The best curl gels usually serve two key purposes: one, adding definition and two, providing a degree of hold to your hairstyle. They’re also great for keeping frizz levels down, adding a bit of shine, or creating ultra-sleek styles like the slicked-back bun. In other words, if you’re new to styling your curly hair, it’s well worth adding one to your haircare kit.
As someone with mostly type 3a hair (looser, spirally ringlets, for those not familiar with the curly hair typing system), I’ve tried a lot of them in my time as a beauty editor to help keep my hair bouncy and defined when I wear it curly. Along with some insights from Lollie King, senior beauty writer at Fashion’s Digest, ahead, I’ve broken down a selection of the best curly hair gels on the market for factors like lasting hold, definition, bounce and more.
Lucy’s hair after using the Olaplex No.10 Curl Defining Gel, featured in this guide
(Image credit: Lucy Abbersteen)
8 of the best curl gels, according to our beauty experts
1. Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly
(Image credit: Umberto Giannini)
Up there with the most popular curl gels on the market, one Umberto Giannini iconic Curl Jelly is sold every minute in the UK (the pink tubes are all over TikTok) because it’s a brilliant, reasonably priced all-rounder. It helps to reduce frizz for better-defined curls without going too crispy, with just the right level of hold. Meanwhile, the squeezy tube makes it easy to dispense the right amount versus too much.
2. Bread Beauty Supply Hair-Gel
(Image credit: Bread Beauty Supply)
Bread is up there with some of the best products for curly hair types. Designed for curly, coily and wavy hair, Hair-Gel’s hold is excellent; I found it stretched fairly well, so I didn’t need a lot of it to set my style. There are also some reparative ingredients in there—namely, chia seed and linseed—to help support damaged curls.
3. Imbue Curl Empowering Crème Gel
(Image credit: Imbue)
Imbue is another brilliant curly hair brand that’s pretty accessible; every product within the range costs under £13, and most are less than £9. (Side note, the Curl Energising Serum is one of my favourite hair products around.) All of the packaging also indicates which curl types each product suits best, with the Crème-Gel working across kinks, coils and curls. The gel comes in a handy pot, meaning you can easily take small amounts at a time while styling your hair, and is packed with oils like jojoba and coconut for a bit of extra nourishment. Easy to build and good hold.
4. Only Curls Mega Hold Gel
(Image credit: https://onlycurls.com/products/only-curls-mega-hold-curl-gel?)
With a slightly sugary sweet floral scent, I found this gel from Only Curls to be particularly effective for reducing frizz and creating great definition—it’s a good option to go for if you struggle to create a lasting style and your hair tends to drop or lose definition through the day. Despite its strong-billed hold, it didn’t go crispy or crunchy, with avocado, flax seed and kukui nut oils at work to keep things soft. If you neither need nor want a stronger hold, however, a regular Curl Enhancing Gel is also available.
5. Olaplex No.10 Bond Shaper Curl Defining Gel
(Image credit: Olaplex)
Olaplex added a curl gel to its ever-growing range last year in the form of the No.10 Bond Shaper Curl Defining Gel, and it’s pretty decent. The definition is great, and it has a soft feel, barely detectable to the touch, though I found the hold to be quite light, so bear this in mind if you want a stronger hold gel. As with the entire range, though the highest concentration is found in the in-salon treatments and Olaplex No.3 Bond Perfector, it contains the same patented bond-building ingredient that works to repair broken bonds within the hair.
6. Bouclème Curl Defining Gel
(Image credit: Bouclème)
Another super popular curl gel and a bestseller for this curly brand, Bouclème’s sunny yellow gel packs in decent hold and ingredients like linseed extract, plus argan and coconut oils. With quite a runny texture, it’s nice and easy to distribute through your hair and has buildable, medium hold, making it a good all-rounder, but a strong option is also available for those who want more powerful hold.
7. Tootilab All Weather Styling Gel
(Image credit: Tootilab)
“I would describe my curls as 4a, given their Afro-texture. But as we all know, no two curl days are the same. Tootilab, a new brand, is swiftly solidifying itself as a hair hero thanks to the way that it keeps curls bouncy and beautifully defined. The texture of this is pretty runny, yet it offers a flexible hold to your curls and coils. But the thing that sets it apart is it’s hardiness. Come rain or shine, your curls won’t budge, trust me I’ve tested it. And it doesn’t leave the dreaded hard, crunchy cast.” – Lollie King, Senior Beauty Writer
8. Camille Rose Curl Maker and Hair Defining Jelly
(Image credit: Future)
“For those with afro-textured coils and curls, this is a definite must-have. Not only does it smell divine, but it works to nourish and define curls, one coil at a time. Thanks to the marshmallow root, which helps to detangle, you can comb this through your hair. The aloe juice provides deep hydration without the fear of it drying out your curls, and finally, there’s nettle root to stimulate hair growth.