You’ve saved the photos. Now your braider’s booking page wants three answers before it shows a price: what size, what length, and curls or no curls? Pick small and long, and you could be in the chair until dinner.

Small knotless braids can take up to 12 hours to put in (and about as long to take out). Jumbo ones can be done in an afternoon. Either way, there’s no knot at the root. Your own hair starts the braid and the extension joins lower down, so the base lies flat and nothing tugs at the scalp. Zendaya wore hers extra long, swept to one side, to the Critics’ Choice Awards.

Below are 26 knotless styles by working braiders, grouped by size, length, curls, parts, color and updos. Every one ends on what to say when you book, so you can find your photo and copy its last line.

Knotless braid sizes, from mini to jumbo

Mini knotless braid

Woman in a beige top and jeans, seen from the side, with black mini knotless braids past her hips
The braids hang past the hips in a single sheet.
Woman in a black hoodie in three-quarter view, black mini knotless braids with wavy pieces
Wavy pieces fall loose through the fine braids.

Mini braids are the smallest parts you can book, and they take the longest to put in. In return they swing like loose hair, and smaller braids outlast bigger ones. Block out a full day, and bring snacks (and a charger).

What to ask for Mini knotless braids to the waist, small square parts, natural black, sealed ends.

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Small knotless braid

Woman in a black tank top with long black small knotless braids and a middle part
A middle part, with thin braids falling past the chest.

Small knotless braids are fine enough to move like hair and still thick enough to pin up. StyleSeat says a small set can take up to 12 hours, and about as long to take out. That’s the trade for a set that outlasts bigger sizes.

What to ask for Small knotless braids to mid-back, square parts, natural black, plain ends.

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Medium knotless braid

Woman in a gray top in profile with black medium knotless braids and square parts
Square parts at the crown, braids down to the chest.
Woman in a pink satin blouse in three-quarter view with long black medium knotless braids
Long black braids fall well past the chest.

Medium braids are about the width of a pencil. It’s quicker than small, still fine enough for a bun, and light enough to sleep on without a crick in your neck. A medium or long set takes five to seven packs of braiding hair.

What to ask for Medium knotless braids, pencil width, to the chest, square parts, natural black.

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Large knotless braid

Smiling woman in a black top with large honey-blonde and brown knotless braids swept to one side
Two shades of honey are mixed through each braid, swept over one shoulder.

Large braids are roughly the width of a marker, so there are fewer of them and fewer hours in the chair. They feel lighter than you’d expect, because the extension tapers in rather than being knotted on. If your edges are thin, this is a kinder size than small.

What to ask for Large knotless braids, marker width, to the waist, square parts, honey blonde mixed with brown.

Photo @hairbywn Pin this

Jumbo knotless braids

Woman in a white shirt with black jumbo knotless braids and sunglasses tucked in her collar
Big square parts frame the face.

Jumbo braids are about two markers wide. They’re the quickest set to book, done in an afternoon rather than a day. Expect bold parts and a style that reads from across the room.

What to ask for Jumbo knotless braids to the waist, large square parts, natural black.

Photo Luxe Digital Pin this

Scant knotless braids

Back view of a woman in a black T-shirt with honey-blonde scant knotless braids
Few braids, wide parts, and the scalp shows between them.
Woman in a black tank top looking down, black scant knotless braids with triangle parts
Triangle parts leave plenty of scalp on show.

Scant braids use only a few big sections, so the scalp shows between them and the parts become part of the look. With so few braids, it’s a short sitting. Keep the parts neat, because there’s nothing to hide them.

What to ask for Scant knotless braids, large parts with the scalp showing, mid-back length, natural black.

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Short and long knotless braids

Short knotless braids

Smiling woman in a navy sweater with a brown knotless braid bob
A blunt bob that curves in at the chin.

Short knotless braids stop between the chin and the shoulders, so there’s less weight hanging off your hairline. They take fewer packs of hair (about four) and less time. Curl the ends or cut them blunt for a bob.

What to ask for Medium knotless braids cut to a bob at the jaw, square parts, natural black, curled ends.

Photo @thamy_melchior Pin this

Knotless lob with beads

Woman in a black T-shirt seen from behind, black knotless lob with wooden beads
Wooden beads finish every braid at the shoulder blades.

A lob sits just above the collarbone, and beads on the ends give it weight so the braids hang straight. The beads click when you move (half the fun). Clear or wooden beads work on any color.

What to ask for Medium knotless braids cut to the collarbone, square parts, beads on every end.

Photo @splbraids Pin this

Waist length knotless braids

Woman in a denim jacket with waist-length brown and blonde knotless braids
Brown braids with blonde pieces fall to the waist.
Woman in a yellow crop top with black waist-length knotless braids
The braids end just at the waistband.

Waist-length braids look dramatic, and they’re heavy. That weight hangs off your hairline for six weeks or more, so ask for the braids around your edges to be left loose. Plan on extra packs of hair and extra hours.

What to ask for Medium knotless braids to the waist, square parts, natural black, loose around the hairline.

Photos: Luxe Digital (left), Luxe Digital (right) Pin this

Boho, goddess and curly knotless braids

Knotless braid with curly ends

Woman in a white tank top seen from behind, black knotless braids with curly tips
From behind, only the last few inches curl.

Curls only at the ends give you the goddess look without daily curl care up top. The braid stays neat down most of its length, and the curls start below the shoulders. Mist the ends with water when they flatten.

What to ask for Medium knotless braids to mid-back, curly ends on the last few inches, human hair curls.

Photo Luxe Digital Pin this

Knotless braid with loose curls

Woman in an off-shoulder top seen from behind, dark brown knotless braids with loose curls
Loose curls spill out from the shoulders down.
Woman in a white T-shirt with long brown and honey knotless braids and loose curls
Honey curls wrap around brown braids to the hips.

Loose curly pieces left out along the braid soften the whole set. It’s halfway between plain braids and full boho, so it needs less care than boho. Separate the curls with your fingers every day or two.

What to ask for Small knotless braids to the waist with loose curly pieces left out along each braid, human hair curls.

Photos: Luxe Digital (left), @hawlee_creation (right) Pin this

Bohemian knotless braids

Back view of long black and copper bohemian knotless braids
The curls turn copper toward the ends.

Boho braids leave curly hair out along the whole braid, root to tip. The curls tangle first at the nape and behind the ears, so they need a nightly bonnet and a little mousse. Human curls come back with water, and synthetic ones frizz faster.

What to ask for Small boho knotless braids to mid-back, human curly hair left out root to tip, natural black.

Photo Luxe Digital Pin this

Parts, patterns and beads

Knotless box braids

Smiling woman in a white T-shirt and beaded necklace with black knotless box braids
Long, even braids with a gold cuff near the face.
Woman in a patterned halter dress with long black knotless box braids and wooden beads
Square parts, and a few wooden beads at the tips.

Knotless box braids are the classic: square parts in neat rows, plain ends, nothing extra. Square parts are the standard price. Book it if you want a blank canvas for buns later.

What to ask for Medium knotless box braids to mid-back, square parts in even rows, natural black.

Photos: @thamy_melchior (left), @a.rastabraids (right) Pin this

Triangle pattern knotless braids

Woman in a black cardigan in profile, looking down, black knotless braids with triangle parts
Triangle parts run from the hairline back over the crown.

Triangle parts turn the scalp into part of the design, with each braid sitting in its own small triangle. They take longer to section than square parts, and they cost extra. Keep the edges loose, because neat parts show every tug.

What to ask for Medium knotless braids to mid-back, triangle parts, natural black.

Photo @hairbywn Pin this

Half-step braid

Woman in a mustard top looking down, with curved cornrows at the front and long honey-brown braids falling over one shoulder
Curved cornrows on top, loose braids hanging forward.

A half-step braid puts cornrows at the front and loose braids behind. The front stays flat and off your face, and the back still moves. It’s a way to get an updo’s neatness without pinning anything. For a pattern with cornrows at the front, see our Fulani braids guide.

What to ask for Curved cornrows at the front into medium knotless braids, to mid-back, honey brown.

Photo @nessatrancas_ Pin this

Knotless braids with beads

Back view of long brown knotless braids with cream and brown wooden beads on the ends
Cream and wooden beads sit on the tips, down past the hips.

Beads on the ends turn plain braids into something you hear as well as see. The added weight keeps long braids hanging straight. Ask your braider ahead of time whether to bring your own beads.

What to ask for Medium knotless braids to the upper thigh, square parts, a bead on every end.

Photo Luxe Digital Pin this

Knotless braid colors

Blonde knotless braids

Woman in profile with long honey-blonde and brown knotless braids
Honey blonde mixed through brown, worn to the waist.

Blonde braiding hair lightens your whole look without touching your own hair. Expect a higher price if your braider supplies colored hair.

What to ask for Small knotless braids to the waist in honey blonde mixed with brown.

Photo Luxe Digital Pin this

Red knotless braids

Woman in a red top with small red knotless braids, the top section in a high ponytail
The top half is pulled into a high ponytail, the rest falls past the chest.
Woman in a red top in profile with raspberry-red large knotless braids
Raspberry red, with small silver charms in a few braids.

Red braids make the color the whole point, so there’s no need for beads or curls on top. Wear them up in a high ponytail and the color frames your face. Colored sections raise the price, so get a quote first.

What to ask for Small knotless braids to the waist in red, top section in a high ponytail.

Photos: Luxe Digital (left), @astranca_ (right) Pin this

Burgundy braids

Back view of long burgundy knotless braids
Square parts in burgundy, from the crown down.
Woman in a cream top in profile with an auburn knotless braid bob
A deep auburn bob with a few silver threads.

Burgundy is red’s quieter cousin, close enough to dark brown that it works for the office. It shows best in a bob, where the light catches every braid.

What to ask for Medium knotless braids cut to a jaw-length bob in burgundy or deep auburn.

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Purple knotless braids

Woman in a black top with black-to-purple ombré knotless braids
The braids fade from black at the root to violet.
Woman in a camouflage jacket with a purple knotless braid bob and silver cuffs
Silver cuffs scattered through a bob that reaches the chest on one side.

Purple braids are a bold color that still sits well against dark hair at the root. A bob keeps it playful. Add silver cuffs if you want a little shine.

What to ask for Medium knotless braids cut to a long bob in purple, just past the shoulders, with silver cuffs.

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Brown knotless braids

Smiling woman in glasses and a grey tank top with long dark-brown knotless braids and curly ends
Dark brown braids with a few gold cuffs, curling at the tips.

Brown braids soften the look without the commitment of blonde. Honey and chestnut tones blend into darker roots. Ask whether your braider mixes two shades for depth.

What to ask for Medium knotless braids to mid-back in brown, square parts.

Photo @camilafreireoficial Pin this

Ombre knotless braids

Smiling woman in a black top with knotless braids fading from black through copper to blonde
Black at the root, copper at mid-length, blonde at the tips.

Ombré braids start dark at the root and fade lighter toward the tips, so regrowth barely shows. Copper through to blonde is one way to do it over black. Your braider blends two or three shades of hair to get the fade.

What to ask for Medium knotless braids to the waist, black at the root fading through copper to blonde at the ends.

Photo Luxe Digital Pin this

Knotless braid updos

Knotless braids in a bun

Woman in a black top in profile with knotless braids pulled into a high bun
In profile, the parts lead straight up to the bun.

A high bun shows off the parts and takes the weight off your neck. Medium or small braids pile up neatly, and jumbo ones make a bigger bun. Wrap the braids loosely, because a tight bun pulls at the edges.

What to ask for Small knotless braids to mid-back, styled into a high bun.

Photo @braidplugldn Pin this

Half up half down knotless braids

Back view of black large knotless braids, the top half in a bun and the rest down, with gold cuffs
The top section wraps into a bun, and gold cuffs dot the rest.

Half up, half down lifts the top section into a bun and leaves the rest hanging. It keeps braids off your face for a workday and drops back down after. Leave the bun loose at the hairline.

What to ask for Large knotless braids to the waist, top half in a bun, the rest down.

Photo @silverhairgh Pin this

Knotless braids in a ponytail

Woman in a pale blue blazer with long black knotless braids pulled into a ponytail, head tilted back
The ponytail falls over one shoulder to the hips.

A ponytail pulls long braids off your neck and shows off the parts at the front. Keep it low or loose for the first days, since a tight, high ponytail pulls on fresh edges.

What to ask for Medium knotless braids to the waist, styled into a ponytail.

Photo Luxe Digital Pin this

Box braids styled sideways

Woman in a lilac top with long black box braids swept to one side
A deep side part sends the braids over one shoulder.

Swept to one side, long braids frame the face and show off a deep part. It takes seconds (flip them over and you’re done). Switch sides every few days so one side of your hairline doesn’t take all the weight.

What to ask for Medium knotless braids to mid-back with a deep side part, natural black.

Photo Luxe Digital Pin this

What are knotless braids?

Knotless braids are individual braids that begin as your own hair, with the extension joining further down the braid. Classic box braids start with a knot instead, where the braiding hair is looped onto your own at the scalp. Without that knot, the root lies flat and looks like your hair is growing straight into the braid.

The technique has been around since the early 2000s. Everything else on this page (size, length, curls, color, beads) is a choice you make on top of that root.

Who suits knotless braids?

Knotless braids suit anyone whose scalp complains about tight braids. With no knot at the root, the weight spreads down the braid instead of hanging off the scalp, and that’s kinder to fine hair and to edges that have already thinned.

Your schedule matters as much as your hair. Small knotless braids are a full day in the chair, so if you can’t give up a Saturday, go medium or large. Long braids look dramatic, but they’re heavier, and that weight sits on your hairline for six weeks or more. If your edges are delicate, shoulder or bra-strap length is the safer call.

What to ask your braider for

Start with the size: mini, small, smedium, medium, large or jumbo. It decides the price and the hours more than anything else. Then give the length against your body (chin, shoulder, bra strap, mid-back or waist), and say how you want it parted. Square parts are standard, while triangle parts cost extra.

Then talk about the hair. Ask whether your braider supplies it or you bring it, and how many packs. Medium or long knotless braids take five to seven packs of pre-stretched braiding hair, and shorter styles about four. For curls, say whether you want them only at the ends (goddess) or along the whole braid (boho), and whether they’re human hair or synthetic. Finish with the extras: beads, cuffs, a color or an ombré. Every look above ends on its own ask line, so you can paste one straight into the booking form.

How long do knotless braids last, and how do you look after them?

Knotless braids last about four to eight weeks. StyleSeat puts it at six to eight, and Unruly at four to six with a little more if you look after them. Smaller braids outlast bigger ones, and human hair outlasts synthetic. Whatever the size, the American Academy of Dermatology says to take braids out by eight weeks.

The care is mostly at night. Sleep in a satin or silk bonnet or scarf. Wash your scalp every one to two weeks with diluted shampoo, work it into the scalp rather than down the braids, squeeze the water out and let the braids dry all the way through. When the roots start to fuzz, a little mousse and a satin scarf tied on for 10 to 15 minutes lays them down again.

After takedown, give your hair at least two weeks off before the next set.

Knotless vs box braids: which should you get?

Book knotless braids if your hairline has ever thinned or your scalp hates a tight install. Book box braids if you’d rather pay less and get out of the chair sooner. Both are individual braids, and from a few feet away they look much the same. What sets them apart is where the extension joins your hair, and everything else follows from that.

On your edges, week after week. On a box braid, the braiding hair is looped round your own hair right at the scalp and knotted there, so each braid hangs its whole weight off that one point. A knotless braid begins as your own hair, and the braider works the extension in further down. StyleSeat braider Erinn Courtney says the knotless method spreads the weight “evenly,” while a knot “can pull on the roots.” That pull adds up over six or eight weeks, and steady pulling is what causes traction alopecia. Broken hairs along your forehead are the early warning.

In the chair. Knotting is quicker than feeding hair in. A set of jumbo box braids is an afternoon’s job, three hours at most. A typical set of knotless braids takes about five to six hours, and a small knotless set can take 12 hours to put in and about 12 to take out. Small knotless braids take the whole day.

On your head. Because the extension tapers in, knotless braids feel lighter at the same size, and the root lies flat from day one, so you can pull them into a bun straight away. Length adds weight with either type. If your hairline needs a break, dermatologists at the AAD point to bigger braids worn shorter, which put less load on each root.

How long they hold. Knotless braids last about four to eight weeks. A set of box braids may stay neat for a few days more, as the knot stops the root from slipping while your hair grows. Whichever you choose, the AAD’s limit is eight weeks.

What it costs. Knotless braids run about $50 to $150 more than box braids of the same size, because they take longer.

Who each one suits. Knotless braids suit fine hair, sensitive scalps, thin edges and anyone who wants an updo on day one. Box braids suit a tighter budget and a shorter sitting. If your edges have ever thinned, we’d spend the extra hours and dollars on knotless.

How much do knotless braids cost?

Knotless braids cost about $250 on average before the hair, according to StyleSeat, and anywhere from $150 to $600. The range comes from the braider’s experience, your city, the size and any color. Smaller braids cost more, because they take longer. Triangle parts and colored sections add to the price, and so does the hair if your braider supplies it.

How long does it take to get knotless braids?

Plan on most of a day for small knotless braids, up to 12 hours, and an afternoon for large or jumbo. Medium falls in between. Taking small braids out can take as long as putting them in, so count that time at the end of the six weeks too.

Are knotless braids good for thin edges?

Yes, knotless braids are a good choice for thin edges, because there’s no knot pulling at the hairline. Go a size up rather than down, keep the length at shoulder or bra strap, and ask your braider to keep the braids around your hairline loose. Every extra inch of length is extra weight on the same roots, which is why the AAD steers people with fragile edges toward bigger, shorter braids.

Pain is the signal to act. If a braid hurts or gives you a headache, it’s too tight, and broken hairs along your forehead or a receding hairline are early signs of traction alopecia. Ease the tension early and the hair can recover. Leave it for months and the loss can stay for good.

How do you stop knotless braids from frizzing?

Protect them at night and lay the roots down when they fuzz. A satin bonnet does most of the work. For the roots, smooth on a little mousse and tie a satin scarf over them for 10 to 15 minutes. Curly ends need more: mist them with water, scrunch in a little mousse from mid-length down, and separate them with your fingers. Human curls come back with water, while synthetic curls frizz faster and don’t recover the same way.

Save the photos of the look you like and copy its last line into the booking form. For box braids, stitch braids and the rest of the braid family, our guide to braids for Black women picks up where knotless braids leave off.

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