Choosing The Right Fabric
There is plenty of choice when it comes to bedding fabrics on sale today but it really does help to know what the differences are. So, we have compiled a few of the most popular weave types below to help you choose the right option for you.
What is Thread Count?
Most people are familiar with thread count but many mistakenly assume that it’s the only important factor to consider when choosing the right fabric.
Thread count reveals the number of threads, both horizontal and vertical, contained in one square inch of fabric.
While it’s true that in general, the higher the thread count, the softer the sheet, it’s also true that midrange thread counts like a 450 count or a 600 count are often very soft and usually just as durable and more affordable than much higher thread counts. So just to recap on thread count, alone it is not enough to rely on to make your decision, the sheet’s weave and fabric also have a big impact on its feel.
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What is a Percale Fabric?
Percale is a plain traditional weave fabric made from both combed and carded cotton yarns. This type of weave is lightweight and clo
sely woven, producing a smooth finish and a crisp feel.
If you like sheets that feel a bit starched and crisp against your skin, this is the weave for you.
What is a Sateen Fabric?
Sateen is a modern type of weave with more vertical threads than horizontal.
This produces an exceptionally soft fabric with a smooth, lustrous finish.
While luxurious, sateen sheets are perceived to be more fragile than percale or plain weaves but this is not necessarily the case. They are just slightly cheaper to manufacture, which helps keep the ever-increasing production costs down.
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What is a Brushed Cotton Weave?
Brushed Cotton is normally made from 100 percent cotton and is a medium to heavy weight bedding material. It has a napped finish on one or both sides, creating the raised brushed effect and its super soft feel is characteristic of this fabric. Brushed cotton sheets are ideal for winter because the weave holds in body heat and helps creates a warm, fluffy and cosy feel.
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What is a Satin Weave?
Satin is a silky, smooth finish resulting from very thin, high thread count synthetic materials, such as nylon, polyester, or acetate, woven or knitted tightly together.
When buying satin sheets look for woven materials to get the smoothness desired in this weave.
The shiny finish and silky feel of satin sheets have made them synonymous with an enticing boudoir look.
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What is a Jersey Cotton Weave?
Jersey cotton fitted sheets are often sold as stretchy as they are the same type of knit cotton or cotton-blend fibres that are used in clothing items. Jersey sheets are very popular with kids and teens, thanks to the stretchy and soft feel, they are ideal for modern memory foam and electric beds as they are full elasticated and grip the mattress more firmly.
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What is a Damask Weave?
Damask is a reversible fabric with a woven pattern visible on both sides. Often intricately detailed, damask can be found on decorative pillows, pillow shams, or other decorative bedding pieces such as bedspreads and duvet covers.
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What is a Dobby Weave?
Dobby is a finely woven fabric that usually features a design of geometric shapes or stripes. Dobby is often used on duvets and pillowcases the most popular being the satin stripe design that is found in some of the finest hotels in the world.
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What is a Jacquard Weave?
Jacquard is an elaborately woven fabric containing a slightly raised area of embroidery or embellishment. This elegant and somewhat old-fashioned fabric is produced on a traditional jacquard loom. It’s often used for ornate duvet covers and bedspreads.
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What are Single Ply and Two 
Ply Yarns?
Two-ply is a type of fabric made of yarn plied from two threads. This creates a stronger, longer lasting heavy-duty fabric that is ideal for higher thread count fabrics like a 1000 count or 1200 count bedding ranges.
Single-ply fabrics use individual long staple threads in the weaving process, resulting in a softer fabric.
Single-ply fabrics are often used in threads counts of 200 and 300 count as they tend to be less resilient to snapping and pilling in the much higher thread counts.
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