Despite the best efforts of domestic cotton producers, the secret has gotten out about Egyptian cotton: It’s just so much softer. One wouldn’t think that a crop’s location would make much of a discernible difference, but try telling that to a French vintner. The finest wines are named for their region of production. Along those same lines, the world’s softest cotton is cultivated in the fertile Nile River valley.

At first feel, Egyptian cotton has a surprisingly rough texture. After a trip or two through the laundry, however, a set of king Egyptian cotton sheets attains a softness normally reserved for cloud-dwelling angels. Cotton harvested in Egypt contains a long fiber, which is less scratchy and irritating than shorter-fiber domestic fabrics. If you’re looking for some new bedding, make sure to put the material to the test.