In this lastest video from Superior Threads, Bob Purcell, Chief Threadologist, discusses what Cotton Staples are. A cotton plant produces boll's and each cotton boll contains upwards of 250,000 individual fibers. A short staple fiber is up to 1 1/8" long. A long staple fiber is between 1 1/8" and 1 1/4" long. An extra-long staple fiber is between 1 3/8"and 2" long. What may seem like a miniscule difference makes a drastic impact on lint and quality.