The sleek braided ponytail is everywhere, and for good reason. Ponytails offer what some call an instant facelift and look great with everything from athleisure-wear to elegant ensembles. In the case of the braided ponytail, instead of letting the hair flow freely (which we love too), braiding the hair’s length is an opportunity to play with texture and even color depending on the look you’re going for. You may think the braided ponytail only has a few creative tricks, but we’ve rounded up 40 inspiring looks. You can recreate them at home or show your stylist for reference at your next appointment. See below for some seriously unique ponytail braids.
Butt-Length Braid
A Braided Quad
This braided side ponytail with burnt ends is bringing the beauty staples of the ’90s to the present. If a long, single braid isn’t your style, try this look.
Low Side Braid
Sade Adu is the queen of minimalistic beauty. Her simple braid, red lip, and hoop earring look from the ’80s is still mimicked years after its iconic debut.
Jumbo Braid Ponytail
Rocking a braided ponytail isn’t one-size-fits-all. Go big and give a jumbo braid a try.
Low Side Braid
Alissa Ashley’s braided look pays homage to Sade. To add your spin, try what Ashley did here and subtly style your edges.
Ribbon Adorned Braided Ponytail
To add some spark to a classic, try braiding in or wrapping ribbon into your braid. If you’re feeling especially creative, you can match your ribbon to your outfits or stick with a monochromatic aesthetic to ensure your accessories always match your outfits.
Loose Ponytail Braid
To add some texture to your braid, leave the ends of your braid loose. To get a wavy look, apply mousse to the length of the hair as your braid, let it set overnight, unravel the ends once they’re dry, and apply a band seal the ends.
Classic Braided Ponytail
You keep it minimal with a braided ponytail, and Tracee Ellis Ross shows us how. Accentuate your eyes and brows to bring your hairstyle full circle.
Colorful Ponytail Braid
Adding color can take any look up a notch. Colorful clips and braided hair lets you wear your bright personality on your sleeve, so to speak.
Banded Ponytail
Trying something new with your hair is always fun, and this banded ponytail creates the illusion of a twisted-braided style.
Red Braided Ponytail
Adding a bright hair color with dark hair at your roots can make a style pop. The styled baby hair, wrapped braided hair, and jumbo braid makes this version of a braided ponytail a showstopper.
Low Braided Ponytail
If you look closely, you can see that Dascha Polanco’s braid is braided with a small braid intertwined to add texture along with the blunt ends.
A Classic Braided Ponytail
Simple hair offers an opportunity to play up your favorite features. Here we see a winged eyeliner look with lashes to bring the look full circle.
Curly Braided Ponytail
When adding extensions to a braid, Kanekalon is the top choice. However, if you have natural hair, seek out extensions that mimic your natural curl, as shown here.
Jeweled Braided Ponytail
Adding jewels to your natural hair braided into a ponytail is a small touch that can make a big impact.
Floor Length Ponytail
Ponytails have no length limit, and this ponytail proves just that. Adding braiding string created a curl-like look that is likely easy to recreate after some trial and error.
Multi-Look Ponytail
This look merges a few beauty dos, which is what we love to see. Here, Amore used her creativity to craft a look that is one-of-a-kind.
Fishtail Braided Ponytail
Try a fishtail braid to switch up your go-to braiding technique, and add some bling to the braid or crown of your head.
Mystical Adorned Braided Ponytail
Hair is personal, and accessories offer an opportunity to light up your look and share who you are at the same time.
Jeweled Braided Ponytail
The bejeweled clips and bobby pins in this look are a reminder that a seemingly simple accessory adds glam in seconds.
Scarf Braided Ponytail
Adding color with scarfs is an innovative way to style a style the feels like it is one note. For tips and tricks, YouTube is your beauty best friend.
Whimsical Braided Ponytail
This whimsical ponytail is a must-try if you love to incorporate color into your looks. It may take a few tries to get the right mix of the ombré, but it will be worth the experimentation.
Side Halo Braided Ponytail
If you want a more relaxed look, try a halo braid with the length braided into a side braid.
Braided Ponytail
Welcome to the ’90s. We love a good throwback with a mix of textures. Since this is a protective style, be sure to keep your edges and scalp hydrated.
Braided Ponytail Bun
Jennifer Lopez knows how to do an updo. The middle part and braided bun-like length make this ponytail a hybrid we can’t wait to recreate.
Braid Wrap Braided Ponytail
This long braid has a detail that we love—twisted hair around the ponytail holder a couple of shades lighter than the ponytail. These little details make this style your own.
Braided Ponytail with Volume
Shay Mitchell’s ponytail has a detail that isn’t always seen with a braided ponytail: volume.
Jumbo Waist-Length Ponytail
Creating a jumbo ponytail requires a sleek, firm base. Once your hair is secured, be sure to keep a piece of loose hair available to wrap around the base of your ponytail.
Bow Ponytail
If you want to try something a little different than the typical ponytail, try a bow. Skai Jackon’s bow shows the versatility of ponytail and box braids.
Highlighted Jumbo Braid
Even if your hair isn’t highlighted, that doesn’t mean you can’t add color with braiding hair. Intertwine chocolate braiding hair with hair in your natural color to add definition without permanent color commitment.
Multi-Braid Ponytail
Placing several small braids into a high ponytail gives this beloved style new life. Take things a step further by adding gold or metallic braiding string to your braids.
Jumbo Side Ponytail
Go high or low with your braided pony. Either way, the style will elevate a look for any occasion.
