![]() ![]() How We Testedįor sub-$150, the Riley Home Percale Sheets are a steal, especially with their premium features like long-staple combed cotton and an understated Baratta stitch. A good rule of thumb with linen (and all sheets, really) is to give it a good wash right when you get it to start that process. Softer qualities are brought out over time through wash and wear. The roughness of linen sheets when they ship to your home isn’t indicative of their quality - you have to give linen time to break into its charm. Bast fibers are taken from the core of the flax plant and, as such, are not fluffy or pleasant initially - but their tensile strength is naturally higher than cotton. Where cotton is extracted in a fluffy ball called a boll, the fiber used to make linen is a bast fiber that more resembles what you’d expect from a plant product. While all percale and sateen sheets are made from cotton, linen is made from flax, which is a different beast altogether. It’s also useful to check for a GOTS certification to make sure you’re getting sheets made without any toxic materials and in an ecologically-friendly way. As noted above, the longer the staple, the greater the fabric’s durability. ![]() Most premium brands will use one version or another of long or extra-long staple cotton, which is a good indicator the company is using quality materials. Supima cotton is an American-grown variety of true Egyptian cotton, and the fabric must be certified by the American Supima Association to call itself Supima (find an updated list of brands that use Supima here). Truth is, there aren’t many good ways to determine if a set of sheets is using all real Egyptian cotton, as brands often use a trace amount to claim it as a marketing tool. Unfortunately, odds are the sheets you bought, even if they say they’re made with Egyptian cotton, aren’t. What Is “Egyptian Cotton,” and Why Does the Type of Cotton Matter?Įgyptian cotton is probably the most famous type of cotton, and rightfully so - real Egyptian cotton is extremely long-staple cotton that can be wound into a long, tight and soft yarn that makes for durable, cozy textiles. The weave is also responsible for a detracted airflow, meaning you’ll be warmer than you would be under percale. The imbalanced weave of sateen makes it more likely for pilling, sheen loss and tears to occur, so it will typically show wear more quickly. Sateen’s downsides pertain to durability and its knack for insulating too much heat. It’s a better choice for people with significantly more sensitive skin, as it’s much smoother to the touch than other popular bedding weaves and materials. Its predominantly vertical, unbalanced weave gives it less rigidity than percale, allowing it to fall and drape on a bed more attractively than other weaves. Sateen isn’t without its own strengths, though. Its balanced weave allows air to flow through the sheet and allows the sheet to stack in areas and “float” above the skin, creating more avenues for air to keep you cool. The vast majority of people sleep on percale - it’s crisp, cool and versatile. ![]() What’s the Difference Between Percale and Sateen? If you see any sheets above with a thread count of 500 or above, regardless of material or weave, feel free to take that as a big red sign that says “BS.” There are only so many threads you can squeeze into a square inch of fabric, so these higher thread counts are either adding plies to their sheet and counting those as double or artificially weaving in more threads, which is only going to make for a hotter, heavier sheet anyway. Thread count just isn’t a good measure of quality as a standalone figure, apart from exposing sellers who are (probably) trying to rip you off. ![]() Stay within the 200- to 300-range and you’ll be good,” said Jimmy McDonald, cofounder of Authenticity50.Įvery sheet maker we spoke with echoed a similar sentiment. A higher thread count doesn’t equate to better quality. “Pumped-up numbers with inferior, multi-ply yarn, the numbers are often lies to begin with. ![]()
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