Percale vs Jersey Sheets: What Each Is and How to Choose

Percale and jersey are both cotton sheets. They feel nothing alike. Percale is woven, so it is crisp, cool and matte, like a pressed shirt. Jersey is knitted, so it is soft, stretchy and warm, like a favorite T-shirt.

If you sleep warm or like a fresh, cool bed, choose percale. If you sleep cold or want the softest, most relaxed bed, choose jersey. Here is the detail behind that.

What are jersey sheets

Jersey sheets are made from knit fabric. A single yarn is looped through itself, row after row, the same way a T-shirt is made. That loop is what gives jersey its stretch.

Jersey sheets are usually cotton, sometimes with a little polyester or modal blended in. They feel soft from the first night. They do not need ironing, and they never feel crisp.

What is percale

Percale is a weave. Each thread goes over one and under one, like a basket. It makes a flat, tight, matte cloth with a slight snap to it.

Percale does not stretch. It sits on you, where jersey clings. It starts crisp and softens with every wash. We wrote a longer piece on it here: What Is Percale?

Jersey vs cotton: the question behind the question

People often ask whether to buy jersey or cotton sheets. Jersey is not a fiber. It is a way of making fabric. Most jersey sheets are cotton already.

So the real choice is knit or woven. Jersey is cotton, knitted. Percale and sateen are cotton, woven. The fiber can be identical. The feel is completely different.

Percale vs jersey sheets, side by side

• Feel. Percale is crisp and smooth. Jersey is soft and stretchy.
• Temperature. Percale sleeps cool. Jersey sleeps warm.
• Look. Percale is matte and holds a clean line. Jersey is relaxed and a little slouchy.
• Wrinkles. Percale creases. Jersey does not.
• Wear. Percale resists pilling and keeps its shape. Jersey can pill and stretch out over time.
• Fit. Jersey stretches over the mattress. Percale needs the right pocket depth.

Are jersey sheets good for hot sleepers

Usually not. Jersey is thicker than percale and it hugs the body, so there is less room for air to move. Most people find it warm. That is a good thing in January and a problem in July.

Cotton jersey still breathes better than a polyester knit. But if you wake up hot, a woven sheet is the safer choice. Percale's one-over, one-under grid lets air through, which is why it feels cool when you get in and stays that way.

If you run very warm, look at a percale that blends in Tencel. Our Cooling Eucalyptus Sheet Set is Tencel and Egyptian cotton in a single-ply percale weave.

Which lasts longer

Percale, in most homes. A woven sheet made from long-staple cotton has few loose fiber ends, so it is slow to pill. It does not stretch, so a fitted sheet still fits in its fifth year.

Jersey is a knit, and knits give. Over many washes the fabric can thin, pill where you move most, and loosen at the corners. A heavier jersey lasts longer than a thin one.

Which is easier to care for

Jersey wins on effort. It goes from the dryer to the bed with no wrinkles. Wash it away from towels and anything rough, since friction is what makes it pill.

Percale asks for one small habit. Wash with a mild detergent, away from dark colors, and tumble dry low. Take the sheets out while they are still slightly warm and make the bed straight away. Most of the creases drop out on their own.

Who should choose percale

• You sleep warm, or you share a bed with someone who does.
• You like the cool, clean feel of a hotel bed.
• You want sheets that keep their shape for years.

Who should choose jersey

• You sleep cold, or your bedroom is cold in winter.
• You want sheets that feel broken-in on the first night.
• You will never iron a sheet and do not want to see a crease.

Our percale

We do not make jersey sheets. We weave percale, and we would rather tell you that than sell you the wrong bed. If percale is your answer, these are ours.

• 100% Cotton Percale Sheet Set: long-staple cotton in a single-ply percale weave. The everyday one.
• Egyptian Cotton Percale Sheets: 100% Egyptian cotton, 400 thread count, single-ply.

If you want something softer than percale but still woven, the 100% Cotton Sateen Sheet Set is the smooth one.

The Linen Company New York. One family, making fabric since 1990. From our family, to yours.