Flat sheets
300 – 500 TC sateen for luxury and upper-upscale properties.
Bed programmeHome/Fabrics & Weaves/Sateen
Bed250 – 500 TC
Sateen.
4-over-1 weft-satin weave — soft, lustrous, premium bedding.
What it is
Sateen is a bedding fabric woven in a 4-over-1 weft-satin construction. The long floats on the face expose more yarn surface, producing a lustrous, smooth, softer hand than percale. It is the default specification for premium and luxury hotel bedding, especially in cooler-climate markets.
How it’s made
Construction
Instead of the 1×1 plain weave of percale, sateen uses a satin structure where the weft yarn floats over four warp yarns and under one. The long floats reflect light along the yarn surface, which is why sateen carries its signature sheen. Combed long-staple cotton is essential — short-staple yarns pill quickly under satin floats.
Characteristics
What to expect in the hand
- Soft, smooth, lustrous hand
- Slight tone-on-tone sheen
- Warmer than percale
- Drapes more fluidly
- Sensitive to yarn quality — needs combed long-staple cotton
Where it shows up
Hospitality uses.
Duvet covers
Matched TC sateen covers; envelope or button closure.
Bed programmePillow cases
Oxford or plain sateen in matched TC.
Bed programmeStrengths
- Luxury register guests recognise immediately
- Drape and hand outperform percale at the same TC
- Excellent colour saturation
- Industry standard for 5★ bed programmes
Limitations
- Warmer than percale — not ideal for tropical climates
- Shorter service life if fibre quality is poor — picks pull floats
- Slightly higher price per metre than percale
Specifying sateen?