A: It can be a daunting task figuring out which type of hair to choose for your next crochet hairstyle. The most important thing about crochet braids is choosing the right hair: it should be lightweight, long lasting, versatile and low maintenance. Above all, it should be affordable, non-damaging and look fabulous! I have worked with every type of crochet braid hair on the market; there are some great ones and not so great ones. Read on for everything you need to know about the 17 best types of hair for crochet braids =)
1. FreeTress Water Wave
FreeTress is the most trusted name in the crochet braid game. Their Water Wave hair is has a natural texture with a bouncy, silky curl pattern. This hair is great for people who are very active (people who workout, travel often, or busy moms etc.) because maintains its curl with minimal effort and looks more natural as it ages. Use an inexpensive moisturizing mousse or a spray bottle with plain water as needed for definition as needed (this goes for all FreeTress hair!). Each pack usually costs about $5.00-7.00 and is available in most beauty supply stores. I suggest buying 3 packs if you don't want it super full, or 4 packs if you want it more full like the picture above.
2. FreeTress Bohemian Braid
photo credit: Kiitanaxo || Sam's Beauty
photo credit: ME! Brittany Kay || Sam's Beauty
This hair is similar to FreeTress Deep Twist, however the Aruba Curl wave pattern is a bit tighter. This hair does not come "Pre-Looped" but still has the same great qualities of the "Pre-Loop Deep Twist" hair. In the picture above, we used 4 packs of hair in color number 1. Each pack of Aruba Curl averages around $6.00.
5. FreeTress Pre-Loop Yaki Crochet
6. FreeTress Presto Curl
photo credit: Hair by Glenna || Sam's Beauty
This FreeTress Hair has a loose, spiral pattern that gives lots of volume and curl definition. Like its FreeTress sisters, it's lightweight and only requires 2 packs for shorter styles and 5 packs for longer, more voluminous styles. In the picture above she used about 3 packs cut in half. This hair about $5.00 per pack. I prefer this hair over FreeTress Gogo curl (which has a slightly looser curl) because it looks more natural and ages better than Gogo curl hair.
This is another extremely popular choice for crochet braids. The difference between Bohemian Braid and Water Wave is that Bohemian hair has a slightly tighter curl pattern. It looks great as it ages and also looks great when mixed with the Water Wave hair; the altering textures give an extremely natural look. Freetress Kinky Bohemian is also beautiful mixed and on it's own; it has an even tighter curl pattern than regular Bohemian Braid. This hair is widely available in beauty supply stores and comes in a large range of colors. Most places sell it for $5.00-$7.00. In the picture above she used about 3 packs of hair but for longer fuller looks you will use up to 5 packs.
3. FreeTress Pre-Loop Deep Twist
photo credit: JustJayWalk || Sam's Beauty
"Pre-Loop" hair just means the hair has been pre-separated into tiny bundles with a loop on one end that can make crochet braid installation much faster and easier (FreeTress also has Deep Twist hair that does not come pre-looped; I prefer pre-looped). I love this hair because it has a very nice beach-y wave pattern that maintains very nicely over time. The great thing about pre-looped hair is that u can still separate the bundles into smaller pieces (which I recommend for a flawless finish as you approach the hairline and partings). This hair is on the higher end price wise at about $16.00 per pack, but only I recommend buying 2 packs since each pack comes with 3 bundles.
4. FreeTress Aruba Curl
3. FreeTress Pre-Loop Deep Twist
photo credit: JustJayWalk || Sam's Beauty
"Pre-Loop" hair just means the hair has been pre-separated into tiny bundles with a loop on one end that can make crochet braid installation much faster and easier (FreeTress also has Deep Twist hair that does not come pre-looped; I prefer pre-looped). I love this hair because it has a very nice beach-y wave pattern that maintains very nicely over time. The great thing about pre-looped hair is that u can still separate the bundles into smaller pieces (which I recommend for a flawless finish as you approach the hairline and partings). This hair is on the higher end price wise at about $16.00 per pack, but only I recommend buying 2 packs since each pack comes with 3 bundles.
4. FreeTress Aruba Curl
photo credit: ME! Brittany Kay || Sam's Beauty
This hair is similar to FreeTress Deep Twist, however the Aruba Curl wave pattern is a bit tighter. This hair does not come "Pre-Looped" but still has the same great qualities of the "Pre-Loop Deep Twist" hair. In the picture above, we used 4 packs of hair in color number 1. Each pack of Aruba Curl averages around $6.00.
5. FreeTress Pre-Loop Yaki Crochet
proto credit: PrettieMajor || Sam's Beauty
This Pre-looped Yaki is the answer to the straight-hair-lovers who also love a good protective style. Because the hair is pre-separated, no more need to crochet kankelon hair anymore; kankelon hair does not separate cleanly (it get's everywhere! braiders know what I'm talking about LOL) and tends to tangle and shed. This hair will give you the same look of wearing a blow-out on natural hair. This hair averages about $16.00 per pack, and you will need 2 packs. The fun part about this hair is that you can set it on hot rollers for full, fluffy curls and blow it out straight when you're done.
This Pre-looped Yaki is the answer to the straight-hair-lovers who also love a good protective style. Because the hair is pre-separated, no more need to crochet kankelon hair anymore; kankelon hair does not separate cleanly (it get's everywhere! braiders know what I'm talking about LOL) and tends to tangle and shed. This hair will give you the same look of wearing a blow-out on natural hair. This hair averages about $16.00 per pack, and you will need 2 packs. The fun part about this hair is that you can set it on hot rollers for full, fluffy curls and blow it out straight when you're done.
6. FreeTress Presto Curl
photo credit: Hair by Glenna || Sam's Beauty
This FreeTress Hair has a loose, spiral pattern that gives lots of volume and curl definition. Like its FreeTress sisters, it's lightweight and only requires 2 packs for shorter styles and 5 packs for longer, more voluminous styles. In the picture above she used about 3 packs cut in half. This hair about $5.00 per pack. I prefer this hair over FreeTress Gogo curl (which has a slightly looser curl) because it looks more natural and ages better than Gogo curl hair.
7. Curlkalon
photo credit: Curlkalon
8. Jamaican Bounce Hair
15. Crochet Twists: Outre Senegalese Twist Hair
photo credit: Brittany Kay || Outre Hair
Pre-braided and pre-twisted hair have emerged as an alternative to the tedious process of getting "individuals," cutting the installation time down to 2 hours or less! This hair comes in packs of 12-20 twists, depending on the size twists you want. The larger twists on the right are the marley havana twists. For this look we used 7 packs in color number 30, 33, 27 and Burgundy. The smaller twists, like on the right, are Senegalese twists. For smaller twists you may use up to 9 packs of hair. There are many brands of pre-twisted and pre-braided crochet braid hair that are comparable to Bobbi Boss hair, I just decided to focus of this brand because I have worked with it the most! Packs can range from $6.00 to $10.00 each. I apologize for not including a photo of the package but the hair can be found on their website.
photo credit: Brittany Kay || Sam's Beauty
This hair was the first major brand to create "pre-curled" crochet braid hair. This brand is fabulous because it has four signature styles of curls to choose from, depending on how loose or tight you want your curl pattern to be. Another amazing trend that has emerged with this type of hair is creating short tapered crochet hairstyles that look completely natural! I recommend using two to three types of curls when creating a short style, using the smaller curls in the back and the larger curls on top. This hair costs from $14-$20 per pack and they recommend buying 4 packs for most styles. Use a mist of water to refresh the curls as needed.
8. Jamaican Bounce Hair
photo credit: Brittany Kay
This Jamaican Bounce hair is has a gorgeous, rodded pattern and a slightly kinky texture that you can install straight out of the pack (like the photo on the package) or you can separate it into 2 or 3 pieces like I did in the photo above. I like this hair because it is long and can be used to create longer styles, unlike the Curlkalon hair which is shorter. I recommend buying about 4 packs of this hair, or 5 packs for a very full look. Each pack costs about $7.00. Despite its kinky appearance his hair is quite silky, so a mist of water and mousse as needed will keep the curls fresh.
9. Femi Mali Curl Braid
This Jamaican Bounce hair is has a gorgeous, rodded pattern and a slightly kinky texture that you can install straight out of the pack (like the photo on the package) or you can separate it into 2 or 3 pieces like I did in the photo above. I like this hair because it is long and can be used to create longer styles, unlike the Curlkalon hair which is shorter. I recommend buying about 4 packs of this hair, or 5 packs for a very full look. Each pack costs about $7.00. Despite its kinky appearance his hair is quite silky, so a mist of water and mousse as needed will keep the curls fresh.
9. Femi Mali Curl Braid
photo credit: Brittany Kay || Sam's Beauty
This is another option that has a great curl pattern, giving a "wand curls" effect. The curl pattern is a bit looser than the Jamaican Bounce hair mentioned above, and has a slightly silkier texture. This hair costs about $9.00 per pack. For the picture above we used 2.5 packs cut in half, but for longer styles 4 packs should be enough. Due to its silky texture I recommend moisturizing this hair ever other day with water and moisturizing mousse.
10. Janet Collection Noir Afro Twist Braid
photo credit: Brittany Kay || Sam's Beauty
11. Outre Cuevana Twist
photo credit: Brittany Kay || Outre Hair
This is another option that has a great curl pattern, giving a "wand curls" effect. The curl pattern is a bit looser than the Jamaican Bounce hair mentioned above, and has a slightly silkier texture. This hair costs about $9.00 per pack. For the picture above we used 2.5 packs cut in half, but for longer styles 4 packs should be enough. Due to its silky texture I recommend moisturizing this hair ever other day with water and moisturizing mousse.
10. Janet Collection Noir Afro Twist Braid
photo credit: Brittany Kay || Sam's Beauty
This was one of my first sets of crochet braids that had ever done back in 2013. At that time, this kind of hair was referred to as "marley hair." Now, people prefer to call it kinky twist braid or afro twist braid. This hair is fabulous for voluminous afro that can be blown out or set on flexi-rods (if you so choose!) This hair averages around $5.00 per pack. In the picture above we used about 3 packs cut in half but for longer styles get 5 packs. Mist this hair as needed with water.
11. Outre Cuevana Twist
photo credit: Brittany Kay || Outre Hair
This hair is super versatile and lightweight. It can be left in its natural state, set on flexi rods and dipped in hot water, blown out with a blowdryer, or even lightly ironed out on the lowest heat setting! This hair also makes gorgeous havana twists. On the left is a vixen crochet braid installation in which we used 2 packs. On the right is a wig I made, curled with orange flexi rods and hot water. Cuevana Twist hair costs about $7.00 per pack. I recommend using 2 packs for shorter looks or 4 packs for longer styles. I apologize for not including a photo of the package but the hair can be found on their website.
12. Bobbi Boss Bantu Twist
12. Bobbi Boss Bantu Twist
photo credit: Brittany Kay || Sam's Beauty
Bobbi Boss Bantu Twist is a gorgeous option that gives the appearance of a braid-out. I love this hair because it is soooo light-weight even when worn long. This hair is only available in 26 inches, so If you plan on wearing a short style 2 packs will definitely be enough. In the picture above I am wearing it as long as it comes, and I used 4 packs of hair. This hair is about $9.00 per pack.
Bobbi Boss Bantu Twist is a gorgeous option that gives the appearance of a braid-out. I love this hair because it is soooo light-weight even when worn long. This hair is only available in 26 inches, so If you plan on wearing a short style 2 packs will definitely be enough. In the picture above I am wearing it as long as it comes, and I used 4 packs of hair. This hair is about $9.00 per pack.
13. Crochet Faux Locs: Bobbi Boss Soul, Nu Locs & Micro Locs
There are many other brands of crochet faux locs but Bobbi Boss is my favorite. This is because it is they have the most natural looking option available for crochet Faux Locs. The "Bomba Soul Locs" have a shiny, but textured appearance and require about 6 packs. The "Nu Locs" are similar to the "Bomba" locs, however these have a slight wave pattern; you will need 6 packs. The micro locs are small locs that almost look like Sister Locs; you will need about 8 packs for this style. Best of all is that this hair itself requires zero maintenance. These locs come in a few different length options, up to about 22 inches. Each pack costs about $8.00.
14. Crochet Goddess Locs: Zury Goddess Braid Locs
Goddess locs and faux locs are technically the same thing, however goddess locs are a style of faux locs. These are faux locs that have loose, wavy ends which gives the style a fun, beach-y effect. Meagan Good and Eva Marcelle popularized this trend. These locs come in packs of about 12 locs, so 6-7 packs will be needed. Each pack costs up to $8.00.
photo credit: Brittany Kay || Outre Hair
Pre-braided and pre-twisted hair have emerged as an alternative to the tedious process of getting "individuals," cutting the installation time down to 2 hours or less! This hair comes in packs of 12-20 twists, depending on the size twists you want. The larger twists on the right are the marley havana twists. For this look we used 7 packs in color number 30, 33, 27 and Burgundy. The smaller twists, like on the right, are Senegalese twists. For smaller twists you may use up to 9 packs of hair. There are many brands of pre-twisted and pre-braided crochet braid hair that are comparable to Bobbi Boss hair, I just decided to focus of this brand because I have worked with it the most! Packs can range from $6.00 to $10.00 each. I apologize for not including a photo of the package but the hair can be found on their website.
16. Crochet Jumbo Twists: 2x Havana Mambo Twist Hair
There are quite a few brands of jumbo twists (some brands name them mambo twists), however I love this brand because the twists look great when twisted (right) and when unraveled (left). This hair requires little to no maintenance; a mist of water will refresh the hair as needed. This hair comes in two lengths and each pack of hair costs about $8.00 per pack. If you plan on leaving the hair twisted, u will need 6-7 packs. If you plan on wearing it in a twist-out style then 4-5 packs will work.
17. Crochet Box Braids: FreeTress Box Braid
Instead of sitting for 9 hours to get box braids, you can now get them in less than 2 hours thanks to this hair! They have many sizes and lengths available and a huge array of colors. For smaller braids, up to 9 packs of hair may be used. For larger braids, 7 packs will work. This hair costs about $8.00 per pack.
GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR CROCHET BRAIDS!
Looking for a hair appointment in Atlanta, GA? Visit www.brittany-kay.com
- Always braid hair that has been freshly washed (can be damp or dry). Add your favorite natural oils and a leave-in conditioner to the hair as you braid.
- Moisturize your scalp and edges daily or every other day with a combination of your favorite oils. My favorite combo is castor oil, grape seed oil and a few drops of tea tree oil mixed together.
- Wear a bonnet or pineapple your hair every night.
- Mist the synthetic hair with water or add a moisturizing mousse as needed.
- If you must wash your hair, do so in a pineapple and rub your scalp very gently with your fingertips.
- Do not keep any protective style for more than 6 weeks! The tension on your edges after 6 week will cause breakage upon take-down.
- Takedown: snip the crochet braid hair where the knots are and the hair should slip right out. Then, use a cheap conditioner to add “slip” as you take down your braided foundation. Once your braids are out, add more conditioner to your hair and gently detangle. Once that is done, thoroughly shampoo your hair using a cleansing shampoo followed by a 30 minute deep conditioning. Conditioning before you shampoo replenishes your thirsty strands, makes detangling easier, and reduces the amount of shedding.
Looking for a hair appointment in Atlanta, GA? Visit www.brittany-kay.com
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