Percale sheets are best suited to people who prefer crisp, lightweight bedding. They also offer above-average breathability. Polyester or blends: Unlike cotton, polyester fibers are manufactured in a factory and can be produced to be super thin, meaning polyester and cotton/polyester blends can have thread counts in the thousands. In fact, manufacturers are coming up with techniques to use thin polyester yarns with the sole purpose of increasing the thread count claim. Most percale sheets and pillowcases can be washed and dried in any household machine. However, you should not wash them too frequently because laundering breaks down the fabric and causes wear and tear. To preserve the material and extend your set’s lifespan, consider line-drying your percale sheets and pillowcases instead of drying them in a machine. Some consumers mistake “cotton percale” for a specific variety of cotton. In fact, the term percale refers to a type of weave used to make bedding, garments, and other products. Percale is also known as plain weave. Most percale sheets are made from cotton, but this weave can also be used with polyester, rayon from bamboo, microfiber, and other synthetic fabrics.

Our 200 thread count Egyptian cotton bedding range is made from the worlds finest cotton percale fabric, available in 12 modern colours and comes in a huge range of options and sizes. Woven to exacting standards of quality and luxury with an excellent easy care finish which makes washing and ironing much easier than standard cotton fabrics. What really sets this range apart from the crowd is the extra-long staple fibres that absorb moisture from the body while you sleep leaving you dry and fresh all night long, the fabric also gets softer and smoother with each and every wash. The manufacturer is so confident in the quality of the cotton they give a 7 year guarantee for total peace of mind.

Product Q&A

Each woven fabric consists of vertical threads known as warps and horizontal threads known as wefts. For percale, the wefts pass – or “float” – over the warps in a one-by-one pattern, forming a grid shape that leaves the material with a crisp hand-feel that will gradually soften over time. Percale’s tight structure requires fewer threads than other weaves, so its thread counts are generally lower and the fabric is relatively lightweight. This sets percale apart from other weaving techniques such as sateen and twill. Surprisingly, it's not the thread count that makes hotel sheets so luxurious, it's the type of weave. Most hotels use percale sheets with a thread count of 400-500, with the idea they with suit most sleepers and stay in good condition despite washes. Percale itself is the simple weaving technique of one yarn over, and one yarn under, resulting in a matte finish that's cool to the touch. This is what creates the fresh, high-quality feel you get with hotel bedding. What type of sheets are the best quality?

Keep in mind that certain materials are not measured using thread count. Some notable ones include: Preethi Gopinath, director of the Textiles MFA program at Parsons and one of the writers of our cotton sheets guide, and Shannon Maher, chairperson and assistant professor of the Home Products Development department at the Fashion Institute of Technology, both weighed in on the best thread counts for each weave: Lastly, percale sheets are a solid investment because the material offers better longevity than sateen. Percale won’t pill as easily, either. If you’re in the market for a cotton sheet set that will deliver high value over time, percale is your best bet – especially long-staple and extra-long staple cotton varieties. The 500 thread count sheets are made with long-staple cotton, which is known for its high quality and durability. The lightweight feel and natural breathability make these sheets a good option for sleepers who run hot. While the sheets feel softer than other percale sets we’ve tested, subsequent laundry cycles will further soften the bedding for a relaxed, lived-in feel. For best results, machine wash in warm water on a gentle cycle with like colors and tumble dry with low heat. You can use a warm iron if wrinkling occurs. Technically, the fabric must have a thread count of 180 to be considered percale. When judging a fabric by quality a thread count of 200 to 300 is a good benchmark for percale sheets and pillowcases. Thread count is not necessarily an indicator of quality, especially if the number seems unusually high.The minimum thread count for percale is 180, but the optimal range for this material is 200 to 300. The SOL Organics Percale Cotton Sheet Set is made with organic cotton that feels luxuriously soft against the skin while keeping the crisp look that percale bedding is known for. These sheets are breathable and lightweight enough for summer months while still keeping you cozy in cooler months. Jersey: Jersey is a type of knit that often uses cotton, but not always. The weight may vary somewhat depending on the material used. Many jersey cotton sheets are around 150 GSM. The weft thread floats under three warp threads for each one it floats over, resulting in a looser weave. If the sheets aren't 100% cotton with single-ply weaves, chances are thread counts are either misleading or irrelevant. Here's why thread count doesn't matter for other materials:

Sateen sheets, meanwhile, offer a silker, glossier appearance, although for this you may forfeit some of the light airiness associated with percale. The finer weaving of sateen means a thread count in the region of 300 to 600 is ideal for this refined fabric. We recently tested a 1,400 thread count cotton/polyester sheet set that uses one of these techniques and (not surprisingly) it wasn't a top performer. Polyester does have its own selling points – it’s stronger, more wrinkle-resistant and less expensive than cotton – but it certainly doesn’t feel as luxurious as a natural fiber.

Thread count is used as a rough indicator of the softness and feel of a fabric. It’s also used heavily in marketing to imply that a specific product is of a higher quality than competing sheets. While this is all true to a certain extent, thread count is far from the only consideration when it comes to the overall quality of a set of sheets. Fiber content. 100% cotton is the most popular, and there are premium (i.e. “long-staple”) cottons, like Egyptian and Pima, that make the fabric even softer and more durable. Just keep in mind that these sheets may be more expensive, and there have been instances where brands mislabel regular cotton sheets as Egyptian. The sheets and pillowcases in the Brooklinen Classic Core Sheet Set collection are constructed from long-staple cotton, a material that is more durable than standard cotton. The cotton also has a thread count of 270, which is reasonably high for percale bedding. As a result, this set is comfortable and durable – even after repeated wash cycles.

It is calculated by adding together the numbers of lengthwise (warp) and widthwise (weft) threads within a certain area. For example, a cotton sheet with 100 warp threads and 100 weft threads in each square inch of fabric would have a listed thread count of 200. As you browse different sheet sets, you’ll notice terms like “long-staple,” “Pima cotton,” and “blended percale.” While similar in structure, each type of percale offers distinct pros and cons for sleepers. Below, we’ve highlighted four of the most common percale categories. When thinking about the best thread count for sheets, it’s important to remember an age-old saying: Quality over quantity. The quality of the yarns or threads used is often more important than the quantity of threads, or thread count. When it comes to thread count, most people forget that the quality of threads is far more important than the quantity." —Missy Tannen, co-founder of Boll & Branch Sateen sheets are ideal for sleepers who enjoy soft, drapey bedding. The loose weave gives sateen a smooth feel, but the material is not as breathable as percale.The composition of percale makes the material wrinkle easily. Some brands discourage ironing percale sheets, which means you may need to smooth them by hand. Gopinath said a 250 to 300 thread count was optimal (there’s wiggle room, though, as Maher said 200 was also good). Sateen is smooth and silky-soft when new. Over time, sateen will become softer and drapier. Since the thread count is higher, sateen is usually heavier than percale and also not as breathable. READ NEXT: Our round-up of the best mattresses available The best sheets to buy for every recommended thread count 1. White Company Essentials Egyptian Cotton range: Best everyday thread count sheets Flannel: Measured in GSM. Durable, heavyweight flannel sheets are in the 170+ GSM range. Lighter flannel sheets will be less durable, but lighter and more breathable.