The short version
Buy a 13x4 if you want to change how you part your hair, sweep it across your forehead, or wear a middle part. Buy a 4x4 if you wear the same part every day and you would rather spend the money on better hair instead of cap construction.
That is the whole difference. Here's why it matters.
What the numbers mean
The first number is the width of the lace — how far it wraps from ear to ear around the front of your head. The second is the parting depth — how far back the lace extends from your forehead.
So a 13x4 has a 13-inch lace strip across the front with 4 inches of depth. A 4x4 closure has a 4-inch square of lace at the front, and the rest of the cap is wefted hair.
Side by side
| 13x4 lace front | 4x4 closure | |
|---|---|---|
| Lace coverage | 13 in wide, 4 in deep | 4 in × 4 in only |
| Cap construction | Lace front, wefted sides and back | Small lace square, rest fully wefted |
| Side part | Yes, any depth | Shallow only |
| Middle part | Clean, and you can move it | Clean but fixed |
| Swept across forehead | Yes | Limited |
| Ponytail | Back of head only | No |
| Price | Higher | Lower |
| Install time | Same | Same |
Where they look identical
On a mannequin, with a side part, in a photo with a filter: they are almost impossible to tell apart. That's precisely why people get disappointed. The difference only shows up when you try to change your part.
With a 4x4, the parting is a fixed square of lace 4 inches wide. You can move it a little. You can't sweep it across your forehead and you can't do a proper middle part that you change the position of next week. With a 13x4, you have a 13-inch lace strip, which is enough to part on the side and sweep the front across.
Where the money goes
A 13x4 costs more than a 4x4 because of the hand work: ventilating a 13-inch lace front and hand-tying the knots takes longer than wefting a smaller area. But here's the thing — if you are spending £60–120 on a wig anyway, the smart move for a first purchase is usually a 4x4 and putting the difference into a better texture or a longer length.
The only people who should pay for the 13x4 on a first purchase are the people who know they want to change their part.
Who should buy which
Buy a 4x4 closure if…
- This is your first wig
- You wear a middle part and always have
- You want the lowest price on a good texture
- You mostly wear your hair down and straight
- You're buying in a colour you might want to change later — closures are cheaper to experiment with
Buy a 13x4 lace front if…
- You want the option to change your part
- You want to sweep hair across your forehead or do curtain bangs
- You want the flexibility to wear it up in a half-up style
- You've worn wigs before and know what you like
- You want one wig that handles most looks, rather than buying several
And the other two options
For context, because you'll see them everywhere:
- 13x6 — same 13-inch width, 6 inches of depth. Worth the extra money if you specifically want deep side parts or hair pulled fully back off your face. See our full lace size comparison.
- Full lace — lace across the entire cap. Part anywhere, pull it into a ponytail, style it 360°. This is the only construction that makes a high ponytail possible. It's also the most expensive because of the hand work.
What about HD lace?
HD lace is a separate axis from size. It describes how thin the lace is, not how big it is. HD lace is about 0.8 mm versus roughly 1.5 mm for standard Swiss lace, which makes it much less visible — especially with a middle part or under a camera.
Size decides how much you can style. Lace type decides how invisible it is. You can have a 13x4 in HD lace, and that's what we make.
The one-minute decision
- Same part every day? → 4x4
- Want to change your part? → 13x4
- Want a ponytail? → full lace
- Want deep side parts? → 13x6
- First wig ever? → 4x4 closure, glueless, in 180% density