9 Best Hair Extensions To Own Now – Hairstylist Tested

With a million different types of hair extensions on the market, it can be almost impossible to know which type is best for you.

Sorting through the cosplay extensions and the luxury brands can be more complex than sorting through what you want to name your first child or pet.

I have done years of trial and error with extensions of all types and have rounded up a list of the best versions you should try today.

Favorite Extensions At A Quick Glance

If you aren’t sure if extensions are for you, I’m here to tell you they are! That girl you always see getting her coffee at Starbucks in the morning is probably wearing them. If you ever see women and think their hair looks too good to be true, it probably is.

As a professional cosmetologist who does hair for high-profile clientele, I can tell you that they all wear extensions of some type. By just wearing extensions myself, I have converted more friends and family members than I can count.

FAQs

Before we dive deep into the best hair extensions, we will go over a few FAQs to help you better understand which ones are best for you.

Why wear hair extensions?

Hair extensions aren’t just for providing length, but they can be a great option to add volume, color and a great way to add a different style to your everyday hairstyle routines.

Are extensions bad for your hair?

When appropriately applied, hair extensions provide zero damage to your hair! In fact, extensions can actually help heal broken or damaged hair by providing you with a style that won’t require you to use hot tools or tons of products.

Using extensions can help save your hair health and bring life back to dull locks.

Do hair extensions help grow hair?

Yes! Because you are giving your hair a break from styling tools, hot tools, products, pulling, and stretching, it helps save hair integrity and thus will help it grow. Hair growth stops when breakage happens.

Do hair extensions look natural?

Yes! The whole point of hair extensions is to blend with your current hair, so they look natural.

How can I make hair extensions look more natural?

There are a few easy tricks to make any hair extension look natural:

• Make sure you are buying a color to match your current hair. If you buy real human hair extensions, you can take them to your hairdresser and have them color your new extensions to match the exact color used on your real hair. It’s not weird, and I have colored many extensions for clients throughout my career. You can even call and ask them to color your extensions even if you aren’t due for a touchup yet.
• Take your extensions to your hairdresser so they can give them a facelift by cutting them to blend into your hair. They may choose to debulk the extensions with thinning shears if you don’t want the extra added volume.
• Use dry shampoo or baby powder to tone down the shine on cheaper extensions.
• If you have think hair, you may need to buy multiple packs. I personally typically need two packages to have the extensions blend properly. This is what I have to do because my hair is coarse and thick overall.
• If you are pretty savvy with hair, you can try to color and cut the extensions yourself. Remember, you can only color real human hair, and synthetic hair will not be able to be colored.

Additionally, if you want to cut your extensions yourself, remember that synthetic hair should be point cut, or the ends will be very blunt, and they will stand out.

Can solid-colored hair blend with colored or highlighted extensions?

Yes! If you are one solid color and get extensions that are another solid color, you want to wear your hair curly so they blend. They can also look more natural if you style your hair in a braid or a type of updos like a ponytail or bun.

My professional suggestion for wearing another color is to get ombre extensions, so the top of the extension matches your natural hair, and it slowly blends into another color.

Can you wear extensions every day?

Again, yes. Most lazy girl extensions are ones that you can put in and out daily, and they are the type I suggest you start with.

Tape-in, sew-in, or braid-in extensions are types that you can wear for days or weeks at a time.

Clip-in, halo, and ponty tail extensions are ones you can wear daily.

How long do hair extensions last?

Hair extension life will depend solely on how you take care of the extensions. However, minimal maintenance is required and can be as easy as:

• storing your extensions in a proper place
• using heat protectant sprays before using hot tools on them
• using the recommend heat for styling tools
• brushing them out properly before and after use with a proper soft brush
• don’t wash synthetic extensions
• lay out human hair extensions to dry flat, don’t blow dry them
• try using dry shampoo to keep hair fresh instead of harsh perfumes

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Now that you have all of your FAQs answered, let’s dive deep into the best hair extensions you should own now!

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Tape-In Extensions

What are tape-in extensions? Tape-in extensions are typically implemented throughout your entire head and are applied via once-inch wefts. These wefts are sandwiched in between thin layers of hair.

You can apply tape in extensions yourself if you are handy with hair or buy them and have a professional put them in for you—finish styling by cutting them to blend in with your natural hair.

Professional tip: If you want a professional hairdresser to put them in, make sure you call around and let them know you are interested in applying tape in hair extensions. When you make the appointment, let them know you will be bringing in your extensions. Some hairstylists will be okay with that, and some won’t because they might want you to purchase their tape in extensions.

Professional Opinion: These are the best semi-permanent option, but they will take a few wears to get used to.

Con: If you aren’t familiar with hair extensions, then trying to put them in yourself could lead to you using too many wefts, which will make your head feel super heavy, or you might not use enough to make your hair look choppy.

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Moresoo – Tape In

Lengths: 12 – 28 inches

Hair Colors: Black to blonde!

Style: Wavy Straight or curly

Packs: 20 pieces Hair is 2.5g per piece,20pcs/50g Per Package

Con: You will most likely have to buy a few of these (typically 2-3 boxes) depending on the length and thickness of your hair

Hair type: Real Human Hair.

For ombre options, you can take a peek here!

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GOO GOO – Tape In

Length: 14 to 24 inches

Hair Colors: All different ones from blonde, black ad brown. Ombre and mixed highlights are also available.

Style: Wavy and straight.

Packs: 20 pcs – 50 grams

Hair Type: Human hair

These can be died to match your hair exactly.

If you are unsure of which to get, try to match the extensions with your roots.

How To Put In Tape In Extensions Yourself – Picture Guide

Work in small sections throughout your hair, going from the crown and moving down towards the nape of your neck.

With tape-in extensions, you want to make sure you sandwich your natural hair in-between the two tape-in wefts.

To remove the tape-in extensions, you should ALWAYS use a remover.

I recommend this brand because it works in under ten seconds!

It is oil-free and is instead infused with essential oils.

There are two removers included with this set: 8oz Release & Reuse and 4oz Remove & Residue.

Start all tape removals with Release & Reuse. This remover temporarily neutralizes the stickiness of extension tape, allowing it to be easily removed & quickly corrects application mistakes without retaping or shampooing tape extensions. Remover 2 – Remove & Residue helps deal with a sticky residue sometimes left behind after removing tape extensions.

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Halo Extensions

Halo extensions are one of the most effortless hair extensions, and they are a lazy girl’s dream. They take seconds to put in and take out, making them great for girls who don’t want a high-maintenance option. These are the best style and go type of option.

Halo extensions don’t use any physical attachment to stay on your hair or scalp. Instead, these extensions sit on your head via some wire or string that goes over your head, and the extensions sit in the back of your ear and the nape of your neck.

You can take them to your hairstylist to have them cut off additional length, but typically halo extensions don’t require that step.

The easiest way to apply halo extensions is to part the top crown of your hair, secure with a hair sectioning clip, wrap the halo piece around your sectioned-out hair, let your top hair down, and use a comb to blend in the wire that much more. Of course, if you don’t want to section your hair, you don’t even have to, but I find it helpful.

Some halo extensions won’t have a string that goes around your head, and instead, they will be sewed onto a hairpiece that you slip around the halo of your head, hence the name.

Professional Opinion: These are the MOST comfortable extensions to wear.

Con: It might not be the best option if you have hair above your shoulders unless you plan on wearing your hair in a half-up style.

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Full Shine – Halo

Length: 12 – 22 inch

Hair Type: 100% human hair with 80 grams.

Style: It comes with waves, and you can style it any way you want with hot tools.

Pack: Each halo piece comes with a fishline and clips to secure the hairpiece, as well as a textured fabric by the top of the piece to hold it to your hair so it doesn’t slip.

Hair Colors: Black to blonde!

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SARLA Synthetic Wavy – Halo

Best Budget Option

Length: 14 to 18 inches

Hair Colors: Black to Blonde, and a few fashion colors like pink and silver.

Style: This halo piece is wavy, and since it is synthetic, you can’t restyle it—a fantastic option for those who want a style that stays all day long.

Pack: Each halo piece comes on an adjustable fish wire.

Hair Type: Synthetic Hair

Con: I own this one, and while I do love it and you can’t beat the price, I wish it came with some textured material so it would stay better on my head. It just comes with the hairpiece and no extras clips, making me nervous about wearing it on a fast-moving device like a roller coaster.

Pro: I wore it all day during my sister-in-law’s bachelorette party, and it stayed great, even though the dancing festivities! I would be a bit more comfortable if there were the extras that other halo pieces come with.

These are great for those like myself who want to pull off the blonde hair extension look and make it look natural.

How To Put In Halo Hair Extensions – Picture Guide

Halo hair extensions are super easy to put in. Put the halo( fishline or small clear band) along with the crown of your head.

Take a fishtail comb and lift the hair that is mushroomed up. Once your natural hair is lifted up and over the fishline, proceed to comb the hairpieces down to fully cover the fishline and the top of the fake hair. Then style as you wish!

For halos that have clips, you can choose to clip those in before or after you brush your natural hair over the extensions. I prefer to clip them before, so they stay sturdy and in place from start to finish.

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Clip In Hair Extensions

These are the OG hair extensions, and I have owned more of these than I can even count. I use these for everything from length to extra sexy volume. They are the second easiest form of extension to use.

To put these extensions in, all you have to do is part your hair starting from the bottom and leave about a half in the section of hair down, then clip the extensions in and work your way up to your head in sectioned out parts alternating one-inch sections. Clip-ins are typically applied from the bottom of your hair by your neck up just below your crown.

Con: You might need to get two sets depending on how thick your hair is. My hair is thick, and I always have to get two packs of these to blend naturally into my hair.

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Googoo Hair Extensions Clip in

Length: 16 – 24 inches

Colors: Different colors of ombre and highlights that can be viewed here! Make sure you match the top root with the root of your natural hair color.

Style: Wavy, style as you wish with heat tools.

Pack: 120 grams with seven pieces per pack

Hair Type: 100% Remy Human Hair

Con: You may need two packs depending on how thick your hair is.

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s-noilite Clip in Human Hair Extensions 

Length: 10 – 24 inches

Colors: Black through Blond, Ombre, Bayalayge, and Highlights – See more in-depth here.

Style: Comes straight or wavy; style as desired.

Pack: 110 – 170 grams

Hair Type: 100% Remy Human Hair

Con: As I said before, you may need two packs of these to blend in with your natural hair thoroughly.

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How To Put In Clip In Hair Extensions – Picture Guide

As you can see above, the step-by-step guide is pretty self-explanatory.

You are going to start at the bottom and work your way to the top.

Make sure to section a layer in between the hair wefts.