The Percale Cotton Bedding
Crisp, matte 200 thread count cotton percale: light, airy and cool to the touch, like a hotel sheet. Choose a full sheet set or just the pieces you need, in white.
Free shipping across Canada. Arrives in 2 to 5 days.
Pick up at 290 Queen St W. We keep some stock in the showroom, first come, first served.
Questions? Call (416) 840 0224 and talk to a real person.
Buying a mattress too? Sheets, duvets and pillows are 20% off when you buy them with a mattress. Applied automatically in your cart.
Shop mattressesWhy buy your bedding from Dozy
Feel it first
Compare percale, sateen and linen side by side at 290 Queen St W.
Free shipping across Canada
Arrives in 2 to 5 days. Or pick up at our showroom when it's in stock.
Honest prices, every day
No fake sales and no inflated prices. Just 20% off bedding when you buy a mattress.
Talk to a real person
Call (416) 840 0224. We'll tell you straight which sheet suits you.
What you get
What's in each piece
Buy the full set or just the pieces you need. Tap a piece to choose it above.
| Piece | What's included | Sizes | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet Set | Flat sheet, fitted sheet and pillowcases | Twin/Single, Double/Full, Queen, King | $99 |
| Fitted Sheet | 1 fitted sheet | Twin/Single, Double/Full, Queen, King | $49 |
| Duvet Cover | 1 duvet cover | Twin/Single, Double/Full, Queen, King | $79 |
| Pillowcase | A set of 2 pillowcases (Standard/Queen or King) | Queen, King | $29 |
Two weaves of cotton
Sateen or percale?
Sateen and percale are both cotton. The difference is the weave: how the lengthwise and crosswise yarns cross. It changes how a sheet feels, looks and sleeps.
Sateen
One yarn under, three or four over. More yarn on the surface gives the sheen and the silky feel.
Percale
One over, one under: a plain weave. Matte, crisp and light.
| At a glance | Sateen | Percale |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A cotton weave with one yarn under and three or four over, so more yarn sits on the surface. | A plain cotton weave, one over and one under, like a checkerboard. |
| Feel | Silky smooth, with a heavier drape. | Crisp, light and airy. |
| Finish | Soft sheen. | Matte. |
| Temperature | Breathable when it's made well. Ours is 300 thread count in fine, long-staple cotton, so air moves through it. Sateen that sleeps hot is usually a 900 thread count of thick, short-staple yarn. | Light and airy. |
| Wrinkles | Wrinkles less. The smooth surface lies flatter, so most people skip the iron. | Wrinkles more. Many people iron it for a crisp finish. |
| Over time | Can pill or snag, and the sheen can soften over time. | Durable, and softens with every wash. |
| Care | Machine wash cold, tumble dry low, no fabric softener. | Machine washable. Iron if you like it crisp. |
| Who it suits | Anyone who wants a silky, smooth bed with a soft sheen that wrinkles less. | Anyone who loves a crisp, matte, hotel-style sheet. |
| At Dozy | The Sateen Cotton Bedding: 300 thread count, long-staple Egyptian cotton, in 5 colours. | The Percale Cotton Bedding: 200 thread count cotton, in white. |
Fibre length
Why long-staple cotton makes a better sheet
Staple is the length of each cotton fibre. It decides how fine, strong and smooth the yarn can be, and it matters more than the thread count on the label.
Longer fibres spin into finer, stronger, smoother yarn. Short fibres leave more loose ends poking out of the yarn, which makes it uneven and fuzzy. You can feel the difference in a sheet: fabric woven from long-staple cotton is softer and pills less.
Extra-long staple comes from a different cotton plant, Gossypium barbadense, grown as Pima and Egyptian cotton. Most of the world's cotton is upland cotton, with shorter fibres.
Cotton staple length classes
- Short
- 0.25 to 0.94 inch
- Medium
- 0.94 to 1.13 inch
- Long
- 1.13 to 1.38 inch
- Extra-long
- over 1.38 inch
Staple length classes used by the USDA.
Want the longest fibres we sell?
Our Sateen Cotton Bedding is woven from long-staple, combed Egyptian cotton, in 5 colours.
Thread count
Thread count, explained
It's the biggest number on most sheet packages and the most misunderstood. Here's what it measures, how it gets inflated and what to check instead.
What thread count measures
Thread count is the number of threads in one square inch of fabric: the lengthwise threads plus the crosswise threads. 150 one way plus 150 the other is a 300 thread count.
It tells you how tightly a fabric is woven. It doesn't tell you what the threads are made of, how long the fibres are or how fine the yarn is, and those decide how a sheet feels and how long it lasts.
How plied yarn inflates the number
Plied yarn is two to four fine strands twisted together into one yarn. Count every strand instead of every yarn and the number jumps two to four times: 250 four-ply yarns can be sold as a 1,000 thread count.
The US Federal Trade Commission's position is that a yarn counts as one thread whatever its ply, so a 300 thread count sheet woven with 2-ply yarn should be labelled "300 thread count, 2-ply yarn", not 600. Consumer Reports adds that you can't fit 1,000 threads into a square inch on a loom.
Same number, different sheet: two 900 thread count sets
About $60
The cheap 900
- Thick plied yarn, counted strand by strand to reach 900
- Spun from short-staple cotton, with more loose fibre ends
- Softness from finishes that wash out
- Heavier, sleeps hotter and pills sooner
About $900
The expensive 900
- Fine yarn spun from long or extra-long staple cotton
- Long fibres cost more to grow, spin and weave
- Smooth and strong because of the fibre, not a finish
- Lasts much longer
Both packages say 900. That's how the industry works, and why the number on its own tells you so little.
Why you shouldn't chase the biggest number
Consumer Reports found the sweet spot is about 400, and its top-scoring percale sheets were just 280 thread count. Past that point, extra threads usually mean thicker plied yarn: a heavier sheet that holds more heat, not a better one. Softener finishes can make a cheap sheet feel luxurious in the store, until the first wash.
So understand what thread count measures, check the fibre and the ply, and don't pay for the number.
Our 200 thread count percale
Percale is a plain one-over, one-under weave, so it feels crisp and smooth without a big number. Ours is 200 thread count cotton: light, airy and matte.
Compare
Percale, sateen or linen?
Want silky and smooth with fewer wrinkles? Try our cotton sateen. Want the most breathable bed we make, with no ironing? Choose flax linen.
Finish the bed
Complete the bed
Sheets are one layer. Here's what goes under them and on top.
Feel it first
Feel the fabric on Queen West
Come feel our cotton and linen side by side. We keep some bedding in stock at the showroom, so you may be able to take it home the same day.
Questions, answered
What people ask us most about our percale bedding.
Is 200 thread count good for percale?
Yes. Percale is a plain weave, one over and one under, so it doesn't need a high count to feel crisp and smooth. Most quality percale is 200 thread count or more, and Consumer Reports' top-scoring percale sheets were just 280 thread count. Don't pay for a bigger number.
Is 1,000 thread count better?
Usually not. Consumer Reports says you can't fit 1,000 threads into a square inch on a loom. Counts that high usually come from plied yarn, where two to four fine strands are twisted into one yarn and every strand is counted. A sheet made that way is heavier and warmer, but not necessarily softer or longer lasting.
What's the difference between percale and sateen?
The weave. Percale is one over, one under: crisp, matte and light, like a hotel sheet. Sateen floats more yarn on the surface for a silky feel and a soft sheen, and it wrinkles less. Switch between them with the weave buttons at the top of this page.
Is percale good for hot sleepers?
Yes. Its plain weave is light and airy, which is why hot sleepers often pick it. If you want the most breathable fabric we sell, look at our flax linen.
Does percale wrinkle?
Yes, more than sateen. Its crisp weave creases, and many people iron it for a hotel-crisp finish. Prefer fewer creases? Our cotton sateen wrinkles less.
Does percale get softer?
Yes. Percale starts crisp and softens with every wash, and it's durable.
What sizes and colours does it come in?
Sheet sets, fitted sheets and duvet covers come in Twin/Single, Double/Full, Queen and King. Pillowcase sets come in Standard/Queen and King. Percale comes in White.
How do I wash percale sheets?
Machine wash cold with a mild detergent and like colours. Skip fabric softener and bleach. Tumble dry low, and iron if you like it crisp.
How fast is shipping?
Shipping is free across Canada and arrives in 2 to 5 days. We also keep some bedding in stock at our showroom at 290 Queen St W. Pick-up is first come, first served, so call (416) 840 0224 to check before you visit.
Do you put bedding on sale?
No. Our prices stay the same every day. The one deal we offer: 20% off sheets, duvets and pillows when you buy them with a mattress, applied automatically in your cart.