Double Drawn vs Single Drawn: Which Sells Better?

Draw ratio is one of the most misunderstood specifications in the hair wholesale business. Get it wrong and you'll either overpay for inventory or disappoint clients expecting thick tips. Here's what these terms actually mean — and which to stock for your market.

Human hair naturally tapers — it's thicker at the root and thinner at the tip. A single-drawn bundle preserves this natural taper. If you buy a 100g single-drawn 20-inch bundle, maybe 70% of the hairs are close to the full 20 inches, 20% are shorter, and 10% are shorter still.

A double-drawn bundle has had the shorter hairs removed by hand — twice, hence 'double drawn'. The result is a bundle where 70–80% of hairs are at or near the full stated length, with a much thicker, fuller tip. A 100g double-drawn bundle looks and feels significantly denser than 100g single-drawn at the same length.

Super double drawn (or 'triple drawn') pushes this further — 90%+ of hairs at full length. This is the most expensive and most uniform option.

Expect to pay 30–45% more for double-drawn compared to single-drawn at the same length and texture. Super double-drawn adds another 20–30% on top of that.

This price difference exists because removing short hairs is labor-intensive — it's done by hand at the factory. And because removing short hairs reduces the total weight of the bundle, more raw hair is needed to hit the target weight.

In the Nigerian market and most of West Africa, double-drawn is the dominant expectation for premium bundles. Clients associate fullness at the tips with quality — and they're right. A single-drawn 20-inch install with tapered tips can look flat 3 months in.

In the UK and US salon markets, single-drawn raw hair has a loyal following among stylists who value the natural movement and taper. It blends more seamlessly with natural hair for certain techniques.

For budget-conscious markets and braiding products, single-drawn is the sensible choice — the taper doesn't matter for braiding applications, and the price advantage is significant.

Open a bundle and pull out 20–30 random hairs. Align them and measure. In a true double-drawn 20-inch bundle, at least 70% of those hairs should measure 18–20 inches. If you're seeing lots of 12–14 inch hairs mixed in, you have a single-drawn (or mislabeled) product.

You can also feel the difference: hold the bundle by the weft and run your hand down. A double-drawn bundle stays consistently thick to the tip. A single-drawn bundle noticeably narrows below the midpoint.