Lace & Density
Lace size decides where you can part the hair and whether it goes up. Density decides how much hair is on the cap. Neither is a quality grade, and the two get confused constantly.
These are the two numbers on every listing in this category and they measure completely different things. Lace is a shape. Density is a volume. A 13x6 wig is not better than a 13x4, and a 250% wig is not better than a 200%; they do different jobs.
Lace: where the parting can go
The lace panel is the transparent base that sits against your skin and carries the hairline. Its size decides how far back you can part and how the hair falls at the front.
| Lace | What it is | What it lets you do | In this range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13x4 lace front | 13 inches across the front, 4 inches deep | Part anywhere along the front. Side parts and a shallow middle part sit flat | 10 wigs |
| 13x6 lace front | The same width, two inches deeper | A deep middle part, and the front can be pulled back without exposing the cap | 4 wigs |
| 5x5 closure | A 5 inch square at the crown | A central part only. Less lace to cut and tint, so the quickest install | 6 wig |
| 360 lace | Lace around the entire perimeter | The only construction here that takes a high ponytail or a full updo | 7 wigs |
If you wear your hair down and part it in the same place every day, a 13x4 is all the lace you need and you will spend less time on it. If you change your parting, or you want the hair up, pay for the larger lace.
Density: how much hair is on it
Density is expressed against a natural head of hair, which sits at about 100%. A wig at 150% looks like natural hair. Everything in this range is well above that, because the look this category sells is deliberately fuller than natural.
| Density | Reads as | Best at | In this range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200% | Full, still believable as your own | Every length. The safest choice if you are unsure | 4 wigs |
| 220% | Full with body through the ends | Long lengths, where thin ends would show | 7 wigs |
| 250% | Thick and deliberately dramatic | Photographs, events, and anyone who wants the volume obvious | 16 wigs |
The trade nobody mentions
Higher density is heavier and hotter. At 250% and 30 inches you are wearing a noticeable amount of hair, and on a long day in summer you will know it. It also takes longer to dry and uses more product. None of that is a reason to avoid it, but it is worth choosing deliberately rather than assuming the bigger number is the better wig.
Next: the first install guide covers getting it on without adhesive, and the length guide settles the inches.