We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
The best hair mousses for texture and XXL volume
Because limp, lacklustre hair is not the vibe
It’s true: hair mousse gets a bad rap. Back in the day, traditional bottles would leave your roots feeling sticky and lengths looking crispy – not to mention the amount of elbow grease you'd need to work the product in. But we’re here to fight hair mousse’s corner because today's best foams are worlds apart from their crunchy older sisters.
While we love to use a trusted dry shampoo for some on-the-go zhuzhing, excessive use can lead to breakage and may clog up your hair follicles – which can lead to even more breakage (vicious cycle, we know). So to give your scalp a rest, it may be worth switching to one of these best hair mousses.
Choose the right one for your hair type, and you’re onto a winner. The best hair mousse for fine hair will help your roots reach new heights, a plumping formula will make your curls curlier and a featherlight foam will keep flyaways out of sight. But perhaps the very best thing about a good old hair mousse is its ability to make your hair look thicker and fuller at the crown, which helps your lengths naturally fall in a more flattering way around your head.
Each one of these tried-and-tested winners will deliver the volume of your dreams with a tonne of added benefits: think shine-boosting ingredients, flexible hold, and a beautiful fragrance or two (we’re looking at you, Ouai). Plus, just like your favourite hair serum, shampoo or mask, many of these next-gen formulas come with nourishing ingredients, like shea butter and biotin, so you don't have to compromise your hair's health for bouncy waves.
So, instead of backcombing and dry shampooing your way to fuller lengths, give one of these foams a go and await the influx of compliments. You're welcome.
The best hair mousse for bouncy curls and big volume
We were all instant fans of supreme stylist Sam McKnight's eponymous line, but it's his volumising foam that has tipped us into full-on obsession territory.
After one use, the Cool Girl Volume Blow Dry Foam somehow makes you feel like you’ve grown a thousand new hairs in one wash – the full, thicker effect it gives is unmatched.
So, if you’ve got fine, limp hair you need to get your hands on this: it's a true game-changer.
Pureology Weightless Volume Mousse
Whether you’ve got lowlights, highlights or all-over colour, your hair deserves some extra-special treatment, even when it comes to volumising mousses.
This clever formula is specifically tweaked to ensure your colour doesn’t fade in-between washes, while keeping your roots full of life and body.
Plus, it acts as a two-in-one with heat protection, which is especially crucial when your lengths have been through the wringer.
Color WOW Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer
You don’t have to scroll far down your For You page to come across a Colour Wow sensation – and this viral hit is one that deserves your screen time.
The puffy foam instantly revamps lacklustre locks into bouncy and vivacious lengths – like seriously, check out these wild hair transformations if you want proof.
It delivers much-needed drama and thickness without causing crispy ends or a tacky residue. 10/10 from us.
Pantene Perfect Volume Heat Protection Hair Mousse
There are some absolute steals you can find on the high street – and luckily, our beauty team know how to bargain hunt.
Anyone who's looking for XXL volume and bouncy waves needs to look at Pantene's Perfect Volume hair mousse. The airy foam plumps up your roots, allowing your lengths to naturally cascade to frame your face.
Directly dispense a few dollops onto your scalp and tousle with your fingers for a '90s blow-out vibe.
Cantu Wave Whip Curling Mousse
Cantu's Wave Whip deserves a S/O to anyone with coils and curls. Doing exactly as it saying on the bottle, this silky foam adds volume and body, while providing a hefty dose of nourishment to dry strands.
Enriched with shea butter – yes, that's still possible in foams – the formula helps to tame curls, coils and waves for a crunch-free and conditioned finish.
OUAI Haircare Air Dry Foam
When the coolest hair brand on the planet creates a hair mousse, you know its going to be good.
Formulated with fine, flat hair in mind, this lightweight foam will bring volume and movement to your roots with minimal effort. Simply pump it in, scrunch, and leave to air dry.
Charles Worthington Volume and Bounce body booster mousse
If payday seems like a million years away, pick up this budget-friendly bottle to keep your pocket (and hair) happy and full.
Fluff the airy foam through your roots to deliver instant volume, and don’t neglect your lengths to ensure an all-over bouncy finish.
Wella Professionals EIMI Extra Volume Hair Mousse
If you’re constantly switching on the hair dryer, this will become your most reached-for product. This salon favourite is designed to protect and hydrate your hair, and to give you endless body and bounce.
We'd still recommend using a heat protector spray (you can never have too much) but there’s a reason you'll find it in pretty much every salon you step into.
ghd Body Goals Total Volume Foam
Of course any product pioneered by the OG of styling tools would have mastered the perfect mousse – so make this volume booster your new best friend.
The lightweight, airy foam quickly sinks into your hair, and fluffs up your roots and lengths for a strong salon-like hold. And if you're repping hair that never seems to shine, you'll enjoy the glossy finish too.
Kérastase Densifique Mousse Densimorphose
This expert mousse is the holy grail for so many people with fine, straight hair.
Applied before blow-drying, it'll deliver lift through the roots and volume along the lengths, making sparse strands feel instantly more abundant.
Clare Stephenson is the Senior Fashion and Beauty E-commerce Writer for Cosmopolitan, ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been an e-commerce writer since 2022, creating matter-of-fact reviews and shopping pages filled with her favourite products for every budget and need – whether that’s a glow-giving foundation, a high-tech LED face mask or the perfect wear-with-everything blazer.
Alongside writing, Clare loves to be in front of the camera creating shopping content, putting viral products to the test to see which ones are truly worth the hype. Through her work, she has interviewed leading dermatologists, makeup artists and industry experts to bring readers trusted advice and product recommendations.
Clare has contributed to titles across the Hearst UK portfolio, including Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping, Red and Prima. Prior to joining Hearst, she earned a BA in Multimedia Journalism from Bournemouth University, focusing her studies on magazines and editorial. She later worked as an editorial assistant at Voir Fashion Magazine, covering events including Fashion Week and interviewing notable brand founders.
Outside of work? You can find Clare strolling through London’s Columbia Road Market, pouring her fourth coffee of the day or heading to a Pilates class.
Follow Clare on Instagram @clarefrancesstephenson.
Do hair growth serums actually work? We found out
Not blonde? You probs still need purple shampoo
How to get Zendaya’s effortless mermaid bob
This £6 spray instantly boosts volume in fine hair
