Simba Cotton Percale Bedding Set reviewed

The Simba Cotton Percale Bedding Set is the cheapest way to dress a bed in Simba’s bedding: a duvet cover and a pair of pillowcases in crisp, matte cotton percale, from £89 for a single. It is the line we would choose for hot sleepers on a budget, and buyers rate the percale range 4.7 out of 5 across 61 reviews.

The fabric

Percale is a weave, not a fibre: each thread passes over one and under the next, which gives a tight, matte cloth that feels crisp and cool. Simba uses 100% cotton at 200 thread count, a modest figure that keeps the fabric light and breathable rather than heavy. The fabric is woven and sewn by the Costa family in Guimarães, Portugal, and coloured with natural dyes; Simba says the dyes are GOTS-approved, which is a statement about the dyes, not a GOTS certificate for the bedding. The finished sheets are certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100, the label for textiles tested against a list of more than 1,000 harmful substances.

The duvet cover closes with concealed shirt-style buttons and has tape ties in all four inside corners, so the duvet does not slide to one end. The pillowcases use a simple envelope flap. The covers are cut to the same four sizes as Simba’s own duvets, so a Simba Hybrid Duvet fills them edge to edge. A fitted sheet is not included and is sold separately.

Sizes and prices

Prices are for the regular colours on simbasleep.com, checked on 15 October 2026. Bought separately, a double cover and pillowcase pair would cost £118, so the set saves £9. Two colours, Light Cappuccino and Dusty Rose, were on clearance at much lower prices while stocks last. Delivery is free and next day if you order before 1pm.

Washing and care

Simba advises a cold wash with similar colours and a low tumble dry with wool dryer balls, which shorten drying time and help soften the cotton. Percale comes out of the dryer creased; taking it out promptly and smoothing it straight onto the bed removes most wrinkles if you would rather not iron. Washing the cover and pillowcases together keeps their colours matched as they age.

Who it suits

Choose this set if you like the cool, crisp feel of a hotel bed and want natural fibres without paying Egyptian cotton prices. The NHS sleep advice suggests a cool bedroom helps many people sleep, and a breathable cotton like this works with that rather than against it. The trade-offs are a thinner feel than sateen and the creasing that comes with any cotton percale. Bedding has a 30-day return window rather than the 200-night trial, and Simba’s returns page asks for unused items in their original packaging.