The differences between cotton percale and cotton sateen bed linen

Household linen is in a class of its own. It has its own vocabulary and technical characteristics. Choosing the right linen can sometimes be difficult, which is why Anne de Solène has decided to guide you with your choices. In doing so, we hope to help you understand the differences between our materials. Our goal is to allow you to choose your linens while in possession of the required know-how, and according to precise criteria. If you still have questions, please feel free to contact our customer service team, who will be happy to help you.

Bed linen in cotton percale or cotton sateen? All our tips

Cotton percale and cotton sateen are both made from the same raw material: high-quality cotton with extra-long fibers. The main difference between the two lies in the weave.

Cotton percale is an ultra-fine fabric made from premium cotton. The threads are long and very tight, which provides percale bed linen with a soft, smooth, silky feel and a matte appearance, while making it extremely durable and easy to clean. Percale fabric is combed to remove all the short fibers: these fibers are combed to 200 TC (80 threads per sqcm) or more and woven in a special way. In the process, the long fibers are preserved. Cotton percale is much softer than traditional cotton, which has a weave of only 145 TC (57 threads per sqcm). Percale is a fresh, lightweight, and breathable fabric, making it perfect for the summer.

Cotton sateen is also made from long and fine cotton threads, but each thread passes through three threads and then back under again. Its weaving technique provides the fabric with a slightly satiny appearance, and makes it feel even softer and silkier than percale. Cotton sateen is considered somewhat superior to cotton percale, as it is made with an extremely tight weave of 300 TC (120 threads per sqcm). The more threads and the tighter the weave, the more durable the fabric. The shiny effect tends to fade over time, but the material continues to get softer and softer.