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We tested over 50 different hairsprays over two weeks, in our New York City lab and the real world. In the real world, testers used the products at least three times a week on dry, styled hair. We compiled their insights on everything from how easy it was to use them to how quickly they dried to the hold level. Ultimately, the drugstore hairsprays below proved to be the best of the best, and, in several cases, beat out higher-end products.
TRESemmé One Step Volume for Fine Hair
Okay, so you may not necessarily choose a hairspray based on scent alone, but this one delivers performance-wise and smells great. We thought the hold made it ideal for long-term needs; we clocked its staying power at 10 hours. As the name suggests, it did help address frizz, and even added a little shine, to boot. This is a Goldilocks hairspray; the happy medium between delivering hold and shape and ensuring your hair still has plenty of movement and bounce.
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It sprays out in a strong and even mist (sans any nozzle clogging) and the fruity scent was so pleasant that it even earned us several compliments throughout the day. As if that weren’t enough it infused our hair with volume and shine. To be fair, all drugstore hairsprays are affordable, but this is a real bargain deal.
For All Hair Types
We were thoroughly impressed with how well it worked and how much you get for the already wallet-friendly price. The mist feels lightweight yet offers long-lasting hold, preserving styles all day long without any residue or stiffness, or that feeling that you absolutely need to wash your hair. The only (minor) drawback—it doesn’t impart any shine or add much volume. This classic pick from L’Oreal takes the cake for tamping down errant hairs and flyaways and keeping your strands super smooth. Still, it lasts and lasts—and can always be brushed through as well.
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We also love that it can be used for adding body and fullness simply by spraying a bit more onto the roots. The hold definitely is on the lighter side though, so when you need to lock in a style you may want something that has a bit of a stronger grip. Spray liberally onto styled hair or updos for extreme hold and shine.

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However, if you're looking for something to keep updos in place all day and night, try Got2B Glued Blasting Freeze Hairspray. This drugstore hairspray guide was written by Theresa Holland, an experienced commerce writer specializing in beauty. She's been contributing to Byrdie since 2020, covering makeup, skincare, and hair care. To keep her fine strands smooth and frizz-free, she often reaches for John Frieda Frizz Ease or Aussie Headstrong. A freelance writer and beauty editor, she’s well-versed in all things haircare-related and is a big fan of shopping at the drugstore for styling products, hairspray included.
It won’t add any volume, but so long as you’re okay with that, this is a winning choice for a long-lasting yet touchable hold. There’s nothing more annoying than a hairspray that leaves your hair looking and feeling damp after application. However, in our experience, it only lived up to its “mega hold” promise when we used lots of it as well as reapplied throughout the day. And the intense nozzle, which delivers an intense blast of product, does take some getting used to, although we did appreciate that it never got clogged. We get it—the word “glue” in a hairspray name can admittedly be a little scary, but there’s nothing to fear with this winner, which we deemed excellent for locking in updos. The super strong hold is ideal for completely smoothing and setting hair, even those pesky little flyways.
Garnier Fructis Extreme Control Anti-Humidity Hairspray
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Take a spraycation and dive into Lush Life with Spray & Play’s tropical notes of Sweet Papaya + Luscious Freesia fragrance! Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray provides a medium to high hold that lasts up to 120 hours and provides up to six times the volume and lift. Formulated to work on fine, medium and coarse hair types, this workable hairspray provides a flake-free finish with up to 72 hours of humidity resistance for long-lasting style results. Spray & Stay Intense Hold Hairspray delivers up to 2x more volume and lift with an intense, long-lasting hold that won’t let your down for up to 120 hours. Ideal for fine, medium and coarse hair types, this flake-free formula provides a transparent, high-shine finish and up to 72 hours of humidity resistance.
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Still, it didn’t feel stiff, and any trace of tackiness dissipated as soon as it dried. It also added a nice amount of shine, always a plus for up-dos. It’s a 10 Miracle Finishing Spray is hands down, the best drugstore hairspray we’ve tried. This beloved product delivers a superfine, non-sticky mist to lock in your look and leaves a soft, brushable finish in its wake.
It left our strands feeling soft and smooth, even conditioned—no crunchies or stiffness here. And while our style relaxed slightly after a long day, we were still impressed with the staying power, especially given how flexible the hold is. It does take a bit longer to dry than other options we tested, but we felt the result was worth the wait.
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Celebrity hairstylist Emilio Uribe lent his expertise to this story, as did celebrity hairstylist Alexander Armand, founder of Flourish, a line of hair and beard oils. Melanie Rud is a Chicago-based writer with 10 years of experience covering beauty. She covers all things skincare for Byrdie, from ingredients to acne advice. Consider these the secret to long-lasting hold, volume, and more.
It helped to hold the style in place (they like to separate) and gave more structure to my hair without being totally crunchy and gross." But it was the scent that really won us over—a light, citrusy, fresh fragrance that lasted without lingering too long. FYI, the nozzle does deliver a pretty intense spritz with each application, upping the likelihood of inadvertently over-using it in any one spot and ending up with some crunchiness. As the name implies, the nozzle does indeed blast out a lot of product at once in a narrow stream; we would’ve preferred a finer more even mist. The bottle also doesn’t come with a cap, which can be problematic for travel. A must-have for finishing partlines – spray some directly onto a kabuki brush & lightly brush outward along partline to tame any frizz or flyaways.
Despite the price difference, you can typically find the same types of ingredients in both drugstore and expensive hairsprays, points out celebrity hairstylist Emilio Uribe. But if you want your hairspray to hold your full style in place, look elsewhere. Despite how well it calmed flyaways, we found the hold level nearly nonexistent, even if we layered on extra product. This featherlight spray takes will tame frizz and flyaways in a flash, all while feeling (and looking) undetectable. It dries quickly, too, and the fine mist distributes nicely all over the hair.
We also lauded its non-sticky, featherweight feel and that it could be used to impart long-lasting volume. The pleasant, clean scent (which nicely lingered throughout the day) was a lovely bonus. Hairspray is to haircare what foundation is to makeup—essential for creating a variety of looks, yet the best ones are totally undetectable. These days, the formulas are more touchable and brushable than ever, nothing like the sticky, crunchy hairsprays of decades past. And there are tons of fantastic, affordable options at your local drugstore that often perform on par with their pricier counterparts.