Facts and Information No comments yet

Percale Sheets – What Are They And Why You Should Care

By on May 16th, 2010

When shopping for bedding or sheets, one term that gets seen a lot is percale.  What are percale sheets?  Are they better than Egyptian cotton sheets?  What kind of thread count do they have?  How do they feel?  Should I buy them?  We here at Only Percale Sheets will attempt to answer these questions and more.

What Are Percale Sheets?

Percale sheets are not actually a type of sheet in the commonly understood sense.  Percale sheets actually refer to a weaving method.  Percale is a very old method of weaving that produces strong, resilient and long-wearing sheets.  The weaving method is such that one thread goes over another thread.  This produces a criss-crossing latticework of threads resulting in a very tight pattern.  This tight pattern is the source of percale’s legendary crispness.  Percale sheets are woven to be tighter, longer-lasting and of a higher quality than many other sheets.

[picappgallerysingle id="262891"]

What Fabrics Are They Made From?

Since percale refers to a weaving style as opposed to a kind of sheet, percale sheets can be made out of many different blends of material.  100% cotton, 100% polyester, 50-50 polyester/cotton blends, linen, pure Egyptian cotton – the permutations are endless.  This is part of what has lead to the confusion about percale sheets and many of the misconceptions.  Many people have distinct preferences about the material of their sheets.  Some prefer 100% cotton while others enjoy the lack of ironing that 100% polyester provides.  Others enjoy the increased durability that a 50-50 polyester/cotton blend can provide.  The choices are varied and highly personal.


How Does Thread Count Effect Percale Sheets?

Thread count is a popular selling point these days that has been the source of much confusion.  Weaving method and type and quality of material have as much importance on the quality, feel and durability of sheets as does thread count.  Percale sheets will have a minimum of 180 thread count.  Higher thread counts can increase the quality and durability of the sheets, however there does become a point of diminishing returns.  Many people would be hard pressed to tell the difference between 600 thread count and 1000 thread count sheets, all other things being equal.  In some cases the extra thread count will go hand in hand with higher quality materials.  Whether the higher prices that often accompanies higher thread count are worth it will be up to the individual purchaser.

How Do Percale Sheets Feel?

As mentioned before, percale sheets are known for their crispness and durability.  The very method that defines percale sheets produces a very tight fabric.  This tightness is often referred to as being very “crisp”.  However don’t be mislead – crisp does not mean uncomfortable.  The finishing of the fabric will often determine whether percale sheets are comfortable or feel like pieces of paper.

Are Percale Sheets For Me?

Are percale sheets for you?  Possibly.  Those who buy percale sheets and are happy with them tout their long-wearing strength, their light feel, the perceived feeling of quality, and of course, their crispness.  There is an extremely wide range of percale sheets that are available on the market these days.  Reading as many reviews as possible, asking friends or family members for recommendations, shopping around and ultimately holding them and feeling them will result in the happiest customers.

Remember, percale sheets are great if you like a certain kind of sheet.  Although they are not for everyone, percale sheets have retained a legendary following for literally hundreds of years.  Try them out and you might be pleasantly surprised.

Facts and Information, Tips No comments yet

The Final Three: 3 More Myths About Percale Sheets

By on April 26th, 2011

Well, in following with our two previous articles (here and here), we’ve got three more myths about percale sheets that we feel should be corrected.  Honestly, if they’re not, the world won’t stop turning, the sky won’t fall – nothing like that.  However, these myths might possibly keep some people from fully looking into buying percale sheets and that is something we would like to avoid.  Why?  Because percale sheets are just that awesome.

Myth #1 – Percale sheets have to be air-dried
This myth is often predicated on a mother or grandmother who practiced the fine art of drying clothes outside on a clothesline.  While air-drying does have a classic feel to it, it is not always practical every place in the country.  Rest assured you are unlikely to damage your percale sheets or reduce how amazing they feel by drying them in a dryer.  Just be sure to check the manufacturer’s recommendations and follow them.

Myth #2 – Percale sheets need to be ironed.
As a result of most percale sheets being 100% cotton, combined with the very nature of percale weaving, percale bed sheets often look rather wrinkled once they are dry.  Air-drying or in the dryer, it doesn’t matter – they often look to be wrinkled.  Now, many people, the fine folks at OnlyPercaleSheets.com included, will argue that since you’re going to be sleeping on them anyway there’s little point in wasting the time or the energy on ironing your percale bed sheets.  Because the truth is, ironing percale bed sheets is entirely unnecessary.  However if that’s what makes you happiest and helps you enjoy your percale bed sheets even more, then by all means go for it.  But if you’re looking for your first set and have heard this myth – it’s not true.  Unless the manufacturer’s requirements say it is necessary.  In that case, keep looking.

Myth #3 – Percale sheets will last forever.
Wouldn’t it be great if they did?  Just keep on going and going, never wearing out and staying as good as new.  Unfortunately it’s not true.  While percale sheets have a longer perceived life than many other kinds of bedding because they are highly resistant to pilling, percale bed sheets do wear out over time.  This sad day can be extended by purchasing two sets and alternating them.  Although it’s just a trick, it can extend the time between needing to buy new percale sheet sets, which is nice in and of itself.

So there you have it, 3 more myths (and 8 myths in total) about percale bed sheets that can confuse many first time buyers or even repeat buyers.  So go enjoy spring, have fun shopping for percale sheets, and if you do decide to buy them, let us offer you your first congratulations at choosing the most awesome sheets on the market – percale bed sheets.

Facts and Information, Tips 2 comments

3 More Insidious Myths About Percale Sheets

By on April 23rd, 2011

So after finishing up our previous article about percale sheets and some of the myths that circulate about them, we realized there are a few other myths running around out there about percale sheets that we’d like put to rest. So, in the interest of fairness and with a complete lack of objectivity (seriously, this website is called “Only Percale Sheets” for a reason) here are 3 more myths we’ve often heard or read about percale sheets that we’d like to clear up.

Myth #1 – Percale bed sheets are rough.
This one is going to depend on what you mean by rough. If you are comparing them to silk sheets, yes, percale bed sheets will feel rough by comparison. Most things will feel rough by comparison to silk sheets, so it’s not really a fair fight. Percale often does have a slightly stiffer or firmer feel to the fabric, but this is a result of the weaving method used. Primarily the roughness incorrectly associated with percale bed sheets is a function of the quality of the sheets. Higher quality sheets will feel smoother than lower quality sheets. So don’t swear off percale sheets because you think they may be rough or the ones you slept on once were rough. Just go out and find a good balance between quality and what you can afford.

Myth #2 – Percale bed sheets are expensive/cheap.
Like pretty much everything else you find in the world, there are some percale bed sheets that are expensive while others can be had quite cheaply. What’s expensive? Fine linen percale sheets from Italy or high thread count Egyptian cotton percale sheets can run north of $500 without breaking a sweat. What’s cheap? $9.99 poly-cotton percale bed sheets that feel pretty similar to sleeping on newspaper. It’s all a balance. If you’re looking for a good balance between high quality and reasonably priced percale bed sheets that feel great, expect to pay anywhere in the 100-200 dollar range. Thomas Lee and The Company Store are good places to check out for sheets in this range.

Myth #3 – Percale bed sheets are much cooler than other kinds of sheets.
This myth of percale bed sheets is harder to quantify than the roughness one. A combination of factors work together to give percale sheets their legendary coolness. Things like the thread count, the quality of the fabric, the denseness of the weave, the type of material used, the other bed coverings on top of the sheets, how recently the sheets were laundered, the temperature of the room, the temperature of the sleeper – even the humidity of the sleeping environment all work together to give percale bed sheets their reputation for being cool. Here’s the key – don’t expect them to be like refrigerated sheets. If you are a hot sleeper and are in a warm, humid room with a heavy blanket on top and expect percale sheets to keep you cool, you’ll be sorely disappointed. However, remember that the more breathable the sheets are the more likely they are to feel cooler during the night.

Phew! Glad we got that off our collective chests. Really, percale sheets are pretty awesome. Why else would they be such a popular sheet for so long? Even if you can’t imagine yourself falling in love with a bed sheet, go ahead and give percale sheets a try. We won’t guarantee you will love them like we do. But we do know that you’ll never be able to love percale sheets until you actually pick up a percale sheet set and try them out for yourself. Good luck!