What is percale? Percale or sateen – the difference in bed linen

"Is percale better than sateen?" I hear this question often. The factual answer first: both can be woven from exactly the same cotton. The difference lies not in the material, but in the weave. As a hotelier and interior designer, I explain what's behind it – and further down, which one I personally choose.

What is percale?

Percale is a cotton fabric in a plain weave: warp and weft threads cross alternately, always one over, one under. This produces a dense, even surface that feels matt, dry and slightly "crisp" – similar to a good men's shirt. For percale, fine combed yarns are woven very densely. The term fine percale describes a particularly fine, dense percale.

What is sateen?

Cotton sateen (often also called mako sateen) is made in a satin weave: one thread passes over several threads before it binds in again. As a result, long sections of thread lie on the surface. They reflect the light – which is why sateen has a silky sheen – and let the fabric drape smoothly and fluidly.

Percale and sateen compared

Why thread count alone tells you nothing

Both weaves are often advertised with their thread count. Beware: if twisted double threads are counted individually, the number on the label doubles without the bed linen getting any better. More meaningful are the fibre length of the cotton, whether single threads are used, and the weight (g/m²). More on this in the guide Thread count explained.

And what do 5-star hotels use?

You'll find both in hotels. Percale is robust and uncomplicated in industrial laundries. Sateen is often used where the bed should look particularly elegant. At Cottonbabe, we deliberately chose cotton sateen – we don't sell percale. Our sateen is made from extra-long-staple cotton with a fibre length of 34–38 mm, has a true 300 single threads per square inch and comes without silicone or softeners. The soft feel comes from the fibre and the weave – which is why the bed linen becomes more supple with every wash instead of turning rough after a few washes.

Care: treating percale and sateen properly

• Don't overload the machine, use little detergent and no fabric softener.
• Cottonbabe bed linen is pre-washed and therefore does not shrink. With cotton that has not been pre-washed, on the other hand, you should expect some shrinkage.
• Take it out of the dryer while still slightly damp and smooth it out. A handheld steamer is ideal for a hotel-bed finish.

In detail: Drying bed linen – how to keep cotton sateen smooth and soft.

Jens Liebhauser's view

"I'm really not a fan of percale – and we don't sell it either. For me, sateen is the benchmark: a silky sheen, very soft. Percale is more or less the opposite, almost like linen – drier and crisper, but slightly cooler. In the top hotels I know as a hotelier, the beds are almost always made up in sateen. My clear favourite is sateen made from extra-long-staple cotton with a genuine 300 to 400 thread count."

– Jens Liebhauser, founder of Cottonbabe, 5-star hotelier

Cottonbabe hotel bed linen is sateen with a 300 thread count, single ply, made from extra-long-staple cotton with a fibre length of 34–38 mm – for example our First Class duvet cover.

Conclusion

Percale or sateen is above all a matter of personal taste. If you like it cool and matt, choose percale. If you're looking for a soft drape and a subtle sheen, sateen will make you happy. In both cases, what determines the lifespan is the cotton itself.

To Cottonbabe hotel bed linen in cotton sateen →

Jens Liebhauser – founder of Cottonbabe, 5-star hotelier and interior designer, among other things a master upholsterer/interior decorator with a certified examination in textile science