Double Drawn vs Single Drawn Hair: What's the Difference?
The difference comes down to where the ends thin out. Double drawn hair is sorted until nearly every strand runs the full length of the bundle, so it stays thick and blunt to the tips. Single drawn hair keeps the natural spread of lengths a donor's head produces, so it is dense at the weft and tapers toward the ends, much like hair growing naturally.
What “drawn” refers to
Hair taken from a donor always contains a mix of lengths, long, medium and short together. Drawing is the sorting step that decides how many of the shorter strands stay in the finished bundle. It says nothing about the cuticle or whether the hair is raw. A bundle can be raw and single drawn, or Remy and double drawn; drawing and origin are separate questions.
Side by side
| Factor | Double Drawn | Single Drawn |
|---|---|---|
| Length consistency | Nearly all strands full length | Natural mix of lengths |
| Ends | Thick and blunt to the tips | Tapered, finer at the ends |
| Overall look | Full, uniform, dramatic | Natural, lived-in, softer |
| Weight | Heavier per bundle | Lighter per bundle |
| Labour | Hand-sorted over several passes | Minimal sorting |
| Relative price | Higher | More affordable |
| Bundles for a full look | Often fewer needed | May need an extra bundle |
Why double drawn costs more
That uniform thickness is hand-work. Sorters pull the shorter strands out and replace them with full-length ones, sometimes over several passes, and it takes more raw hair to build a bundle where every strand spans the whole length. You are paying for the labour and the extra material. The return is density: a double drawn install looks full from root to tip without stacking on extra bundles.
When single drawn is the smarter buy
- You want an undone, natural finish. Real hair tapers, and single drawn mimics that, which reads especially convincing in straight and body-wave textures.
- You want a lighter install. Less weight is kinder to your edges over long wear.
- You are on a budget but still want genuine cuticle-aligned hair. One extra bundle can close the fullness gap for less than the double drawn premium.
When double drawn earns its price
- Long lengths past 20 inches, where single drawn tapers most and thick ends matter most.
- High-density, dramatic styles you want from two bundles rather than four.
- Curly and coily textures, where full ends keep the pattern looking dense instead of wispy.
The verdict
Drawing tells you about thickness, not lifespan, so settle the cuticle question first. Confirm the hair is cuticle-aligned, then choose your drawing. A single drawn bundle of raw hair will outlast a double drawn bundle of stripped, silicone-coated hair every time. For sheer longevity plus fullness, raw, cuticle-aligned and double drawn together sits at the top of the range; for natural movement and value, single drawn raw hair is hard to beat. Read the case for unprocessed hair in why raw hair is worth the investment, then compare options across our human hair bundles and raw donor hair, or the full shop.