This is the single most expensive mistake people make ordering hair, and it has nothing to do with texture or color. Buy wefted hair for knotless braids and you have hair you cannot use. Buy bulk for a sew-in and your braider has nothing to sew to.
The difference takes one minute to understand.
What each one is
Bulk is loose hair with no attachment at all. No track, no weft, no seam. It comes as a bundle you feed straight into a braid. This is what boho knotless braids need.
Wefted bundles have the hair sewn onto a narrow strip — the weft, or track. Your braider sews that track onto your cornrows. This is what a sew-in needs.
Same hair, same textures, different finishing. You cannot substitute one for the other.
Which install needs which
| What you are getting done | What to buy |
|---|---|
| Boho knotless braids | Bulk |
| Any braided style with curly ends | Bulk |
| Sew-in weave | Wefted bundles |
| Crochet install | Crochet hair — a third format, pre-looped |
If you are booking with a braider and are not certain, ask them which one they want before you order. It takes one message and it saves a return.
Lengths and prices
This is where the two lines genuinely differ, and it decides some orders on its own.
| Bulk | Wefted bundles | |
|---|---|---|
| Shortest | 12" | 18" |
| Longest | 24" | 26" |
| Stock price, natural black | $90 / $120 / $150 | $120 · $130 · $140 · $160 · $180 |
| Made to order, any of 9 shades | $90 / $120 / $150 | $130 · $145 · $160 · $175 · $190 |
Two things worth pulling out of that table.
Bulk stops at 24 inches. If you want 26, you are in wefted territory — which means a sew-in, not braids. There is no 26 inch bulk.
Wefted has more length steps. Bulk goes 12, 18, 24. Wefted goes 18, 20, 22, 24, 26. If you want 20 or 22 specifically, only the wefted line has it.
Color availability
Both lines carry the same nine shades made to order — 1b, 4, 8, 27, 30, 350, 613, 99J and burgundy — across all seven textures. The stock versions of both are natural black, with one exception: body wave bulk also stocks shade 8.
The shade codes are explained in Hair Color Numbers Explained, and how the made-to-order line works is in Custom Color Braiding Hair.
How much to buy
The counts are not the same for the two formats, which trips people up.
For braids, it is about fullness: one bundle for a light boho look, two to three for natural volume, four for very full. See How Many Packs of Braiding Hair Do You Need?
For a sew-in, it is about coverage and length. Longer hair needs more bundles to keep the ends looking full, because the same weight is spread over more inches. Most full sew-ins land at three bundles, and long installs often need four.
Free US shipping starts at $200, which most installs of either type will clear.
A note on ordering together
Whichever line you choose, order all your bundles in one purchase. Hair is a natural product and batches differ slightly. That matters most on the bright shades — 350 and 613 especially — where a small batch difference shows.
Where to go next
Braiding: Custom Color Bulk Hair, or the stock textures if you want natural black. Sewing in: Custom Color Wefted Bundles, or the stock Body Wave and Italian Curl bundles.
Still deciding on the texture itself? Braiding Hair Textures Compared puts all seven side by side.