All About Bed Sheet Materials

While cotton remains the perennial favorite sheet material, silks, linens, polyester satins and microfibers provide an array of desirable qualities. Which characteristics top your priority list for personal sleep satisfaction?

Bed sheet weave

Satin, Sateen, Percale, Muslin and Damask all refer to the material weave rather than fabric fiber content. Satin weave produces a shiny bed sheet material in silks and synthetics.  Cotton fiber woven in satin pattern is called sateen for its lustrous appearance, rather than actual shine. Percale is closely woven, high thread count material.  Muslin is plain woven material with characteristically coarser texture than satin weaves.  Luxury bed sheets may feature damask - satin weave patterns on plain weave background, with tone-on-tone or multicolored designs.  Stripes can be woven into the bed sheet material by alternating the weave of a single thread color for a subtle design.  Embroidered edgings on the top sheets and pillowcases give a visual emphasis without impacting the sleep surface.

Bed sheet texture

Flannel sheets have a napped texture that captures air to provide softness and warmth.  Natural fibers such as cotton, linen and silk and smoother weave materials are more comfortable next to the skin in warmer and humid climates. Silk sheets have the paradoxical advantage of adding warmth when used in cool temperatures while being light and comfortably cool in warm temperatures. Sheets offering "silk texture" may use synthetic fibers. Jersey knits offer the softness and flexibility of well-worn t-shirt material.  Egyptian cotton is a type of long staple cotton known for both softness and durability.  Modal is a trademarked name for a specific rayon fiber.

Bed sheet care

Synthetic fibers absorb dramatic dye colors and are resistant to fading, while natural fibers exude quieter, understated tones that may become muted with multiple washings.    Bed sheet patterns range from bold designs to subtle details, often coordinating with other bedding and accessories.  Read care label instructions thoroughly.  Most sheets are machine wash and dry, but may be subject to shrinkage or require ironing to remove wrinkles.  Wrinkle-resistant sheets can provide a crisper look. Consider purchasing two bed sheet sets of your selected design for easy laundry day rotation and to preserve the set if a sheet becomes damaged.

Bed sheet structure

Bed sheet label information can include thread count or momme numbers to indicate material density.  Thread count is the number of threads per square inch within the fabric weave and applies to cottons, linens and synthetics. Numbers can range from 175 to 1000, with thread counts from 200 to 400 providing both smoothness and durability. Thinner fibers are needed to achieve the higher thread counts, which increase smoothness, but may begin to decline in long term wear performance   Momme refers to silk weight measurement units - look for sheets ranging 10 to 20 momme.

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