Looking to add some oomph to your style? You’re in the right place. Extensions aside, whether your hair is on the fine, thin, or flat side, there are plenty of volumising hair products that work with the hair type and texture you’ve naturally been blessed with.
No longer do you just have a bunch of sticky, crunchy hair mousses to choose from on the beauty shelves; next-generation formulations come in lightweight foams, sprays, and powders that can give you the kind of zhuzh that looks good on all styles.
I’m talking root-raising, body-building, height-giving formulas that easily slot into your everyday styling routine. You’ll find ones to use on freshly washed hair, as well as clever products that instantly amplify dry strands.
And I’m adding wet-to-dry volumising hot brushes to the mix, too. Traditionally, nothing gives you the kind of volume a talented hair stylist can with a round brush and top-notch hairdryer. But it can be a challenge to create on yourself, well, until these new-age tools came along.
The best volumising hair products for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Amika Brooklyn bombshell blowout spray: £28, Boots.com
- Best budget buy – L’Oreal Paris elnett crème de mousse: £7, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for volume and hold – Color Wow extra large bombshell volumizer: £18, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for dry hair – Living Proof full dry volume and texture spray: £28, Amazon.co.uk
- Best tool – Ghd duet blowdry hair dryer brush: £279, Amazon.co.uk
How I tested
I spent weeks putting hair volumising products on trial in my naturally wavy hair that’s on the fine side, even though there’s a lot of it. I’m well-equipped for the job, as when I smooth out my kinks with a blow-dry or hot tool my hair tends to look flat and lifeless, so I always look to a volume-booster hair product for help. To make this edited, cut of my favourites I considered ease of use, longevity, style and hold as well as value for money.
Amika Brooklyn bombshell blowout spray
Best: Volumising hair product overall
How to use: Combed through before blowdrying
Size: 200ml
Why we love it
- Raises roots and thickens the look of strands
- All-in-one product: a heat-protector, detangler and shine spray
- Luxe, warming vanilla and sandalwood scent
Take note
- Initial expense but multipurpose so offers great value
I love the convenience of a multipurpose product, and this is certainly a one-and-done product that does way more than just amp up my mane: providing good heat protection (up to 230C), detangling strands, and adding shine, too.
Misted from root to ends (on towel-dried hair) and teamed with a round-brush and hairdryer or a hot tool, it leaves me with elevated roots and thicker-looking strands for a full-bodied effect I can’t get enough of.
And because it’s not just looks that are important, what really sets this apart from other sprays is how soft, hydrated and manageable it leaves my dry, coloured mop – no stickiness residue or crunchiness to contend with. Plus, it makes my hair smell amazing all day too, with its sandalwood and vanilla dream-team scent.
Buy now £28, Boots.com
L’Oreal Paris elnett crème de mousse
Best: Budget volumising hair product
How to use: Apply to towel-dried hair from roots to ends
Size: 200ml
Why we love it
- Lifts roots and boosts volume from root-to-tip
- Leaves strands frizz-free and soft-to-the-touch
- Zero crunch or stickiness
Take note
- There are 2 formulas – one for curls and one for volume, which often get mistaken for each other
Don’t let hair mousse’s old-school reputation put you off, modern-day versions like this purse-friendly iconic gold can come with all the power of transforming limp and lifeless strands without any dreaded sticky or crunchy feel.
Two pumps of this mousse teamed with a round-brush and hairdryer, not only leave me with added root lift, body and moveable hold, but it also impressively keeps frizz at bay – leaving my hair super soft with smoothness that lasts.
It’s fragranced, but hard to describe, coming of both floral and reminding me of that scent salons get. Love it or hate it, for me it’s part of its appeal. All-in-all, it’s outstanding value.
Buy now £7, Amazon.co.uk
Color Wow extra large bombshell volumizer
Best: Volumising hair product for hold
How to use: Apply to damp or dry hair
Size: 200ml
Why we love it
- Creates height as well as long-lasting volume
- Teases into place for next-day lift and body
- Good for dry hair, as no alcohol, salt or drying resins
Take note
- Manage expectations as the XL name over promises
I expected big things (pun intended) with such an XL name from this hair volumiser, but I just can’t get that over-the-top volume you see on its marketing pictures; then again, I didn’t have hair genius Chris Appleton (aka Kim K’s hairdresser) who did the campaign helping me out.
That’s not to say I don’t love the natural-looking volume it does give my hair: lifting roots and adding fullness to lengths. And it impressively lasts, a little tease the next day and it still had the hold of the day before.
This is what a modern day ‘hair mousse’ looks like: a lightweight, airy foam that feels weightless and smooth in my strands and doubles-up as a heat protector. Best of all, you can apply it to dry or wet strands with the same maximising results.
Buy now £24, Amazon.co.uk
Living Proof full dry volume and texture spray
Best: Volumising hair product for dry or second-day hair
How to use: Spray into sections and tousle with fingers
Size: 238ml
Why we love it
- Instant volume in a can
- Revives second-day and third-day hair
- Creates texture in lengths for undone, tousled effect
Take note
- Don’t overuse as hair will turn gritty
My second-day hair always looks flat, as oiliness starts to build at the roots, so this has been a godsend in my haircare arsenal over the years. I think of this as instant volume in a can, blasted into dry roots and lengths it both lifts roots and makes my hair look much fuller.
If you have any kind of wave or movement to your hair, like I do, it creates amazing texture, too. I’m always using it to blast through the ends for a more tousled, undone-but-done style.
No matter how much you use, hair still feels beautifully soft but just with a little grit. But that’s why it also provides great grip for bobby pins, and hair accessories. Did I mention it provides heat protection too – it’s such a multitasker.
Buy now £28, Amazon.co.uk
John Frieda volume lift thickening blow-out spray
Best: Value volumising spray
How to use: Apply to clean, damp strands evenly from root to tip
Size: 100ml
Why we love it
- Purse-friendly, readily available spray
- Root lifts and adds body
- Part of a large range of top-performing volume-boosting range
Take note
- Small bottle compared to others tested
Always reasonably priced and readily available on the high street, John Frieda’s products have never let me down, and I’m including the brand’s extensive volume lift range in that, of which I love many of the products.
But if I only had to pick one, this blow-out spray makes the biggest difference. After spritzing on from roots to ends and combing through for even distribution (I find this makes all the difference), I team it with heat, from a blow-dryer or tool, to be left with a natural-looking, root-boosted, fuller-bodied styled.
What’s more, I find it banishes my usual halo of frizz, keeping strands soft, smooth and moveable without any stiffness in sight. My only complaint is the bottle should be bigger.
Buy now £5.33, Amazon.co.uk
Bumble and Bumble prêt-à-powder dry shampoo
Best: Hair volumising powder
How to use: Massage into dry roots
Size: 56g
Why we love it
- Boosts volume at the hair crown
- Adds texture in lengths for undone styles
- Adds height to ponytails and top knots
Take note
- There are cheaper powders out there, but they don’t leave hair as soft
First and foremost, this is an exceptional dry shampoo to have on standby: I never get any stiffness or dreaded chalkiness when I use it. But it doubles up as just a great volumiser, taking roots to new heights and adding undone, volumised-texture if you apply it through lengths.
I massage it into the scalp where I’m looking to lift the roots on one and two days after wash day to create sky-high ponytails and top knots. And, when I’m feeling vintage-inspired, it makes a great alternative to backcombing.
Yes, it’s not the cheapest volumising powder out there, but sometimes you do get what you pay for, and this doesn’t leave a grittiness to strands that budget powders can – keeping it nice and soft to touch. Plus, it smells expensive with its sandalwood fragrance.
Buy now £26, Boots.com
K18 astrolift reparative volume spray
Best: Volumising product for dry or damaged hair
How to use: Use on damp hair before blow-drying or on dry hair without heat
Size: 47ml
Why we love it
- Strengthens fine, fragile, bleached, heat-damaged hair
- Keeps frizz at bay
- Creates a moveable, natural-looking lift and volume
Take note
- Expensive, but comes in mini-sized, so you can try it before you commit to a big bottle
Much more than just a styling product, this volumising spray uses K18’s signature peptide to reverse hair damage – yes, the same key ingredient that’s in their famous repair hair mask that beauty editors, like me, are obsessed with.
It impressed me from the very first use, but my bleached strands felt stronger, smoother and softer the more I used it. It also impressively tamed frizz even through wet weather when my hair tends to go poufy.
All this, and it’s just a high performer as a styling spray, lifting roots and creating a naturally fuller look that impressively lasts two days as promised. Basically, it’s a 2-in-1 volume booster and leave-in treatment, which to me helps justify its steep price tag.
Buy now £44, Amazon.co.uk
Hair by Sam McKnight cool girl superlift
Best: Volumising hair product for root lift
How to use: Spritz through washed, damp roots and lengths
Size: 150ml
Why we love it
- Adds height to crown and fullness to lengths
- Long-lasting hold
- Heavenly, botanical scent
Take note
- It’s expensive but you can try before you buy with a £14 mini (50ml) version
One of the biggest names in hair, there isn’t a bouncy-haired supermodel Sam McKnight hasn’t styled, so the man knows a thing or two about taking strands to the next level. He’s bottled it up in this root-lifting, body-boosting spray that gets top marks from me all round.
Whether I’m opting for an undone, lived-in look, or a smoother coif, this elevates my look with height at the crown and fullness in the lengths. Crucially, the effect lasts all day, thanks to its medium hold that still keeps strands soft, and crunch free.
It’s heat-activated, so to use, spritz into towel-dried hair and blow-dry. Even if you’re using it on dry strands for a next day top-up don’t forget the heat. Once dry, you’re met with Sam’s heavenly, signature botanical fragrance that lingers all day.
Buy now £26, Spacenk.com
Revlon one-step blow-dry multi 4-in-1 air styler
Best: Budget volumising hot tool
How to use: Dries and styles in one
Size: 70mm oval brush
Why we love it
- Lifts roots, adds height and promotes smooth volume
- Can create the body and bounce of a salon blowdry
- Great value styler with four attachments
Take note
- If it’s just volume you’re after stick to the OG one-step volumiser
Revlon’s OG one-step volumiser is not only the best affordable wet-to-dry hot brush out there, but in my eyes one of the best at lifting strands at the roots, creating frizz-free volume and soft bouncy ends thanks to its oversized oval shape. I’ve recommended it to so many people, and they’ve thanked me for it.
And it’s just got even better, as you can now get the same brush as part of this 4-in-1 styler for a mere £15 more. I put it to the test, and it’s worth paying the extra if you have a slight wave to your strands (like I do) or more of a full-on curl, as the extra attachments include a large diffuser, 38mm round-brush, and paddle brush that have been made with textured hair in mind. With a bit of practice, it can create the body and bounce of a salon blow-dry.
Buy now £50.99, Amazon.co.uk
Ghd duet blowdry hair dryer brush
Best: Luxury volumising tool
How to use: Wet to dry all in one styling
Size: H9.80cm x W11.40cm x D39.50cm
Why we love it
- Creates professional blow-dry with body and bounce
- Smooths, defrizzes and makes strands look glossy
- Damage-free styling ideal for dry, damaged and bleached styles
Take note
- Expensive
- Quite weighty
I don’t think I’ve ever met a ghd tool that hasn’t impressed me, some more than others, of course, which is the case with this wet-to-dry volume-boosting hair dryer brush that always ensures I have a ‘good hair day’ with salon-worthy voluminous and seriously glossy, smooth finish.
Obviously, I can’t ignore its hefty price tag, especially compared to Revlon’s, but what you’re paying for is ghd’s innovation. In the simplest terms, its haircare tech that powerfully dries and styles in one, but at a consistent low temperature so there’s no chance of heat damage.
This makes it a worthwhile investment for hair that’s thinning, fragile, damaged or dry, as well as those who are looking to create a professional style in the comfort of home. With just one on/off button and static plastic bristles that don’t snag, it’s also extremely user-friendly – even for those that aren’t skilled at using hair tools.
Buy now £279, Amazon.co.uk
What is the best volumising hair product?
A multi-tasking product at its best, Amika Brooklyn bombshell blowout spray not only leaves you with a voluminous blow-dry, but it protects hair against heat damage, detangles unmanageable strands and boosts shine. An all-in-one product that provides a speedy styling routine for short-on-time mornings and excellent value when compared to performance.
Looking to spend less up front, try L’Oreal Paris elnett crème de mousse. A next-generation hair mousse that’s neither sticky nor crunchy, but leaves a full-bodied, frizz-free effect that impresses me every time I use it.
How the best volumising hair products were selected
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Sabine Wiesel is a beauty journalist in her 40s who has decades of experience reviewing everything from the best neck creams and retinol eye creams to body moisturisers and microneedling tools. When it comes to haircare, she’s tested hair curlers and heat protectant sprays, and she knows which ingredients nourish and protect tresses. She put this expertise to use when reviewing the best volumising hair, considering which products were most effective and best-value for money.
For bouncy locks, read our best hair curlers, tested by a beauty expert for all-day hold
