At first glance, cotton bedding may look the same, but the difference between percale versus sateen sheets is clear as soon as you run your hand over the material. “Percale and sateen are distinguished by their weave,” says Rebecca Weinstein, vice president of design at Highgate, the management company for the Atlas Hotel in Boston. “Percale is a classic one-over, one-under construction that creates a crisp, breathable fabric with a matte finish reminiscent of fine poplin shirting, while sateen’s longer thread float produces a smoother hand and subtle sheen.”
AD’s Top Picks
The choice of bedding depends on your personal preference. If you live in warmer climates or are known to throw off your comforter in the middle of the night because you feel hot, then percale is a good option. On the other hand, if you’ve been spoiled by high-thread-count linens that tend to drape around your body, then you may have a penchant for sateen bedding.
We spoke to bedding experts, including Preeti Gopinath, associate professor of textiles and founding director of the MFA textiles program at Parsons School of Design in New York, to break down each material’s weave.
What Are Percale Sheets?
The airiness factor of percale weave is a result of a one-over, one-under thread composition.
“There are no long floats in the fabric,” says Gopinath, who explains that a float is when yarn goes over two or more threads before it is bound. This technique creates a crisp feel and almost starchy bedding that retains its structure. According to Philippe Brenot, senior director of retail for Miraval Group, a luxury hospitality brand known for its wellness resorts and signature bedding, percale sheets tend to have a matte finish that gets softer over time rather than present itself as “immediately silky.” For a polished look, you’ll want percale sheets with a thread count of 250 to 300. Upgrading to long-staple cotton—yarn that is one to two inches long when it is twisted together—creates smoother bedding that is less prone to wrinkling.
Contributor Yelena Moroz Alpert is a devout fan of the Brooklinen classic percale cotton sheets and loves that the brand is always updating the colorways and print options. “The swirly oyster print definitely wakes up my bedding collection, which is mostly solid colors with a few florals and stripes,” she says. “In fact, my husband is really on board with it because he likes the print and is happy not to sleep in a bed of flowers. (He thinks all floral sheets look like a shower curtain.) The blue Oyster in Storm is practically a neutral and pairs with pretty much any duvet cover.” Aside from the design, Alpert observes that the material is incredibly light, on par with butterfly wings, but it still feels very sleek, smooth, and sturdy. “The long-staple cotton is more durable than typical cotton, and I can tell that these are woven tightly. I don’t see a way to snag it easily or mess it up in the washing machine,” she adds in her review of the best percale sheets.
Quince is one of our favorite affordable bedding brands, and we love that it offers quality percale sheets in its collection. With more than 20 colorways—ranging from earthy hues to gingham to stripes—you might as well put more than one set into your basket before you checkout. AD PRO senior editor Mel Studach, an avid tester of percale bedsheets, vouches that her Quince sheet set skews softer than most. “Being 100% cotton, the set is also nicely breathable,” she says in her review. “And while the crisp, smooth texture is incredibly comfortable for sleeping, I also appreciate that when I make my bed every morning, the sheets maintain their structure sans unsightly wrinkles.”
What Are Sateen Sheets?
For a sateen weave, on the other hand, the yarn has a three-over, one-under or four-over, one-under structure, resulting in a long float. Since there are fewer crossing points, the fabric is smoother, Gopinath elaborates. Sateen tends to feel more “flexible and bendable.” The sateen weave structure and long floats allow the bedding to pack more thread. That’s why high-quality bedding usually has a 400 to 800 thread count that further enhances the durability of this bedding. The higher thread count also attributes to sateen being more wrinkle-resistant than cotton percale sheets. Sateen weave bedding also tends to have a slight sheen with a drapey design, and an opulent feel right out of the package, Brenot points out. Keep in mind that sateen fabric is not always made of long-staple cotton. You can find this type of bedding in other materials such as bamboo lyocell or Tencel.
While sateen tends to be more dense as the threads are packed tightly, the Signature Hemmed Sheet Set from Boll & Branch manages to encapsulate the buttery softness without feeling too heavy. “Think of these sheets as a high-end treat for your bed,” says Alpert, who recently added the piped edge set to her linens collection. “The organic cotton has this smooth feel that speaks to sateen’s luxurious nature. The bedding barely wrinkles but still delivers this lived-in moment. I believe that this is what it must feel like to sleep on a bed of ivory rose petals.” Opt for a pristine white or cream colorway to give your bedroom that boutique hotel sleep experience.
Most sateen sheets are made of cotton, but for those who seek an extra-silky-smooth feel, look no further than Ettitude sheets in organic bamboo lyocell. “These sheets are buttery—pun intended,” says senior commerce editor Nashia Baker of her butter-hued bedding. “Sinking into these sheets is a dream thanks to their glossy feel that rivals the best silk sheets out there.” Alpert has the set in saffron and likens them to liquid gold of bed linens. “Somehow they feel substantial but incredibly light and smooth,” she says in her review of the best bamboo sheets. “The site says that the silky-soft sateen weave is comparable to 1,000-thread-count cotton—and I believe it. I’ve never touched a baby alpaca, but I imagine that it’s as soft as these sheets.” The company makes the sheets in Peru and focuses on sustainability, so it is no wonder that the bedding is made from FSC-certified bamboo. Are we surprised that this set has more than 5,000 five-star reviews? Not at all.
Percale vs. Sateen: Our Verdict
The percale-versus-sateen debate really comes down to whether you’re a hot sleeper or someone who likes to cozy up, especially in cooler climates. “Sateen is more dense, with more threads packed in, so the fabric is warmer,” says Gopinath. “Percale is cooler, and with a thread count of 150 to 200, there is less fabric per square inch, which allows for better airflow.”
In terms of bedroom design, the crisp feel of percale cotton sheets aligns with a modern, even minimalist bedroom aesthetic that appreciates a clean design. On the other hand, boutique hotels like the Atlas purposefully invest in 300-thread-count sateen sheets to complement the room’s graceful, sculptural lines with an added sense of softness and polish, Weinstein explains. Sateen’s silky finish won’t go unnoticed for anyone looking to spoil themselves with opulent bedding.
More AD-Approved Percale and Sateen Sheets
Lustrous and soft to the touch, the Quince signature Giza sateen sheet set is cotton disguising itself as silk. Just look at its luminescent finish. The sateen weave gives the fabric that upscale look for a bedroom that embraces quiet luxury.
The IKEA Rönnveckmal percale sheets are proof that even high-thread-count bedding can be within reach. Bedding purists can choose between brilliant white or a no-nonsense grey—either way, expect crisp bedding meant for airy nights.
For sateen bedding with a twist, take a peek at the Serena & Lily Border Frame set, which has a classic one-inch inset flange for a tailored look. The 300-thread-count bedding includes long-staple cotton that’s designed to help make the texture feel beyond buttery. It doesn’t hurt that this set is Oeko-Tex-certified, so you never have to wonder about chemicals in the production process.
Saatva may be known for their mattresses, but don’t overlook the brand’s percale bedding suited for a cool night’s rest. The 200-thread-count long-staple cotton creates a matte finish. “Of all the sheets I’ve tried, these cotton percale sheets feel the most like expensive hotel sheets that I’ve come across, and the price tag certainly reflects that!” says commerce director Rachel Fletcher in her review of the best percale sheets. Bonus: The bedding just gets softer with each wash.
The Italian heritage brand Frette does not mess around with luxury. The Ultimate Sheet Set is essentially what you’d envision for royalty. The sateen bedding may be on the more substantial side, but commerce editor Audrey Lee notes that the style still touts plenty of ventilation. “I slept with these during a transitional period temperature-wise, and it’s been important for me to have airflow on hotter nights,” she says in her Frette review. “The material definitely has the signature sheen of sateen, but it’s a lot more subtle and more expensive-looking than a lot of other sateen sheets that I’ve come across. They look and feel like silk but with a tad more grip to the material, which I love.”
The legacy of Sferra, family-owned textile mills in the Italian Alpine foothills, has a storied 130-year history that started with the Egyptian cotton bedding, Giza 45. The percale bedsheet is known for its balance of cloudlike softness and breathability. If you want to do percale right, this is a good option to start with.
