Sateen vs percale: what’s the difference and which is best?

Although both can be made from exactly the same type of cotton, the way the threads are woven gives you a very different sleeping experience. Percale has a fresh, crisp feel and matte appearance, while sateen is smoother and softer, with a subtle sheen. 

We take a closer look at the differences, from breathability and warmth to softness and creasing, to help you find the best choice of bedding for you.

Sateen vs percale at a glance

What is cotton sateen?

Sateen is a type of weave that's used to create particularly silky and smooth cotton fabric.

Rather than each horizontal thread passing alternately over and under each vertical thread, the threads pass over several threads before going underneath. This puts more of the thread on the surface of the fabric, creating a smooth finish with a subtle sheen and a softer feel.

Despite the similarity in name, cotton sateen is not the same thing as satin. Satin is usually made from either silk or synthetic fibres, while sateen describes a similar style of weave made using cotton.

At Hampton and Astley, we use sateen for our luxury Egyptian cotton bedding because we love the softness, smoothness and subtle lustre it creates.

What is cotton percale?

Percale is made using a simple one-thread-over, one-thread-under weave, which creates a close structure with a matte appearance.

Unlike the smooth, flowing feel of sateen, percale feels crisp and slightly more structured against the skin, much like the feel of a freshly ironed cotton shirt. Its simple weave also allows air to circulate easily through the fabric, which makes it popular with people who like their bedding to feel very cool and crisp.

Good-quality percale should also become softer with repeated washing. without losing its characteristic fresh feel.

What is the difference between sateen and percale?

The fundamental difference is how the cotton threads are woven together, and this affects both how the finished fabric looks and how it feels.

Percale's one-over, one-under construction creates a crisp fabric with a matte surface, while sateen exposes more of each thread on the surface, giving a smoother texture and subtle sheen.

However, these terms tell you about the type of weave, but they don't give any indication of the quality of the cotton. You can have Egyptian cotton sateen, Egyptian cotton percale or either weave made from another type of cotton.

The quality and length of the cotton fibres, the yarn and the way the fabric is finished all have a big effect on the quality of the finished bedding.

Which is softer: sateen or percale?

If you like bedding to feel silky-smooth as soon as you climb into bed, sateen will generally feel softer than percale.

Its weave creates a particularly smooth surface, giving the fabric its characteristic softness and fluidity, while percale has a crisper hand-feel. High-quality percale shouldn't feel rough, but it won't have quite the same silky surface as sateen and tends to soften gradually with washing.

This is one of the reasons we chose sateen for Hampton and Astley's Egyptian cotton bedding. Our customers regularly describe the fabric as beautifully soft, silky and smooth, and it's something that comes up frequently in their feedback.

Ultimately, though, the choice is yours. Some people love slipping into smooth sateen sheets, while others prefer the fresh, crisp sensation of percale.

Which is cooler and more breathable: sateen or percale?

Percale is generally considered the cooler of the two weaves, as its construction allows plenty of airflow, creating a fresh, airy feel.

Sateen has a slightly denser structure and drapes more closely around the body, so it can feel a little cosier, but how much cosier is dependent on the quality of the fabric. Cotton is naturally breathable, and so high-quality cotton sateen can still feel very comfortable in warmer weather.

Many of our customers comment on how comfy our sateen bedding is during hot summer weather due to this natural breathability, as well as loving its smooth, cool feel.

So if you prefer a smoother fabric and still want the natural breathability of cotton, good-quality cotton sateen is a still great choice for warmer months.

Does sateen or percale crease more?

Percale's crisp construction makes it more prone to visible creasing, while sateen's softer drape means wrinkles tend to be less noticeable.

For some people, the slightly rumpled look of percale is part of its appeal. But if you prefer smoother-looking bedding with relatively little effort, sateen is probably the best option for you.

Whichever weave you choose, you can help to reduce creasing by taking your cotton bedding out of the washing machine quickly once the cycle has finished, then shaking it out and hanging it to dry, rather than leaving it tightly crumpled in the machine.

Which is better for Egyptian cotton: sateen or percale?

Both weaves can be used to make excellent Egyptian cotton bedding. That's because the particularly long fibres of Egyptian cotton allow it to be spun into very fine, strong yarns, making it a great choice for both types of weave.

Woven into percale, it can create beautifully crisp, matte-look bedding. Woven into sateen, it produces a luxuriously smooth and soft surface with a subtle, lustrous sheen.

Thread count is another part of the equation, but a higher number doesn't automatically mean better bedding. The quality of the cotton and yarn are just as important as the number of threads woven into the fabric.

For a more detailed explanation, read our guide to what thread count is best for luxury bedding.

Is sateen or percale better for hotel-style bedding?

There isn't one universal weave of choice for hotels, as they use different bedding depending on the feel, durability and appearance they want to create.

Percale is sometimes associated with hotels because of its fresh, crisp appearance, however sateen creates a much more sumptuous, high-end hotel-style experience, with smooth, softly draping bedding and a silkier feel against the skin.

This is something we see regularly in feedback on our own sateen bedding, with customers frequently comparing its softness and finish with bedding they've experienced in the most luxurious hotels.

Does thread count matter with sateen and percale?

Yes, thread count is an important consideration when shopping for bedding, but it shouldn't be considered in isolation.

That's because the thread count tells you how many threads are woven into a square inch of fabric, but it doesn't tell you the quality of those threads. A very high thread count fabric made from shorter, lower-quality fibres is unlikely to be better quality than a lower thread count made from fine, long-staple cotton.

We use 500 thread count, long-staple Egyptian cotton for our luxury sateen bedding collection because it provides a perfect balance of softness, smoothness, breathability and durability.

So rather than simply choosing the highest thread count you can find, consider the quality of the cotton, the yarn construction and the weave too.

Why do we use sateen at Hampton and Astley?

At Hampton and Astley we use long-staple Egyptian cotton woven into a 500 thread count sateen for our premium bedding collection because it creates the smooth, soft feel and subtle sheen we associate with luxurious hotel-style bedding.

That experience is reflected in our customer feedback too. Descriptions such as soft, silky, smooth and luxurious appear repeatedly in reviews, alongside comments about how the bedding washes and feels over time.

If you're ready to upgrade your sleep experience, explore our Egyptian cotton bedding collection, including duvet covers, fitted sheets, flat sheets and pillowcases.

Sateen or percale: which should you choose?

The simplest way to choose is to think about how you want your bedding to feel.

Choose sateen if you:

• Love smooth, silky-soft bedding

• Prefer a subtle sheen

• Like bedding that drapes softly around you

• Want a slightly cosier feel

• Prefer bedding that doesn't show creases quite as readily

Choose percale if you:

• Love crisp, fresh-feeling sheets

• Prefer a matte finish

• Tend to sleep particularly hot

• Like light, airy bedding

• Don't mind the naturally crumpled appearance of crisp cotton

If you're still unsure, think about bedding you've particularly enjoyed sleeping in before. Do you remember the cool crispness of the sheets, or the smooth softness against your skin? That's often a better guide than choosing based on a weave name alone.

Caring for sateen and percale bedding

Both cotton sateen and cotton percale can last for years when cared for properly.

For Egyptian cotton, try to avoid very high washing temperatures and excessive heat when tumble drying, as gentler washing and drying will help protect the cotton fibres. It's also worth avoiding fabric conditioner on high-quality cotton bedding, as it coats the fibres and can gradually affect their natural feel and breathability.

For more advice, read our guide on how to keep your bedding silky-soft.

Tried, tested and loved

At Hampton and Astley, we've been creating luxury Egyptian cotton bedding since 2017, with thousands of five-star customer reviews praising its softness, quality and hotel-style feel.

Our bedding has been independently recognised by leading interiors and lifestyle publications including Good Housekeeping, The Telegraph, GLAMOUR, GQ, Ideal Home and the Evening Standard. Our 500 thread count Egyptian cotton bedding has also been Good Housekeeping Institute Approved, following independent testing for quality and performance.

Made from long-staple Egyptian cotton in a silky-smooth sateen weave, our bedding is designed to combine softness and breathability with a beautifully smooth finish.

Explore our luxury Egyptian cotton bedding collection to discover duvet covers, sheets and pillowcases in our signature sateen weave.

Sateen vs percale FAQs

Is sateen better than percale?

Neither weave is inherently better. Sateen generally feels smoother and silkier, with a subtle sheen, while percale feels crisper, cooler and has a matte finish. Which is best depends largely on how you prefer your bedding to feel.

Is sateen hotter than percale?

Sateen can feel slightly warmer because of its denser weave and softer drape, while percale tends to feel cooler and airier. However, cotton sateen is still naturally breathable, and your duvet, room temperature and individual sleep preferences will also affect how warm you feel.

Is sateen good for hot sleepers?

It can be. High-quality cotton sateen is naturally breathable, although people who sleep particularly hot may prefer the lighter, crisper feel of percale.

Does sateen feel like silk?

Sateen can have a silky-smooth feel and subtle sheen, but cotton sateen isn't silk. It's cotton woven in a way that creates a smoother surface than a traditional percale weave.

Does percale get softer with washing?

Yes. Good-quality cotton percale tends to soften with repeated washing while retaining the crisp, fresh character of the weave.

Which lasts longer, sateen or percale?

Both good-quality sateen and percale can be long-lasting. Longevity depends on the quality of the cotton and yarn, the construction of the fabric and how the bedding is washed and dried.

Is Egyptian cotton sateen good quality?

It can be excellent quality, but the words Egyptian cotton and sateen alone don't guarantee it. The quality of the cotton fibres, yarn construction, thread count and overall manufacture all matter. High-quality long-staple Egyptian cotton woven into sateen can produce exceptionally smooth, soft and durable bedding.