Hair bands for women in knit, bouclé and fleece

These are the soft bands, the ones that stretch around the head instead of gripping it. Knit, bouclé and fleece are the three surfaces you'll find here, each with its own way of sitting against the skin. Because there is no rigid frame, the fit depends entirely on how much the fabric gives, so that is the thing to check first.

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Hair band or alice band: two different kinds of hold

An alice band keeps its shape and grips behind the ears, so it stays exactly where you put it. A fabric band works the other way round: it stretches, follows the shape of the head and relies on tension rather than pressure. That makes it kinder behind the ears, and it lifts off without the dent an alice band tends to leave. If firm hold is what you're after, look at our rigid alice bands instead.

Matching hair bands to your hair type

Hold is not the same problem for everyone. What slips on one head grips perfectly well on another, so start from your own hair rather than from the look.

What to look for according to hair type
Fine, slippery hairA textured surface such as bouclé holds better than a flat, smooth one.
Thick or curly hairThe band needs real give; otherwise it rides up over the course of the day.
Short hair or a bobA narrower band sits cleanly without swallowing the shape of the cut.

Keeping the hair underneath in shape

Push the band on from the front and it drags the hairline back; roll it on from the back of the head and the fringe stays where it was. Worn a little further back, past the hairline, it holds the volume without flattening it. When the band comes off at the end of the day, the hair usually falls back on its own.

For tying the length rather than framing the face, you want a different accessory altogether. Our fabric scrunchies gather a ponytail without the crease a plain elastic leaves behind. Width and stretch vary from model to model, so check the page of the band you have in mind.