Buttery Soft With a Subtle Sheen, the Best Sateen Sheets Tick All Our Boxes
Our favorite scalloped set is 35% off.
Updated Jan 18, 2024 12:31 PM
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Reading up on Domino’s shopping guides is like having your own personal product concierge. We do the tedious part—deep-dive research, hands-on testing, and tapping experts for advice—so all you have to do is hit “add to cart.” That’s why we call them Simply the Best.
If you love silky-soft sheets but don’t want the fuss of actual silk, you should consider sateen. Not to be confused with satin, sateen isn’t a different fabric but a type of cotton weave—a three- or four-over-one—that imparts a slight sheen on the top layer and seals in warmth, making it an ideal pick for cooler environments and sleepers.
Stylists prefer sateen because it “offers a sleek look that’s a bit more rich and velvety than percale,” says interior stylist Colin King. “It’s luxe but durable.” And it’s also easy to care for. If you’re on the hunt for something extra buttery but low-maintenance, shop our picks for the best sateen sheets on the market, below.
Our Favorites
- Best overall: Parachute Sateen Sheet Set
- Best organic: Coyuchi Organic Sateen Sheet Set
- Best budget: Quince Luxury Organic Sateen Sheet Set
- Best prints: Dusen Dusen Bedding Sheet Sets
- Best budget prints: Target Threshold Printed Performance Sheet Set
- Best lightweight: Morrow Organic Matte Sateen Sheet Set
- Best colors: Brooklinen Luxe Core Sheet Set
- Best sustainable: Lola & Veranda Organic Sateen Bedding Bundle
- Best scallops: Serena & Lily Scalloped Sheet Set
- Best ultra-splurge: Sferra Giza 45 Sateen Collection
Best Overall: Parachute Sateen Sheet Set
Crafted from Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Egyptian cotton and sewn in Portugal at a family-owned mill, Parachute’s sateen sheet set is one of the softest we’ve ever tested in the mid-price range. It features a pearlescent sheen and back envelope closure so your pillows don’t poke through, making crawling into bed every night a dream. Available in five neutral colors—including newly added blush and fawn—with the option to purchase with or without a flat sheet, they drape richly over a bed and layer well within a natural palette (think: rattan headboard, bone linen bolsters, and a textural marled wool throw).
Best Organic: Coyuchi Organic Sateen Sheet Set
Buttery soft with a slight sheen, these sheets made our tester feel toasty but never overheated. Packaged in a cute reusable cloth bag—no plastic here—this bedding is GOTS certified (a step above Oeko-Tex, where every step of production is verified organic and socially responsible), Fair Trade certified (workers are fairly compensated), and Made Safe (no harmful toxins, such as carcinogens, flame retardants, or endocrine disruptors). The brand even has a recycling program called 2nd Home, where you can return used products for 15% off your next set to ensure that your bedding never ends up in a landfill.
Best Budget: Quince Luxury Organic Sateen Sheet Set
Compared to popular sheet brands, Quince’s price tag is one of the lowest—we’re talking less than $100 for a queen set (fitted, flat, and two pillowcases)—that offers the same high quality we’ve come to expect from fancier brands. Organic, Oeko-Tex certified, breathable, and using only long-staple cotton fibers, these sheets are heralded by reviewers as “supersoft” and “great quality” at an “unbeatable price.”
And we agree: They are definitely the biggest bang for your buck. The sheen is subtle and the feel is smooth, and each set is finished off with a single needle-stitch cuff detail. Quince sheets feature a deeper pocket—16 inches—so you don’t have to worry about constantly tucking them back around the corner of your mattress. The “top” and “bottom” labels also mean you can spend less time wrestling with your sheets, and they’re cooling, to boot. Plus you have an entire year to sleep on them to decide whether you like them or not before returning free of charge.
Best Prints: Dusen Dusen Bedding Sheet Sets
If you’re looking for a statement sateen sheet set, no one does punchy patterns like Dusen Dusen. Squiggly doodles, neutral checks, chunky grids, playful polka dots, bold and cheerful stripe combos, color-blocked mats—all come in a lustrous, 300-thread-count sateen and are made in Portugal. These promise to soften after every wash, but just be sure to stick to cold water and tumble dry. Sadly, some sizes have continued to teeter in and out of stock at DWR, especially since the Brooklyn designer dropped the latest batch last fall, but we have our fingers crossed everything will be fully available again soon. For the latest launches, head to Dusen Dusen’s site.
Best Budget Prints: Target Threshold Printed Performance Sheet Set
If you’re on an extremely tight budget and seeking less mod patterns, this Target find is even more affordable than Quince and features the same extra-deep fitted sheet. Available in 10 styles (and two more here) including prim stripes and romantic vines, these 100% cotton, Standard 100 Oeko Tex–certified sheets prove that great bedding doesn’t need to be expensive.
“I’ve slept on sets from all the trendy brands, but these Target 400-thread count sheets are my favorite,” says Domino digital director Lindsey Mather. “Not only is the cotton soft straight out of the packaging, but the fabric feels, for lack of a better word, sturdy. I’m not worried about them wearing thin or ripping before a year is even up, which yes, has happened with other sheets that sell for hundreds of dollars more.” But don’t just take our word—they also come backed by 8,000-plus positive reviews on Target.
Best Lightweight: Morrow Organic Matte Sateen Sheet Set
Some people shy away from sateen because they prefer a more matte look or find the weave a bit too dense and heavy. But Morrow’s organic matte set solves both of these concerns. Available in seven colorways, including rich terracotta, this modern take on sateen is lightweight and breathable due to the brand’s proprietary weaving techniques. Similarly, its shine-free finish was achieved after three years of experimenting with various dyeing methods. Plus there’s a slight hem on the pillowcase, which sports a side envelope enclosure so your pillows never slip out. Sometimes it’s the little details that count.
Best Colors: Brooklinen Luxe Core Sheet Set
It’s hard to find quality sateen sheets in a good assortment of colors, but Brooklinen’s set is an exception. This 480-thread-count offering is available in seven “essential” colorways, from graphite to blush, and an additional seven limited-edition shades (when ordered directly via the brand’s website), including lemon and white stripe and toasted almond, a mellow blush.
Best Sustainable: Lola & Veranda Organic Sateen Bedding Bundle
When a friend told our deputy editor, Julie Vadnal, about Lola & Veranda, a newish company that sources its GOTS cotton (organic, eco-friendly, and socially conscious fibers) from India and weaves it into soft and breathable sateen, she immediately wanted to try it out. For one, she appreciated its polished palette and funky patterns. But what really took the cake was its zero-waste model, which was like nothing she’d ever seen before.
When you purchase your linens, you choose between queen and king sets, then choose between subscribing and buying a seven-piece bundle outright. The price clocked above is a bit of a misnomer in that case: It only applies if you buy the bundle right that second. But if you purchase a subscription, you pay a onetime $99 fee, and then you’re billed monthly. That option unlocks the best part of Lola & Veranda: You can return your sheets every six months via a prepaid label for a new pair. The old linens are then either restored and resold at a discount, donated, repurposed as tote bags or eye masks, or rewoven into fiber again. (You can cancel your membership within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked.) Small details like subtle pillowcase embroidery and the duvet cover’s peekaboo corners that allow you to easily tie it your comforter seal the deal.
Best Scallops: Serena & Lily Scalloped Sheet Set
If you’re the kind of person who loves subtle design details, you’re going to love this scalloped sheet set. The 300-thread-count offering features a delicate curved edge that’s embroidered in white, navy, sky (think: baby blue), or pink sand (a nudish blush)—and will instantly play up a whimsical bedroom without being too fussy. Not only do these sheets look good, they feel really, really good and are Oeko-Tex certified. So if you’re on the hunt for something that’ll push you out of your classic white sheets comfort zone without veering into block-color territory, this option from the Sausalito, California–based brand should be at the top of your list.
Best Ultra-Splurge: Sferra Giza 45 Sateen Collection
If you are looking to invest in your bedding, consider the Giza 45 collection by Sferra, an Italian brand whose commitment to expert-level artistry and high-caliber materials is nearly unparalleled. Crafted from Giza Egyptian cotton—an even more luxurious form of typical Egyptian cotton that creates longer and thinner yarns— these sheets live up to their luxe reputation. The fabric feels as plush and decadent as velvet, but because the threads are so fine, it is also supremely breathable. You have to buy each piece separately, however, and the full look will cost more than $1,000.
More Sateen Sheets We Love
How We Chose These Products
A good sheet set is to great sleep what good cookware is to great food—you need quality stuff to really get it right. Several Domino editors and writers have slept on a range of sheets to find the very best, and have equally taken into account reviews, brand reputation, price point, maintenance, and style (especially for those we have yet to gain firsthand experience with). But we’re always on the lookout for new products to try, and plan to routinely update our list of the best sateen sheets as soon as we catch wind of something noteworthy.
Our Shopping Checklist
Thread Count
Thread count is the number of threads in a square inch of fabric, and it’s one of the determining factors for quality and feel in cotton sheets. The ideal thread count for sateen is 300 to 600, says Logan Foley, managing editor at the Sleep Foundation. Unlike percale, which has a one-over-one weave and an ideal thread count of 180 to 300, sateen’s three- or four-over-one weave allows for more threads to be fit into a square inch, making it a denser and generally softer sheet.
You can absolutely find higher thread counts, especially from luxury brands that use superfine Egyptian cotton threads, but beware of marketing gimmicks. Just because something has a high thread count does not mean that it’s high quality. Craftsmanship and the type of raw materials used are equally important—for example, Upland cotton versus Egyptian, with the latter being rarer, more expensive, and undeniably softer. A lot of times, manufacturers will use cheap raw materials or double, even triple, fold threads to inflate thread count in order to charge more.
Softness and Feel
Unlike percale, the other popular weave for cotton sheets, sateen is undeniably smoother and can feel almost like silk. It’s also heavier, so if you tend to sleep hot or live in a very warm environment, this might not be the best pick for you.
Caring for Sateen Sheets
It’s always important to read the care instructions for textiles. In general, however, sateen sheets should be cared for similarly to all cotton sheets: Wash in cold water and line or tumble dry on a low heat setting. High heat can shorten the life span of your bedding by affecting the integrity of the threads. You should also invest in four to eight dryer balls; we recommend ditching the fabric softener and dryer sheets, as those can coat your bedding in softening agents rather than keep them clean.
The Last Word
If you find percale to be too crisp, jersey too warm, or linen too wrinkly, then sateen is a happy medium. Softer with a slight sheen on the top that calls to mind silk, sateen is less expensive and low-maintenance but offers that same buttery feel that’ll hug your body, keeping you warm all night (but not sweaty like flannel), and comes out of the dryer looking supersmooth.