Hair mousse is one of the best products for adding volume and lift to your hair without weighing it down. It is great for men with thin or flat hair and guys who want styles such as mohawk that require a lot of hair lift.
Good hair mousse should lift and hold your hair for at least a full day. It should also leave your hair soft and supple, not crunchy.
In this buying guide, we review the best hair mousse for men and give you tips on how to choose the right mousse for your hair.
What To Look For In Hair Mousse For Men
Amount of Volume & Lift
Check how effective the mousse is in lifting hair. The best way to do this is reading customer reviews to see the kind of results they got.
Some hair mousse brands are formulated to add a lot of volume and work great for men with thin hair.
If you already have thick hair and only need a little bit of lift, find a mousse with a thinner consistency. It’ll add a bit of volume to your hair without blowing up your hair too much.
Hold Time & Type of Hold
Any mousse will hold your hair in your preferred style. What varies is how long the mousse can maintain that hold.
As with volume, hold time depends mostly on how much you pay for the mousse. Premium brands can maintain hair hold for as long as 24 hours. Cheaper ones only last till evening, and sometimes you may need to re-apply in the middle of the day.
If you have a typically busy day that lasts late into the evening, get a mousse that holds up your hair for longer.
Something else to look for is the type of hold a mousse provides. There are light, medium and firm hold mousse products.
Light hold mousse is great for thin hair and works best for rough easy-going styles. It has the same effect as a sea salt spray. It gives your hair a tousled but smart appearance.
Medium and firm hold mousse are ideal for thicker hair. They work best for sleek or elaborate hairstyles where you need the hair to stay a specific way the whole day long.
Heat Protection
If blow drying is part of your morning hair routine, get a mousse with heat protection. It’ll coat your hair fibres, protecting them from heat damage.
Apply the mouse to towel-dried hair just before you blow dry. The mousse will not only protect your hair, it’ll also add more volume once you blow dry.
Additional Ingredients
Hair mousse doesn’t need a ton of ingredients to work. But having additional ingredients that nourish and moisturise your hair won’t hurt.
If you can get more hair volume while also hydrating and strengthening your hair, why not go for it?
Some of the ingredients to look for include natural oils, plant extracts, antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals. Just keep in mind that the added benefits usually add to the price of a mousse.
If you are on a budget, get a basic mousse that just volumizes your hair then use a leave-in conditioner and other products to moisturise and nourish your hair and scalp.
Cruelty-Free & Vegan
As with any cosmetic nowadays, it’s essential that you buy eco-friendly products that are also safe for your hair and skin.
Avoid hair mousse that contains parabens, sulfates, and other harmful chemicals. If you have a sensitive scalp, look for fragrance-free mousse or one that uses natural oils for scent.
We also recommend buying a cruelty-free mousse that’s not been tested on animals. And if you are vegan, look for the vegan or vegan-friendly mark on the label or product description.
Best Hair Mousse For Men: Top 5 Reviews
1. Uppercut Deluxe Foam Tonic Mousse For Men
The Uppercut foam tonic is a multifunctional hair mousse that you can use for different things.
Surprisingly, volumizing is not its best feature. Sure, it’ll add some volume to your hair. But because it’s a thin airy mousse, it won’t give you as much lift as other brands.
But if you have thick hair and just want a slight lift, then the Uppercut mousse is perfect.
Where the Uppercut foam mousse excels is giving your hair a light hold. It’s perfect for ruffled hair styles, similar to those you get from a sea salt spray.
It’s also great for thinner hair types where you don’t want to weigh down the hair with something heavy.
The Uppercut deluxe mousse comes in a 150g bottle with a spray pump that produces a thin foam that’s easy to apply to hair.
You can use it on its own to style hair, or as a pre-styler before blow drying. It includes heat protection.
In addition to the primary volumizing ingredients, the Uppercut mousse also contains vitamin B5 and quinoa extracts to nourish your hair.
The Uppercut deluxe foam mousse is cruelty-free and has not been tested on animals.
What we like about it:
- Great for casual hairstyles.
- Contains nourishing ingredients.
- Heat protection.
- Cruelty-free.
2. Murdock London Men’s Sea Salt Volume Mousse
Sea salt sprays are excellent volumizers, especially for men looking for casual styles. Murdock’s sea salt mousse adds volume to your hair, while making it easier to style.
Sea salt in the mousse expands hair fibres, making your hair appear fuller and giving added lift. It also absorbs oils, which lifts up matted and lackluster hair.
The light hold of the Murdock sea salt mousse makes it perfect for casual hair styles. It’s especially great for enhancing waves and curls.
In addition to sea salt, the Murdock mousse also contains seaweed that nourishes and strengthens the hair with vitamins and minerals.
Men with sensitive skin and scalp should note that the Murdock sea salt mousse contains alcohol as well as synthetic fragrance. If you decide to buy it, apply it on a small part of your hair first to check for adverse reactions.
What we like about it:
- Great for casual hairstyles.
- Adds volume and lift to hair.
- Reduces oiliness in hair.
- Contains vitamins and minerals.
3. Tigi Bed Head for Men Press Up Thickening Mousse
The Tigi Bed Head for Men Press Up mousse is the best choice if you want to add a lot of volume to your hair.
We highly recommend it for men with thin and flat hair. Ingredients in the mousse prevent hair from sticking together, which makes it appear fuller.
Because the Press Up mousse has a firmer hold than the Uppercut or Murdock mousse, it’s great for a wide range of styles. Whether you want a casual tousled style, or a sleeker side-swept look, the Tigi Press Up mousse is good for all of them.
All you need to do is vary the amount of product you apply to your hair. The more of it you use, the firmer it holds your hair.
The Press Up mouse has an impressive hold time. Most men using it say their hair maintains the set style for up to 24 hours.
Press Up also contains caffeine which energizes your hair roots and promotes stronger and healthier hair. It’s especially helpful for men with thin stubborn hair that refuses to thicken.
What we like about it:
- Adds a lot of volume to hair.
- Hold lasts up to 24 hours.
- Contains hair-boosting caffeine.
4. Fish Bubble Fish Cream Pomade Foaming Mousse
Shopping for a budget mousse for men? We recommend the Fish Bubble foaming mousse.
It is a medium hold mousse that works well for both smooth and tousled hair styles. If you like to keep your hair smooth and sleek on some days, then switch to a more casual style on other days, the Fish Bubble Mousse is a good choice.
The lightweight formulation is ideal for thin and flat hair. It’s easy to apply and it doesn’t have any stickiness.
You can use the Fish Bubble mousse on its own, then style your hair with a comb or just your hand. It can also work as a base for additional products. For instance, you can add a volumizing powder to get even more lift.
The Fish Bubble mousse is vegan and cruelty-friendly. However, those with sensitive scalps should be cautious applying as it contains alcohol and synthetic fragrance.
Note: The Fish Bibble mousse has Behentrimonium Methosulfate listed in the ingredients list and that may be worrying for those trying to avoid cosmetics with sulfates. Rest assured, it’s not a sulfate and will not irritate your scalp.
What we like about it:
- Low price.
- Easy to apply.
- Medium hold work well with a wide range of styles.
- Cruelty-free and vegan.
5. TIGI Bed Head Rockaholic Amped Up Volumising Mousse
The TIGI Bed Head Rockaholic Amped Up mousse is another good choice if you are looking for a budget mousse.
Despite its low price, the Tigi Rockaholic Amped Up mousse adds a surprising amount of volume and lift to hair. It’s a great choice for men with thin and flat hair.
The mousse has a strong hold, making it ideal for sleek hair styles. The hold lasts a full day.
Unlike pricier brands, the Amped Up mousse is not loaded with additional ingredients to hydrate and nourish your hair. It volumizes your hair well, but we recommend using it alongside a leave-on conditioner to ensure your hair stays strong and moisturised.
What we like about it:
- Inexpensive.
- Strong hold – great if you want a smooth finish.
- Long lasting hold.
