Satin, Mako-Satin, Percale or Flannel? Which bedding is right for you

Anyone buying bed linen will quickly come across terms like mako satin, percale or renforcé. Often this sounds like a material, but means something else: the way the threads are woven – or how the fabric has been finished. Here you get an honest overview of what is behind the names and which bed linen suits your preferences.

Material and weave: the most important difference

The material is the fiber, for example cotton, linen, silk or polyester. The weave (also called the construction) describes how the longitudinal and transverse threads are crossed. The same cotton can thus become a smooth, shiny satin or a matte, textured fabric. Some fabrics are napped after weaving – this is how flannel is made, for example.

The fabrics at a glance

Satin

Satin is a weave, not a material. It can be made of silk, polyester or cotton. In the satin weave, the threads run long over several transverse threads before weaving back in – according to Sleep Hero, for example, following the pattern “four threads over, one thread under”. This creates a shiny top side and a matte underside. Cotton satin feels smooth and silky, but is more breathable than synthetic fiber satin.

Mako satin

Mako satin is satin made of mako cotton, an Egyptian cotton with particularly long fibers. The name goes back to the Egyptian nobleman Mako Bey. Long fibers result in fine, smooth yarns and thus a particularly silky fabric. “Mako” therefore says something about the cotton variety, “satin” about the weave.

Percale

Percale is a densely woven, medium-weight fabric made of cotton or blended fabric with a smooth surface. According to the bed linen guide from BAUR, it is often used for summer bed linen because of its “pleasantly cool feel on the skin”. Compared to satin, percale looks more matte and slightly crisper.

Renforcé

Renforcé is a medium-fine, soft and smooth cotton fabric. It is the straightforward classic: comfortable, easy to care for and suitable for warm nights. It shines less than satin.

Flannel and brushed cotton

Flannel and brushed cotton are cotton fabrics that are napped after weaving. This creates a fluffy surface that traps air and feels warm immediately. According to BAUR, flannel is the warmer variant, while brushed cotton is finer and lighter. Both are typical winter bed linen.

Jersey

Jersey is not woven, but knitted (a knit fabric). This makes it soft and stretchy – similar to a T-shirt. Jersey is made of cotton or a cotton-polyester blend and is breathable and absorbent.

Comparison at a glance

Fabric	What it is	Feel on the skin	Particularly suitable for
Satin (cotton)	Weave with long thread runs	smooth, silky, rather cool, slight shine	everyone who likes it smooth and elegant
Mako satin	Satin made of long-fiber mako cotton	very smooth and silky	everyone who likes it particularly fine
Percale	densely woven cotton	cool, smooth, matte, slightly crisper	warm nights, people who sweat easily
Renforcé	medium-fine cotton fabric	soft, straightforward	everyday use, children's beds, guest beds
Flannel / brushed cotton	napped cotton fabric	fluffy, immediately warm	cold bedrooms, people who get cold easily
Jersey	Knit fabric (knitwear)	soft, stretchy	everyone who likes it like a T-shirt

Sources: BAUR Bed Linen Guide, Sleep Hero: Mako Satin.

Honestly: Satin does not warm – the duvet does

Satin feels rather cool and smooth when you get into bed. If you want to feel warm immediately in winter, you therefore often reach for flannel. Whether you sleep warm all night, however, depends above all on the duvet. The bed linen is only a thin layer of fabric – the warmth comes from the filling.

Our rule of thumb for the duvet: summer duvet from about 22 °C room temperature, all-season duvet at 18 to 22 °C, winter duvet below 18 °C. Sleep experts consider a bedroom temperature of about 16 to 19 °C to be ideal. If you feel cold at night, a warmer duvet from our winter duvets is usually more effective than a different cover. How the warmth classes are related is explained in the guide Warmth Classes & Fill Amounts. You can find more tips against cold nights under Feeling Cold at Night.

Conversely: satin or percale can feel pleasantly fresh on warm nights. But against real sweating, the right, lighter duvet is also the most important thing here – and changing it more frequently. How often you should change the linen is explained in the guide How Often to Change Bed Linen?

Which bed linen suits you?

• You like it smooth and elegant: Cotton satin or mako satin.
• You sweat easily or like it cool: Percale or satin – combined with a light duvet.
• You get cold quickly when you get into bed: Flannel or brushed cotton – and above all a sufficiently warm duvet.
• You want it straightforward: Renforcé.
• You like the feel of a T-shirt: Jersey.

Regardless of the fabric, pay attention to the care: If you want to wash it at 60 °C, for example due to house dust allergy, the care label must allow it. Find out more in the guide Washing Bed Linen.

What Traumwelt offers

We offer the Satin Bed Linen Design 42 by BEFA Natur. It is made in Germany from 100% cotton in a satin weave. According to the product description, it feels cool and silky-smooth due to the dense satin weave while remaining breathable. It is washable at 60 °C, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified and has a color-matched, concealed zipper. It is available in five colors – off-white, grey, blue, navy and black – and four sizes; which one suits your duvet is shown in the guide Bed Linen Sizes. We do not currently offer flannel, percale or jersey bed linen.

Cotton SatinSatin Bed Linen Design 42 – GreySilky-smooth, breathable and washable at 60 °C. 100% cotton, made in Germany.View Bed Linen

Frequently Asked Questions

Is satin a material?
No. Satin is a weave. Satin can be made of cotton, silk or polyester. For bed linen, cotton satin is the most common.

What is the difference between satin and mako satin?
Mako satin is satin made of mako cotton, a long-fiber Egyptian cotton variety. The weave is the same, the yarn is finer.

Is satin bed linen too cold in winter?
It feels cooler when you get into bed than flannel. But in the night, you are kept warm above all by the duvet. With a suitable winter duvet, satin is also comfortable in winter.

Which bed linen is best for summer?
Smooth, dense cotton fabrics like percale or satin feel cool. A light summer duvet is more important.

Is the Traumwelt satin bed linen made of mako cotton?
Our Satin Bed Linen Design 42 consists of 100% cotton in a satin weave. We do not specify a particular cotton variety such as mako.

Related Topics

• Warmth Classes & Fill Amounts
• Bed Linen Sizes
• Washing Bed Linen
• How Often to Change Bed Linen?