Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Brooklinen is Proof You Don’t Need a 900 Thread Count to Make Amazing Sheets

For those who are only familiar with the purpose of a thread count through the classic trope of the high-strung character screaming about how they “can’t sleep on any sheets below a 500 thread count,” or demanding their beds be outfitted with linens of the 900+ thread count variety, I’ve got news for you–high thread counts don’t necessarily mean better, softer, or more luxurious sheets. In fact, a lot of the time an extremely high thread count means the sheets are too hot and heavy and often leave you a sweaty mess.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The idea of Brooklinen, a direct to consumer luxury linen manufacturer, was born in the summer of 2012 when Rich and Vicki Fulop slept under a pair of “delectable” sheets while on vacation and simply had to have them. After tracking down the maker, and being repulsed by the $800 (!) price tag, Vicki decided that she and her husband could do a hell of a lot better for a hell of a lot cheaper–even though neither of them had any experience in textiles or manufacturing.

After months of research, factory visits, fabric sampling, and self-education, the Fulops started Brooklinen in 2014 out of their Brooklyn apartment (get it, Brooklinen–Brooklyn…yeah you get it). After a successful Kickstarter that raised $237,000 (nearly five times more than their ask of $50k), Brooklinen and the Fulops ended year one with $2.5 million in revenue and closed out their second year with an astonishing $25 million in revenue. That kind of a jump in sales is the clearest indicator that the Fulops and Brooklinen have done something right when it comes to their linens.

And done something right they certainly have–with their success primarily based upon the low thread count, the cotton, and the weaving patterns they use.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

“Low thread count?” you may be shouting in disbelief, “that’s not luxury!” But Brooklinen begs to differ. By using long-staple cotton fibers (which feature fewer exposed and raggedy ends than short-staple) and single-ply yarn and the finest of threads, Brooklinen weaves together super-soft and super luxurious sheets using only a 300 thread-count. This low thread-count, while sounding cheap, is actually a higher-quality less expensive means of producing a softer, overall better sheet (with less material at a lower cost)–meaning Brooklinen passes that discount along to you.

I’ve slept in Brooklinen’s Luxe Core Sheet Set (in smoke-stripe) and I have to admit that these sheets are softer, cooler, and sleep better than some of the five-star luxury hotel linens I’ve experienced. And, in fact, I love the sheets so much, I’ve got a back-up set on hand and have already ordered more as wedding and graduation gifts for friends and family.

Brooklinen isn’t just about sheets, though. They make equally as soft down comforters and pillows.

So grab a set and sleep like a baby in Brooklinen–you won’t regret it.

Chase McPeak
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Chase McPeak is the former Lifestyle Editor. Chase regularly appeared on Beards, Booze, and Bacon: The Manual Podcast where…
From The Crown to Stranger Things, these are best Netflix original series to stream right now
If you're a subscriber, you can't miss any of these original shows
Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen's Gambit

While there are tons of streaming platforms out there these days, Netflix is the original. It's hard to believe it started off mailing DVDs to people's homes. While streaming used to mean showing content produced by others, it seems natural now that streaming services all produce their own content. In recent years, Netflix's original series and programming have become the dominant part of its library, and in that time, it has produced a truly extraordinary number of shows. It would honestly be hard to consume more than a fraction of the content they're putting out. And as part of their content, they've produced some great TV.
The best of Netflix's original television stands up to any other TV channel or streamer out there. It has produced shows across a variety of genres and formats, and it's found success in pretty much every area it has experimented with. The Netflix original series listed below are the cream of the crop and the very best that the streamer has to offer.

BoJack Horseman (2014)

Read more
Everything we know about Ryan Gosling’s The Fall Guy
The hit TV series The Fall Guy lives again in Ryan Gosling's new film.
Ryan Gosling in The Fall Guy.

After making an Oscar-nominated turn as Ken in Barbie, Ryan Gosling is starring in one of this year's biggest action movies, The Fall Guy. The film is based on the 1981 TV series of the same name, which featured Lee Majors as Colt Seavers, an aging stuntman who worked on the side as a bounty hunter. Majors, who was best known at the time for his legendary five-season run as The Six Million Dollar Man, used The Fall Guy to reestablish himself as a leading man, and he even sang the show's theme song, Unknown Stuntman, which is incredibly catchy.

The Fall Guy intro (1982)

Read more
How to smoke a cigar properly: The ultimate beginner’s guide
Person smoking a cigar

Whether you just got a gift for having a baby or want to look cool while drinking your whiskey, there are plenty of occasions to realize you don't the first thing about how to smoke a cigar. Do you need to cut it? How much (if at all) should you inhale when you puff on your cigar? And how do you get the fat thing lit? It's normal to be absolutely clueless when you begin smoking cigars, but there's something sexy about a person with a cigar in hand, especially if they know what they're doing. And that's what this guide is all about.

Read more