The Best Styling Mousses Will Tame Your Mane Once and for All

Does anyone use mousse anymore? Just like hair gel, it had its moment, but in 2025, the best styling mousses (just like the best gels or pomades) are back in fashion—or should we say back in your hair. Mousse didn’t always have the best PR back then, leaving people with the impression that it wasn’t good for much lest you want zero hold, a sticky residue in your mane, or even crunchy, helmet hair. Sure, that was the case for a lot of mousses, but that’s no longer true with this new wave of the best styling mousses, which can provide much-needed volume to fine hair, offer heat protection, and help define curls with reduced frizz.

We found the best styling mousses that provide sky-high levels of volume, all while nourishing and hydrating your strands for years and years of good hair days. Here, our favorite mousses for every hair concern and texture.

The Best Mousses, According to GQ

Best Styling Mousse Overall: Sachajuan Ocean Mist Volume Hair Mousse

Sachajaun already makes our favorite shampoo, so we’re not shocked that we’re big fans of its Ocean Mist mousse. A GQ Grooming Awards winner in 2024, this mousse offers everything you want from a typical mousse, but elevated to the net level. It’s lightweight, so it won’t sit too heavy in your hair, leaving absolutely zero sticky residue. It feels almost like air when you put it in your hand, and that’s the same feeling you’ll get once you work it into your locks. This does provide a bit of a shinier look, but it appears more like a natural sheen rather than a greasy one. Plus, it bumps up your hair’s natural volume, and it’s a great pre-styler to utilize with a stronger hold product.

Best Volumizing Mousse: Bumble and Bumble Thickening Full Form Soft Hair Mousse

Arguably the most important thing that a mousse should do is provide volume to your hair. So why call out this Bumble and Bumble option specifically for its volumizing abilities? Well, just read the review of anyone who’s tested this mousse: It works. For hair that looks visibly thicker, even if you have fine or thin hair, this Bumble and Bumble mousse will have people wondering if you might’ve just returned from a wellness trip to Turkey. It’s good for straight or wavy hair, and because of its heat protectant properties, you can keep your hair safe when you’re blow drying.

Best Biotin-Boosted Styling Mousse: Better Not Younger Wake Up Call Style Memory Mousse

Does biotin actually do much for making your hair grow back thicker and fuller? Well, probably not, but even if it’s just a placebo effect, then there’s no harm in seeking out a mousse that’s packed with the stuff. We like Better Not Younger’s styling mousse because of its nutrient-dense ingredient list, which gives hair oomph as well as hold and nourishment. This soft and lightweight mousse helps to emphasize the hair’s natural movement all while conditioning it and, hopefully, letting it grow out just a tad bit thicker. Plus, it’s great for humid environments because it’ll prevent unwanted frizziness.

Best Hair-Softening Mousse: Jack Henry Hair Foam

Despite its naming convention (maybe to appeal to more dudes), Hair Foam from Jack Henry is simply a mousse. Or maybe not just “simply” because it’s actually pretty damn good. This hydrating and lightweight foam is basically a leave-in conditioner that comes out of the container like whipped cream. It’s quick-drying so you don’t need to blow dry or wait for it to air dry, and it helps to add definition to curly and wavy hair textures, though it is also good for those with straight hair. This doesn’t offer much hold for styling purposes, but layer it with your favorite gel or pomade for a poppin’ pomp.

Best Moisturizing Styling Mousse: Kérastase Densifique Densimorphose Hair Mousse

You already know that hyaluronic acid is good for your skin (you do know that, right?). Well its benefits also apply to your hair, because hyaluronic acid helps to retain moisture, and dry hair is an affliction that affects a lot of people, especially those who tend to over-shampoo. The Densifique mousse from Kérastase deeply hydrates hair while it simultaneously bumps up the volume and thickness. It’s a real win-win situation when you’re using this mousse, which also offers a nice natural shine to amplify the look of your hair’s wellbeing.

Best Humidity-Resistant Mousse: Virtue Full Volumizing Hair Mousse

Humidity is hair’s worst enemy. That, and probably too much heat, but in terms of maintaining your hairstyle for the day, well, humidity sucks. For that reason, Virtue’s mousse is great for letting your hair stay the way it is from the minute you’re done styling it to the end of the night. Is that an exaggeration? Probably, given mousse generally has a very weak hold, but at least your locks won’t get frizzy, and the overall shape of your style will persevere despite the moisture in the air.

Best Styling Mousse for Curly Hair: Ouai Air Dry Foam

Taking care of curly hair is its own beautiful beast, and for those who need to tame their mane, the Ouai Air Dry foam helps to emphasize waves and curls, while protecting it from humidity-induced freziness. We like that it’s made with protein extracts to condition hair and improve its overall strength, and while this also acts as a heat protectant, it dries quickly and provides great styling without the need for blowdrying. Plus, it’s one of the more affordable mousses here, so that’s a bonus.

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