Which Size Scrunchie? And Why Yours Keeps Falling Out
We are asked this more than anything else, usually in a slightly exasperated tone, and the answer is almost never the one people expect.
If your scrunchie slips out, stretches, or leaves your ponytail sliding down your back by lunchtime, changing fabric will not fix it. Two other things decide whether a scrunchie holds, and hardly anybody writes about either.
First: the elastic
A scrunchie is a tube of fabric gathered onto a band. The fabric is what you see. The elastic is what does the work.
Almost every scrunchie sold uses a narrow, soft elastic. It is cheaper, and it is considerably easier to thread through a tube of slippery satin. It also loses its grip quickly. Narrow elastic stretches out, stops recovering, and slides.
We use a wide elastic in everything we make. It takes longer, it uses more material, and it is the single most common thing people write to thank us for — usually sounding rather surprised.
Some people do prefer a gentler hold, particularly for sleeping or for very fine hair that a firm band can mark. So we keep a thinner, stretchier elastic and will make yours with that instead — just add a note to your order at checkout.
But that is the real choice. It is between two elastics, not between silk and satin.
Second: the size
The other half of the answer, and the simpler one.
Everything we make comes in Regular and XL. The XL takes almost twice the fabric, which means almost twice the gather and considerably more band in play.
A regular scrunchie on thick or long hair is being asked to do more than it can. It stretches near its limit all day, which is exactly when elastic gives up. An oversized one holds the same hair without straining, so it keeps its grip and lasts far longer.
If your scrunchies keep slipping, try the larger size before you try a different fabric. It solves it more often than not.
By hair type
Thick or very long hair — XL, in almost anything. This is the clearest case. If you have been using regular scrunchies and finding they stretch out within a month, that is why.
Curly hair — XL, and we would suggest velvet or a good cotton over satin. Curls need a band that grips without being tightened hard, because tightening is what causes damage at the ponytail. Velvet's pile holds gently. Satin needs more tension to stay put, which rather defeats the object.
Fine hair — this is the frustrating one, because fine hair defeats most scrunchies. Satin is often the worst choice: it is smooth on both sides, so there is nothing to hold against. Velvet is the answer. The pile grips where satin slides. Regular size, and consider the thin elastic if you find a firm band leaves a mark.
Hair you're growing out, or a fringe pinned back — regular, in a cotton. You want something that will sit for hours without pulling.
For sleeping — satin, and the thin elastic. This is where fabric genuinely matters most: less friction over seven hours means noticeably less kink by morning. Loosely tied, high on the head.
Quick reference
| Your hair | Size | Fabric | Elastic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thick or long | XL | Any | Wide |
| Curly | XL | Velvet or cotton | Wide |
| Fine | Regular | Velvet | Thin if it marks |
| Fine and long | XL | Velvet | Wide |
| For sleeping | Either | Satin | Thin |
| Everyday, no trouble | Regular | Whatever you like best | Wide |
What size actually is ours
Our regular scrunchies measure roughly 14–15 cm across when laid flat. The XL is substantially larger, and looks it — an XL is meant to be seen as well as to hold.
We give real measurements because "large" means very little on its own, and because a scrunchie that arrives smaller than you pictured is a small disappointment we would rather avoid.
If you are still not sure
Do get in touch and tell us about your hair. We can make almost anything to order — a different size, a different elastic, both — and we would far rather send you something that works than something that goes in a drawer.