Best Bed Sheets: Percale, Sateen and Linen Compared

Pick the weave first, the fiber second, and ignore the thread count on the box. A good set of sheets costs less than you think, and a great one costs more than it needs to.

By the Bonwits editorsUpdated October 13, 20264 picksSave to Pinterest

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Our top picks

4 picks, each linked to the exact listing

1
Best overallCoyuchi Refined Organic Percale Sheet Set, 100% GOTS Certified
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2
The sensible entry pointBrooklinen Classic Percale Core Sheet Set
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3
The sateen pickBoll & Branch Signature Hemmed Sheet Set
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4
The grand hotel bedH by Frette Sateen Classic Sheet Set, Queen
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Sheets are the one textile in the house you touch for a third of your life, so the choice is worth a few minutes. The good news is that the decision is simpler than the packaging suggests. There are three fabrics worth considering: cotton percale, cotton sateen, and linen. Each feels different in a way you can predict before you buy.

Percale is a plain, one over one under weave. It is matte, crisp and cool, like a well pressed shirt, and it breathes well enough for people who sleep hot. Sateen floats more yarn on the surface, typically four over and one under, which gives it a soft sheen and a heavier, warmer drape; it can pill sooner and shows wear faster. Linen is flax, not cotton. It is looser, textured, wrinkles freely, and is the coolest of the three in a humid summer.

The fiber matters as much as the weave. Long staple cotton, with fibers of roughly 1.125 inches and up, spins into smoother and stronger yarn than ordinary short staple cotton, so it pills less and lasts longer. Extra long staple, the class that includes Supima and true Egyptian cotton, is longer still. That, not thread count, is where the money in a good sheet goes, which is why the price difference between percale and sateen is small: in this guide a queen set runs about $179 to $278 in percale and about $229 to $300 in sateen.

How we chose

Weave, stated plainly. Percale, sateen or linen, and whether the maker's description matches the feel owners report.
Fiber quality. Long staple or extra long staple cotton, or certified European flax for linen. Vague 'premium cotton' claims were marked down.
True thread count. Single ply counts in the 200 to 500 range. Anything claiming 800 or more was not considered.
Fit and finish. Pocket depth for modern mattresses, stitching, and whether sets or separates are sold.
Where and how it is made. Country of weaving and sewing, and third party certifications such as OEKO-TEX and GOTS.

We read makers’ specifications, warranties, care instructions and the sources listed at the end. We do not accept paid placements. How we choose

The 4 picks, in detail

Best overallNo. 1

Coyuchi Refined Organic Percale Sheet Set, 100% GOTS Certified

Our take. Crisp, cool organic percale from long-staple cotton, with a deep pocket and a Northern California company behind it.

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Keeps for: Years; long-staple percale softens rather than pills
Fiber: Long-staple organic cotton, GOTS certified
Weave: Percale
Set: Fitted sheet, flat sheet, 2 standard pillowcases
Pocket: 15 in
Care: Machine washable

Coyuchi has made organic bedding in Northern California for decades, and its Refined Percale is the sheet it is best known for. It is woven from long-staple organic cotton, certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard, in a plain percale weave: matte, crisp and cool, the feel of a well-made hotel sheet.

Long-staple fibers matter more than thread count. Longer fibers spin into smoother, stronger yarn, so the fabric pills less and softens with washing instead of wearing thin. The queen set includes a fitted sheet with a deep 15 inch pocket, a flat sheet and two standard pillowcases.

Skip it if you sleep cold and want a warm, silky bed in winter. Percale is a summer sheet at heart; the Boll & Branch or H by Frette sateen below will feel cozier.

The catch. Percale wrinkles, and at this price some buyers will expect it to feel softer on the first night than it does.

The sensible entry pointNo. 2

Brooklinen Classic Percale Core Sheet Set

Our take. Crisp long staple percale at a fair price, with a year to change your mind.

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Made in: India
Keeps for: Several years of weekly washing
Weave: Percale
Fiber: 100% long staple cotton
Thread count: 270
Certification: OEKO-TEX Standard 100
Trial: 365 days, per reviewers

Brooklinen's Classic set is 270 thread count percale woven from long staple cotton and certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 for chemical safety. That thread count is modest on purpose. A percale in the 200s breathes well and feels like a hotel sheet, which is the point.

The Core set includes a flat sheet, a fitted sheet and two pillowcases. Reviewers note a 365 day trial with free returns and a one year warranty if you keep them, which lowers the risk of buying sheets unseen. The brand runs frequent promotions, so the list price is rarely what people pay.

Skip it if you want something that feels finer in the hand. It is a good, plain percale; it is not a refined one. Owners who move up usually go to Coyuchi or H by Frette.

The catch. Plain rather than fine; the texture is crisp and a little rough when new.

The sateen pickNo. 3

Boll & Branch Signature Hemmed Sheet Set

Our take. Organic long staple sateen for people who want soft and smooth, not crisp.

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Made in: India
Keeps for: Several years; sateen shows wear sooner than percale
Weave: Sateen
Fiber: 100% organic long staple cotton
Certifications: GOTS, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, Fair Trade Certified
Pocket depth: Fits mattresses up to 17 inches
Care: Wash cold; tumble low or medium

Boll & Branch makes this sheet in India from long staple organic cotton and holds the three certifications that matter here: GOTS for the organic fiber, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, and Fair Trade Certified for the factory. The sateen weave gives it a slight sheen and a buttery, heavier drape than percale.

The fitted sheet takes mattresses up to 17 inches deep, and the pillowcases have a 6 inch hem. The maker says to wash cold, tumble low or medium, and skip bleach and softener.

Sateen is the warmer fabric, so hot sleepers should look at the percales above. It also tends to pill and show wear sooner, because the long surface floats catch and abrade more than a tight percale.

The catch. Sleeps warm, and sateen pills sooner than percale.

The grand hotel bedNo. 4

H by Frette Sateen Classic Sheet Set, Queen

Our take. Frette's own hotel line: all-white cotton sateen, the kind of bed found in The Ritz-Carlton and The Peninsula.

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Keeps for: Years, with gentle washing
Fiber: Cotton
Weave: Sateen
Set: Fitted sheet, top sheet, 2 standard pillowcases
Color: All white
Heritage: Frette hotel linen, since 1899 in hotels

Frette has supplied bed linen to grand hotels since the nineteenth century, and H by Frette is its line made for hotels and sold direct. The Sateen Classic set is all-white cotton sateen with a soft, slightly glossy hand, the classic hotel bed in a box.

Sateen is woven to put more yarn on the surface, which makes it smoother and warmer than percale, with a gentle sheen. The queen set includes a fitted sheet, a top sheet and two standard pillowcases.

Skip it if you sleep hot, or if you want the embroidered Frette look. H by Frette is plainer and less expensive than Frette's own retail collection, and that is most of its appeal.

The catch. Sateen shows wear sooner than percale and can pill with hot washes, so wash cool and skip fabric softener.

Compare the picks

Pick	Best for	Made in	Keeps for	Buy
Coyuchi Refined Organic Percale Sheet Set, 100% GOTS Certified	Best overall	Not stated	Years; long-staple percale softens rather than pills	Check priceAmazon
Brooklinen Classic Percale Core Sheet Set	The sensible entry point	India	Several years of weekly washing	Check priceAmazon
Boll & Branch Signature Hemmed Sheet Set	The sateen pick	India	Several years; sateen shows wear sooner than percale	Check priceAmazon
H by Frette Sateen Classic Sheet Set, Queen	The grand hotel bed	Not stated	Years, with gentle washing	Check priceAmazon

Compared.

Every comparison

Why thread count is mostly marketing

Thread count is the number of threads in a square inch of fabric, warp plus weft. Past roughly 400 to 500 single ply threads, it becomes hard to fit more into a square inch. Numbers above that usually come from multi ply yarn: two or three thin, weak yarns twisted together and each counted separately, so a 300 thread fabric becomes a '900 thread count' sheet.

In 2005 the Federal Trade Commission's staff told the National Textile Association that consumers could be misled by counts inflated this way, and that the accurate disclosure is the count followed by the ply, for example '300 thread count, two ply yarn.' A 270 count percale of good long staple cotton will outlast and outbreathe a 1,000 count sateen of short staple cotton.

What long staple, Egyptian and Supima actually mean

Staple is the length of an individual cotton fiber. Longer fibers make smoother, stronger yarn with fewer loose ends to pill. Supima is a trademark for American grown extra long staple Pima cotton, licensed and tested by the Supima association. 'Egyptian cotton' tells you where the cotton came from, and the label has been abused: in 2016 Target dropped a major supplier after sheets sold as Egyptian cotton turned out to be made from other cotton.

The practical rule is to buy from a maker who names the fiber and the weave plainly and has a reputation to lose.

Care that makes them last

Wash sheets warm or cold, not hot, and skip fabric softener, which coats cotton and makes it feel slick and less breathable over time. Take them out of the dryer while very slightly damp to reduce wrinkles and heat wear.

Rotate two sets. Sheets that rest between washes last longer than one set washed every week, and you always have a clean bed when guests arrive.

Frequently asked questions

What is the price difference between sateen and percale sheets in a queen set?

Small, and it comes from the maker, fiber and certifications rather than the weave. In this guide a queen percale set runs about $179 (Brooklinen) to about $278 (Coyuchi organic), and a queen sateen set about $229 (Boll & Branch organic) to about $300 (H by Frette). Pick the weave for how it sleeps, then compare fiber at your budget.

What thread count should I look for?

For percale, roughly 200 to 400. For sateen, roughly 300 to 600. Beyond that, ask whether the yarn is multi ply. Fiber quality and weave matter more than the number.

Percale or sateen for a hot sleeper?

Percale. Its one over one under weave breathes better and feels cool. Sateen drapes closer to the body and sleeps warmer. Linen is cooler still in humid weather.

Are linen sheets scratchy?

New, unwashed linen can be. Pre-washed linen is soft from the start, and all linen softens with washing. It will always feel textured compared with cotton.

How deep should the fitted sheet pocket be?

At least 2 inches deeper than your mattress, including any topper. Coyuchi's pocket is 15 inches and Boll & Branch fits up to 17 inch mattresses.

How often should sheets be replaced?

There is no fixed schedule. Replace them when the fabric thins at the shoulders and feet, pills badly or tears. Good percale in a two set rotation commonly lasts years longer than a single set in constant use.