The Best Hair Conditioners of 2025
Medium and thick hair
Amika Forget Frizz Ant-Frizz Conditioner earned praise for its ultra-creamy, smoothing formula, but testers noted that it weighed down their hair after drying. Likewise, the balm-like texture of Biolage Ultra Hydra Conditioner gave folks high hopes, but they were let down by how heavy it felt after rinsing.
Garnier Whole Blends Coconut Water Conditioner felt greasy and left one tester with more frizz than usual.
While many testers appreciated the moisturizing ingredients in Gisou Honey Gloss Ceramide Therapy Hydrating Conditioner, one tester required an extra amount to coat her thick, dense strands. Similarly, Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Deeply Moisturizing Conditioner lacked enough moisture for a tester with luscious waves.
Innersense Hydrating Conditioner wasn’t detangling enough for panelists. One tester whose hair is prone to knots was especially disappointed by its insufficient slip.
A close runner-up to our Tresemmé pick, Nécessaire Rosemary Conditioner provided a luxe, aromatic experience that testers appreciated, but ultimately we deemed it too pricey for its results (its cleansing counterpart is an upgrade pick in our guide to the best shampoo).
Ouai Medium Hair Conditioner provided a silky slip that made strands a breeze to detangle, but its sweet fragrance was too strong.
Pureology Hydrate Conditioner packed a moisturizing punch, but it failed to fully detangle, and testers required a bit more effort to brush through their hair.
Tight curls and coils
Briogeo Curl Charisma Conditioner failed to define one tester’s curls, leaving her yearning for a curl cream.
Our testers found the strong citrus scent of Cantu Cleansing Cream Conditioner overpowering and said it didn’t dissipate well — although it did help define and detangle coils.
Cécred Hydrating Conditioner made one tester’s curls look bouncy and silky, but other testers found that it left a residue and proved harder to rinse.
Both Moroccanoil Frizz Control Conditioner and Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Conditioner failed to distribute easily. A few testers had to add an extra amount to coat all of their curls.
The greasy residue from SheaMoisture Curl and Shine Conditioner was a huge drawback for testers. Suave Luscious Curls Conditioner lacked enough hydration to give panelists the lustrous, soft texture they got from our Pattern pick.
Dry, damaged hair
Testers wished for richer hydration from Aussie Miracle Moisture Conditioner, as it left their hair feeling parched.
Although Dove Daily Moisture Damage Therapy Conditioner earned praise for detangling one panelist’s snarled mane, multiple testers noted that its fragrance was off-putting. Similarly, the saccharine fragrance of L’Oréal Paris Hyaluron Plump Conditioner was overwhelming, and it lingered even when hair was dry.
A solid option for providing strands with a nice detangling slip, Monday Haircare Moisture Conditioner impressed testers. However, they didn’t love the results after drying, noting that their hair could have been smoother and softer.
The odd bottle shape of Nexxus Humectress Ultimate Moisture Conditioner made the formula difficult to dispense.
OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk Conditioner was adequate, but it failed to exceed our testers’ expectations and didn’t perform nearly as well as our Redken pick.
Fine hair
Biolage Volume Boost Conditioner added some oomph to one tester’s flat roots, but it left her hair craving more hydration.
Although the subtle, clean-smelling fragrance of Finesse Restore and Strengthen Moisturizing Conditioner was a hit, it fell flat in the detangling department, taking one tester significantly longer to comb out. In contrast, Herbal Essence Rose Hips Conditioner provided a silky slip that was easy to brush, but its sweet floral scent was too overwhelming for habitual use.
Joico JoiFull Volumizing Conditioner wasn’t hydrating enough — one tester even had to go back for more. Meanwhile, L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Conditioner felt too moisturizing, didn’t easily rinse, and weighed down our tester’s thin strands.
Native Moisturizing Body Lotion is one of our top body lotion picks, but Native Volumizing Conditioner fell short. One tester described the overwhelmingly average formula as a “cheap hotel conditioner.”
A close second to Living Proof Full Conditioner, Pureology Hydrate Sheer Nourishing Conditioner appealed to testers with its moisturizing and detangling benefits. Nonetheless, they found its tingly, minty sensation too intense on their scalp and skin.
Sensitive skin and scalp
Although the formula is fragrance-free, testers disliked the odor of Aveeno Soothe and Soften Conditioner.
Odele Ultra Sensitive Conditioner, Raw Sugar Sensitive One Conditioner, and Seen Fragrance Free Conditioner all left panelists’ hair craving more hydration.
While we adore Vanicream Sensitive Skin Shampoo (it’s a top pick in our shampoo guide), Vanicream Conditioner was underwhelming and had a pasty fragrance.
We also ruled out a number of other conditioners from Aussie, Aveda, Aveeno, Briogeo, Bumble and Bumble, Crown Affair, Davines, Dove, Fekkai, Finesse, Garnier, Herbal Essences, John Frieda, Kérastase, Kristen Ess, Kevin Murphy, L’Oréal Paris, Marc Anthony, Method, Mielle, Moroccanoil, Native, Nexxus, OGX, Oribe, Ouai, Pantene, Paul Mitchell, Pureology, Rahua, Raw Sugar, Redken, Rōz, Sally Beauty, SheaMoisture, Suave, and Wella for a variety of reasons, including insufficient or unfavorable reviews, limited distribution, or value concerns.
This guide was edited by Rory Evans and Jennifer G. Sullivan.
