Quick answer
The best braces colours are navy blue (88/100), dark purple (87), black (84) and dark blue (84). They make teeth look whiter and they hide stains. For a brighter look, purple and royal blue are the best of the bold colours.
How we ranked the colours
Most "best braces colours" lists are a writer's favourites. This one uses two scores we publish for every colour, so you can check the maths.
- Tooth Brightness Index (60% of the score). How much whiter the colour makes the tooth beside it look, calculated from the colour's lightness and hue against four real tooth shades.
- Stain resistance (40%). The opposite of stain risk. Light, pale bands show coffee, curry and cola quickly; dark and saturated bands hide them.
Overall score = 0.6 × Tooth Brightness Index + 0.4 × (100 − stain risk). Both inputs run from 0 to 100, so the overall score does too. How the Tooth Brightness Index works.
The 12 best braces colours
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Navy Blue
Deep and quiet. Navy is dark enough to make enamel look brighter but still reads as a colour, not black. More about navy blue braces.
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Dark Purple
A rich jewel tone that sits almost exactly opposite tooth yellow on the colour wheel. More about dark purple braces.
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Black
The darkest option. Very sharp contrast, though some people feel it can look like food from far away. More about black braces.
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Dark Blue
Brighter than navy with the same whitening effect. Reads clearly blue in photos. More about dark blue braces.
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Purple
A true violet. Popular because it is fun and still makes teeth look a little whiter. More about purple braces.
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Royal Blue
Saturated and cheerful. Still cool enough to help teeth look whiter. More about royal blue braces.
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Burgundy
Deep wine red. Dark enough to help teeth look whiter, with a warm and grown-up feel. More about burgundy braces.
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Blue
A classic mid blue. Friendly and easy to match with clothes. More about blue braces.
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Dark Green
Forest green. Darker greens avoid the food look and pair well with gold.
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Hot Pink
Bright and loud. Shows up clearly in photos and holds its colour better than light pink. More about hot pink braces.
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Gray
A darker neutral than silver. Quiet and stain-resistant.
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Teal
Blue-green and bold. Neutral on whiteness and great with warm and deep skin tones. More about teal braces.
The best colour for each goal
The overall ranking favours whiter-looking teeth. If you care more about something else, these are the picks. There are also guides for your skin tone and guys and girls.
| Your goal | Best pick | Also great |
|---|---|---|
| Whiter-looking teeth | Navy Blue | Dark Purple, Black |
| Bold and bright | Royal Blue | Purple, Hot Pink |
| Soft and pastel | Lavender | Light Blue, Pink |
| Barely noticeable | Silver | Gray |
| School or work photos | Navy Blue | Burgundy, Gray |
| Deeper skin tones | Teal | Royal Blue, Hot Pink |
| Coffee, tea or curry lovers | Dark Blue | Burgundy, Black |
The best two-colour combinations
Pairing a top-ranked colour with a lighter one gives you colour without losing the whitening effect. These three are popular for a reason.
The lowest-ranked colours
These five came last. None of them is forbidden, but each has a real downside worth knowing before you commit for six weeks. Each one has a better swap on the colours to avoid page.
- White (overall 0). Bright white bands make the enamel beside them look more yellow, and they stain quickly.
- Clear (overall 5). Almost invisible on day one, but clear bands absorb colour from food and drinks within days.
- Light Pink (overall 24). Very pale pink. Subtle, but it stains easily and can make teeth look slightly yellow.
- Mint (overall 27). Pale green-blue. Fresh looking, but light enough to stain and to make teeth look less white.
- Silver (overall 36). Blends with the metal brackets so braces look like one clean line.
Try it on your own smile
Spin the wheel, mix two colours and see the Tooth Brightness score live.
Common questions
What is the number one braces colour?
On our ranking it is navy blue, with an overall score of 88 out of 100. It makes teeth look whiter than any other colour and almost never shows stains. Dark purple is a very close second at 87.
What is the prettiest braces colour?
Prettiest is personal, but the colours people call pretty most often are purple, pink, light blue and teal. Purple is the best of those for your teeth because it also scores 65 on the Tooth Brightness Index.
What braces colours look best on girls?
Purple, pink, lavender, teal and navy are the most chosen. Pair a pastel with a darker shade, such as pink with purple, to keep a soft look while still helping teeth look white.
What braces colours look best on guys?
Navy, black, dark blue, dark green and gray are the most popular low-key choices. Team colours are the other favourite, and the picker can show any two colours alternating or split top and bottom.
Are pink braces a good choice?
Hot pink is a good choice: it is bold and holds its colour. Pale pink is fine for a few weeks but it stains easily and does little to make teeth look whiter, so pairing it with purple or navy works better.
What are the worst braces colours?
White, Clear, Light Pink, Mint, Silver rank lowest overall, mostly because light, pale bands stain quickly and make teeth look less white. Yellow and lime score zero for whitening but resist stains, so they sit just above them.
