Think of pomades, and you'll imagine Johnny Bravo-sized pomps, shiny enough to see your reflection in. But the best pomades for men these days are so much more than a vat of grease that dries rock hard. Between classic oil-based pomades and new water-based pomades, there’s a pomade for every hair texture or look you wish to achieve. “Pomades” can now encompass a wider array of hair-styling products, rather than the typical oil-based stylers that grooming geeks have come to know. You'll be able to opt for a choose-your-own-adventure when it comes to various holds and shine levels, and that just makes it harder to find the best pomade in such a crowded market.
That said, it doesn’t matter if your hair is thick or thin, or straight or curly—you can find a pomade for your specific needs. Whether you’re going for a high-hold, high-shine hairdo or looking for something that will give you a light hold with a natural finish, read on for our favorite pomades.
The Best Pomade for Men, According to GQ
Best Overall: Blind Barber 101 Proof Classic Pomade
For a classic slicked look that’s easy to manage throughout the day, stock your bathroom shelf with Blind Barber’s 101 Proof pomade. This pomade was your correspondent’s go-to pomade during the halcyon days of uppercuts of the mid-2010s, and has been in his arsenal ever since. This water-based pomade gives you that super eye-catching shine and a grip that won't budge, but it doesn't make your hair feel like a helmet. It's touchable and reworkable by day's end with a damp hand, but doesn't poof or steer out of place until then, either. The pomade works wonders on its own, but you can also use it in addition to your regular paste or cream whenever you need a boost of hold or shine. Overall, Blind Barber’s 101 Proof is suitable for the workplace and for everyday wear. If what you’re going for is a Danny Zuko Greased Lightning look, you’ll be better off with our pick for best strong hold and high shine pomade, which is the only oil-based pomade on our list.
| Type | Water-based |
| Hold and Finish | Strong hold, high shine |
| Price Per Pounce | $8.16 |
Best for Thick Hair and High Shine: Uppercut Deluxe Pomade
As a guy with thick hair, I know a thing or two about finding a product that actually tames my stubborn strands. And Uppercut's Deluxe Pomade is one of the best in this department. While the brand advises applying the product dry, I have found a pinch more luck using it in slightly damp or towel-dried hair, since my strands are more relaxed and receptive in that state—maybe medium- and finer-haired gents can opt for the dry application. But that damp application also provides some serious sheen and hold, which is exactly what you want from a classic pomade. When applied, the pomade works really well to boost volume, so it’s an excellent pomade for those who style quiffs or pompadours (or anyone with defined curls who want to amp up texture). The pomade’s fiery orange tint is a nice touch, along with its comely coconut scent.
| Type | Water-based |
| Hold and Finish | Strong hold, high shine |
| Price Per Pounce | $21 |
Best for Thin Hair and High Shine: Layrite Original Pomade
Part clay, part wax, Layrite’s Original Pomade really lands in the middle ground in terms of hold and shine, making it perfect for finer-haired individuals. While many pomades we tested run the risk of making fine hair look flat and lifeless, Layrite’s pomade gives thinner hairs enough lift at the root without weighing down the strands. It's also easy to rework midday with a splash of water or a wet palm. And of all the classic pomades on this list, Layrite is the most repurposable in that it also proves great for tousled and mussed-up looks. And since its shine isn't blinding, you might get away with wearing it on the daily without anyone comparing you to Gordon Gekko.
| Type | Water-based |
| Hold and Finish | Medium hold, high shine |
| Price Per Pounce | $5.71 |
Best for Long Hair and Medium Shine: O'Douds Styling Treatment
O'Douds is a go-to styling brand for many barbershops, including Black Rabbit Barbershop in Brooklyn, New York. For something that works on longer locks that offers a natural, medium shine, go for its Styling Treatment. It's super pliable, easy to work in the hands and through the hair. It's also incredibly moisturizing thanks to a variety of essential oils, plus it smells really good (sort of like lavender). Use a little for a reworkable hold, or if you're someone who likes to play with their hair throughout the day, and add more to create a firmer hold for all-day hold.
| Type | Water-based |
| Hold and Finish | Medium hold, natural shine |
| Price Per Pounce | $6.25 |
Best for Curly Hair: American Crew Pomade
I'd wager a bet that most readers have owned this product at some point in their life—but also that most curly-haired guys have counted themselves out of the classic pomade category. American Crew's pomade is perfect for eye-catching curls, and for enough control at the roots. This pomade doesn't have the same grip as some of the aforementioned options, but lands some place in the "movable hold" region, while also delivering brilliant shine. t's got a generous amount of castor oil, despite being primarily water based. It's not going to restrict your curls or make them crunchy, no matter their length, and it coats the strands so that they're shielded from humidity and frizz throughout the day, too. I love using it as a finishing cream in my frizz-prone strands, to keep tames in check while getting a pinch of that salon-caliber brilliance.
| Type | Water-based |
| Hold and Finish | Medium hold, high shine |
| Price Per Pounce | $5.15 |
Best for Strong Hold and Low Shine: Firsthand Supply All-Purpose Hair Pomade
Firsthand Supply's All-Purpose hair pomade is exactly that: A great hair-styling product for pretty much any style. It has a super-strong hold that can achieve gravity-defining coifs and pomps, with a natural low shine, so that it doesn't look like you just dipped your hair in a bucket of grease. It's especially great for shorter, textured styles, but works well for medium-length hair, too (just know that you'll need to apply more to build up a firmer, stronger hold). Throughout the day, hair might lose some of its oomph, but run your hand under some water and ruffle up the hair to reactivate the pomade to get that sky-high style you're so damn proud of.
| Type | Water-based |
| Hold and Finish | Strong hold, semi-matte finish |
| Price Per Pounce | $9.33 |
Best for Low Hold and Medium Shine: Highland Glacial Clay Pomade
Few products get used up in our household, but Highland's Glacial Clay always goes to the last dollop, and quickly, too. My thin-haired plus-one uses it as a lightweight texturizer in his wavy strands, while I use it as a texturizer at the roots, or a tamer of flyaways in thick hair (I do a nice dusting when I have long hair, and a little more force when my hair is shorter and poofing at the corners). This clay-based pomade delivers a natural shine—nothing that will make hair look greasy, but will also give you some good light-catching definition. I also love its use of arrowroot in the formula to absorb excess scalp sebum and prevent any unwanted gloss. Add in eight other natural ingredients, and you’ve got a pomade that can tame your hair and treat it with the respect it deserves.
| Type | Clay |
| Hold and Finish | Low hold, medium shine |
| Price Per Pounce | $13.33 |
Best for Low Hold and Low Shine: Church Coastal Creme Pomade
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We could sing the praises of Church California’s Coastal Creme Pomade forever. It's a spongey, 100% natural and organic hair cream pomade that deploys everything from aloe to marshmallow root (plus 22 other ingredients), resulting in a lightweight, touchable, low-sheen finish. Even with a centimeter-long buzzcut, it can be the difference between having noticeable bedhead or looking artfully disheveled and tousled. The same could be said for longer hair, which is where I get a ton of mileage. It's terrific as a barely-there styler that gives you just enough hold (to counter the wind or hours of environmental exposure), but allows hair to feel lightweight, flippable, and west-coast easy breezy. My partner loves it in his inches-long wavy strands for admirable volume and definition, without ever weighing him down.
| Type | Water-based |
| Hold and Finish | Low hold, high shine |
| Price Per Pounce | $17.65 |
Best Matte Pomade with High Hold: Reuzel Concrete Hold Matte Pomade
If you want zero shine and 100% gridlocked hold, here's your huckleberry. I love Reuzel’s Concrete Hold Matte Pomade as a root-locking agent in medium-length styles, or if I want my hair to fall a certain direction all day but don't want the product weighing it down throughout the strands themselves. It's especially great in fine and thinning hair for this reason—if you want to build volume and definition without weighing things down. While no classic pomades are truly matte, I do consider Reuzel's worthy of the distinction, given you can coach it throughout the entire hairs too (with a comb in damp hair, even) for that extreme hold in a no-shine pomade.
| Type | Water-based |
| Hold and Finish | Strong hold, natural shine |
| Price Per Pounce | $20.66 |
Best Matte Pomade with Low Hold: Patricks M1 Matte Finish Light Hold Pomade
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Few hair styling products provide actual benefits for the hair follicles, aside from general nourishment. But Patricks' M1 Matte Finish Light Hold Pomade deploys the brands' own scalp-stimulating complex (which includes saw palmetto, a known foe to follicle-shrinking DHT). By massaging a light amount around the base of your strands, you not only get just enough definition and hold, but also can enjoy the side benefits of its follicle-supportive recipe. Regardless of your hair loss situation, this styler is perfect for fine strands and anyone who needs a nice pinch of definition and flyaway taming, minus any shine or unwanted weight. I also love using it as a facial hair tamer; its delicious vetiver scent lingers nicely, too.
| Type | Water-based |
| Hold and Finish | Low hold, natural shine |
| Price Per Pounce | $19.23 |
More Pomades We Love
Firsthand Supply
Hair Clay Pomade
Anyone with super thick hair knows that it can be hard to find a hair product that actually keeps their hair locked into place. We found that Firsthand Supply's Clay Pomade is able to achieve sky-high volume without sinking over time, and it's surprisingly easy to wash out despite its hold. It's even reworkable for all-day styling.
- Timothy Beck Werth
- Timothy Beck Werth
Keeps
Thickening Pomade
A receding hairline shouldn't mean you give up on styling the strands you have left. Keeps' Thickening Pomade features biotin to support future hair growth, and while it's not a miracle solution, it doesn't hurt to try. The pomade helps to boost your hair's thickness and its lightweight feel won't weigh down your hair.
What to Look For in a Pomade
Whether you’re shopping for pomade or for any other men’s hair product, the first thing to look for is whether the product will play well with your hair type. More often than not, the brand will specify if the pomade is designed for thick, fine, wavy, curly, or long hair. It’s important to remember that no two formulas are identical, and no two hair types will benefit from the same product. Something that helps moisturize and soften coarse strands will often suffocate fine hairs and make them limp and lifeless.
The second thing to understand when shopping for a pomade is the look you want to achieve. Whether you want textured or tamed, styled or natural, pay attention to the hold and shine. Check any instructions or indications from the brand to be sure that your money is being well spent. That said, most high-shine pomades (particularly water-based ones) have fairly universal use. They’ll work well on curls and coarse hair, and pared-down usage will still satisfy thinner hair strands.
Of course, the amount of product used will have an impact. Adjust your use based on the volume and density of your hair, as well as how long you want the product to maintain its hold.
Lastly, pomade can be used as an additive to your other hair products. Pomade mixes well with most other water-based products, too. So maybe your best choice in a pomade is the most universal one of them all (like, from our list, Blind Barber, Uppercut, or American Crew), and then just mix in a smidge with your usual styling product.
How We Tested
I’ve been testing grooming products for over a decade, and in that span, my hair has gone from thinning to thick (thank you, hair transplant and hair retention efforts), as well as from short to long and back again. I use them on the regular, taking note of how each pomade interacts with my hair and how it holds up throughout the day. Any time a product doesn’t meet my hair needs, I pass it off to someone with different hair variables, like my partner with his wavy/curly/fine strands. For options we couldn’t test for this guide, we consulted experts. Otherwise, I carefully cross-check my picks with general feedback around the web, and GQ’s general knowledge of reputable labels.
Pomade FAQ
What’s the difference between oil-based and water-based pomades?
In a nutshell: Oil-based pomades offer a strong, long-lasting hold and shine, and they’ve been around for decades. Water-based pomades are relatively new and offer a range of holds and shines, and are easier to wash out because they contain water-soluble ingredients.
“It seems like any shine paste in a jar is labeled as pomade now, but in reality, a traditional pomade is oil-based, usually petroleum jelly, and offers stronger, longer-lasting hold designed to build up in your hair over time,” says Ortiz. “For that reason, oil-based pomade will not wash out as easily at the end of the day but will have a strong hold while still staying soft allowing you to restyle it throughout the day. Water-soluble pomades offer high hold and can be restyled throughout the day while also washing out more easily,” she adds.
Is pomade good for long hair?
Pomade is great for all types of hair. It’s just a matter of choosing one that suits your hair’s density, length, and styling goals. For long hair, try something water based, and err on the light side with application, unless you’re able to slick it back entirely. Pomade makes for a nice slicked man bun look, if you want to tie everything back.
Is hair pomade better than gel?
No two hair gels and no two pomades are the same, so it becomes impossible to define either of them. In fact, compared to hair gel, pomade has similar results these days: They are largely water based, provide medium or high hold and shine, and rinse clean at the end of the day. It’s just that old-timey pomades were oil based, while gels were crustier and would flake away. So, it’s good to consider both products for your needs.
About Our Expert
Jessica Ortiz is a celebrity groomer, so she gets A-List talent ready for their closeups—think photoshoots, red carpets, awards shows, press junkets, and more. Her roster of clients includes Matthew Macfadyen, Donald Glover, Daniel Ricciardo, Jay Ellis, and Joe Keery.
