Guides · for braiders
How many packs of braiding hair? A chart for every style
For medium knotless braids to mid-back, plan on 6 bundles of pre-stretched hair, or 4 to 5 if you buy 3X packs. Smaller braids and more length take more. Answers online disagree mostly because some count single bundles and some count 3X packs.
- Checked
Knotless braids, by size and length
Bundles of pre-stretched braiding hair (one single pack each) for a full head of average density: the average of four published charts, rounded up.
| Size | Shoulder | Mid-back | Waist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Medium | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Large | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Jumbo | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Using 3X packs? Each holds several bundles, so you need fewer: HairSoGood’s buyers report 4 to 5 packs of 3X hair for knotless to mid-back, where single bundles take 7 to 8.
Other styles
| Style | Hair |
|---|---|
| Box braids | About 1 bundle fewer than knotless of the same size and length |
| Boho or goddess knotless | As knotless, plus 1–2 packs of curly hair for a light boho, 3–4 for a full goddess |
| Passion twists | 3–4 packs of passion-twist hair |
| Marley twists | 5–6 packs of Marley or Cuban twist hair |
| Lemonade braids | 5–6 bundles |
| Crochet, full head | 5–7 packs of bulk crochet hair, more for long or full sets |
What changes the count
- The pack. A single pack is one bundle; a 3X pack holds several; some brands sell a whole head in one pack. Write your counts in the brand you buy.
- The client’s hair. A full, dense head takes more parts, and every part takes hair. Add a bundle for thick hair or blunt, full ends.
- Curls and color. Boho and goddess styles take curly hair on top of the base; a blend of two colors means two sets of packs.
Who buys the hair?
Say it on your menu, style by style. Either you provide it, and say whether it is in the price or charged per pack, or the client brings it, and you list the brand, the color and how many packs. A client who arrives with too few packs costs you the appointment, so put the count where they book.
Questions braiders ask
Should I buy an extra pack?
Yes, one spare of the main color. A pack bought later can come from a different dye lot, and running out halfway through a head costs more than a pack on the shelf.
Can hair that’s too long be cut?
Yes: pre-stretched hair can be cut or folded to length, so buy for the longest braid the client wants.
Should the hair be in my price?
Either works if you say which. How HAUSBRAID counts the hair either way.
Sources
- Gyal Braids: How many packs for knotless braids?
- Unruly: How much hair should I buy? The complete guide
- HairSoGood: How many packs of braiding hair do you need?
- YWigs: How many packs of braiding hair do you need by length?
The knotless chart averages these four guides, each counted in bundles, rounded up. Packs vary by brand: count in the one you buy.
Braid. HAUSBRAID handles the rest.
In HAUSBRAID each style on your menu says the packs it takes. HAUSBRAID counts them against the next two weeks of bookings, tells you what to order before the shelf runs short, and adds the hair to the client’s total when you charge per pack.
7 days free, no card to start. Then $20 a month for your first braider.