Percale vs Sateen Explained

When choosing your QuickZip Sheets, you have two great options: Sateen and Percale. Both our fabrics are 100% long staple cotton. They are also OEKO-TEX certified which means no harmful chemicals are used, making our sheets safe and sustainable. The difference between percale and sateen comes from the way the cotton is woven. Each style has many benefits and gives options to best fit your needs. 

Percale cotton

Percale is a classic sheet fabric, cool and light feeling, with a matte finish. This feel is accomplished by the simplest weave style – one thread over, one thread under. The fabric is durable, getting softer with each wash and provides great breathability. These are a great choice if you tend to run warm at night.

Sateen cotton

Sateen sheets give a luxurious feel without being slippery or shiny. It's weave style –one thread under, three threads over –exposes more thread which gives it a soft feeling. Sateen tends to be heavier in weight and perfect for year round use. 

What about thread count? High thread counts have been used to market sheets for a long time. However, as thread count rises, sheets tend to wear more quickly and are more likely to rip or snag and are less breathable. So many variables of the fabric and thread structure are more important than thread count. The reason we use long staple cotton is because it creates softer, stronger sheets than those using standard cotton. We select fabrics the sweet spot of comfort, breathability and durability.