The Best Men's Pomades

Years ago, actually decades ago, if you were looking for the best pomade for your pompadour, you had dozens to choose from at your local 5 and dime.

But, they were mostly the same. The only big difference was the scent.

Nowadays your choosing from hundreds.

And the scent is not the only difference between them.  You can choose from mineral oil based pomades to water based pomades.  Organic pomades to animal cruelty-free pomades.  Choosing which one has become almost a lifestyle choice.

But, which pomades actually work?

I'm here to help!

The last few years has seen a rise in retro haircuts, which means I have had the opportunity to try out quite a few different kinds.  Here are some of the best pomades that I expect to still be popular in the coming new year and beyond.

American Crew Hair Styling Pomade		Rating: 4 Stars	$$	3.0 Ounces
18.21 Man Made Pomade		Rating: 4.6 Stars	$$$	2.0 Ounces
Imperial Barber Products Classic Pomade		Rating: 4.3 Stars	$	6.0 Ounces
O'Douds All Natural Water Based Pomade		Rating: 4 Stars	$$	4.0 Ounces
Murray’s Superior Hair Dressing Pomade		Rating: 4 Stars	$	3.0 Ounces
JS Sloane Heavyweight Brilliantine		Rating: 4.4 Stars	$$	4.0 Ounces
Anchors Hair Company-Teddy Boy Water Based Styling Pomade		Rating: 4 Stars	$	2.5 Ounces
David Elliot Water Based Pomade		Rating: 4 Stars	$$	4.0 Ounces
Uppercut Deluxe Pomade		Rating: 4 Stars	$$	3.5 Ounces
Gentlemen's Republic Stiff Pomade		Rating: 4 Stars	$$	4.0 Ounces

What kind of hairstyle would you need to use pomade on? Mainly longer hair styles, like a pompadour or a side part with a bit of a swoop in front.  Also, if you have dry hair that could use a wet look to keep the frizz down, pomade will be useful.  And lastly, longer thick hair that you can never quite find the right gel for could benefit from a good pomade.

There are a few criteria I used to make this list of the best men's pomades.  They had to be a pomade that's easy to apply, easy to wash out, high shine, high hold and with a nice scent.  So that narrowed things down quite a bit.

In fact, I almost went with strictly water based pomades since I don't like the petroleum based ones too much since they aren't good for your hair or skin, but these days you don't need to use too much like back in the day.  But, there are a couple that you might like to use even though they aren't water based so I added them to the list anyway since they are pretty good products regardless. If you are looking for all natural or organic hair products then check out this post, 17 All Natural Men's Hair Products.

Anyway, here is my list of the best men's pomades!

 1-American Crew Hair Styling Pomade

American Crew products are very popular in my barbershop.  Besides Fiber, the most requested product we use is this American Crew Pomade.  I wish it were a water based pomade, since my preference definitely goes towards those types, but it isn't bad considering.  It uses Castor Oil instead of a petroleum based grease, so it doesn't feel as greasy as you would expect from a pomade and it does wash out fairly easily.  The scent is mild and it is easy to apply.  A good starter pomade for somebody new to that product.

2-18.21 Man Made Pomade 2oz

This is by far the coolest pomade on the market right now.  The smell is unusual, but intoxicating.  With the scent of sweet tobacco, it will make you feel like you just walked into an old time tobacconist! If you like the smell of pipe tobacco, as I do, even though I am a dedicated non-smoker, then you will fall in love with this pomade.  Oh, and it works great, too! A little goes a long way even with pretty thick and dense hair.  Even if you don't have a complicated hairstyle, you can use this men's pomade just to keep your hair from frizzing and to stay in place.

They also sell a sweet tobacco scented cologne which you should definitely check out!

3-Imperial Barber Products Classic Pomade

 

Imperial Barber claims this is the highest strength water based pomade on the market.  Without doing a clinical test myself I am inclined to agree.  It is seriously high hold even for a traditional grease pomade but without the grease.  You will also like this pomade if you like lightly scented men's hair products.  It has a nicely subtle sweet scent.  A little goes a long way since it is such high hold so you will really get your money's worth even at over $20 per 6 ounce can.

4-O'Douds All Natural Water Based Pomade

I love how far pomades have come over the years.  You can finally get excellent all natural pomades and water based pomades that actually work as good as the grease ones.  This O'Douds is outstanding.  It works very well at keeping the hair pliable all day.  The only downside really is how thick it is, so you need to really rub it in your hands to get it soft enough to apply to your hair.  But the scent is very nice and refreshing.  I highly recommend this all natural pomade.

 

6-Murray’s Superior Hair Dressing Pomade

As retro as it gets.  Started in the 1920’s, if you are going for that retro hairstyle, then why wouldn’t you go with an actual product from the era of your style? It smells cool, too! The downside to this is that it is petroleum based and not natural at all.  If that isn't important to you then you will like how this pomade works and has an old-timey smell.

7-JS Sloane Heavyweight Brilliantine

When guys have a lot of cowlicks or have really thick wiry hair, this is my go to pomade.  It does a great job of getting the hair to cooperate.  If you have curly hair and are trying to style it, you know how hard it is to get it to do what you want.  You need to use this pomade.  It isn't water based or natural, but if that doesn't bother you or you have unruly hair then you should give this one a shot.

8-Anchors Hair Company-Teddy Boy Water Based Styling Pomade

Though this men's pomade is listed as for any hair type, I recommend it mainly for guys with thin hair or for guys with a shorter hair style as it won't give a great hold that will last through the day otherwise.  If you fit into that category, however, you will love how this doesn't feel sticky and gives your hair a healthy natural shine.  The smell is awesome, too.  It has an old time barbershop scent that just makes you feel good when you smell it.

9-David Elliot Water Based Pomade

Another great water based men's pomade.  It is an Argan Oil based pomade which promotes healthy hair while giving excellent hold. It's high hold but a natural shine.  One of the down sides of some water based pomades is that you have to add some water to your hair to refresh the hold by the end of the day.  Depending on your hair style and hair type, you may need to do the same.

10-Uppercut Deluxe Pomade

Though this pomade is advertised as a medium to high hold, it really is actually a high hold pomade.  You won't need to refresh this as the day goes on with water.  It doesn't harden up as the day goes on as some water based pomades tend to do.  The shine is somewhere between matte and medium, depending on your hair type.  I like the smell, too as it smells a bit like cake!

11-Gentlemen's Republic Stiff Pomade

This is probably the highest shine of the water based pomades that I have tried in the shop.  I use it on customers who have pretty long styles that need to be kept in place.  This doesn't weigh the hair down like a greasy pomade can, but it very effective at a long lasting hold.  So, if you want that classic shiny greased look, but don't want that tacky, sticky or really greasy texture of an old school pomade, then you might want to give this one a try. And as it says in the title, it does leave the hair stiff, a bit like a high hold gel.

Final thoughts on the best men's pomades

This review of the best men's pomades is by no means comprehensive.  There are so many more good pomades out there, I am sure.  But these are the ones that I have used in the barbershop that I feel good about recommending. I'm sure I missed some, so if you have a favorite pomade that you want to add to the list, make sure you comment below or send me a message and I will try to run down a free sample to bring into the shop to give it a whirl.

There were plenty of bad pomades which I wouldn't recommend, too, but I don't want to run a negative publicity campaign, so I won't be doing a post like that.

I'm sure you know plenty of guys who could use the information in this article, so how about sharing this page on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Kik or any social media of your choice? I write these articles to help people, the more people I can help the happier I am!