Box braids are one of the most popular protective styling options for African American women. While many women traditionally choose to wear their box braids long, short box braids are becoming increasingly popular among women that want a hairstyle that is easy to style, easy to wear, and super-low maintenance.
Short box braids can easily be styled to look just like a classic and classy bob or you can even have your natural hair braided into an easy-to-wear pixie cut.
Protective hair styling is essential for African American hair during the summer months when sweating, high humidity, and other water-based activities can wreak havoc on the hair and cause it to frizz. Short box braids pose the most popular no-nonsense solution to this problem.
Here are some of the chicest and most stylish short box braid styles. With so many ideas to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect style to suit you!
1. Short Box Braids with Cornrows
These short black box braids fall around the jawline and frame the cheeks and face. The style requires little daily maintenance and adds fullness around the sides of the face, making it a flattering option for women with a big nose who want to balance their facial proportions.
2. Cornrow Box Braid Bob
This short box braid bob pairs curved cornrows at the front with medium-sized braids swept neatly to the sides. It works well as a protective style, though the scalp needs regular moisturizing and the braids should be wrapped at night to control frizz. Keep the cornrows slightly loose around the hairline to avoid unnecessary tension on the edges.
3. Side-Swept Box Braids with Silver Accents
The graduated bob is a hairstyle famously revived by Victoria Beckham and now synonymous with chic, fashion-forward style. To create this style, ask your stylist to leave your braids short at the nape of your neck and then graduate them in length until they sit around two inches below your chin at the front.
4. Short Box Braids with Double Bun Detail
Purple braids on one side contrast with black braids on the other. A patterned headscarf wraps around the crown, and the short braids curve inward near the jaw.
5. Blonde Box Braid Bob
If you’re keen to protect your hair for the summer but don’t want the expense of adding box braid extensions then why not consider asking your stylist to create box braids from your natural hair, creating a short and sweet style?
6. Box Braid Half Ponytail
Small curled sections create a close rounded shape around the ears and nape. The short strands hang freely.
7. Side-Parted Box Braid Bob
If you don’t feel brave enough to experiment with a full head of color then remember that, when it comes to color, a little can go a long way. Choose your favorite shade and add just one or two braids of color throughout your hair: these will really stand out and pop and this is an easy way to give your short braids a fashion-forward edge.
8. Half-Up Box Braids with Copper Accents
Sweep a small group of the top braids to one side and secure them with a gold spiral cuff, leaving the rest of the jaw-length bob loose. Reddish-brown accent braids threaded through the black lengths add subtle contrast.
9. Microbraid Pixie with Side-Swept Bangs
Fine brown microbraids sweep diagonally across the forehead into short bangs. The close shape and pointed ends form a compact braided pixie.
10. Chic Box Braids with Central Parting
To ensure your braids look chic and modern, pull them into a slick central parting that even the most committed fashionista would be proud of. Central partings are ideal for showing off high foreheads, slender noses, and full lips: emphasize yours with a slick of lipstick to recreate this look.
11. Caramel Box Braid Bob
These caramel-brown braids hang loose from a side part, with a few front braids sweeping across the forehead, and finish in an even line at the jaw to create a rounded bob.
12. Short Chunky Box Braids
Ask your stylist for slim, tightly coiled twists cut into a rounded bob that sits at the jaw, with a center part and softly curled ends. If you want to experiment with color, try this warm mix of brown and golden tones.
13. Powder Pink Box Braid Bob
Pretty blush pink is a playful, eye-catching choice, and this hairstyle will certainly attract attention for all the right reasons. Much like blonde, pink hair will show the regrowth of your natural hair color relatively quickly. To prevent your style from looking tired, ask your stylist to weave some darker strands of hair into your braids, creating a subtle highlight effect, so that the braids blend more naturally.
14. Looped Half-Up Box Braids
For short box braids on a bob hairstyle, gather up the top half of the braids into a high ponytail.
15. Red and Black Box Braids
While the base of your box braids might be black, you can add a pop of color with a burnt shade of red.
16. Box Braid Bob with Silver Wraps
Manage thick hair in a better, more stylish way by going for short box braids. The front braids are given silver hair wraps for pretty contrast.
17. Layered Short Box Braids
This short box braid hairstyle tipped with beads has several shorter layers up top just to mix up the look.
18. Angled Brown Box Braid Bob
An asymmetrical bob focuses all the attention on the longer side of short box braids.
19. Jumbo Box Braids with Silver Spirals
Thick hair makes it easy to form these jumbo short box braids. Have your stylist put in different lengths to switch up a traditional style, then hook in a few silver hair beads.
20. Black-and-Blonde Box Braid Bob
Winding in blonde with black short box braids is a very edgy and gorgeous choice. Secure each end with black hair ties.
21. A-Line Box Braid Bob
While the longer pieces of a short box braided bob are in the front, the back is off the neck and out of the way.
22. Short Box Braids for Oval Face
On an oval face, go for box braids that include a deep side part. It won’t accentuate your face shape but will give your braids extra lift.
23. Blue Box Braids with Loose Ends
The loose straight and crimped ends on this short box braid style are what make the look. Just form four to five large braids on the head and braid them 3/4 of the way down.
24. Half-Up Peach Box Braids
The color on this short hairstyle is a mix between light brown and blonde with a hint of pink.
25. Short Twist Braids
These short twist braids are stunning for Black women who prefer a fuller look.
26. Center-Parted Burgundy Box Braid Bob
If your face has a fuller look to it, try these thinner box braids at a short length.
27. Chunky Copper-Brown Braid Bob
Placing your box braids at different levels around your head is an easy way to give character to a short box braid hairdo.
28. Chunky Golden Blonde Box Braids
A light blonde color that is somewhat yellow is super pretty on black box braids. Keep them short and add in a few silver hair cuffs.
29. Balayage Box Braids
Shoulder-length box braids transition from dark roots to caramel-blonde ends.
30. Curvy Short Box Braids
Short black box braids form an asymmetrical bob with a deep side part.
31. Copper Microbraid Pixie with Loose Ends
Short copper-brown box braids form a rounded pixie with loose braided bangs across the forehead.
32. Bead-Tipped Box-Braid Pixie
Short black box braids form a rounded pixie, with colorful beads attached to the front tips.
33. Center-Parted Box Braid Bob
Center-parted black box braids curve into a chin-length bob around the face.
34. Layered Box Braids
Chunky black box braids fall in mixed shoulder-length layers around the face.
35. Caramel Box Braids for Thin Hair
Center-parted shoulder-length box braids mix dark hair with caramel-toned strands.
