What is percale? The crisp, cool weave explained
Percale is a weave, not a fibre. Why it feels crisp and cool, how it compares with sateen, and who it suits best.
Short answer: percale is a weave, not a material. Each thread passes over one and under one in a tight, even plain weave, which gives a crisp, matte, breathable fabric that sleeps cooler than most other bedding weaves and gets softer the more you use it.
How percale is woven
Percale uses the simplest weave there is: one thread over, one thread under, repeated evenly across the whole fabric. Because the threads cross so often and sit flat against each other, the surface is smooth and matte rather than glossy, and the fabric stays light and airy. The same weave can be made from different fibres, such as cotton or TENCEL™ Lyocell: the fibre decides how it feels, the weave decides how it behaves.
What percale feels like
Crisp, cool and light. Percale is the feel of a freshly made hotel bed: it doesn't cling to the body and it lets air move through, which is why it's the usual choice for people who sleep hot or live somewhere warm. It has none of sateen's sheen, and it softens gradually with wear and washing rather than feeling silky from the first night.
Percale versus sateen
Both can be woven from the same cotton; the difference is the weave. Percale is lighter, crisper and more breathable. Sateen floats the thread over four and under one, which gives a silkier drape and a soft sheen, but runs a touch warmer. If you sleep hot, choose percale; if you want a smooth, slightly more formal feel, choose sateen. Plenty of people keep both and swap with the seasons. More in our guide to what sateen is.
Cotton percale or TENCEL™ percale
We weave percale in two fibres, both at a 300 thread count. Classic Cotton Percale is 100% long-staple Supima cotton at 120 g/m², the crispest and lightest version. Our TENCEL™ Lyocell percale uses the same weave in a wood-based fibre that absorbs moisture around 50% more efficiently than cotton, for a softer, cooler hand. Read more in our guide to the benefits of TENCEL™ Lyocell.
Thread count and percale
A higher thread count doesn't automatically mean better percale. What matters is the quality of the fibre and how evenly it's woven. Ours run at 300, a count that keeps the weave open and breathable. See what thread count actually means.
Caring for percale
- Machine wash at 40°C with a good detergent; cotton percale can take up to 60°C.
- Use less detergent than you think you need, and skip the fabric softener if you want the crispest finish: softening is the opposite of what percale is for.
- Hang to dry when you can, or tumble dry on low (tumbling adds wrinkles), and smooth the bedding out straight afterwards. Percale keeps a crisp finish if it isn't left crumpled.
The full routine, from temperature to drying, is in our washing guide for bed linens and towels.
Why we weave percale in Portugal
Our percale is woven at a family-owned factory outside Porto that has made bed linens since 1948, from long-staple fibres, with no shortcuts taken to hit a number on a label.