15 of the best hair products we've tested
These are some of our favorites—here's why they should be yours.
Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
Products are chosen independently by our editors. Purchases made through our links may earn us a commission.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge said it best in Fleabag: "Hair is everything. We wish it wasn't, so we could actually think about something else occasionally, but it is." Trying to find the best products that work for your hair takes time and effort, time that most of us aren't willing to give up. Luckily, our product testers have put in a lot of hours testing hair products so you can feel free to think about something else occasionally.
Here are some of our tried and tested favorite hair products for styling, drying, removing, washing, and any other hair related activity in between.
Hair styling tools
1. The hair dryer and volumizer we want to marry
This cult favorite will be yours, too.
We tested the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer and immediately fell in love with it, and you will too. This hair dryer/volumizer is intended to remove extra steps from your daily hair routine by allowing you to dry and style your hair all in one go. The ionizing brush allows you to straighten and slightly curl the ends of your hair as you dry, and provides a finished, sleek style upon drying. Our reviewer was deeply invested in this product and she's not alone—the brush has 4.5 stars and nearly 85,000 ratings on Amazon.
Get the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer from Amazon for $41.99
2. The best hair dryer we've tested so far
It'll blow you away.
The Bio Ionic GrapheneMX Professional Dryer is an extremely powerful hair dryer and if all you want is to dry your hair with minimal styling before leaving the house or hopping into bed, our tester claims it can do that in less than five minutes. That's a tall claim, but this high-powered dryer stood out against others we tested for its powerful airflow. It's lightweight, low-volume, and straightened hair very effectively.
Get the Bio Ionic GrapheneMX Professional Dryer from Walmart for $188.99
3. The detangling brush of your dreams
No tangles? No problem.
If your hair is thick, coily, and has a tight curl, the EZ Detangler Brush is the detangling brush for you. We tested out this brush earlier this year and our reviewer said the brush cut her wash day routine in half, taking away 15 minutes of detangling. If you have natural hair and you're looking for an easy-to-use product to add to your wash day routine, this brush is the one for you.
Get the EZ Detangler Brush for $16.95
4. The flat-iron of your middle school scene kid dreams
whispers It's so pretty.
Regardless of your hair texture, having a flat iron that preserves moisture and shine is key, and this flat iron from Hot Tools was the best one we tested. With an extremely long cord for ease of use and a rounded edge perfect for curling, this flat iron is a great example of how small details can really affect the quality of a product. Every aspect of this hair tool has been paid attention to, and simple things—like noise alerts for when the iron reaches the temperature you want—elevated it above all the others we tried.
Get the Hot Tools HT7122BG Professional Black Gold Micro-Shine Flat Iron from Amazon for $119.99
5. A truly magic curling wand
Become a hair warlock.
This curling iron heats up in 6 seconds—you read that right. Of all the curling wands we tested, the GHD Curve Creative Curl Wand won the day for its cool-tip end that prevented burning and its well-placed kickstand that kept it from rolling around. The iron also automatically shuts off after 30 minutes, so you won't have to worry about the gut-wrenching feeling of realizing you left the house without having turned off your curling wand. If you're looking to upgrade your hair routine, this is the product for you.
Get the GHD Curve Creative Curl Wand from Sephora for $199.99
Hair cleaning and styling products
6. The shampoo and conditioner replacement of your dreams
New Wash for a new look.
If you're looking for a solution for your over-treated, overworked hair that gives your hair a break and restores the natural defenses harsh products might have stripped down, look no further. Hairstory is the product we recommend buying if you have hair—period. Our reviewer tested this product as a last resort for her dry, damaged hair and saw immediate results. Hairstory New Wash is intended to replace your shampoo and conditioning routine with a single product that cleanses your hair and helps you to rebuild the oil structures your hair needs to stay healthy. You can purchase Hairstory as a subscription and the New Wash product comes in three different types depending on your hair type.
Get the Hairstory New Wash Cleanser from Hairstory for $40.00
7. The product that saved our reviewer $700 on pro-stylist treatments
The Mane Choice will become your main choice.
If you have natural hair and are looking for a way to cut down on styling and promote growth, this leave-in conditioner is the product for you. Our reviewer used this product for two months and noticed several inches of hair growth. The Mane Choice is Black-owned and formulated specifically to improve and co-wash natural hair using a blend of moisturizing ingredients like aloe, avocado oil, and vitamin E. Our reviewer noted that the conditioner helped her remove excess oil and hydrated her hair to the point that she was able to save money by spending less time at the salon.
Get the Mane Choice: 3-in-1 Revitalize & Refresh Conditioner from Amazon for $13.80
8. The shampoo you need if you've ever wanted to look like Topanga
Happy purple packaging.
If you're anything like our reviewer, and you've wanted Topanga's long, wavy hair since you were a kid, you need this haircare product in your life. It was developed by Boy Meets World's Topanga herself, Danielle Fishel. The Be Free by Danielle Fishel shampoo comes free of harsh chemicals and is color-safe and cruelty free, so you can feel good about this simple, effective product that, according to our reviewer, smells absolutely incredible. Check out this shampoo if you want a product that's safe for dyed hair and can give you a little more volume.
Get the Be Free Total Package Combo from Be Free by Danielle Fishel for $60
9. The best dry shampoo we've tried
Spray the grease away.
Dry shampoo can feel like a gamble. If the formula isn't right, it can clog and further dirty your hair, not serving as the saving grace in your routine it's meant to be. However, this dry shampoo by Dove is everything we've ever wanted in a dry shampoo. Among all those we tested, the Dove Refresh and Care Dry Shampoo was closest to the fresh feel of washed hair and didn't weigh down our hair when we tried it out.
Get the Dove Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo from Target for $4.89
10. The best sustainable shampoo and conditioner we've tested
Their aesthetic alone makes it worth it.
People tend to balk at changing up their haircare routine, for the reasons Phoebe Waller-Bridge mentioned above. Switching over to sustainable beauty products can be a bit trial and error, but luckily we tried out by Humankind products so you don't have to scrounge through thousands of different sustainable haircare products. The by Humankind hair shampoo and conditioner bars offer a great, package-free alternative to non-sustainable haircare. According to our reviewer, the shampoo bar lathers well, which is an occasional criticism of sustainable shampoo bars, and all of the packaging is compostable. If you want to take care of your hair but avoid accumulating a lot of plastic packaging, this is the product for you.
Get the by Humankind Shampoo starting at $15
Hair removal products
11. A game-changing facial hair remover
Put the finishing touches on your face.
If you're not a fan of cream-based products or waxing, investing in an electronic facial hair remover is a great move. We tried out the Finishing Touch Flawless hair remover to see if it was worth the hype, and the answer was a resounding yes, yes it is. This easy-to-use, non-irritating hair remover can be used on all skin types and is easy to clean. It's also delightfully affordable, so grab it while you can!
Get the Finishing Touch Flawless Women's Painless Hair Remover from Amazon for $19.88
12. A manscaper's dream of a product line
If you're a fan of puns and manscaping this the product line for you.
Manscaped is a startup that offers manscaping solutions in the form of razors, replacement razors, and more. We tested out their products and settled on the Lawn Mower 3.0 as our favorite. It's quiet, contains a headlight, and holds a charge for a longer amount of time. The company has several packages available, among them the Perfect Package 3.0, which offers a lot of its products at a reduced price. If you're passionate about body grooming and want high-power products to incorporate into your daily routine, Manscaped is the way to go.
Get the Manscaped Lawn Mower 3.0 at Amazon for $69.99
13. The razors everyone's talking about
The affordable razor you've been waiting for.
Billie seems too good to be true. It's extremely well-packaged and very efficient. What's more, it's seriously cheap. Seriously. We tried out the Billie razor earlier this year and stand by our claim that, especially for the price, this is a top-notch product that can't be beat. Billie offers razors in the form of a subscription service that allows you to get a certain amount of replacement blades after the initial purchase. You can also buy Billie shaving cream, which our reviewer highly recommended even though she didn't normally include shave cream in her shaving routine.
Get the Billie razor subscription starting at $9
14. These petite facial razors that are too cute not to buy
Look how cute!
Tiny items are better items, and if you've ever been interested in the dermaplaning craze then these are the razors for you. We included these in a roundup of weird products people swear by, and at the price they're definitely worth checking out if you want to precisely remove small hairs and peach fuzz around your face but don't want to invest in a salon trip. One of our editors swears by these tiny razors, saying they've changed the way she shaves her lip hair.
Get the Schlick Touch Up Multipurpose Dermaplaning Tool at Amazon for $4.99
15. The best beard trimmer we've tried out
A respected razor from a respected brand.
If you're looking for a beard trimmer upgrade, especially as we roll toward the colder months, look no further. The Wahl Lithium Ion+ Stainless Steel Grooming Kit is elegant and offers great battery life and a high-quality trim that you can replicate again and again. When we tested it, our team noted the precision of the blade movement and sleek, travel ready design. Whether you're buying for yourself or grabbing early holiday gifts, this beard trimmer would be a great purchase.
Get the Wahl Lithium Ion+ Stainless Steel Grooming Kit from Amazon for $59.83