Best Overall

Olaplex No.10 Hair Gel

$30 at Sephora$30 at Ulta$30 at Jcpenney.com

Active Ingredients: Coconut-avocado milk, Olaplex Bond Building Technology| Hair type: Wavy, curly, coily hair, and fine, medium, or thick hair| Size: 6.7 oz| Formula: Gel| Cruelty-Free: Yes

Olaplex’s No. 10 Curl Defining Frizz Reducing Hair Gel revived our tester’s bedhead, adding bounce to her waves and smoothing the strands around her crown. Applied to dry hair, it delivered a grease-free, frizz-free slick-back and even kept baby hairs at the nape in place for hours.

The texture of this hair gel is a bit runny, so if you’re looking to define curls or coils or slick down edges, note that its consistency isn’t as dense as you might want it to be to perfect your curls’ form. “It does spread smoothly and evenly, and I’d consider the texture to be lightweight also. A little bit of product goes a long way, and I felt it washed out of my hair easily,” notes our tester Chelsea, who has fine, wavy hair. While this hair gel isn’t the best source for taming frizz, it delivers good form, bounce, and softness whether applied to wet or dry hair. 

Chelsea, tester with fine and wavy hair: “This gel keeps my style in place throughout the day, and it did help with frizz somewhat, but not entirely. I love what this gel did for my waves—it gave them beautiful bounce and more form.”

Best Budget

ECO Style Olive Oil Styling Gel

$7

$6 at Amazon$9 at Ulta$8 at Target

Active Ingredients: Olive oil, hydrolyzed wheat protein| Hair type: Wavy, curly, coily hair, and fine, medium, or thick hair| Size: 8 oz| Formula: Gel| Cruelty-Free: Yes

There’s a reason why a styling product becomes a hall of famer in its category—this budget-friendly pick has been around for a decade and can be used on braids, light hold hairstyles, such as a blowout, and for styling your edges, all for under $10. And while our tester loved how manageable this gel was on her thick, curly hair, she mentioned you have to reapply the product hours later if you’re specifically using it to hold down flyaways or slick down your edges. “It does not weigh down my curls at all, and it adds a good amount of moisture and shine,” says Senior Editor Shauna Beni-Haynes, adding that the finish is flexible and moisture-boosting, all without leaving traces of residue or flaking behind. 

Shauna Beni-Haynes, senior editor with 3C/4A hair: “I’ve been using this product for years and swear by it. You can use it on braids, rod sets, natural blowouts, etc. It can be used for pretty much every style.”

Best Medium Hold

Bread Beauty Supply Hair-Foam: Curl Defining Mousse

$26 at Sephora$26 at UltaView on Breadbeautysupply.com

Active Ingredients: Yuzu extract, snow mushroom, red algae| Hair type: Wavy, curly, coily hair, and fine, medium, or thick hair| Size: 6.2 oz| Formula: Gel| Cruelty-Free: Yes

The natural hair girlies on TikTok all agree that Bread Beauty Supply’s Hair Gel is the styling product to rely on. It doesn’t cause excessive scrunching or sopping; instead, it provides a nice, smooth slip that glides through the strands with ease. On day one of testing, our tester noticed that the gel kept her curls intact; however, they fell in the days that followed. It doesn’t leave any visible residue, and whether you have loose waves or tight curls, you can use this styling product to give your curls some shape.

Olivia, tester with 3C hair: “This gel had a medium level hold on my hair. It kept my curls intact for the first day, but didn’t hold up well on day two or three. It kept the frizz away for the first day and defined my curls.”

Best for Frizz Control

Briogeo Curl Charisma Frizz Control Gel

$24

$23 at Amazon$24 at Sephora$24 at Ulta

Active Ingredients: Rice amino acids, hydrolyzed quinoa, glycerin| Hair type: Wavy, curly, coily hair, and fine, medium, or thick hair| Size: 5.5 oz| Formula: Gel | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Hair gel can be just as effective as anti-frizz sprays or leave-in conditioners for taming frizz and smoothing waves, curls, and coils. Our tester found that Briogeo’s Curl Charisma Rice Amino + Quinoa Frizz Control Gel worked best on her wavy 2A/2B hair when applied to soaking wet strands. On dry hair, however, it didn’t hold, even after testing multiple application methods.

The formula may be too heavy for those with fine hair, but just a quarter-size amount of product will coat strands evenly without leaving a greasy finish. Not only does it act as a de-frizzer and styler in one, but this hair gel also brings major shine and a touch of a “mild and clean scent” to the strands that lasts all day as well. Plus, it comes formulated with one of Ocando’s top hydrating ingredients to look for in your hair gel: glycerin. 

Sarah, tester with wavy, 2A/2B hair: “I would say my hair was left with a healthy finish. A little shine, a little body. I didn’t notice any residue. One thing I have to add is this gel leaves my hair CRUNCHY after it’s dried.”

Best Clean Formula

Garnier Clean Styling Gel

$6

$5 at Amazon$5 at TargetView on Walmart

Active Ingredients: Aloe extract, acacia gum| Hair type: Wavy, curly, coily hair, and fine, medium, or thick hair| Size: 6.8 oz| Formula: Gel| Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you’re an avid hair gel user and are noticing your strands are looking dry and dull, your styling gel can definitely be the culprit. Opting for a formula that is not only alcohol-free, but also formulated with clean, naturally derived hydrating ingredients, is a great place to start in helping with the issue. “Yes, gel can dry out your hair, especially if it contains high amounts of alcohol, which can strip natural moisture and lead to frizz, brittleness, and dullness over time,” notes Ocando. 

This drugstore favorite by Garnier Fructis, is a clean hair gel that we found worth noting since its performance delivers a classic hair gel hold (yes, a bit crunchy, not at all greasy, and perfect for creating definition), all with ingredients such as aloe extract and acacia gum, a natural moisturizing ingredient known for its strengthening properties. And if you like to freshen up your hair with gel on days two, three, or four after the initial wash day, this gel minimizes frizz, and its residue can be brushed out day after day as if you’re starting the styling process from scratch. 

Sarah, tester with fine, 2A/2B hair: “What the gel did do was give me minimal frizz, it crunched out great and didn’t leave any excess product, and defined my curls. (A win!)”

Best for Curls

Ouidad Curl Quencher Styling Gel

$26

$19 at UltaView on WalmartView on Ouidad.com

Active Ingredients: Wheat protein and amino acids, arnica flower, vitamin E, vitamin A | Hair type: Tight curls| Size: | Formula: 8.5, 33.8 oz| Cruelty-Free: Yes

This gel not only defines curls but also locks in moisture, keeping them bouncy for up to three days, according to our tester. Packed with nourishing ingredients like meadowfoam seed, corn oil, and vitamins E and A, Ouidad’s Curl Quencher Moisturizing Styling Gel conditions and seals the cuticle for smooth, healthy strands. Our tester loved its light, flexible hold that made her curl pattern pop without weighing it down. Bonus: it layers well with a cream or oil for extra nourishment—just don’t overdo it.

Shauna Beni-Haynes, senior editor with 3C/4A hair: “This gel tops all other gels I’ve used for my natural curly hair. It’s very moisturizing and adds great definition.”

Best Strong Hold

Pattern Beauty Strong Hold Gel

$29

$28 at Amazon$29 at Ulta$29 at Target

Active Ingredients: Irish moss, flaxseed oil, castor oil| Hair type: Wavy, curly, coily hair| Size: | Formula: 3, 15 oz| Cruelty-Free: Yes

A happy medium between finessing a slicked-back, shiny, yet far from greasy-looking finish? Incorporating Pattern’s Strong Hold Gel into the mix. This hair gel held up against a heat wave, locking our tester’s hair in place and keeping their curls looking smooth. However, since a lot of product is required to get curls to completely lay down, we’d like to note that this extra-strength hair gel does leave some buildup behind and may stiffen the hair depending on how much you use. Which simply means, get your clarifying shampoo ready for a session.  

Olivia, tester with 3C hair: “This is one of the best strong hold gels I’ve used in the past. It lasted during very humid days, and my hair did not budge.”