In the past, we’ve explained the importance of thread count, and what it means for bed linen and textiles. A second measurement that is extremely important to understand when looking at textiles is fabric density.
What is fabric density?
Fabric density helps explain the thickness of textile products. It is a measurement that provides the base weight of the fabric, given as a value of grams per square metre. While the thread count is a measurement of the number of threads in a given area – that is, how tightly woven the threads are – the fabric density is another measurement indicating how much fibre is in a metre square, thereby allowing us to determine how strong and thick a fabric is.
Its primary use is to compare the weight of certain textile products for which the thread count does not provide sufficient information; for example, whether a given product is suitable for warm or cold seasons.
What textiles are described using fabric density?
While thread count is suitable to describe bed linen, fabric density is used to measure thicker woven textiles like sofa cushions, bedspreads, throws, and blankets. It helps compare which of these are suitable for use in summer or winter: the higher the number, the heavier the product, and the more suitable it will be for colder months.
