Anyone shopping for a new mattress has noticed a simple fact. Mattresses are getting thicker. Mattress manufacturers are taking advantage of improvements in materials like latex foam to offer consumers new levels of comfort. Along with the way, consumers have seen the height of their mattresses grow to a point where extra deep pocket bed sheets are a necessary linen item.

The height of the average innerspring mattress used to range somewhere between eight and ten inches. Today, it is not uncommon to find mattresses with plush and European top mattresses that are as tall as 21 inches. The bad news is that much of your old linen cannot be used. The good news is that quality extra deep pocket bed sheets are available in a wide variety of styles, colors and fabrics.

Traditional innerspring mattress has been the centerpiece staple of bedding systems for over 100 hundred years. Consisting of an innerspring coil assembly covered with cotton padding and covered with a damask fabric, the design emphasized the spring coils. With the increased use and quality latex foam rubber, the design emphasis has shifted.

Wrapped in latex foam the innerspring assembly acts as the center core of the mattress. Latex foam and visco-elastic memory foam helps to distribute weight more evenly over the mattress. When combined with the extra padding in plush pillow and European tops, the mattress itself has gotten much thicker.

The purchase of a new mattress may also mean that you have by new bed sheets. Your old fitted bed sheets will need to be replaced with new extra deep pocket bed sheets. The sewn in pockets of extra deep pocket bed sheets are especially designed to fit snugly over the mattress without slipping off while you sleep.

When shopping for extra deep pocket bed sheets, you may face a bit of sticker shock. The reality is that extra deep pocket bed sheets are more expensive than bed sheets for a standard size mattress. The reason for the extra cost is simple. It takes up to 30 percent more fabric, and more labor, to make a set of properly fitting extra deep pocket bed sheets.

There are several rules of thumb when shopping for extra deep pocket bed sheets. Avoid shopping on the basis of price alone. A price that seems too good to be true probably is and buying cheap bed sheets may be more costly in the long run. There are legitimate bargains to be found but knowing what to look for can help get the most for your money when choosing a quality set of extra deep pocket bed sheets.

Cotton is still the most popular fabric choice for bed linens. Derived from the cotton plant the fibers are harvested from the boll of the cotton plant. Then the raw fibers are ginned. Ginning is the process of separating the fibers from the rest of the bloom, removing cotton seeds, debris and separating the fibers. Cotton is often blended with fibers like polyester and blends are as comfortable as they are durable. Cotton polyester is an easy care fabric and can hold its shape even after repeated washing and drying.

The thread count of a fabric represents the number of threads per square inch of fabric. The higher the thread count, the more durable and softer the fabric is. Quality extra deep pocket bed sheets will have a thread count of at least 200. Bed sheets with thread counts of 400 can be pricey be are very luxurious and long wearing. High quality extra deep pockets bed sheets will have thread counts as high as 1,000.