Skip to content

Sateen Weave

By , Editor Updated First published

Desk research from official sources. Not a product test or medical advice. How we check facts.

In short

Sateen uses float yarns in the weave so more fibre sits on the surface. That creates a smoother, more lustrous hand than percale. It can feel slightly warmer and silkier against the skin. Sateen describes structure, not fibre. Cotton sateen and blended sateen behave differently in wash and breathability.

About 1 minutes to read

Close view of a plush velvet headboard and matching upholstered bed
Many bed words describe fabric, shape or storage — this is how they look in a room.

Definition. Sateen is a weave with floating yarns that create a smoother, more lustrous sheet surface than plain-weave percale of similar fibre.

See bed sheet materials and Percale vs sateen.