Hairstyles & Beauty · Braids
Knotless and box braids with curls explained: curly ends vs. curls woven through vs. heat-set ends, which curl to pick, and how to keep the curls from matting.
Knotless braids with curls are knotless braids finished with loose curly hair, at the ends, along the length, or both. Box braids with curls work the same way, with one difference at the root. The curls are what turn a neat protective style into boho braids with curls: softer, fuller and closer to loose hair, at the cost of more upkeep than plain braids.
This guide is about the finish. It covers the three ways the curls get there, how the curly hair is attached, knotless versus box with curls, which curl to choose, and the routine that stops curls matting into the braids around them. For the base style, the size chart and the install itself, start with our guide to boho knotless braids.
There are three common finishes. They can be combined, and the one you pick changes the look and the upkeep more than braid size does.
The braid stops 2-4 inches from the tip and the rest is left as loose curly hair. Above that, the braid is sleek from root to hem. It’s the tidiest version and the easiest to keep up, because only the hemline has loose hair to tangle.
Strands of curly hair are added along the length and left out, so curls show from the ear down and not only at the hem. Most braiders finish these with curly ends too. It’s the fullest, softest and most recognizably boho version, and the one that needs the most care.
Take this to the extreme, with curly strands left out of every braid every few crosses, and you get goddess braids. There’s so much loose hair that the curls, not the braids, become the main look. Expect the most volume and the most detangling.
Synthetic braids are braided all the way to the tip, then the last few inches are wrapped on perm rods and dipped in hot water to set a curl. No extra hair goes in. The curl is firmer and tidier and holds for the life of the install, but it looks less like real hair and can’t be spot-fixed. If you want big, uniform spirals made this way, see our boho French curl braids guide.
| Curly ends | Curls woven through | Heat-set ends | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it’s done | Braid stops short; loose curly hair below | Curly strands left out along the braid, plus curly ends | Synthetic tips set on rods in hot water |
| Look | Neat braids, curly hemline | Fullest, softest, most boho | Crisp, uniform curl |
| Upkeep | Low to moderate | Highest | Lowest |
| Where it tangles | Hemline only | Along the whole length | Rarely |
| Fixing one bad curl | Trim or replace it | Replace the strand | Not possible |
| Best for | Long sets, busy routines | The classic boho look | Low-maintenance curls |
For curly ends and woven-through curls, the curly hair has to be anchored to the braid. Braiders use three methods, and it’s worth asking which one you’re getting, because it decides how long the curls stay put.
Braided in. A small strand of curly hair is laid in alongside the braiding hair and left hanging out every few crosses. It’s the most secure method and the slowest, and it’s what most braiders mean by knotless braids with curls woven through.
Crocheted in. Once the braids are finished, a latch-hook needle pulls a folded strand of curly hair through the braid so both ends hang loose. It’s faster, and a stylist can add curls to braids you already have. The catch is that crocheted curls slide out sooner, especially slippery human hair.
Knotted on. A curly piece is tied onto the braid partway down and left to hang. It’s quick, and single pieces are easy to replace if one frizzes. A good plan for a long set is braided-in curls at install, then a few crocheted curls in week three or four to refresh the worst spots.
The curls go on the same way on both bases. The difference is at the scalp: box braids start with the extension knotted at the root, and knotless braids start with your own hair and feed the extension in gradually. The ranges below are typical for medium braids at mid-back length.
| Knotless braids with curls | Box braids with curls | |
|---|---|---|
| How the braid starts | Natural hair first, extension fed in | Extension knotted at the root |
| Root look | Flat, no bump | Small knot at each base, fuller root |
| First few days | Light from day one | Often tight for 1-2 days |
| Install time | 4-6 hours | Usually 30-60 minutes less |
| How long the braids last | 5-7 weeks | Typically 4-6 weeks |
| Cost | Higher | Usually a little lower |
| Best for | Visible parts, sensitive scalps, heavy curls | A crisp, defined root and faster installs |
Knotless is usually the better match for a lot of curl. Woven-through curls add weight to the lower half of every braid, and a feed-in start spreads that pull along the braid instead of concentrating it at a knot. Box braids with curls make sense if you like a defined, slightly raised root, or want large braids done quickly. Jumbo box braids with curly ends are the fastest version of the whole style.
Braid size matters too. Medium is the usual choice for both bases: there are enough braids to anchor the curls evenly without an all-day appointment. Small braids with woven curls look the most like loose hair but typically take 7-9+ hours. On jumbo braids, woven-through curls can look sparse, so curly ends suit them better.
Boho curls come in a handful of patterns, sold as human hair or synthetic. The pattern decides how long the finish looks fresh.
The fiber matters as much as the pattern. Human-hair curls stay soft for the whole install and spring back with water, while synthetic curls cost far less but often tangle by week three or four. Our guide to the best hair for boho braids compares human, synthetic and blend hair in detail, including how much to buy.
Color is the last choice. If you want boho curly hair that reads natural, match the curls to your braid color or go one shade lighter. Honey blonde over a dark root is a popular option: the light curls show their shape and the darker root keeps regrowth less obvious.
Matting starts when loose curls wrap around each other and around neighboring braids, then friction and dried product lock them in place. Most of the routine is about keeping the curls moist and separate.
At night, gather the braids into a loose pineapple and cover them with a satin bonnet. Waist-length sets tangle less if you also plait them loosely into two or three sections first. Never brush dry curls, keep heavy oils and butters off them (oil the scalp instead), and don’t go to bed with damp curls bundled up. The nape is where matting starts, so watch collars, scarves and bag straps, and wear the curls over one shoulder when you carry a backpack.
From week three or four, trim any frizzed tips and replace the worst curls rather than putting up with them. Take the whole set down when the braids start slipping at the root, usually around the 5-7 week mark for knotless. For shorter versions of the look, see boho bob braids, and for every style in the family, start with our boho braids hub.
The braids themselves typically last 5-7 weeks. The curls are usually the first thing to go: synthetic curls often look tired by week three or four, while human-hair curls can last the whole install with regular misting. Many people refresh or replace a few curls around week four rather than taking the whole set down.
Boho Knotless Braids: Styles, Sizes & Length Chart →Not quite. Goddess braids are a heavy version of curls woven through, with loose curly strands left out along every braid so the curls dominate the look. Box braids with curls can be as simple as curly ends only. Goddess braids can be done on either a box or a knotless base.
Keep them moisturized and separated. Mist them with water and leave-in every few days, reset them with mousse once a week, finger-separate any curl that wraps around a braid, and sleep in a satin bonnet. Never brush dry curls, and keep heavy oils off them.
Deep wave is the safest curl because its tight S-pattern holds definition longest. For the fiber, human hair stays soft for the whole install and revives with water, while synthetic curls cost less but tangle sooner. Most braiders use synthetic hair for the braid and human hair only for the curls.
Boho Braiding Hair: Human vs. Synthetic vs. Blend Curls →Curly ends add little time, but weaving curls through the full length adds noticeably to the appointment. A medium, mid-back knotless set with curls typically takes 4-6 hours. Small braids or a heavy goddess-style finish push it well past that.
Yes. Bob and shoulder-length braids with curly ends are quick to install and the cheapest length to upgrade to human-hair curls. Because the curls sit right at the jaw, curl quality shows more than on a long set.
Boho Bob Braids: Braided Bob & Knotless Bob Ideas →
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