What is Pima Cotton?

definition

Pima cotton is a type of cotton grown primarily in the southwest region of the United States. It is considered to be one of the superior blends of cotton, and is extremely durable and absorbent. Pima cotton is named after the Pima Native Americans who first cultivated the plant in the US, but its origins date back to its cultivation in Peru.

Pima cotton bears some similarity to many forms of Egyptian cotton, which is frequently used in towels and sheets. In other words, a piece of Egyptian cotton has a much more extensive weave than other types of cotton. Towels made from Egyptian cotton are particularly desirable because they are very soft and help absorb water from the body quickly.

Since Egyptian cotton was so desirable, the US decided to try growing a type of it in the Southwest, which is a somewhat similar climate to Egypt. The resultant cotton was a mix of Egyptian and other types of cotton. Pima cotton is a little shorter than Egyptian cotton but still yields a thread that can be woven multiple times into a piece of fabric to create a dense, soft fabric.

Pima cotton has long threads similar to Egyptian cotton, which made it an ideal type for development in the US. Cultivation of this form of cotton became especially popular in the early 20th century. Length of threads make it a desirable choice for many products since it can be woven into soft dense fabric.

Pima cotton has applications in a wide variety of products. It is used in towels, sheets, and clothing. Pima cotton in clothing is most often used in shirts for both men and women. Companies like Eddie Bauer and Land’s End boast numerous products. Woven sweaters made with pima cotton are, as well, quite popular. They are light to wear, yet provide superior warmth.

Men’s socks can be made with pima cotton, but will often include some elastic to keep the socks up. Men often prefer these socks above others because of their softness and density. Additionally they tend not to wear out quickly.

One of the advantages of pima cotton is that the thickness of the cloth it weaves creates a very durable fabric. Those who market this cotton claim their products can last up to 50% longer than fabrics made from other forms of cotton. A disadvantage to pima cotton is that greater absorbency means stains are more readily formed. Some retailers who use pima in clothing now coat the cloth with an anti-stain guard.

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14
The pima cotton is original grown in Republic of Peru and still is one of the primary resourses of this country. Please give the credits
- anon47029
13
Where can I find a U.S. manufacturer that produces pima cotton sheets?
- anon41650
11
I checked out the two sets that I prefer in my small collection. The two sets of sheets that I use repeatedly are made from pima votton, and the sheets sadly like everything else during this gilded age are made outside of the U.S., these in India. I prefer this fabric because it is not only very soft, it is very cool. These two sets were bought years ago when I belonged to Costco. They were sold under their Kirkland brand, At the time of purchase, they were $50 for a queen set.
- anon39614
9
Pima cotton sheets get softer and softer with each washing. They are wonderfully soft and they last a very long time. I have not found them to be very wrinkly at all and I have a lot of sets of pima cotton sheets. I don't like to sleep on anything but pima or Egyptian and Egyptian are quite a bit more expensive. Pima (or Supima) is worth every penny.
- bluejeans
8
Where can you find pima cotton? Is pima cotton exported?

- anon28470
7
The best quality percale cotton sheets will wrinkle. If your sheets wrinkle out the dryer you probably have a high quality sheet. Simply take them straight from the dryer to the bed.

I would cringe to think that non-wrinkle or blend sheets would replace the luxurious cotton percale sheets which are the standard of the industry.

- anon21860
5
what is the difference between ordinary cotton & pima cotton?
- anon16205
4
Pima cotton originates from the Gossypium Barbadense plant which is native to Peru where it was first produced so not by natives of the USA. It was then later introduced to Egypt.
- anon16155
3
Is it true that sheets advertised as being made of 100 percent cotton (with no synthetic content such as polyester or rayon), are a bad purchase due to a tendency to wrinkle terribly when washed...therefore requiring ironing? I had always thought all cotton sheets were the ones to strive for. Now I'm not sure since I read something the other day about cotton sheets coming out of the wash stiff and badly wrinkled. Also, what can you tell me about percale? Desirable for sheets/pillowcases? Pros, cons? I actually am learning a lot of new things about bed linens that I never knew before. I guess I have been stuck behind the times, since it seems that today, every consumer product we need offers a multitude of choices and variations. It makes your head spin (making a purchasing decision used to be a lot less complicated).
- Bunnysgirl
2
Does Pima cotton shrink?
- cdonaldmorri
1
are pima pillow cases cool to sleep on?
- anon6074

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Written by Tricia Ellis-Christensen
Last Modified: 30 September 2009

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