By Nashia BakerOctober 12, 2026Play/Pause ButtonPauseVideo: Vladimir Potop; Styling: Christina Allen; Production: Christine TingSave this storySave this storyOut of all the linens in the world, percale sheets are some of my personal favorites. They have a cooling feel, but what stands out even more is how much they remind me of hotel bedding. Jasmine Artis, AD PRO Directory designer and founder of J'Miracle Designs, agrees. “Percale has that crisp, tailored feel of freshly pressed sheets—the kind of finish that makes a bed look instantly pulled together, even before layering,” she says. “It’s lightweight and smooth, with a structure that reads clean and refined.”
Even though this bedding is usually made of cotton (double check the labels on your set to be sure), “percale” refers to the weave. It is strong and tight because of the basket pattern—one over, one under—which is why the sheets have a matte finish instead of a shiny one like sateen. This high-quality bedding will also get softer with each wash (just be sure to follow the care instructions and you won’t have to worry about shrinkage) so your sleep setup will have more of a lived-in feel over time. The world is your percale oyster, and I’m here to help guide you toward the best sheets for you. Browse every editor-reviewed and -approved set of sheets below, and see the FAQs for even more insight from designers and bedding experts.
For consistency, the picks in our guide reflect queen-size percale sets unless otherwise noted.
Airy and organic cotton percale sheetsSoft textureWrinkle-resistantEasy care instructions (machine wash on cool using a mild laundry detergent and tumble dry on low or hang dry)Downsides
Material: 100% organic cottonThread count: 270 thread countSizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California kingColors: 27Fitted-sheet depth: 16 inchesCertifications: Oeko-Tex STANDARD 100If you see bedding at the top of any of our sleep stories, it’s probably for a few reasons: It’s organic, durable, and comes in tons of colors and prints to style a bed. This Quince set checks all of these boxes and more. AD PRO senior editor Mel Studach has tried a lot of percale styles over the years, but she vouches that her Quince sheet set skews softer than most. “Being 100% cotton, the set is also nicely breathable,” she says. “And while the crisp, smooth texture is incredibly comfortable for sleeping, I also appreciate that when I make my bed every morning, the sheets maintain their structure sans unsightly wrinkles.”
Condé Nast Traveler commerce editor and contributor Meaghan Kenny adds that the bedding is not only “soft without being too thin or flimsy-feeling,” but the adorable green florette print is also a welcome change for her bedscape. “They gave my bedroom a much-needed breath of fresh air for spring and summer, and are a nice break from my usual boring white sheets,” she adds.
On top of all that, this set has a Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex certification to give you absolute certainty that it’s made without harsh chemicals.
Material: 100% long-staple cottonThread count: 270Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California kingColors: 24Fitted-sheet depth: 16 inchesCertifications: Oeko-Tex certifiedContributor Yelena Moroz Alpert loves a good pattern, so Brooklinen’s percale was a no-brainer to add to her collection. I like this brand too since they switch up their collections every season with new prints and colorways (like the coral tandem stripe) if I want to stray away from a more neutral look. “It definitely wakes up my bedding collection which is mostly solid colors, with a few florals,” Alpert says. “In fact, my husband is really on board with it because he likes the print and is happy not to sleep in a bed of flowers. (He thinks all floral sheets look like a shower curtain.)”