Are Heritage Percale sheets good for hot sleepers and hot climates?
Some of you who tend to sleep hot at night - or perhaps live in a hot climate - have been emailing us wondering whether our Heritage Percale cotton sheets would be the right choice. Doesn't heavier mean hotter? It's a natural assumption that if it's hot, lighter sheets are better. That can be true, but not always.
The short answer is, yes - absolutely, our Heritage Percale cotton is perfect for hot sleepers. And here's why. It comes down to what the fabric is made of and how it is constructed. Natural fibers tend to "breathe" better than synthetics. Certain weaves allow more air to circulate through the fabric which helps to keep you cool. Some weaves feel warmer to the touch and others feel cooler. Thread count also plays a part in keeping you comfortable, but probably not in the way you might think!
Natural fibers
Synthetics tend to trap heat so make fairly hot sheets. We choose 100% cotton for our Heritage Percale - it's simply more breathable and cooler to sleep on. Other good natural fiber options are linen or hemp.
Percale over Sateen
Sateen is a type of weave where one yarn floats over 3–4 yarns. The result is a smooth, soft and warm fabric as this type of weave can be more tightly woven and therefore less breathable and heavier than percale. Not the best choice if you want to stay cool. Percale on the other hand is a one over / one under or basket weave. Typically that means a lighter fabric, lower thread count than sateen and it also feels cooler to the touch. The plain weave allows air to circulate better which stops heat from being trapped.
Lower thread count
Yes, you read that right. We've been conditioned to think that higher thread count is better, which is not really true. Thread count plays a part but it doesn't have a lot to do with quality – it does however affect how hot a sheet will feel. High thread counts mean more cotton and tighter weaves, which makes for a hotter sheet. A rough rule of thumb is that the higher the thread count, the hotter the sheet will feel.
If you would like to know more about thread count, we've linked some resources at the bottom of the page, but the takeaway here is that if you feel hot at night, lower thread counts are your friend.
Typically our customers are deciding between a lighter percale and our Heritage Percale Cotton and assume that the heavier sheets will be hotter - but no - both these fabrics are percale, and they are both equally good if you tend to sleep hot. The difference lies in whether you personally prefer sheets of a lighter weight or something with a bit more heft. Lighter percales tend to use finer yarns. Our Heritage Percale is a 190 thread count percale - at this point you may be wondering how a lower thread count sheet can be heavier than a higher thread count? It's because we use a thicker, and therefore heavier, yarn. The end result is a fabric which weighs about 155g/m2 vs 115g/m2 for a typical percale. So yes, our Heritage Percale Cotton sheets are heavier but due to the nature of the weave and the lower thread count, they are still cool and airy and breathable. Plus, because they're quite crisp, they don't cling to your body like some fabrics can, which also helps keep the temperature down and your sleep more comfortable.
View our Heritage Cotton Percale bedding collection.
Thicker, crisper and yes - cooler!
Additional information about thread count: https://www.thegoodsheet.com.au/blogs/good-reads/thread-count-is-a-lie https://www.thegoodsheet.com.au/pages/our-sheets
