Sateen cotton sheets - All you need to know

Sateen sheets have a luxuriously smooth feel and elegant appearance, especially when they are made from long-staple Egyptian cotton. Which is why we chose sateen weave Egyptian cotton for our sumptuous bed sheets. 

1. What is sateen?
2. What is sateen cotton?
3. What does sateen feel like?
4. What are the benefits of sateen bed sheets?
5. How to care for your sateen bedding
6. What thread count should I choose for sateen sheets?
7. Accreditations to insist on
8. Sateen v percale bed linen
9. Sateen v linen bed linen
10. Common sateen cotton sheet questions

 

What is sateen?

Sateen is a type of cotton fabric weave. Sateen sheets are made with a four-over, one-under weaving technique which places more threads on the surface of the fabric, giving sateen sheets their luxuriously smooth texture and a gently subtle sheen. 

 

What is sateen cotton?

Sateen cotton is cotton woven in the sateen weaving style. Always choose a 100% long-staple cotton, such as Egyptian for the best quality and durability. We only use genuine Egyptian cotton for our sateen sheets.

 

 

What does sateen feel like?

We have sateen sheets on our bed and love them! They add an elegant aesthetic, ooze luxury and feel silky soft. The smoothness of sateen provides a great drape while you sleep and a gentle cosiness. Sateen bedding isn't overly warm or cool, so it's perfect for use all year round.

 

What are the benefits of sateen bed sheets?

Luxurious feel

One of the main reasons people choose sateen sheets is the luxurious feel. The sateen weave creates a smooth silky texture that feels sumptuously soft against the skin.

Elegant and durable

Sateen weave gives cotton bedding an elegant and sophisticated look. In addition to their luxurious feel, sateen sheets are durable and long lasting due to the density of the long-staple cotton threads. 

Breathable and hypoallergenic

Sateen cotton sheets are naturally breathable making them perfect for use all year round. High-quality sateen sheets made from 100% cotton are also naturally hypoallergenic and are therefore a great choice if you have allergies or sensitive skin.

 

How to care for your sateen bedding

Always read the care label. Most sateen cotton sheets are machine washable at 30° or 40° and should be washed once a week using non-bio detergent. Check out our Egyptian cotton care guide. 

 

What thread count should I choose for sateen sheets?

During our extensive testing, we found that 600 thread count cotton sateen sheets provided the right balance of luxury feel and durability. Lower thread count sheets felt a bit thin. Whereas higher thread count sheets felt overly stiff with a less appealing drape. 

 

Accreditations to insist on

Make sure that your sateen bedding is Oeko-Tex 100 Standard certified to ensure it is free from harmful chemicals. And check that your sheets come with the Egyptian Cotton Mark so that you know it is genuine.

 

Sateen bed linen v percale bed linen

Sateen bedding and percale bedding can be made from the same cotton fibres, the difference is how the cotton is woven. Both weaves are suitable for year-round use and improve with each wash, though sateen cotton is more wrinkle resistant. Percale sheets tend to feel thinner, crisp and cool and have a matte look. While sateen sheets tend to feel thicker, silky smooth and warmer with more drape and a subtle lustre finish.

We tested both and preferred the sateen weave for our 100% Egyptian cotton bedding. 

 

Sateen cotton bedding v linen bedding

Linen bedding is made from flax rather than cotton. It has a more relaxed look and feel than sateen cotton bedding and whilst soft, is not as soft as cotton. Linen is similarly breathable and hypoallergenic. When testing bedding we liked the fabric so much that we made our own range of super soft linen bedding.

  

Common questions:

Do sateen sheets wrinkle easily? Sateen sheets are less prone to wrinkles compared to percale sheets. A tip is to remove them from your tumble dryer as soon as the cycle has finished and put them on your bed right away right away as this will reduce any wrinkles. How long do sateen sheets last? With proper care, high-quality cotton sateen sheets will last for many years.  Are sateen sheets expensive? Sateen sheets are not more expensive than other weaves like percale sheets. Long-staple cotton bedding like Egyptian cotton and Pima cotton can be more expensive than regular short-staple cottons but sheets and covers made from long-staple cottons will feel more luxurious and be more durable and longer lasting.