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40 Best Braids for Black Women That Are Absolutely Gorge

Save these to your mood board RN.

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braids for black women
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Choosing your next hairstyle can be such a ~decision~ sometimes—but not because you don't have enough options. Honestly, from weaves and wigs to twist-outs to wash-and-gos, the hard part isn't feeling limited, but feeling what vibes you wanna go for. When in doubt (or if you ever need a tiebreaker between a few top choices)? Go with braids. Braids are one of those hairstyles that check all the boxes: they're a protective style when you want them to be, they're eye-catching, they're really freaking cool, and, most importantly, braided styles are pretty easy to maintain at home. With so many inspo pics and ideas popping up all the time on IG and IRL, there's no shortage of options for braids for Black women. I know, I know—it's already hard enough to pick one style as is, but don't stress if you're feeling a little overwhelmed. We'll help you narrow it down to the absolute best. Below, 40 braided looks you'll def want to try next.

1

These Two Braided Buns

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Two braided buns are better than one, amiright?! I'm obsessed with this statement-making style, and I know you are, too, so go ahead, give it a save so you can try it out next time you want a cool updo.

2

This Box-Braided Bob

What do you get when you combine a long bob hair length with box braids? Ya get this bomb box-braided bob hairstyle. I'm a big fan of these gold cuffs on the ends.

3

These Waist-Length Toffee Braids

Didn't you hear? Toffee hair color will be a big fall 2021 hair color trend (really, remember this moment), so get ahead of the trend and try it out by incorporating some warmer tones in your braiding hair.

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4

These High Pigtail Braids

Ummm, excuse me—how cute are these high pigtail braids?! Even better, they're easy to DIY, too. All you need is some hair gel, edge control, a comb, a brush, and braiding hair, and you're good to go.

5

This Crisscross Braided Look

This braided ponytail is made even better by the crisscross design. To keep your crisscross braided ponytail and scalp looking and feeling good, make sure to mist on a moisturizing spray at least once a day in the mornings.

6

This Wrapped Braid

Seriously, this braided style is so easy yet so statement-making. Take a single side braid, then loosely wrap the tail around the base to create a unique swirled shape like this one.

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7

This Sleek Braided Ponytail

To make your sophisticated low ponytail braid feel a little more modern, go with a super-long length for allll the drama.

8

These Burgundy Boho Braids

Feeling bold? Red hair will really make your braids stand out. Exhibit A: The stunning boho braids in a dark red wine shade shown here.

9

These Headband-Wrapped Braids

A stretchy headband like this one will not only keep you comfortable when you want to wear your braids up, but this headband hairstyle also looks so cute. It's a win-win.

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10

This Accessorized Braid

The trick to easily pulling off this cute protective style? The crochet method and some braiding hair. (Psst: Here's a video tutorial for ya to follow.)

11

These Stitch Braids

There's something about the graphic lines in stitch braids that's just so. Freaking. Cool. Would highly encourage you to try these feed-in stitch braids next time you head to your braider.

12

This Wash-Day Braided Style

Make this wash-and-go style your new quick go-to. After shampooing and conditioning your hair, load up on your favorite curl products and three-strand braid your hair into a low pony.

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13

These Goddess Braids

If you're the impatient type who doesn't want to spend all day getting your hair done, go with a thicker braid, like these long goddess braids, that, fine, will still take a hot sec, but are still faster to install than other micro-braids.

14

These Face-Framing Braids

Feeling like trying a trendy '90s bun hairstyle? Pair your braided topknot with some loose braids around your face for a look that's effortlessly cool and current.

15

This Braided Half-Bun Hairstyle

Can we all be Tessa Thompson? Yes? No? Fine. Welp, we can at least copy her style with this half-bun braided hairstyle with face-framing braids. Close enough, yeah?

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16

This Cornrow Ponytail

Once you get over this gorgeous copper color, take a minute to admire all the other details in this cornrow braided curly ponytail. Then screenshot it for your next hair appointment.

17

These Swooping Side Braids

Lemonade braids are always a 10/10, but the precision in the parting and pattern of these side braids is honestly next-level art. Go ahead and add this to your list of styles to try next.

18

These Braids Wrapped in a Scarf

This scarf style looks *chef's kiss* on ultra-long hair. To wrap your braids up super high, take a stretchy satin head wrap, place the middle around the back of your head, and bring both ends forward. Then, crisscross the scarf to wrap the rest of the material around the base of your pony, and tuck in the loose ends.

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19

Half-Up Braided Hairstyle

When you want to change things up, pull a few of your braids back in a half-up, half-down hairstyle for a style that gives your overall look a whole new vibe.

20

This Stitch Braid Ponytail

With the millions of ways to wear a braided ponytail, why stick with the same one each time? If you like this look, try some stitch braids and some smaller braids in between to spice things up.

Headshot of Ama Kwarteng
Ama Kwarteng
Ama Kwarteng was previously the associate beauty editor at Cosmopolitan.
Headshot of Brooke Shunatona

Brooke Shunatona is a contributing writer for Cosmopolitan.com.

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