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Yarn Count Converter

A thread is sold in denier, a yarn in Nm, a cotton in Ne: type any one and read the same thickness in every system.

Same yarn

16.667 tex

150 denier · 60 Nm · Ne 35.43

tex

16.667

dtex

166.667

denier

150

Nm

60

Ne (cotton)

35.432

Which means 16.667 g per 1,000 m, or 60 m per gram.

How it works

  1. Pick the unit your count is written in: tex, dtex, denier, Nm or Ne.
  2. Type the number, for example 150 denier or Ne 30.
  3. Read the same count in the four other units.
  4. Use the weight per length line to compare two yarns directly, whatever unit each label uses.

What people use it for

  • Buying thread

    Compare a 150 denier polyester with a 20 tex cotton before choosing a sewing needle.

  • Reading a pattern

    A pattern lists Nm 28 and your shop only shows tex: convert and match.

  • Textile coursework

    Check the direct systems (tex, denier) against the indirect ones (Nm, Ne) on the same yarn.

Questions

How are the units related?
Tex is the weight in grams of 1,000 metres; dtex is per 10,000 metres, so 1 tex = 10 dtex; denier is per 9,000 metres, so 1 tex = 9 denier. Nm is the number of metres per gram, so Nm = 1000 ÷ tex. Ne is the number of 840-yard hanks per pound, so Ne ≈ 590.54 ÷ tex.
Why does a bigger Nm or Ne mean a finer yarn?
Nm and Ne count length per weight: the longer the yarn you get from one gram or one pound, the thinner it is. Tex, dtex and denier count weight per length, so there a bigger number means a thicker yarn.
Is Ne the only English count?
No. Ne here is the cotton count, based on 840 yards per hank. Worsted, linen and woollen systems use other hank lengths and are not included, so do not reuse this Ne for them.