These 7 Hair Brands Are a Must-Have for Your Next Protective Style

After you’ve picked out your braided style and you’ve secured that highly coveted Saturday AM appointment, there’s still one last thing you have to take care of: choosing your braiding hair. With all the brands out there, it can be kinda overwhelming to nail down what specific hair you’ll need to complete your protective style. Most braiding hair brands use synthetic hair, which means the hair is made up of man-made fibers instead of real human hair. You can use human hair to braid—and certain looks, like human-hair box braids, require it—but it’s high-key expensive, and not necessary for most styles. When it comes to synthetic hair though, you want to look specifically for kanekalon hair, which is a type of high-quality synthetic hair that’s smoother, softer, and less irritating than other synthetic hair types.

And even though focusing only on kanekalon hair already narrows down your braiding hair options a bit, you've still got a ton of picks to sift through. Thankfully you’ve got me as a guide—I know all the ins and outs of braiding hair, and to help you out, I rounded up the seven best braiding hair brands. Trust me when I say these ones are good.