Bed linen

Bed Linen: Cotton, Sateen, Percale — How to Order at a Good Price

Updated 21 October 2026

The fabric decides everything

The name of a set tells you nothing until you know the fabric. Here is how they differ:

• Plain cotton — dense, inexpensive and practical, stands up well to frequent washing.
• Percale — also cotton, but with a finer thread, nicer to the touch.
• Sateen — smooth with a light sheen, looks festive; it breathes well if it is cotton sateen.
• Poplin — light and cool, for summer.
• Linen — strong and natural, softens with time, but creases.
• Flannel — warm, for winter in colder regions and the hills.
• Silk — the most expensive and demanding to care for.

Look for “100% cotton” in the description; synthetic blends reduce breathability.

Set size

The sizes are single, double, queen and king. But the size of the duvet cover and sheet differs between makers, so check the exact figures in centimetres for your mattress. If you have a thick mattress, you need a fitted sheet of the right depth.

What to put in your request

• set size — single, double, queen, king;
• fabric — sateen, plain cotton, percale, poplin, linen, silk;
• number of sets;
• colour and pattern — plain, printed, for children;
• what is in the set — duvet cover, flat or fitted sheet, number and size of pillowcases;
• home or hotel — for hotels, hostels and clinics, thread density and resistance to frequent washing matter;
• maker, if you have a preference;
• delivery city and budget (you can give it per set).

Example: “I need 40 sets of white king-size bed linen for a hotel in Sydney: cotton sateen, fitted sheets, 4 pillowcases of 50×75 cm. Budget up to A$43 per set, courier delivery.”

Why a request helps here

Comparing sets by hand is hard: shops call the same things by different names. On BlaBlaPrice you describe what you need once, and textile sellers and manufacturers reply with offers in a chat with the fabric, price and dispatch time. For large orders for a hotel or hostel this is especially handy, because sellers compete for the volume.

BlaBlaPrice shows the best-value offer first, and seller reviews help you choose. Nobody sees your phone number except the seller you choose. You can read how it works on the “How it works” page.

What to look at in the replies

Bed linen of the same size can differ greatly in quality, so don't rely on the word “premium”.

Ask about the thread density, the percentage of cotton and whether the dye shrinks or runs after washing. For hotels and medical use, check whether the fabric withstands high-temperature washing. Ask for photos of the colour and the packaging.

For the bedroom, also see duvets, pillows and throws and home textiles.