[en] An empirical relation is presented which allows simple computation of volume-averaged winding fields from central fields for coils of small rectangular cross sections. This relation suggests that, in certain applications, ac-loss minimization can be accomplished by use of low winding densities, provided that hysteresis losses are independent of winding density. ac-loss measurements on coils wound of twisted multifilamentary composite superconductors show no significant dependence of ac losses on winding density, thus permitting the use of winding density as an independent design parameter in loss minimization