Straight Crochet Hair--Read This Before You Buy

Photo: Jai Marii

So you’ve read our detailed guide on crochet braids and know all there is to know about this ever-popular, sew-in alternative–what are they, their pros and cons, braiding patterns–and you may be about ready to try your hand at the knotless method with–*gasps*–straight hair! Great, but what hair brand should one purchase to guarantee a flawless install? Should you take the traditional synthetic route or spice things up a bit with a human hair install, or perhaps a synthetic option engineered to mimic human hair (best of both worlds)! From the slippage-free to the heat resilient, we took to YouTube to address all of your hair questions! Check out our latest round-up of the best straight crochet hair to buy for a flawless result.

A few things to consider

A human hair crochet install is can be more costly than its sew-in counterpart. Depending on the desired length, a purchase may cost $30 to $70 apiece, and depending on your desired volume, you may need more hair than you would for a weave, begging the question: is it worth the price, or is a sew-in the better option?

Not all cornrows are created equally. It’s usually a great idea to braid smaller cornrows in the front of your hair and then can combine them into bigger ones in the back. The smaller size will allow the crochet hair to lay down, resulting in a smoother look. (Read more on braiding patterns here).

Remove the pre-loop! When applying crochet hair, knotless/invisible parting is essential to achieving the crochet hair of your dreams, especially for straight styles. While pre-looped hair is a great time-saving solution for the back and sides installation, it is not very helpful when creating an invisible part in the front section. To tackle this, remove the band forming the loop by sliding it down the hair for a polished look.

Sometimes less is more. To avoid an overly voluminous look, space each piece of crochet hair you loop into your cornrows one or two fingers apart. This placement will ensure a more natural look with less bulk, as crochet hair tends to be thick.

🛑🔓Lock it in!🔓🛑 Don’t shy away from double and even triple knotting your crochet hair for a secure install, especially when installing straight hair. Funny enough, it makes for a neat, flatter application at the root and will be worth the extra time.

Tools and tricks are a lady’s best friend. Alleviate your anxieties of achieving a polished invisible part by indulging in a lace closure. A vaguely obvious choice, closures (typically worn with sew-ins) provide a flawless look with a fraction of the effort!

Now here’s which hair to buy to achieve the looks our favorite vloggers are sporting.

Crochet Hair for Relaxed Hair

Vlogger: Seun Okimi (follow her on IG)
Style: Cut to bra strap length, multi parting (side and center)
Hair used: AU-THEN-TIC Synthetic Hair Crochet Braids Pre-looped Italian Perm Yaki 22’’
Color: #1B
Quantity: 6 packs for fullness
🤚🏾Heads up: this is the hair Seun used but in the Amazon reviews some buyers were disappointed that it doesn’t curl and some said it tangled.

Vlogger: Kelly Sparks (follow her on IG)
Style: Bra strap length hair
Hair used: 3X Pre-Loop Yaky Bounce FreeTress Synthetic Crochet Braid 16”
Color: 1B
Quantity: 5 Bundles

A Crochet hair + Closure Collabo

Vlogger: Mary K. Bella (follow her on IG)
Style: Waist length hair with a closure
Hair used: Model Model Glance Formation Braid 30” + Model Model Gardenia Body Wave closure 16”
Color: #1B
Quantity: 1full pack

Hot Tool Approved

Vlogger: Kearra Nicole (follow her on IG)
Style: Waist length hair straightened with
Hair used: Freetress Equal Cuban Twist Double Strand Style 16″ + Revlon One Step Hair Dryer Brush
Color: #1B
Quantity: 2 full packs

The Dominican BlowOut at Home

Vlogger: tastePINK (follow her on IG)
Style: Waist length hair
Hair used: Outre X-pression Braid – Dominican Blowout Straight (here’s a similar version on Amazon)+ Vanity Planet Scalp Invigorator Shampoo Brush
Color: 1B
Quantity: 8 bundles

Human-like Crochet Hair

Vlogger: Seun Okimi (follow her on IG)
Style: Waist length hair
Hair used: Pre-loop Dalva Ultima Collagen Braid Deep Hair Twist 18”
- This hair is synthetic but made to act like human hair so you can flat iron it. In the video above, Seun shows what the hair looks like a couple weeks after installing it and what happens when she flat irons it. She’s impressed by the hair but reviews on Amazon warn of shedding and tangling.
Color: 1B
Quantity: 6 packs