Best Overall

Briogeo Rosarco Milk Conditioning Spray

$25

$24 at Amazon$25 at Sephora$25 at Ulta

Hair Type: Dry, frizzy, damaged| Size: 1.75, 5 oz| Cruelty-Free: Yes

A few spritzes of this leave-in conditioner were all it took to leave hair shinier, softer, and more hydrated. These benefits were apparent after just one use, but after about a week, our testers noticed their strands were also significantly less frizzy, even if they skipped the blow-dryer and opted to air-dry. 

We love how easy to use the spray is; just a few quick spritzes and the product is immediately evenly distributed throughout the hair. A nice scent (that’s subtle, rather than overpowering) was yet another positive. Just FYI, you may want to focus this on your mid-lengths and ends, as it has a tendency to get slightly greasy when used too close to the roots.

Alli, tester with type 2A hair: “I am super satisfied with the results. I will be buying the product again! After just one use I noticed my hair felt softer and less frizzy.”

Best for Curly Hair

Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Leave-In Conditioner

$16

$9 at Amazon$11 at Ulta$9 at Target

Hair Type: Curly | Size: 6 oz| Cruelty-Free: Yes

Given the innate differences between straight and curly hair, the latter often requires its own set of products specifically dedicated to addressing curls’ unique needs. This leave-in conditioner was specifically designed for curly hair, and you can tell. Our tester with curly hair raved about how well this worked—it never weighed down her hair (a common conundrum) but did tame frizz and left her curls perfectly smooth and bouncy. It was easy to apply as well, and even made dry and brittle ends feel better. The slightly sweet scent was another pro—as was the wallet-friendly price tag.

Dawn, tester with type 3B hair: “Adding this to my regular haircare routine has only enhanced the health of my hair and the look of my curls. They’re smooth and supple, without any frizz.”

Best Spray

Amika Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Leave-In Conditioner

$31

$28 at Amazon$31 at SephoraView on Walmart

Hair Type: All| Size: 6.7 oz| Cruelty-Free: Yes

We love the formula of this spray leave-in conditioner; it left hair softer and smoother, and testers were particularly impressed with how well they could curl it after using it. But the packaging of this guy earned it a top spot on this list. Not only does the spray go on super evenly, but the top also boasts a convenient locking mechanism—aka it’s perfect for traveling with since there’s no need to worry about loose caps or spills. 

However, less is more with this one. It did tend to leave hair a bit greasy, particularly on the second day, and more so when testers used too much product. It also worked best when they heat-styled after versus just air-drying.

Alicia, tester with type 1B hair: “The spray is consistent, wide, and sprays evenly. I love that it doesn’t come out as a clumpy cream. It was easy to distribute the product and it was absorbed completely into my hair.”

Best Lightweight

It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Conditioner

$40

$28 at Amazon

$40

$28 at Ulta$19 at Target

Hair Type: All| Size: 4, 10 oz| Cruelty-Free: Yes

We couldn’t find one thing we didn’t like about this spritz, but we especially appreciated the featherweight formula. It has an almost watery consistency, absorbing quickly without weighing down the hair. Still, it manages to pack a serious punch, offering a host of different benefits. It detangled so well immediately and even left hair with fewer snarls the next day, locked in moisture, and tamped down errant frizz and flyaways. It worked especially beautifully on slightly wavy hair types.

Cara, tester with type 2B hair: “This enhances my natural waves by adding moisture and taming flyaways and frizz.”

Best for Wavy Hair

Drunk Elephant Silkamino Conditioning Leave-In Milk

$32

$31 at Amazon$32 at UltaView on Drunkelephant.com

Hair Type: All| Size: 8 oz| Cruelty-Free: Yes

We loved this pick for its ability to detangle, fight frizz, and impart shine and definition to wavy hair. Although the product has more of a conditioner-like texture, it still felt extremely lightweight and didn’t weigh down our tester’s hair one bit. It is worth mentioning, however, that it doesn’t absorb pretty quickly; while applying it and working it in was very easy, it did transfer to the tester’s hands if she touched her hair after the fact.

Emelia, tester with 1A/1B hair: “My hair felt healthier and less brittle, less frizzy, and VERY shiny!”

Best Scented

Moroccanoil All-in-One Leave-In Conditioner

$15

$15 at Amazon$32 at Sephora$32 at Target

Hair Type: All| Size: 1.7, 4.5, 8.1 oz| Cruelty-Free: Yes

The scent was one of our favorite things about this product. It’s on the stronger side, but it made our tester feel like they had just left the salon. Their hair also looked like they had just left the salon. The leave-in added tons of moisture for extra smoothness and softness and excelled at detangling. We just wish that the spray came out more evenly—it sometimes made application challenging. It also may be too heavy for anyone with finer or thinner hair.

Gabriel, tester with type 2B/2C hair: “This melts into your hair. After the first application, I noticed my hair felt softer, almost like I had used a deep conditioner. It lived up to the claims of detangling and hydrating while also leaving hair softer.”

Best for Thick Hair

Crown Affair The Leave-In Conditioner

$48 at SephoraView on Goop.comView on Crownaffair.com

Hair Type: All | Size: 1.7, 5.1 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Consider this cream if you have thicker or coarser hair. According to the brand, it works for all hair types, but IRL, our tester found it to be a bit too heavy for her very fine strands. That being said, that’s not necessarily a knock on the product; it was still a standout when it came to detangling, smoothing, softening, and fighting frizz. (And delivered said benefits no matter whether she air-dried or blow-dried her hair.) In related news, it also boasts a built-in heat protectant.

The citrus-y, floral scent is a bit strong (and slightly polarizing), but doesn’t linger. And the minimal, glass packaging is chic and pretty, worthy of displaying on a bathroom counter rather than squirreling away in a cabinet. 

Melanie, tester with fine, straight hair: “This made my hair smoother and much more manageable. It made my blow-out look sleeker with fewer flyaways, always a plus in my book, and definitely helped with detangling, too.”

Best for Curly Hair, Runner-Up

Fenty Beauty The Water Boi Leave-In Conditioner Spray

$32 at SephoraView on Fentybeauty.com

Hair Type: All | Size: 1.7, 6.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes 

Curly hair is innately drier than straight hair (due to its spiral shape), making a leave-in conditioner essential. The key: Finding one that adds plenty of moisture, but won’t weigh down your strands. This pick, from Rihanna’s beauty line, checks all of those boxes, and then some. Thanks to ingredients like hyaluronic acid, this imparts plenty of hydration, but absorbs instantly without leaving behind any residue or unwanted weight. 

Our tester raved about how well it detangled her curly hair, helping to reduce breakage in the process. It adds plenty of shine, too, and also has a pleasant, amber-y floral scent. Bonus points for the spray format, which makes it easy to both apply and distribute the product from mid-lengths to ends. 

Shauna Beni-Haynes, senior editor with 3C/4A hair: “I noticed that it was 10 times easier to detangle my curls and smooth out frizz. It also helped reduce any breakage I usually experience during detangling, and my hair looked healthy and shiny.”

Best for Frizz

Dae Leave-In Conditioner

$30

$29 at Amazon$30 at SephoraView on Daehair.com

Hair Type: All| Size: 5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Just a few spritzes are all it takes to evenly and thoroughly coat your hair with this leave-in conditioner. The creamy, milky consistency adds a lot of moisture, yet still feels very light; our tester especially liked that she could work it through her fine, straight hair with either her fingers or a comb, achieving equally good results. It leaves strands super smooth, taming down any errant frizzies, and protects against heat as well. Plus, you can use it on either damp hair pre-styling or air-drying, or as a refresh on dry tresses.  Also noteworthy: This was one of the few products we tested whose benefits weren’t just temporary. This continued to improve the condition of our tester’s hair as she kept using it. Just keep in mind that the sweet scent is pretty intense, although it does dissipate fairly quickly.

Katie, tester with 1A hair: “Dryness and frizz are my hair concerns, and this left my hair feeling super soft, silky, and smooth. It also felt well-nourished, and I noticed that breakage was reduced over time.”

Best for Damaged Hair

LolaVie Leave-In Conditioner

$50

$31 at Ulta$31 at TargetView on Lolavie.com

Hair Type: All| Size: 2, 5, 10 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Heat equals hair damage; it’s as simple as that. Enter this savior. Not only does it have built-in heat protection, but our tester also found that it worked so well at smoothing and fighting frizz that she could reduce the frequency of using hot tools on her thick, wavy hair.  

The spray formula is light and easy to work through the hair (although start with just a few spritzers if you have a finer texture, just in case). The smoothing, softening, and frizz-fighting benefits are instantaneous, and you’ll probably notice even more positive effects the longer you use it. Case in point: Our tester noted that her strands felt less dry and damaged with continued use. It is a bit on the pricey side, but with so many benefits (both short- and long-term), we deemed it worth every penny.

Karla, tester with 2A hair: “After using this product and styling, my hair stayed smooth and less frizzy for a couple of days, even in humid weather. As I continued using it, my hair felt more hydrated and less damaged. I also noticed my color looked more vibrant.”

Best With Heat Protection

OUAI Detangling and Frizz Fighting Leave-in Conditioner

$32

$20 at SephoraView on Theouai.com

Hair Type: All| Size: 7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

There’s nothing this pick can’t do. Add moisture to dry ends? Yep. Soften and smooth strands? You bet. Detangle like a charm? Absolutely. And, on top of all of that, there’s heat protection in the mix, too. What more could you ask for? The one thing our tester lamented was that it only comes in this fragranced variant. While the tropical scent is pleasant, those who are sensitive to fragrance may not be the biggest fans.

The spray (which comes out in a very fine mist that makes it easy to target a large surface area) absorbs very quickly and is virtually weightless and undetectable after the fact. Plus, you can easily add more as needed without worrying about stickiness or residue. Ultimately, it’s truly a winner all around.

Karla, tester with thick, wavy hair (not shown): “This is truly a multitasking gem. It made my hair softer, easier to detangle, and my dry ends looked visibly better. Best of all it doubles as a heat protectant.”