Kandi bracelets are beaded bracelets, usually strung from pony beads, that ravers make and trade at shows and festivals. They often spell out a word or phrase in letter beads. You trade them with the PLUR handshake, and by custom the kandi on your right arm is up for trade while the kandi on your left arm is kept.
"EDM Life" 13pc Pre-Made Kandi Bracelets
What is kandi?
Kandi is the beadwork itself: single bracelets, cuffs made of several rows of beads, necklaces, and anything else built the same way. It is part of US rave culture, and kandi kids is the name for people in the trading scene.
The name is often traced to the candy necklace, since kandi and candy sound the same. Kandi bracelets started showing up in the Southern California rave scene in the early 1990s, and they may have grown out of friendship bracelets, which are also handmade and swapped to mark a friendship. The same style of bracelet, under the name friendship bracelets, has been traded at Taylor Swift shows in the 2020s.
What does kandi mean?
Trading guides describe kandi as a way to mark a connection with someone, with each piece holding a memory of the moment it was traded. Lettered beads let you put a word on that, whether it is a name, an inside joke or a phrase from the night.
"Good Vibes" 13pc Pre-Made Kandi Bracelets
How do you trade kandi?
With the PLUR handshake, one step for each letter of peace, love, unity and respect. Some people say the words as they go.
- Peace. Each of you makes a peace sign and you touch fingertips.
- Love. Each of you makes half of a heart with one hand, and the two halves join into one heart.
- Unity. Clasp hands.
- Respect. With your fingers still clasped, use your free hand to move a bracelet across to the other person, one at a time.
A hug often follows.
Which arm is kandi for trading?
The right. Bracelets on the right arm are available to trade, and bracelets on the left arm are not. If someone offers you a bracelet, take one from their right arm, or let them choose. If you are invited to pick, ask whether any pieces are off limits.
What is kandi etiquette?
A few customs come up again and again in kandi trading guides:
- Make a connection before you trade. Walking up to a stranger only to ask for kandi misses the point of the swap.
- Do not ask for a specific piece unless the other person offers you a choice.
- Keep the kandi you are given, and never trade away a piece someone made specially for you.
- If you have no kandi with you, it is fine to offer something else.
- Make the kind of kandi you would like to receive.
How many kandi bracelets should I bring?
Our suggestion is to bring more than you expect to need, because you cannot trade what you have already given away. Wear the ones you are happy to trade on your right arm, and keep any you want to hold on to on your left so nobody takes one by mistake. Kandi can also help start a conversation with someone new.
Is it okay to buy kandi?
Yes, though it helps to know the tradition. Kandi is traditionally handmade, and some ravers feel store-bought pieces take away from what a trade means. So we suggest using a pre-made pack the way it works best: as a starting stash for your first show, so you have something on your right arm to trade back, and making your own as soon as you can.
Our pre-made packs come in themes, including Good Vibes and EDM Life. Each listing describes a pack of bracelets in 7mm pony beads on stretchy thread, with a mix of colors and phrases, and says every pack is different.
How do you make kandi bracelets?
You need beads, elastic string and a pair of scissors. For a first bracelet, a single strand is the simplest:
- Cut a length of string long enough to go round your wrist with plenty spare for a knot.
- Thread on your beads, adding letter beads for a word or a name.
- Check the strand fits over your hand and sits comfortably on your wrist before you tie it.
- Tie the ends together with a tight knot and trim the spare string.
Our Kandi Bead Kit comes in Bold and Pastel. Its listing describes string and 9mm silicone round beads in a carry case, so you can make kandi on the go.
What is a kandi cuff?
A cuff is any kandi bracelet made with more than one row of beads. Cuffs are built with stitches, and the three most common are multistitch, flat peyote and x base.
What else can kandi go on?
Beadwork goes well beyond the wrist. Perlers are made from small beads that fuse together when heated, often shaped into characters, symbols or patterns and worn as necklaces, and some ravers make whole outfits out of kandi beads.
We carry the Kandi Crush bead top, a bralette with blue and pink bead strands, cascading beads and a lobster-claw closure, listed as one size that fits many.
Kandi Crush Women's Blue/Pink Bead Top
For the rest of the outfit, see our guide to what to wear to a rave, or our guide for men.
Common questions
Do I have to trade if someone offers?
Trading is a custom, not a rule. Many ravers simply give kandi away, and it is fine to offer something back that is not kandi.
Can I trade away kandi someone gave me?
Etiquette guides advise against it, especially for a piece made specially for you. That is what the left arm is for.
Where do I find kandi supplies?
Our pre-made packs and the bead kit are in stock now, alongside the rest of our rave accessories.
