Credit:
Reviewed / Camryn Rabideau
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Credit:
Reviewed / Camryn Rabideau
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When it comes to cotton bed sheets, there are two types of people: those who want the soft, buttery feel of sateen sheets, and those who prefer crisp, cooling percale sheets. (To be fair, linen sheets also have their fan club, but that’s a different ball game altogether!) Percale sheets have a plain weave of cotton (or sometimes polyester) that results in a smooth, crisp sheet without a glossy sheen.
The best cotton percale sheets are often a superior choice for summertime or anyone who sleeps warm. They tend to be more breathable, but they can also have a fairly rough texture if made from low-quality materials, which is why buying them online can be somewhat of a gamble.
However, we’ve got you covered. After several weeks of testing percale sheets to find the most comfortable sheet material and the best quality of sheets, our favorite set is the Egyptian cotton Sferra Giza 45 Sheets , which are outrageously expensive and appropriately tested the highest.
Our top value pick for more economical budgets is Saatva Percale Sheet Set (available at Saatva), which features extremely soft, smooth, and breathable cotton fabric. They also have a deep pocket, meaning they’re fitted sheets that stay in place on virtually any mattress.
These luxury percale sheets have a steep price tag, but if that's OK with your wallet, you'll definitely sleep like a baby.
Saatva percale sheets are the best of the best.
Boll & Branch makes the best organic percale sheets you can buy.
The Company Store has the best affordable sheets on the market.
Comfortable feel
Fun patterns and colors
Unpleasant odor
Shrunk substantially
Neat stitching
Organic materials
Not as soft as other options
Loose fitted sheet
Neat stitching
Organic, sustainable materials
Not very soft
Beyond how they feel, quite a few factors differentiate bed linens. Fiber, construction method, and thread count affect how sheets feel, perform, and wear over time, so we evaluate them when testing and recommending bedding.
Percale and sateen are made from the same yarns, but the weave of the fabrics makes them feel noticeably different.
In weaving, the yarns that run vertically are called “warp” yarns, and the horizontal ones are called “weft” yarns. Percale relies on a simple over-one, under-one weaving pattern. The weft yarns go over one warp yarn and under the next until a piece of fabric reaches the desired size.
The result is a tight weave, similar to a high-quality men’s dress shirt. This is what gives percale its crisp feel and matte finish.
Compared to sateen sheets, percale is durable and less prone to snags. It’s also more breathable than other fabrics thanks to its thin yarns and lightweight. It’s a great choice for summer nights and hot sleepers. However, it’s prone to wrinkling, so take your percale sheets out of the dryer immediately if crumpled bedding is a pet peeve.
Technically, many fabrics could be woven into percale, but the vast majority of percale sheets are made from cotton.
Natural cotton fiber is known for its softness and breathability, with many varieties available. Types of cotton include Pima, Egyptian, and American Upland, each of which has a different staple length.
Staple length refers to how long a piece of fiber is when harvested. Longer-staple cotton makes more durable fabrics less prone to pilling, which happens when fibers break and wind into little balls on the textile’s surface.
Egyptian and Pima cotton are extra-long staple fibers, so they’re great for sheets and less likely to pill over time. (Sometimes “Egyptian cotton” refers to any cotton grown in Egypt, but also look for wording that indicates the staple length.) To lessen the chances of pilling, choose your staple length wisely. You’ll want fabric made from “long” or “extra long” staple cotton, to ensure softness and durability.
We’d recommend passing on percale sheets made from another fiber or a blend of fibers, such as cotton polyester. Percale and cotton go hand-in-hand, and you’ll likely lose the signature breathability and lightness if another fiber is introduced into the mix.
One common consideration is thread count, which refers to the number of warp and weft threads in one square inch of fabric. Most assume higher thread counts automatically equal higher quality, but the truth isn’t straightforward. Depending on the country of manufacture, thread count can be calculated differently.
A piece of yarn is made of several smaller threads twisted together called its “ply.” For instance, a three-ply yarn is made up of three smaller threads. In the United States, the ply is not counted toward the total thread count, but in other countries, it can be.
So, a sheet made from two-ply yarn might have a thread count of 250 when manufactured in the U.S. But when made overseas, the same fabric might be labeled as 500 thread count. Some brands do this purposely to make their product seem more appealing.
Because of that, thread count isn’t a surefire way to gauge the quality of sheets. As long as the thread count isn’t ultra-low, say less than 200, you probably don’t need to sweat it. In our extensive testing, many of the best sheets have a thread count of 250 or 300, so we don’t recommend worrying too much about it as you shop.
We conducted a number of tests for this review, including how the percale sheets fared in the washer and dryer.
After unpackaging each set of sheets, we put the fitted sheet directly onto the bed to see how it fit and if it was deep enough for the mattress, which is around 16 inches thick.
We also weighed and measured the dimensions of each flat sheet so we could calculate its weight per square yard—this allowed us to compare the fabric thickness of different sets.
Once these two tests were complete, we washed and dried the linens according to their care guidelines, and then put them back onto the bed. At this point, we noted whether the fitted sheet shrunk in the wash—generally speaking, the sheets that were washed in warm water tended to shrink more, as cotton is susceptible to shrinkage in the heat.
Next came the fun part: Sleeping! We tested each set of sheets by sleeping on them for a few nights at home. We evaluated how soft and comfortable each felt, noting if they made noise when we shifted in bed and if they slept warm or cool.
We also examined the construction of the sheets, as we’ve often found that the corners of inexpensive sheets are prone to ripping at the seams. We looked at the neatness of the stitching, noting loose, fraying thread or uneven seams, and we noted whether the sheets had reinforced edges in the fitted sheet or any decorative details.
Camryn Rabideau is a full-time freelance writer and product tester with eight years of experience. She's been lucky enough to test hundreds of products firsthand, and her specialties include bedding and pet products, which often require help from her two dogs, three cats, and flock of rambunctious chickens.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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