Buying bed sheets in Bangladesh
Bed sheets come flat, to tuck in or use as a top sheet, and fitted, with elastic corners for the bottom of the bed. In Bangladesh, hotels, hospitals, hostels and shops buy them by size and weave; importers and retailers abroad buy them alone or in sets, cut to their own bed sizes.
Thread count is the number buyers compare first, and inflated counts usually come from counting each ply of the yarn. Roptan asks the bed sheet manufacturer in Bangladesh for the count, its unit and its method, places the order with a verified mill, and checks size, shrinkage and seams.
What to send a bed sheet manufacturer in Bangladesh
- Mattress and sheet size
- Names change by market: a King is about 152 x 198 cm in the UK, 193 x 202 cm in the US. Give mattress and sheet sizes in centimetres.
- Pocket depth
- State the mattress depth. North American pockets are about 18 to 23 cm standard, 25 to 33 cm deep and up to 56 cm extra deep.
- Thread count, unit and method
- Ask for threads per square inch or per 10 square centimetres, since the two give different numbers, plus the test method, with each plied yarn counted as one.
- Yarn and finish
- Carded or combed yarn, single or plied, and whether the cloth is mercerised, a chemical finish that makes cotton softer and smoother.
- Weight for flannel and microfibre
- Flannel, linen and microfibre sheets are quoted in GSM: the higher the GSM, the thicker the cloth, and heavier cloth usually breathes less.
Tests and certificates for bed sheets
- ASTM D3775 and ISO 7211-2
- Lab methods for counting warp ends and weft picks in woven cloth. The 2024 edition of ISO 7211-2 replaced the 1984 edition and EN 1049-2.
- ISO 13934-1, ISO 12945-2 and ISO 12947-2
- Strip tensile strength, pilling by the modified Martindale method and Martindale abrasion. ASTM D5034 grab and D3512 tumble pilling are other methods; results do not convert.
- ISO 5077 and ISO 105-E04
- Shrinkage after washing and drying by ISO 6330 procedures, so fitted sheets still fit, and perspiration fastness for coloured sheets beside washing and rubbing fastness.
- OEKO-TEX Standard 100, class 2
- Bed linen sits in product class 2, direct skin contact, with stricter limits than the classes without it. Check the certificate number and scope with the issuer.
Lead times and delivery
Plain white percale usually ships sooner than dyed or printed sheets. A print needs a strike-off, a colour a lab dip, and a new size or pocket depth a fit sample. Thread count, shrinkage and pilling tests before bulk add time. Roptan confirms the dates and the minimum per size and colour in the quote.
Inside Bangladesh, Roptan delivers to hotels, hospitals and shops, packed by size with flat and fitted sheets apart, with the packing list, lab reports and a VAT invoice (Mushak 6.3). Before a hotel reorders, measure its mattresses: a deeper new mattress needs a deeper pocket.
Buying bed sheets for export
Roptan quotes FOB Chattogram. Woven cotton bed linen enters under HS 6302.21 when printed and 6302.31 otherwise; your broker confirms the code. For the US, 16 CFR Part 303 covers beddings, sheets included: each label gives the fibre content, the company name or registered number, and the country of manufacture.
Questions buyers ask
Why did a lab find a lower thread count than the label?
Usually because each strand of a plied yarn was counted; accepted practice counts a plied yarn as one thread. In a US case, sheets sold as 800 thread count measured 252.7, and the US International Trade Commission issued an exclusion order in 2017, then rescinded it in 2021. Ask for a lab count before bulk.
Should a hotel choose percale or sateen?
Percale, usually. The plain weave is crisp and breathable and lasts better in repeated washing. Sateen's satin-type weave feels smoother and has a sheen but frays more easily, so it suits rooms where feel matters more than laundry life. If unsure, approve both on a washed sample.
How do I stop fitted sheets shrinking off the mattress?
Set a shrinkage limit in the order and test it. Dimensional change is measured to ISO 5077 after washing and drying by an ISO 6330 procedure; pick one close to your laundry. Then size the pocket for the washed sheet, not the new one, and approve a washed sample.
Do you supply sheet sets with pillowcases?
Yes. Tell us what a set holds in your market: a North American four-piece set is a fitted sheet, a flat sheet and two pillowcases, while a Chinese four-piece set is a duvet cover, two pillowcases and one sheet. Approve one full set before bulk.
How soon will I hear back about home textiles?
Within 48 hours of a complete requirement, with a price and a delivery date. A requirement is complete when it has the quantity, where it is needed and by when.
Who do I deal with?
With Roptan, when Roptan manages the order: we buy from the verified seller and deliver to you. With the supplier directly, when you post on the requirement board and choose a quote yourself.