For years, we've used bedsheets that we got on sale from Ross or TJMaxx, because who wants to spend $100 on a set of sheets? We never paid much attention to the thread-count, type of cotton, etc. but wanted something with decent quality and not too expensive.If you read-up on sheets, you'll find materials (cotton, egyptian cotton, cotton blend, flannel, etc.) thread counts (100, 200, 300, 450, 600 and up) weave (Percale, Sateen, Satin, etc.) and the pattern and color.When it comes to the material, I want 100% cotton. For me, adding any synthetic fiber would be too hot, but if you sweat, cotton sheets will get wet, and a blended fabric might breathe and dry off more easily. As for Egyptian Cotton, it does indicate a high level of quality, but I don't particularly care about who grew the cotton.For Thread count, it's a mine-field. The thread-coun can easily be made to look like more than it actually is, because vendors can print anything they want, and anything above 600 will be fake, as they twist two yarns together, making 1200, but it's not any 'finer' than 600, just more bulky cotton from a twisted yarn. Most people shop for sheets by thread-count, but two different 300-count sheets are not the same, so what can a consumer do? I say avoid anything that claims more than 600 thread count. And you don't necessarily want the highest thread count. a lower thread count will be a more lightweight and breathable sheet, and better for situations where you want something not too hot in summer.For the "weave" I learned a bit about the various ways they can weave the yarn into a bedsheet. Percale has that sturdy robust, "crisp" feeling in the cotton fabric, whereas Sateen is a special type of weave that feels very 'soft' because of the way they skip over threads in the weave pattern. I like the robust feel of Percale, but I prefer Sateen for its softness.My strategy is to avoid one-off sheets from no-name brands, go for a BRAND that sells a range of thread-counts, and choose the right sheet within that range. I'm glad I found Threadmill brand - they have a wide range of sheets in various thread-counts and weaves, and they have nice environmentally-friendly packaging and marketing. And they are not expensive at all.In the end I went with the 300 thread count sateen sheet. It's soft, lightweight (i have a super-warm comforter) a nice sage-green color and inexpensive. It is as nice and soft as other 600 TC sheets I've had. Highly recommend Threadmill.