Temperature Control
Sateen sheets tend to sleep warmer due to their heavier weave, although temperature regulation also depends on thread count and the type of material. The percale weave is highly breathable, making it a good choice for hot sleepers.
Most individuals choose to use sateen sheets year-round, but especially hot sleepers may find them too warm. Since they regulate temperatures well, percale sheets are good for all seasons. They're breathable enough to satisfy hot sleepers, but they can also help keep you warm on a cold night.
Percale vs Sateen for Sleeping Comfort
The tighter sateen weave retains heat more effectively than percale, so if you tend to feel cooler in the night, you'll be happy with sateen. If you're a hot sleeper though, sateen may not be your best choice of bedding.
Percale sheets are made from cotton, which is lightweight, airy, and breathable. Even if it is tightly woven, it does not trap the heat. Percale is great to use in warm climates or for hot sleepers.
Percale sheets made from long-staple Egyptian-cotton are famously lightweight sheets. This naturally cool and breathable cotton is the best bed sheet material for night sweats. Also worth noting, the soft-to-the-touch material will have you sleeping better in general as well.
Although percale sheets are popular for their lightweight and cool texture, they also have a few drawbacks, like being wrinkle-Although percale cotton sheets are popular for their lightweight and cool texture, they also have a few drawbacks, like being wrinkle-prone and not being ideal for cold sleepers.
Due to its tighter weave and lower thread count, percale sheets tend to be very lightweight and breathable. Cotton percale is also absorbent and will wick moisture away from the skin. Percale sheets and pillowcases feel crisp at first but soften over time, striking a fine balance between smooth and scratchy.
Percale sheets are primarily composed of cotton, featuring a signature tight weave that resembles your favorite crisp white button-up. Sateen sheets are made with 100% cotton fiber, a high thread count, and lustrous feel. Think of slipping into your favorite silk robe.
It's best for percale sheets to have a thread count within the range of 200 to 400. While there's no upper limit, percale sheets must have a minimum thread count of 180 thread. Usually, the higher the thread count, the smoother and more luxurious the feel of the bedsheet.
For people who get hot during sleep, choosing sheets made of bamboo, cotton, or linen — breathable fabrics that wick away moisture from the body and help maintain a comfortable temperature — can help.
Linen is perfect for summer because it feels light on the skin and wicks away moisture even better than cotton. In our guide to the best linen sheets, we recommend the Cultiver Linen Sheets. This set is one of the softest we've tried and comes in the widest range of colors and prints.
That's because percale sheets have a tight one-over, one-under weave, which makes them cooler and more lightweight than sateen options, which have a looser (and more dense) three-over-one weave. Sheets made from naturally derived fibers (the material is considered to semi-synthetic) can also be cooling.
Sateen bedding is ideal for those who prefer softness over crispness. The fabric is also inherently more wrinkle-resistant compared to percale, and some sateen sheets are even treated with a wrinkle-resistant finish for a no-iron, picture-perfect look.
Using too much detergent causes a build up to accumulate, contributing to that unwelcome stiffness in the fabric. It may help to put your sheets through an extra rinse cycle to remove detergent residue. Take your brand new sheets and pop them in the machine before use.
Cotton percales are more breathable and cooler-feeling than other sheets, and they're built to last. These tightly woven sheets tend to resist pilling, so they can withstand years of washing without compromising any of you bedtime comfort.
Percale is a cotton fabric with a basic weave that feels light and airy. It's best for hot sleepers who want more breathability or those who prefer a crisp feel. Sateen is a cotton fabric with a satin-like weave that feels smooth and silky.
The best sheets typically have a thread count between 200 and 400. Any thread count lower than 180 tends to have a rougher texture. Any number over 400 is most likely an inflated figure due to multi-ply thread, meaning you'll pay a premium price for a sheet that doesn't actually feel any softer.
The difference between the two terms is that one refers to the actual material, that is, cotton. Percale is the style or design of weaving that makes the material strong. Percale is not only used as a term for Egyptian cotton. There are other types of cotton that are woven in the same way.
You're used to a softer, synthetic-material sheet, then 100% cotton sheets may feel rough in comparison (especially percale) You're using more detergent and/or fabric softener than the manufacturer's instructions recommend. You're overstuffing the washer, and the detergent isn't able to fully rinse out.
Because of their cool-crispness and breathability, percale sheets are usually better suited to the warmer months when sleepers are trying to stay fresh and stave off those night sweats.
Each wash makes percale sheets softer. The longer you have them, the softer they become. To put numbers into this, percale sheets last three times longer than other sheets. You can pass them down to your children, knowing that these hand-me-downs are even better than new.
Gopinath said a 250 to 300 thread count was optimal (there's wiggle room, though, as Maher said 200 was also good). Gopinath told us a 400 to 500 thread count for percale could reflect a denser sheet made of fine, good-quality yarns. Over 500 was “not necessary or likely,” she said.
Those who get cold at night tend to appreciate this type of bedding. It can be used year-round, but it's usually a more popular choice in the winter. Since percale is a cooler material, it's better suited for the warmer balmy months, especially in humid areas.