Manufacturers of cotton products are now obliged to indicate the type of cotton used in their products. This applies not only to the weight of the cotton, but also to the way it is processed. One of the highest quality cotton processing methods is ring-spun cotton. But then there is airlume cotton, which takes ring-spun cotton to the next level.
First, about a quarter of the cotton is combed out of the ring-spun cotton to begin with. The raw cotton thus undergoes one of the most intensive combing processes. On the one hand, this increases the quality because it "separates the wheat from the chaff" and the resulting cotton is the highest quality possible. But that is also why it is the most expensive. Producers can ultimately use only a fraction of the original cotton. This is also why Airlume cotton is generally avoided.
Airlume cotton yarn is spun from the longest cotton staple, which significantly reduces the formation of so-called stray fibres. The resulting cotton thus has the smoothest possible surface - and is also the most comfortable to the touch and the softest. This ultimately goes hand in hand with a higher price tag for both the raw material itself and the resulting textiles.