How to Choose Sheets You'll Love!
Fresh bedding is one of life’s simple pleasures. We’re here to help you choose the style that fits your lifestyle.
Summary
- Percale and sateen are the two cotton-based options, while linen sheets are made from flax plant.
- Percale is crispy and cool to the touch. They're especially nice for the warmer summer months, or for those who tend to sleep "hot."
- Sateen is silky, smooth, and luxurious. Perfect all year round.
- Linen is light, airy, and great for absorbing moisture.
- Cotton-polyester blend is perfect if wrinkles are your nemesis.
- Tencel is a silky-smooth, drapey, wrinkle-resistant option.
- Thread count alone is not a reliable indicator of a sheet’s quality. The quality of yarn and weaving technique are equally important factors.
Percale
Percale bed linens are made using long-staple Egyptian cotton. They are best described as being crisp, clean, and livable. They will only become softer as they are laundered.
Percale sheets have a tightly woven thread that gives the fabric a simple, matte finish and excellent breathability. These sheets are cool to the touch, making them perfect for all seasons, but especially nice during the warmer summer months.
Sateen
Sateen sheets are made from long-staple Egyptian cotton and offer a "silky" sleeping experience. Sateen’s unique four-over-one-under weave gives the material the sheen of satin with the comfort and durability of world-class cotton. The tighter weave provides a slightly warmer sleep compared to percale.
Sateen is extremely smooth to the touch, making it a luxurious and comfortable option any time of the year. It is perfect for the sleeper who wants something more substantial and luxe.
Cotton-Poly Blend
Sheets made with a cotton-polyester blend are resistant to wrinkles and very durable, making them the perfect option if wrinkles are your nemesis. However, this does mean sacrificing some of the cool, soft feel of 100% cotton sheets.
Linen
Linen sheets are light and airy with timeless appeal. They are different from percale and sateen in that they are made from the flax plant rather than cotton. Linen is great for absorbing moisture, so the materials work to help warmer sleepers stay dry and comfortable.
Linen will never look perfectly smooth, which adds to its charm.
The Truth About Thread Counts
Thread count is the number of threads per one square inch of sheeting. While you might associate a higher thread count with a better quality sheet, two equally important factors are the quality of yarn and the technique used to weave the thread.
Typically, the longer the staple, the finer the yarn. Egyptian cotton has the longest staple and is generally regarded as the world’s finest cotton.
Finer yarns allow for more threads to be woven tightly within a square inch, which is where the high thread counts usually come from. But beware of sheets that advertise a high thread count while using thicker yarn. Weaving those thicker threads together will likely result in a lumpy, unpleasant sheet.