The 12 Best Clay Hair Pomades

The right grooming routine starts with the small details, the sort of things you might tend to overlook if given the chance. What we mean by that is there’s a difference between good and great when it comes to staple pieces like clay hair pomades. If you want to manage a fresh cut, tame an unruly mane, or just try out a new way to style your hair, there’s hardly a way you can go wrong with one of the best clay hair pomades.

After all, there are options aplenty in the hair styling market, from hair gel to hair paste. Clay pomade exists in that sweet spot, so to speak. It provides flexibility and yet sturdy control when needed. It can be worked into damp or dry hair with ease (just follow the instructions for your favorite hair pomade). And it’s especially useful for shorter hair styles that need to be kept in place without being fully shellacked or slicked back (although there’s a time and a place for that, too).

Best of all, clay pomade can be used when you want a quick fix prior to hopping on your next Zoom call, or when you want to meticulously rock that side part, if you ask us. Finding the best clay pomade for men is as simple as starting your search in the right place: With our pomade picks below. Happy styling. 

Jack Henry Clay Pomade

Jack Henry Clay Pomade is perhaps the platonic ideal of a great hair pomade, made with the modern man (that’s you and us both!) in mind. We appreciate the neat-looking packaging, but it’s what’s inside that really counts. Jack Henry’s Clay Pomade is made with four simple ingredients to add texture and volume to your hair. It finishes off nice and matte, and it’s also sweat-resistant. What more could you want in your next pomade, ehh?

Byrd Clay Pomade

The best things come in small packages, do they not? Take this travel-sized pomade from Byrd, a brand that masters the subtle art of laidback hair styling with easygoing products. They use Bentonite Clay for what the brand calls a strong hold and a workable finish, all the better if your hairdo needs a refresh during the day. The matte finish is what you want when you don’t want to look like your hair is overloaded with product, either. 

Saturdays NYC Clay Pomade

You already know that Saturdays NYC toes the line between functional surfing gear (the brand’s roots) and modern menswear, from polos to chinos and short-sleeve shirts. Add in a recent focus on men’s grooming essentials, and you’ve got a major winner. We appreciate the brand’s Clay Pomade for its firm hold and the fact that it’ll add some low-key flair to your haircut (preferably styled up alongside Saturdays NYC menswear). 

Kiehl’s Texturizing Clay

Whatever grooming essential you might need, Kiehl’s can deliver. That goes for everything from face moisturizers to serums and the latest addition to your hair care and styling routine: Kiehl’s Texturizing Clay. With a matte finish and a medium hold, consider it a daily hairstyling workhorse that’s going to provide an understated look and premium quality, whether you style your hair damp or dry. 

Uppercut Deluxe Clay

If you feel like going old-school with your clay pomade, Uppercut is the way to go. Beloved by barbershops and by well-groomed guys everywhere, Uppercut Deluxe Clay is perhaps the brand’s flagship product for a reason. A strong-yet-workable hold allows you to style and restyle your hair with ease throughout the day, and you can’t help but love the matte finish for a natural look. 

Baxter Of California Clay Pomade

If you’re using Baxter Of California to shave and groom your beard, for instance, one could argue that you should certainly be using Baxter Of California Clay Pomade to style your hair as the next step in your grooming routine. The Baxter Of California team has been making great grooming picks for men for decades, and this Clay Pomade is a much-loved classic to upgrade your fresh haircut.

Layrite Cement Clay

Like Uppercut Deluxe, we’d wager you’ve seen Layrite in your barbershop at one point or another. It’s a go-to of stylists and their customers for good reason, because it delivers that throwback feel and style without any hassle or fuss. If that sounds like something your grooming routine can use, we can’t recommend it enough. 

Brickell Men’s Styling Clay Pomade

If you’ve tried out the well-stocked rotation of Brickell Men’s Products grooming goods — it seems the Miami-born brand does everything from anti-aging cream to moisturizer and beyond — you know they’re a reliable source of quality grooming for the modern man. But if you didn’t yet know they made a helpful and effective Styling Clay Pomade, now’s your chance to get fully acquainted. 

Rudy’s Clay Pomade

Many a cool grooming salon for guys has Rudy’s products stocked in its well-appointed shelves (and Rudy’s doesn’t do too bad a job at its own shops, either). But these days, shopping online for the best clay pomade is the easiest solution, and Rudy’s is beloved by guys everywhere because it’s easy to use, it offers a crisp, matte look and it’s got that critical strong hold for day-to-night style. 

Jack Black Clay Pomade

Is there anything Jack Black can’t do? The Texas-based grooming masters have been changing the way guys think about grooming for more than two decades. Try anything from Jack Black’s SPF moisturizer to its face wash or this clay pomade and find out why it’s a big name in men’s grooming. Your new favorite pomade is just a few clicks away. 

Dollar Shave Club Hair Clay

The key to getting a close shave at an agreeable price often starts with the shaving maestros at Dollar Shave Club, does it not? And now, the rest of your grooming routine can get a shot in the arm (or the hair follicles?) with Dollar Shave Club Hair Clay. Think of it like one more easy step in your routine, one that pays stylish dividends. 

Blind Barber Bryce Harper Hair Clay

You can trust the grooming experts at Blind Barber to lead you the right direction as far as your next haircut goes, and you can put your trust in them again with a superstar-approved hair clay now, too. The Bryce Harper Hair Clay has a ton going for it, chief among it the very high-powered name attached to it (and the quality product on offer, too). 

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