How Many Wefts (and Colours) Do You Actually Need?
If you’ve ever stared at a hair extension website with ten tabs open trying to figure out whether you need 100 grams or 160, one colour or three, you’re not alone. Weft extensions are sold a little differently than clip-ins, and the “right” amount really does depend on your hair and your goals. Here’s everything you need to order with confidence.
First, Know Your Two Key Numbers
Before you even look at colours, you need two measurements:
Your head circumference — measured around the hairline where the tracks will sit (roughly at the occipital bone, a couple inches above the nape). This determines how many tracks/wefts you’ll need and how long each weft should be to wrap fully around without overlapping awkwardly.
Your desired length and fullness level — this is the bigger factor in how much hair (by weight) you’ll need.
How Much Weight Do You Actually Need?
BHS extensions are sold by weight (20 grams) rather than by “set,” because fullness is so personal. Here’s a general guideline most clients work from:
Natural, everyday fullness: 80–120 grams
Medium volume (a noticeable dramatic boost): 120–160 grams
Maximum volume / red-carpet fullness: 160–200+ grams
A few things shift these numbers:
Longer lengths need more weight. A 22″ set will need 15–25% more hair than a 18″ set to achieve the same fullness, simply because each weft carries more hair per strand.
Fine or thin natural hair usually looks best starting at the lower end of these ranges, since too much weight can create visible bulk and an unnatural look.
Thick natural hair can often go straight to the medium or max range without looking unnatural, since it has more hair to blend with.
A good rule of thumb is 6–8 wefts total for a full head, varying in width to fit comfortably around the head shape.
Now, Let’s Talk Colour
This is where most people get stuck, so let’s break it down by hair type.
If your hair is one solid, natural colour: You likely just need a single colour match. Hold a mirror up to your hair in natural daylight (not under indoor lighting, which can wash out warmth or coolness), and match it to your mid-shaft to ends — not your roots, which are often a shade or two darker than the rest of your hair.
If you have highlights, balayage, or any dimension: Plan on 2–3 colours blended. A common approach:
One shade matching your darker base/root area
One or two shades matching your lighter pieces or ends
These are typically mixed by alternating or layering wefts of each colour so the dimension reads naturally rather than as solid blocks
If you’re doing a “rooted” or shadow-root look: Look for wefts that already come pre-blended with a darker root fading into a lighter length or order a small amount (around 20–30 grams) of a root-matching shade to place closest to your natural hairline, with the rest of your set in the lighter, lived-in tone.
A Few Ordering Tips That Save Headaches Later
Order roughly 10% extra hair if you’re blending two or more colours — it’s much easier to have a little leftover than to reorder mid-project and risk not having enough. And if you’re between two colours, sizing down (cooler/lighter) is usually safer than sizing up since toning hair darker is far easier than lightening it later.
With your circumference, your fullness goal, and your colour match in hand, you’ve got everything you need to check out with confidence — no guessing, no back-and-forth required.
Still Not Sure? Let Us Take the Guesswork Out
If you’d rather not crunch the numbers yourself, we’ve got you. Fill out our Extension Matchmaker quiz and we’ll help narrow down your grams, wefts, and colour blend based on your hair and your goals.
Prefer a hands-on approach? Book a consultation with one of our stylists — we carry every colour in store, ready for you to try on and buy in person.
Can’t make it into the store? No problem — just be sure to follow the photo instructions in the Matchmaker guide when you send us your photos, so we can match your colour as accurately as possible from a distance.
