Here I’ll be taking a look at some sheets from Snowe Home.
To make sure we don’t miss anything, I’m going to be testing both their sateen woven sheet set and their percale woven sheet set, so you can get a good idea of what each weave style has to offer and if one of them might be the right fit for you.
Table of Contents
Materials
First I want to talk about the packaging that the sheets come in.
Each set comes with its own garment bag. The percale is percale woven, the sateen comes in a sateen woven garment bag, so when you’re storing each set during their off season, you don’t get confused about which is which.
Both the sateen woven set and the percale woven set are made from 100 percent long-staple Egyptian cotton, which we know has a reputation for being super strong, durable and very soft.
As I was making the bed, I was definitely getting the sense of all three of those things. Been testing enough sheets to be able to tell when sheets are going to last you for the long haul.
These do feel very strong and durable, and also very soft.
The sateen woven set is made in Portugal and features a 400 thread count. The percale is made in Italy, features a 500 thread count.
Usually, the appearance is going to differ a little more drastically, but they’re both matte in appearance.
What that means is neither of them were designed to be very shiny. Often you see that sateen woven sheets are going to be a little more shiny.
That’s not the case with Snowe Sheets.
The folks at Snowe say that it’s a matter of personal preference, and they prefer all of their sheets sets to be more matte in appearance.
So you can get a good sense about what each weave style has to offer, I did a little mix and matching.
I’ve got the sateen woven fitted sheet, I’ve got the percale top sheet, and I’ve got one of each for the pillowcases.
Each set, both the percale and the sateen, they both come with one top sheet, one fitted sheet and two pillowcases.
The fitted sheets for each set are capable of accommodating mattresses up to 17 inches deep. That means really deep pockets.
Those of you who have taller mattresses, these might be particularly beneficial for you.
The pillowcases do open on the side, which I love, although they don’t have those envelope enclosures, that little flap of fabric that keeps this pillow spillage from happening.
However, they are a decent size. There’s no problem accommodating a queen size or a standard size pillow. It’s got a little room to spare.
I’m testing the set in white, but there are several other colors available like blue and ivory.
It’s worth noting that they are all solid colors. There’s no mixing of design schemes or colors. The Snowe sheets do appeal to a more subtle, neutral aesthetic.
First impressions, they’re both feeling very soft. They’re looking a little more similar.
Let’s see how they differ in feel.
Feel
I’m using the percale for the top sheet and the sateen for the fitted sheet.
I’m feeling with the percale it’s very crisp. It’s light, it’s breathable, it’s keeping me cool.
The sateen on the other hand feels definitely more silky, more of that buttery smooth feel that is generally characteristic of sateen.
What is also generally characteristic of sateen is to have that lustrous sheen. Like I said, that is not present here with the sateen woven set. There is a very, very subtle luster, but you really have to look.
I have to say, I am having a hard time just based off appearances distinguishing the difference between the two sets. But you definitely feel the difference.
The percale is super light, breathable, it’s going to be more cooling and also lighter in weight in general.
A sateen weave does tend to produce a thicker sheet, so I would say that the sateen set is heavier in weight than the percale set.
When it comes to the pillowcases, there is a little bit of a difference in appearance.
With the sateen pillowcase, there is going to be a little bit of a subtle luster. It’s almost making it look a little more off-white as opposed to this very white, starkly white and crisp appearance of the percale.
They definitely look similar, but I’m happy to report that they each still, as far as feel goes, fall in line with the classic percale personality, classic sateen personality.
Each has a lot to offer. They both fall in line with that classic bedding essential, because, in my opinion, white cotton- especially strong Egyptian cotton sheets – are a bedding essential.
Each are a really good pick.
Pros
There’s a lot that I’m liking about both of these sheet sets.
While they do differ in feel, they both feel really nice on my skin. At the end of the day, that’s the most important factor for me.
Like I said, they do different feel.
The percale is soft in a more crisp, light, breathable way, the sateen in a more silky, buttery, smooth way.
It’s a matter of personal preference of what you like more.
Again, they’re both feeling really soft, and I am loving that the Egyptian cotton is adding the durable factor that’s making them as strong as they are soft.
When I’m on the hunt for my own bedding, I do prioritize easy wash care.
I’m pleased to report that both these sets are machine wash and dryable, and the care instructions are exactly the same, so you won’t get confused.
Wash on a warm cycle, tumble dry on low heat, and you’re good to go.
By the way, if I were you, I would pull them out of the dry cycle as soon as it’s done so that you can spread them out over your mattress while they’re still warm and wrinkle-free.
Something that always takes the pressure off for me is a nice trial period.
Both these sets come with a very generous trial period of 90 days, wherein you can test them out, see how they blend with your lifestyle, and if you’re really not into them, you can easily have them replaced or refunded.
Cons
A few things to know about these sheets that some folks might consider to be drawbacks.
Firstly, and this is a totally a matter of personal preference, but part of the basis of appeal for sateen for some sleepers is that it does have that really pretty, lustrous sheen.
I did find myself missing that with the matte appearance of both of these sheets.
I could not tell the difference in appearance between sateen and the percale set.
While I can feel the difference, I prefer my sateen sheets to have a little bit more of that luster.
Another thing worth noting is that the percale set does wrinkle more easily than the sateen set. This is totally common with percale.
Sateen does tend to be a little more resistant to wrinkles, percale a little more prone to wrinkles.
You’re going to want to remove the percale set especially from the dry cycle. As soon as it’s done, spread them out over the mattress when they’re still warm. That should serve to keep the wrinkles at bay.
Lastly, it’s worth noting that Snowe does appeal to a more minimalist aesthetic. They offer both sheets sets in five different colors and each one is solid.
By that, I mean there’s no mixing of colors, there’s no design scheme, no color combination or anything like that.
If you’re looking for a sheet set with a little more details, it’s worth noting that both of these sheets cater to a more subtle look.
Alex P. Davis has a BA in Interior Design from The New York School of Interior Design and 10 years of experience expertly designing sophisticated interiors.