# Hair gel with strong hold

Source: HiveTried, https://hivetried.com/beauty/hair-gel/strong-hold/
Category: Beauty > Hair gel. Updated 2026-10-08. Based on 263 counted first-hand reports from Target shopper reviews, Aug 2020 to Oct 2026.

**Question:** Which hair gel gives a strong hold?

**Short answer:** got2b Glued Spiking Hair Glue has the best record: 39 of 39 shoppers said it held their style, and none said it failed. Curl gels follow, with Kinky-Curly Original Curling Custard at 19 of 22 and Aunt Jackie's Flaxseed Don't Shrink Curling Gel at 20 of 25. This page ranks gels for curls and gels for spiking or slicking together, and Garnier, Aussie and Eco Style at the bottom drew more weak-hold reports than the others.

**What stands out:** Weak hold is the common complaint at the bottom: 46% of Aussie reviews, 45% of Eco Style reviews and 25% of Garnier reviews. Shoppers often write when a gel lets them down, so read the shares as a way to compare gels, not as a promise.

## Ranking (buyers who said whether it worked)

| Rank | Product | Holds | Share | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | got2b Glued Spiking Hair Glue | 39 of 39 | 100% | yes |
| 2 | Kinky-Curly Original Curling Custard | 19 of 22 | 86% | no |
| 3 | Aunt Jackie's Flaxseed Don't Shrink Curling Gel | 20 of 25 | 80% | yes |
| 4 | SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel | 10 of 13 | 77% | yes |
| 5 | Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Extra Strong Hold Gel | 16 of 26 | 62% | yes |
| 6 | Aussie Instant Freeze Hair Gel | 18 of 33 | 55% | no |
| 7 | Eco Style Argan Oil Styling Gel | 18 of 35 | 51% | no |

Ranked by the lower bound of a 90% Wilson confidence interval, so a product needs a high share and enough reports to rank high. An Amazon link is shown only when at least 60% say it works.

## Product notes

### 1. got2b Glued Spiking Hair Glue

39 of 39 said it held their style, and none said it didn't. It is a spiking glue, so hold is the whole point. 8% call it sticky and 5% call it crunchy or hard. Reviews on got2b's own site are more mixed at 4 of 8. We show those but don't count them.

- Praised for: Good value (10%), No flakes (5%)
- Complaints: Sticky (8%), Crunchy or hard (5%)
- Reports counted: 40

### 2. Kinky-Curly Original Curling Custard

19 of 22 said it held their style, and it gets credit for feel too: 28% say it leaves no crunch and 22% say it defines curls. Price is the catch: 25% call it too expensive, and 15% still found it crunchy or hard.

- Praised for: No crunch (28%), Defines curls (23%), No flakes (13%)
- Complaints: Too expensive (25%), Crunchy or hard (15%), Flakes (5%)
- Reports counted: 40

### 3. Aunt Jackie's Flaxseed Don't Shrink Curling Gel

Shoppers like the feel: 32% say it leaves no crunch, 30% say it defines curls and 25% say it leaves no flakes. 20 of 25 said it held. Complaints are spread out, with 20% calling it crunchy or hard, 15% reporting weak hold and 12% reporting flakes.

- Praised for: No crunch (33%), Defines curls (30%), No flakes (25%)
- Complaints: Crunchy or hard (20%), Flakes (13%)
- Reports counted: 40

### 4. SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel

A smaller group of 13 weighed in, and 10 of 13 said it held. Sticky is the common complaint at 21%, and 12% report weak hold. 21% say it defines curls.

- Praised for: Defines curls (21%), No crunch (8%)
- Complaints: Sticky (21%)
- Reports counted: 24

### 5. Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Extra Strong Hold Gel

Shoppers are split: 16 of 26 said it held, while 25% of its reviews report weak hold. Fans say it leaves no crunch (18%) and no flakes (12%). Reviews on Garnier's own site are less positive at 2 of 7. We show those but don't count them.

- Praised for: No crunch (18%), No flakes (13%), Good value (8%)
- Complaints: Sticky (5%)
- Reports counted: 40

### 6. Aussie Instant Freeze Hair Gel

Weak hold is the story here. 46% of its reviews report it, and 15 of 33 shoppers who judged the hold said it fell short. 21% mention flakes. Reviews on Aussie's own site are lower still: 0 of 10 say it held. We show those but don't count them.

- Praised for: No flakes (8%), Good value (8%), Defines curls (5%)
- Complaints: Flakes (21%)
- Reports counted: 39

### 7. Eco Style Argan Oil Styling Gel

18 of 35 said it held, the weakest record here, and 45% of its reviews report weak hold. On the plus side, 15% call it good value and 12% say it leaves no crunch.

- Praised for: Good value (15%), No crunch (13%), Defines curls (8%)
- Complaints: Flakes (5%)
- Reports counted: 40

## Questions

**Which hair gel gives strong hold?**

got2b Glued Spiking Hair Glue has the best record (39 of 39), followed by Kinky-Curly Original Curling Custard (19 of 22) and Aunt Jackie's Flaxseed Don't Shrink Curling Gel (20 of 25). The first is a spiking glue and the next two are curl gels, so pick by the style you want.

**Is Aussie Instant Freeze Hair Gel a strong hold gel?**

Shoppers are split. 18 of 33 said it held, and 46% of its reviews report weak hold. It sits near the bottom of this page.

**Should I pick a curl gel or a spiking gel for strong hold?**

Both kinds are ranked together here. got2b Glued Spiking Hair Glue is a spiking glue at 39 of 39, while the curl gels Kinky-Curly Original Curling Custard and Aunt Jackie's Flaxseed Don't Shrink Curling Gel also have good records (19 of 22 and 20 of 25). Curl gel reviewers talk about crunch and curl definition too, with 32% of Aunt Jackie's reviews saying it leaves no crunch.

**Do strong hold gels feel sticky or crunchy?**

Some do. 8% of got2b reviews and 21% of SheaMoisture reviews call it sticky, and 20% of Aunt Jackie's reviews call it crunchy or hard. For Kinky-Curly Original Curling Custard, 28% say it leaves no crunch, though 15% still found it crunchy or hard.

## Method

HiveTried counts first-hand reports only, drops reviews written for free products, shows brand-site reviews without counting them, and never accepts payment for placement. Full method: https://hivetried.com/how-we-count/