Bedding Jargon Explained: Togs, Thread Counts, Weaves and More

With a mind-boggling array of duvets, pillows and bed linen options on the market it’s easy to feel bamboozled when it comes to buying the best linen for your bed. Use this glossary of terms to find the bedding and bed linen you need to enjoy the very best night’s sleep.

Togs, GSM, thread counts... there’s no shortage of terms to learn when looking for the best bedding for you. To save you googling, we briefly explain what these common terms mean, with links to more in-depth articles and videos if you want to find out more.

Tog:

What is a Tog? Duvets Explained

What is a tog? Tog rating describes the warmth of a duvet. The higher the tog rating, the warmer the duvet; the lower the tog rating, the lighter the duvet. Getting a duvet with the right tog rating and duvet filling will affect how comfortably you sleep.

Across Europe, most duvets tend to range from 4.5 to 15, with a lightweight 4.5 tog duvet ideal for hot summer nights, and a 10.5 the best tog for a year-round duvet. Increasingly, better home heating and insulation make a 10.5 the best duvet tog option for modern homes and 5-star hotels. A 10.5 is also best if you bed share - any higher and you’ll really feel the heat!

Check out our luxury hotel duvet used by Claridge’s, Lime Wood and Pig hotels.

For more advice...

Buying a duvet for a toddler? Read our guide to choosing the best toddler bedding for the little ones in your life.

Thread Counts:

What are Thread Counts?

What are thread counts? Thread counts or ‘tc’ refer to the number of horizontal and vertical threads per square inch. Generally, the higher the thread count, the softer the bed linen. However, yarn quality, fabric construction and finish all matter when it comes to how well your bed linen looks, feels and lasts.

The best thread count sheets and duvet covers vary between 200-600. Anything higher and the fabric can become less breathable and harder to wash. For this reason, most luxury 5-star hotels go for high quality 300tc or 400tc bed linen as it provides the perfect balance of luxury and practicality. For the very best thread count duvet cover and sheets, take a look at our exquisitely crafted 600tc range designed for top hotel suites.

For more advice...

Hear from our experts as they talk about how to choose the right thread count and best bed linen and sheets for your bed.

Oxford Vs Housewife Pillowcases

Pillowcases come in a variety of styles but the most popular are the standard Oxford or Housewife pillowcase. If that begs the question ‘what is an Oxford pillowcase?’ or ‘what is a Housewife pillowcase?’, the easiest way to describe it is that an Oxford pillowcase has an elegant border around the edge. A Housewife pillowcase has a simple borderless edge.

The difference between the two is largely decorative, so it really depends on which pillowcase best suits your style and space. While a Housewife pillow has a simplicity more in keeping with minimalist bedrooms, the Oxford pillowcase has more of a luxury hotel pillowcase feel. Both standard styles fit a 48cm x 74cm pillow and can be teamed with luxurious square pillows for leisurely bedtime reads.

For more advice...

Read our guide on how to make a luxury hotel bed.

Goose and Duck Down:

Differences Between Down and Feather

Down vs feather? When it comes to luxury bedding many 5-star hotel duvets and pillows are a mix of the two. Soft, fluffy down creates high-loft clusters that trap air and body heat, making it ultra-soft, cosy and warm. Feathers provide structure and support. As a general rule, the bigger the down cluster, the warmer and comfier your pillow or duvet will feel.

What is duck down? Down is the light fluffy undercoating of geese and ducks. Naturally breathable, duck down duvets and pillows helps you stay warm and cosy year-round.

What is goose down? Goose down has larger than duck down clusters, making it unbeatable for puffiness, warmth and support.

All Tielle down and feather is responsibly sourced, independently audited for compliance and supplied with the assurance that it has been sourced only as a by-product. Our suppliers are also monitored to ensure they practice the highest standards of care.

For more advice...

Find out more about what makes down special in our post 5 benefits of goose down. 

Grams per Square Metre Explained

GSM towels meaning in a nutshell...

GSM is the weight of a towel measured in grams per square metre. Typically, the higher a towel’s GSM, the heavier, fluffier and more absorbent it will be. That said, GSM isn’t the only measure of quality, and a 550 GSM towel made from high quality long staple yarn will outperform an inferior 650 GSM towel any day.

If you’re after luxury for your bathroom, a high quality 550-650 GSM towel is generally considered the best towel GSM for spas and 5-star hotel towels. Spas and hotels need their towels to be soft, absorbent and easy to launder, just as you do. Buying luxury hotel towels at this weight will give you the same luxurious softness, high absorbency and strength as towels in top hotels.

For more advice...

Read our guide on How to Choose Linen and Towelling Like a Pro

Cotton Yarn:

Best Types for Bedding

In the bedroom...
Long staple yarn is the best cotton yarn for bed linen. This high-quality yarn produces cloth with a strength, softness and smoothness synonymous with luxury bed linen. All Tielle bed linen is made using long staple yarn to give it the lasting luxury loved by 5-star hotels.

In the bathroom...
The best cotton towels are made from Turkish cotton, a premium long fibre cotton that produces smoother, stronger towels. Additional finishing processes such as steaming the cotton or ‘conditioning’ the cotton fibres during the finishing process also help to make the towel softer and fluffier. While steamed cotton yarn incurs an expense many manufacturers choose to avoid, we believe it’s an important step in creating long-lasting luxurious towels.

Embroidery:

Embroidered Bed Linen and Towels Explained

Custom embroidery gives linen an on-trend bespoke look. Embroidered bed linen or towels can feature names, initials, or a memorable date. A choice of embroidery colours and fonts enable you to create the desired modern or traditional look. A Tielle embroidered bed linen set, or embroidered towels personalised with the recipient’s initials can be the perfect wedding or house moving gift.