Best Percale Sheets of 2021
Percale sheets are crisp and cool, a favorite amongst many. We’ve collected the best percale sheets of 2021.
Feb 18th, 2022 •
Looking for some of the best sheets on the market? The right set of percale sheets can completely change your nighttime experience, particularly if you’re someone who sleeps hot. This classic cotton weave is airy with a fresh feel, much like that of your favorite button-down shirt.
But what makes one pair of sheets perfect for your friend might be different than what would do the same for you. Do you care more about the cost, or are you ready to shell out anything you need to in order to sleep in the utmost luxury?
We’ve found the ten best percale bed sheet sets of 2021 in multiple categories, allowing you to find the percale sheets that fit your unique style and requirements.
Our Top Picks for the 10 Best Percale Bed Sheets of 2021
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Editor’s Choice: Linen Home 100% Cotton Percale Sheet Set
Linen Home’s 100% Cotton Sheet Set has earned our top spot thanks to its craftsmanship, value, and Linen Home’s commitment to customer satisfaction.
The best cotton sheets are made with long-staple cotton, a fiber+ that makes durable and comfortable fabrics resistant to pilling. This 200 thread count sheet set is made from long-staple cotton sourced from India. The result is a lightweight breathability and soft, crisp feel.
Their Z-hem stitch lining along the pillowcases and flat sheet looks elegant while protecting the fabric from wear-and-tear. And with an OEKO-TEX certification, you know you’re protected from toxic chemicals.
With in-house tests for thread-count accuracy, color fastness, tear durability, shrinkage, and pilling-resistance, Linen Homes takes no shortcuts in maintaining consistently high-quality products. Pair this with their “eternity guarantee” that ensures prompt customer service with a commitment to customer satisfaction, and you can feel confident knowing that you’re purchasing fine sheets from an upstanding company.
The true cherry-on-top is that these lightweight, comfortable sheets come in at an extremely competitive price point and ten colors, making them a great choice for many shoppers.
Best Hotel Sheets: Peru Pima 100% Peruvian Pima Cotton Sheet Set
Upscale hotels know a thing or two about long-lasting, incredibly comfortable bedding. Peru Pima’s 100% Peruvian Pima Cotton Sheets have been used by the Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton, and more. If you love nothing more than the feel of slipping into soft, refreshing luxury hotel bed sheets, this sheet set might be the one for you.
Pima cotton is considered one of the best types of cotton for creating superior bedding (the other being Egyptian cotton sheets). Peru Pima sources, you guessed it, Pima cotton from the beautiful country of Peru.
The sheets are manufactured by their small family company. There, the cotton is woven to create 450 thread count fabrics that feel wonderfully soft while still retaining a fresh feel. Thanks to their high-quality fabric, it becomes softer over time.
Unlike traditional hotel sheets, you have options to match your style and décor. Known for its ability to retain vibrant colors, their Peruvian Pima cotton is treated to become one of 15 color options, which include both solid colors and wide stripes.
Best Eco-Friendly Sheets: Fabdreams 100% Organic Percale Cotton Sheet Set
With the Fabdreams 100% Organic Percale Sheet Set, you get the utmost in luxury while supporting a better world. Their sheet sets are ethically crafted, with close attention paid to how the cotton is grown all the way through to the finished manufacturing touches.
Fabdreams purchases their 100% organic, free trade cotton directly from farmers, cutting out any middle men that might underpay farmers or provide inaccurately labeled low-quality materials. And because cotton growth can require large quantities of harsh pesticides when grown traditionally, the 100% organic growing process helps to protect the environment.
After the cotton is procured, the sheets are made 100% in-house. Thanks to every step of the manufacturing process being completed in-house, Fabdreams is able to ensure an environmentally-friendly product. They use 50% wind energy and shun toxic chemicals, as is demonstrated by their OEKO-TEX and GOTS certifications.
Their deep pockets (17 inches deep for twin, twin XL, and full mattresses and 19 inches deep for queen and king mattresses) make these sheets an eco-friendly option that will easily fit most mattresses.
Best Value Sheets: AmazonBasics Organic Percale Cotton Sheet Set
The AmazonBasics Organic Percale Cotton Sheet Set is not only reasonably priced, but made from 100% organic cotton. With a vintage-wash, this sheet set is a bit smoother than other percale sheets while still boasting a cool feel that lasts throughout the night.
The AmazonBasics Percale Sheet Sets come in unique patterns matched and a frayed hem, giving them a vintage, bohemian vibe. These sheets are a nice choice for shoppers looking for an option that is both eco-friendly and competitively priced.
Best Designs: Eddie Bauer Percale Cotton Sheet Set
Eddie Bauer is a household name that people trust. The Eddie Bauer Percale Cotton Sheet Sets come in many fun, quirky designs that you won’t find anywhere else. You can choose from images of kayaks, fishing flies, dogs in fields, seaplanes, and more that are somehow both classic and elegant in appearance. Their novelty prints and patterns are designed to pair with their other bedding accessories so you can create a unique look.
Made from 100% percale cotton and fitting mattresses up to 15”, these lightweight, crisp sheets are made to help keep you cool as you dream of exciting adventures along waterways or with man’s best friend.
Best Deep Pocket Sheets: Abipedic Deep Pocket Percale Sheet Set
Deep mattresses can offer unparalleled support with a plush and comfortable feel up top, but there is one problem—very few sheets are made to accommodate extra-thick mattresses. The Abipedic Deep Pocket Percale Sheet Set comfortably fits mattresses up to 22 inches deep, which is just about the deepest mattress on the market today.
Their long-staple, 300 thread count cotton creates a soft feel while promoting air circulation, helping you sleep cool and dry. But don’t expect this to be the type of softness that sticks to you as you move around. They describe their feel as both crispy and soft, meaning that the sheets will stay put as you reposition into a nice, cool spot in the middle of the night.
With nine soft but rich colors to choose from, you can find the one that fits your personal style best.
Best Guarantee: Mellanni 100% Cotton Bed Sheet Set
Many of us look for warranties and guarantees when we buy a new mattress, but fewer of us consider doing so when we buy new sheets. You just assume that your sheets will last as long as they last, and even if the relationship is short, you don’t expect a company to do much about it after the first few months.
Mellanni is different. If you buy their 100% Cotton Bed Sheet Set, you will be met with a lifetime manufacturer’s guarantee. With just one simple email, Mellanni guarantees that they will offer you a money-back refund or replacement if you aren’t satisfied with your sheets.
Why are they so confident? It might be their 100% cotton, 300 thread count, fade resistant fabric that feels light, airy, and soothing. Or their rich, elegant colors that match most any décor.
Best Minimalist Sheets: Sleep Mantra Percale Organic Cotton Bedding Set
Minimalists are those that value quality and versatility over quantity. They want a sheet set that looks classy, but without trying too hard. One that will work for every season, eliminating the need for one than one set.
For the minimalists out there, we recommend Sleep Mantra’s Percale Organic Cotton Bedding Set. This high-quality sheet set comes in simple colors like dark grey, light grey, taupe, ivory, and white. They are machine wash and tumble dry with tags along the top and bottom so that making your bed is easy.
Their minimalist appeal extends to eco-consciousness with their 100% organic cotton colored using natural dyes. And to top it off, your conscience can sleep peacefully knowing that the sheets were manufactured in an ethically-certified factory in India.
Best Luxury: Thomas Lee Pima Cotton Bed Sheets and Pillowcases Set
The Thomas Less Pima Cotton Bed Sheets and Pillowcases Set is pure luxury. Using only the finest long-staple Pima cotton grown locally in the United States (known as Supima cotton), the 500 thread count percale weave creates a fabric that is at once smooth, soft, light, and airy.
These sheets are impeccably hand-stitched with 12 stitches per inch, demonstrating fine craftsmanship. Combined with the high-quality cotton fibers, this set is built to last. Plus, it becomes softer with every wash.
As with most high-end luxury products, Thomas Lee represents simplicity and class with sets coming in two classic colors—white and ivory.
Best Aesthetics: Nautica Percale Cotton Sheet Set
We love the nautical themes and attractive stripe patterns of the Nautica Percale Cotton Sheet Sets. Their 100% cotton sheets with a percale weave are breathable and crisp. With 16 themes fit for children and adults, there are lots of options to choose from. Another perk? The striped-patterns can help to hide any wrinkles if you accidentally leave your sheets in the dryer.
With deep pockets and a fully elasticized fitted sheet, Nautica’s sheet sets can easily fit mattresses up to 17” deep.
What Are Percale Bed Sheets?
The term “percale” refers to the way that the fabric is made. Percale fabrics are manufactured using a basic weave of one yarn under, one yarn over. As a result of the weave, percale fabrics are tight in texture, creating a matte finish.
Most percale sheets are made using 100% cotton. Why? Cotton fibers are soft, long, light, and strong. When cotton is woven in the percale style, the result is a breathable, crisp, and durable fabric.
Percale sheets are a favorite amongst people who sleep hot. The feel can be compared to a nice button-down shirt that feels airy and soft, without too much bulk.
Percale Sheets Pros:
- Sleeps cool
- Soft and crisp to the touch
- Some affordable options
- Generally easy to launder
- Durable
- Can get softer with use
- Many patterns and colors to choose from
Percale Sheets Cons:
- Not silky like a sateen weave, a feel that some prefer
- Can wrinkle easily
- Highest-end sets can cost well over $200
How to Choose the Best Percale Sheets
When shopping for percale sheets, there are two primary factors that you will want to pay attention to.
1. Type of Cotton Used
Most percale sheets are 100% cotton. But just because they’re made from cotton does not mean that they will all feel the same.
The most comfortable cotton bedding is made from long-staple cotton fibers (staple refers to a fiber’s length). What makes long-staple cotton superior to short-staple cotton is that it:
- Softens with every wash
- Is more durable and resistant to pilling
- Is softer and more luxurious-feeling
Pima cotton and Egyptian cotton are high-quality long-staple cotton sheets, while American Upland cotton is a short-staple cotton. If you find sheets that are labeled 100% cotton, but never reveal what type of cotton, it’s likely American Upland cotton.
2. Thread Count
Thread count tells you how many horizontal and vertical yarns are found in one square-inch of fabric. The higher the thread count, the better is an old wives’ tale. While this can be true in certain circumstances, the trouble is that companies can use lower-quality fibers to get the thread count higher, resulting in inferior fabrics.
When it comes to percale weaves in particular, high thread count does not automatically mean that the sheets will be better. As a general rule, look for a thread count between 200 and 500. A higher thread count within this range means that the fibers are more tightly woven, with a slightly smoother, softer, and warmer feel.
Other Considerations
While the type of cotton and thread count will tell you a lot about the feel and durability of a percale sheet set, there are other questions whose answers could influence your decision.
- Do you want eco-friendly or ethically-produced sheets?
- What sizes and colors or patterns are you looking for?
- How much are you willing to spend?
- Will you need deep pocket sheets for your mattress?
- Does a long guarantee matter to you?
Figure out what’s most important to you and narrow down the options based on your priorities.
Conclusion
100% cotton percale sheets are a top-choice for people who sleep hot or wake up sweaty. The crisp feel and lightweight breathability facilitate a cool, dry night’s sleep. Because percale sheets are so popular, there are lots of options to choose from. We hope we’ve helped you find the percale sheets that you’ve always dreamed of.
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