soiling; generally pillow cases are sold in a set oftwo with matching sheets.

Pillow Sham: A pillow case with tassels, brocade, velvet or ruffles. See also: Euro Sham

Polyester: A durable, wrinkle & shrinkage resistance man made fiber often blended with cotton.

Polyurethane foam: A type of man made, flexible foam commonly used in futon mattresses.

Queen size: A bed frame, mattress, or box spring that measures 60" wide by 80" long. See size chart.

Resin Finish: Applied to fabric for the purpose of stiffening or to give a permanent -press look. Fabric treated with resin also resist shrinkage.

Satin Weave: A weave in which threads intersect in such a way as to give a smooth shiney surface. Often used in sheets.

Supima®: Supima®- A trademarked brand of cotton certified by the Supima Association. They promote the international use of pima cotton.

Thread Count: Thread count is the number of threads per inch. or the actual number of threads going in either direction in one square inch of cloth.

Twin Size: A bed frame, mattress, or box spring that measures 39" wide by 75" long. See size chart.

Visco-elastic: See Memory foam.

Warp Yarns: The threads that sit lengthwise attached to a loom at the beginning of the weaving process.