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Shopping for a hair conditioner is like dating – you have to play the field a bit to find the right one to go alongside the best shampoo. Whether an impulsive balayage requires a switch from your regular hair care or long, silky Cher-like strands remain your glamour inspo, a good, hydrating conditioner can bring you one step closer to reaching your hair goals.
To choose the right hair conditioner for you, shop specifically for your hair type suggests Sabrina Porsche, a Mane Addicts hair stylist with a celebrity clientele spanning the likes of Beyoncé, Chrissy Teigen and Kendall Jenner. "Each conditioner is specially made to help out the condition of your hair and to help it get to its healthiest possible state," she says, and the wrong one can actually work against your natural hair texture and even irritate your scalp.
Our Beauty Lab pros at the Good Housekeeping Institute constantly navigate the ins and outs of hair care by running different product tests in Lab and with consumers, from deep conditioning masks to hydrating shampoo-conditioner combos to shampoos and conditioners for color-treated hair. In the Lab, we test products on hair swatches for aspects including strength, softness and color vibrancy after use. We also solicit real feedback from consumer testers who try budget-friendly products and luxury options and give their honest thoughts on each conditioner's color protection, volume, smoothing, strengthening and beyond.
While we haven't formally tested quite everything on this list, we've got you covered with the best conditioners selected from a combination of Lab-tested picks, hair stylist recommendations, editors' favorites and shoppers' glowing reviews:
Pros
- Perfect score for conditioning ability
- Pleasant scent
- Softens damaged, color-treated hair
Cons
Level up your conditioner game with the one that earned the highest satisfaction ratings in our Lab tests – rewarded with pristine marks for its simple application, damage prevention and subtle, yet "heavenly" scent, as one tester describes. It commonly left hair feeling super smooth in our tests. One tester who was especially impressed with its ability to condition without weighing hair down explains, “this product seemed to have just the right amount of conditioning ability.” Though it doesn't create greasiness, you may need a bit more TLC to rinse it out.
Pros
- Highest rated by consumers
- Preserves color-treated hair
Cons
- Difficult packaging
Hydrated hair is less than $15 away thanks to this drugstore conditioner. Weathering color retention tests, it came up on top with the best Lab performance. Our consumers were most satisfied with its results of lasting shine to silky softness. Not only did this product do well in our Lab for preserving color, but consumers also echoed those results with their home use. One tester says they did "not see any change in the two weeks of use color-wise" while others note they "really love the fragrance!"
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Pros
- Lightweight formula
- Easy to dispense
Cons
Topping our Beauty Lab's moisturizing test and a favorite among our testers, this affordable conditioner is made with coconut extract and aloe. One tester said, "It made my hair feel soft and manageable."Another said, "It made my dry hair much more moisturized."
Pros
- Easiest to apply
- Volumizing
- Offers shine
Cons
If you're willing to splurge a bit more for volume, you can't go wrong with Kerastasé. It offers all-day lift and bounce. Give your hair that "just-washed" look with the shampoo-conditioner duo that rated highest in our Lab tests for leaving clean-feeling hair post-rinse. After using it, one reviewer says, "I loved how I could just let my hair air dry" and still have soft, non-frizzy hair.
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Pros
- Gentle formula
- Suitable for fine hair types
Cons
- Finnicky pump
Although you can't easily walk back years of heat damage from hair tools, this one helps soften the blow with a nourishing, fragrance-free and hypoallergenic oat formula – even sensitive skin types can enjoy! About 84% of the conditioner's Sephora reviewers recommend it. "I have bleached hair so my hair is pretty damaged," comments one reviewer. "This conditioner hydrates really well without weighing down my fine hair."
Pros
- Budget buy
- Suitable for sensitive skin types
- Recyclable packaging
Cons
Formulated with shea butter, coconut oil and vitamin E ingredients, this conditioner is designed to nourish and restore. A Good Housekeeping associate editor who has eczema and a dry scalp type can confirm. She found her hair felt softer after regular washes two to three times per week. Once inevitably hitting the bottom, recycle the bottles and replenish your shower stock for less than $10.
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Pros
- Detangling
- Sweet almond scent
- Moisturizing
Cons
With over 14k likes on Sephora, it's clear that people love to love this Drunk Elephant hair conditioner. Its fresh blend of coconut amino acids and marula butter cleanses oily scalps without drying them out. "It smooths down my natural frizz and allows me to shampoo less," raves a satisfied customer. "I've been drying my hair naturally, and it's still smooth. Love!"
Pros
- Pleasant scent
- Softens hair
- Preserves hair dye
Cons
Winning big in our cleansing conditioner study, this pick best preserves dye jobs. Bonus – 95% of testers agree that it has the best scent among all the color-treated hair conditioners we've tried. It ranked highest for leaving hair softer and sufficiently conditioned, according to consumer tests. “I loved the way my hair felt after using this product," says one tester. "It made it soft and healthy looking."
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Pros
- Recommended by hair stylists
- Pleasant scent
- Repairing
Cons
Hairstylist Porsche recommends this pick for its compatibility with dry hair but even more so for the fact it works for all hair types. It packs in argan oils, which Porsche sees as a key ingredient in a conditioner. Claiming to restrengthen hair cuticles, it's especially useful if you have daily a.m. appointments with hair dryers. Plus, it infuses a lavender, spa-like smell after each wash.
Pros
- Gentle formula
- Suitable for sensitive skin types
- Smoothing
Cons
Amid all the trial-and-errors over the years from DIY conditioning to client washes, Porsche has found a favorite in this Vegamour conditioner. Marked with the Clean at Sephora label, it's said to be formulated without parabens, sulfates and artificial fragrances while vegan, cruelty-free and color-treatment safe. Skin types that are sensitive to fragrance could benefit from a gentler option like this. It caters toward hair goals like thickening, anti-frizz and heat protection.
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Pros
- Sustainably sourced
- Gentle formula
- Boosts hydration
Cons
This gentle Garnier formula, a GH Seal holder, softens hair and delivers that post-rinse weightlessness with its shampoo counterpart. After continued use, you'll notice hydration from root to end. Its aloe ingredient is purchased fairly and sustainably to support local farmers and communities, with its bottle made from 30% post-consumer recycled materials.
Pros
- Packed with proteins
- Fights frizz
Cons
Locked and loaded with moisturizing ingredients like shea butter and rice amino acids, this Briogeo conditioner works to untangle and nourish curly hair patterns. "My hair can't get enough protein, and had an instantly great reaction to the shampoo and conditioner!" said one Ulta reviewer. "My previously limp waves were brought to LIFE."
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Pros
- Hydrating
- Great for dry hair types
- Repairing
Cons
If you're just bouncing back from a bleached hair moment, this moisturizing conditioner serves to boost hydration and help repair damaged hair. "I bought this because of HairTok, with no regrets," says a GH associate editor of products and reviews. "Super creamy and moisturizing, it's my go-to conditioner for dry hair. I usually let it sit like a mask for about 10 minutes, and it washes out super easily, leaving silkiness behind. But, I recommend that oily hair types avoid."
Pros
- Rejuvenates ends
- Pleasant scent
- Promotes high shine and manageability
Cons
Honeymoon with the Joico Moisture Recovery shampoo-conditioner pair to achieve manageable hair. Used together, the duo made hair super soft and shiny in our Lab tests. As an added benefit, you walk away with fresh-smelling hair and an even cleaner-feeling scalp. One of our testers boasts that it makes hair "much easier than normal to comb through after showering." Another tester straightened their hair and received compliments for its high shine.
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15
Best Leave-In Conditioner
L'Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Protein Recharge Leave-In Conditioner
Pros
- Great for damaged hair types
- Affordable
- Doubles as a heat protectant
Cons
Fragile hair types can benefit from using this rich formula. We reviewed this GH Beauty Award winner's claims and found that it prevents damage by strengthening hair strands. In our Lab evaluations, consumer testers with color-treated, heat-styled hair reported that the leave-in made their hair look "less broken, and felt like new in just few uses.”
Pros
- Detangling
- Pleasant scent
- Generous amount of product
Cons
From waves to coilies, curly-hair types will love this thick, creamy formula designed to work hydration into dense, tight hair. It's packed with softening shea butter and nourishing avocado oils. One Ulta reviewer said, "This gives you hydration for even the little baby curls."
RELATED: 21 Best Natural Hair Products You Need in 2021
Jacqueline Saguin
Senior Commerce Editor
Jacqueline (she/her) covers all things e-commerce in beauty, lifestyle and beyond for the Good Housekeeping Institute. Before joining GH in 2021, she was a style and beauty reviews fellow at Insider, testing viral trends, reviewing sustainable brands and more. She's a graduate of the University of Florida's School of Journalism, with a specialty in magazines and mass communication.