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.

Wanna skip the myths and just see the sheets? Check out one of our favorite percale sheet sets over at Amazon:

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!