S fold curtains hang from a track in one continuous wave and stack back tight to the side. Pinch pleat curtains are sewn into pleated groups at the heading and hang in separate structured folds, which reads as more traditional.
How each heading is made
A pinch pleat is sewn by hand. The fabric is gathered into pleats of two or three at the top, stiffened with buckram behind, and each pleat carries a hook that drops into a glide on a track or a ring on a rod.
S fold, also called wave or ripple fold, uses a tape at the top with evenly spaced pockets. Carriers on the track clip into those pockets and hold the fabric in a repeating S shape the whole way along.
The way they hang follows from that. A pinch pleat is fixed at each pleat and free in between, so the fabric does what it likes. An S fold is controlled at every carrier.
Wave spacing decides the look
S fold spacing is set by the tape and the carriers, usually at 80mm to 100mm intervals. Tighter spacing gives a smaller, busier wave, and wider spacing gives a deeper, lazier one.
Both headings still need fullness. Wave or pleat, the curtain is made at around 2.0 to 2.5 times the track width, and cutting that back shows up immediately in how flat the curtain looks when it is closed.
With an S fold, the spacing and the fullness are locked to each other. You cannot add fabric to a finished S fold curtain to make the waves deeper, so that call is made before anything is cut.
Stack back, and where it ends up
S fold stacks tighter and neater. That is why it suits sliding doors and windows where you want as much glass clear as possible when the curtain is open.
Pinch pleat takes more room open, because every pleat holds its own bulk. On a wide window that stack can cover a decent slice of the glass at one end, and you only notice once it is hanging.
Either way, plan where the stack goes. If there is wall beside the window, run the track past the opening so the curtain parks on the wall instead of sitting over your view.
Tracks, rods and what they will fit
An S fold has to run on an S fold track with the matching carriers. It will not hang from a decorative rod with rings, and a pinch pleat curtain cannot be moved onto an S fold track either.
Pinch pleat is the flexible one. It goes on a rod with rings, or on a track using hook and eye into standard glides, so it often suits a house where the hardware is already there and staying.
Motorised tracks work with both headings. On a tall window, a wide sheer or a curtain you would otherwise reach across furniture to close, a motor is what makes people actually use it rather than leaving it open all year.
Which fabrics suit which heading
Plain fabrics, sheers and linen looks suit S fold, because the wave is the feature and the fabric is not being asked to do anything else.
Patterned and heavier fabrics generally read better as pinch pleat. A pattern that keeps rolling around a wave can get lost, where a flatter pleated panel shows it off.
Sheers work either way. An S fold sheer running across a whole wall of glass is the common look in newer Sydney homes, and a pinch pleat sheer sits better in an older place with cornices and deep timber architraves. Both are in the made to measure curtain range.
Living with them
Both need dressing when they are first hung and again after a wash. Run your hand down each fold to set it and leave the curtain stacked for a few days so the fabric takes the shape.
Ceiling fix or face fix changes the look more than most people expect. A track set into the ceiling makes the curtain look like it drops straight out of the plaster, and a face fixed track with a pelmet frames the window instead. If you want light control behind the fabric, a roller blind behind the curtain does that job without adding bulk.
Headings are much easier to judge with the fabric in your hand and the window in front of you. Book a free measure and quote and we will show you both hanging before you decide.
Common questions
Is S fold more expensive than pinch pleat?
It depends on the fabric, the width and the track, so neither heading is automatically dearer. S fold needs its own track and carriers, while pinch pleat can use a rod or a standard track, which sometimes shifts the balance on a retrofit.
Can I hang S fold curtains on my existing rod?
No. S fold needs a purpose made track with carriers that clip into the heading tape, so a decorative rod with rings will not work. Pinch pleat is the heading that suits a rod.
Which heading stacks back the smallest?
S fold. The continuous wave folds into itself tightly, so it clears more glass than a pinch pleat of the same width. That makes it the usual pick for sliding doors and wide living room windows.