Given how distinct percale and sateen are, you might be surprised to learn that their distinguishing characteristics come from the structure of the fabric and not the fiber itself. I go in-depth further down, but bottom line: Percale is lightweight and crisp, while sateen has a heftier, smoother feel.
Both percale and sateen start with the same base material — cotton — but the way they’re woven is what yields vastly different fabrics. Percale is a plain-woven cotton, meaning it has a one-over, one-under weave, which results in a tight, lightweight fabric. Sateen, on the other hand, has a four over, one-under weave. That means the horizontal yarns (weft) are going over four vertical yarns (warp), covering a longer distance. It’s these horizontal “floats” on the face of the fabric that give sateen its signature sheen and heft. (Sateen is actually a variation of satin weave, but uses cotton rather than silk.)
Percale is cooling. Sateen is softer but warmer.
Choosing between the two materials comes down to preference. If you want to achieve that high-end hotel feel at home, go for percale, which tends to be more breathable thanks to its tighter weave. (That’s why percale sheets are my first choice for hot sleepers.) If you want sheets that are smoother and have a softer hand feel, sateen is your best bet. But because sateen is more densely woven than percale, it will feel a little warmer.
As for which type is more durable, it depends. According to Deborah Young, assistant chair of textile science at Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, there are many different ways to measure strength. “If we’re talking about tearing strength, then sateen is going to have a higher tearing strength,” she says. “If you’re talking about a tensile strength, that’s going to go to percale.” (Tensile strength refers to how much stress something can withstand when stretched—think: stretching a fitted sheet over a mattress.) Both materials don’t require special care and can be easily cleaned in the washer and dryer.
Look for “long-staple cotton” instead of thread count.
Thread count matters, too — sort of. Thread count is the number of vertical and horizontal threads in one square inch of fabric, and the general understanding is that the higher the number, the nicer the sheets. If there is more yarn per square inch, that yarn would be finer, and therefore of higher quality, but that isn’t always the case. Instead of looking at thread count as a marker of niceness, consider what cotton fiber the sheeting is made out of and how it’s woven. Whether you choose percale or sateen, opt for long-staple and extra-long staple cotton, whose fibers are longer than regular cotton and will therefore be smoother and stronger.
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