Sateen | It's the weave, not the thread count

Sateen has a classic luxurious look and feels while still being made of primarily cotton. Read more...

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Topics

• What is Sateen?

• When people think of luxurious hotel sheets, what type are they usually thinking of?

• Sateen sheets to consider...

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What is Sateen?

Sateen has a classic luxurious look and feels while still being made of primarily cotton. The difference with sateen is in how the cotton is prepared as well as the weave. The cotton tends to be mercerized which is a finishing treatment that improves the strength of the cotton fibers. The weave is still a crisscross weave however instead of taking on the checkerboard look of Percale, Sateen can have multiple, often three or four, yarns cross over for each one that crosses under.

Figure 1. Sateen Weave. © Erum Ilyas, MD. 2019

The weave is tight. This leaves more yarns exposed to be felt softer and smoother. This will also leave more yarn exposed to give it a sheen and silky look. Sateen is tightly woven giving it warmth for cooler climates.

When people think of luxurious hotel sheets, what type are they usually thinking of?

Sateen is the most common variety of sheets to be found in hotels, especially high-end hotels. The luxurious feel, silky look, durability, and breathability all factor in here. Oftentimes, Egyptian cotton is used as it is a high-quality long staple cotton fiber. This means the fibers can be as long as 2 inches making them more durable and less likely to pile. Piling is what makes textiles look worn or older. Fuzzballs form when loose fibers clump together.

Sateen sheets to consider...