Human hair extensions which brand is the best?

Whenever I book clients in for appointments they always seem confused to which human hair extensions to buy on the market.  When you walk into a hair shop there are so many brands with such a vast price range that it is difficult to tell which one is the best to suit your budget.  I have put together a guide of the 6 most popular human extensions that I have used and a price guide to buying these extensions.  Just to note there are so many other brands out there, and if you find a brand that suits you that’s great, but as a rule I always advise my clients to stick to one of these 6 brands, as you will always know 100% what they are getting.

A bit of ... background to human hair before we get started

Before I get started on the different brands I thought I would give a bit of background to human hair extensions.  Did you know that human hair extensions only have to be made up of 10% human hair to be labelled human hair?  I know I was just as shocked when I found this out aswell.  A lot of the human hair that you find on the market is actually made up of animal hair aswell as synthetic hair.  So you need to be very careful, when buying human hair extensions.  A lot of packets will state they are human hair, but you need to look for the ones that say 100% human hair, otherwise the likelihood is that you will be buying hair extensions that is mixed in with God knows what.  Here are some common terminologies that I have come across when buying human hair extensions.

Remy relates to the root and the tip of the human hair all going in one direction.  This causes the hair to tangle and shed less.  This means the cuticles are facing in the direction in which the hair grew.  Most cheap brands will be non-Remy, as the directions of the cuticles are all in different directions.  These are relatively inexpensive, and tend to be the cheaper brands.  Be careful of brands that have Remy in the title and are cheap, they are usually not the real thing.  Be prepared to pay a lot more for Remy hair extensions.

Cuticles refer to the outer most layers of the hair strands or the hair extensions.  This is the part of the hair that gives your hair extensions shine and allows you to wash your hair extensions without the hair changing shape.  A lot of hair extensions have the cuticles shaved or stripped off when undergoing chemical treatments.  This means that the hair is not shiny anymore, so manufacturers actually put a layer of silicone around the hair.  This is why when you wear inexpensive hair extensions, it is amazing, shiny and bouncy, at first but then after 2 weeks the shine has gone.  This is because the silicone reacts with the air, and diminishes on the hair cuticles. 

Drawn refers to the length of the hair extensions and there are two types of drawn hair extensions.  Single drawn means there are different lengths in the hair wefts.  This is why with inexpensive brands, the same lengths can seem shorter or slightly longer, there is no consistency in length.  Double drawn means that the hair in the weft is of all the same length, and there are no shorter strands.  Be careful when buying hair extensions, because you are paying for the length, so make sure you get the length you actually want, as some single drawn extensions can be up to 2 inches shorter than what is stated on the packaging.

Yaki hair extensions refer to human hair extensions that have been relaxed or processed to feel and look like Afro-Caribbean hair in its relaxed state.  If you want a more natural look especially if you are doing tracks go for Yaki hair extensions.

European hair extensions refer to human hair extensions that have been processed to look and feel like European hair in its natural state.  If you like your hair extensions bouncy and shiny go for this version.  Personally I prefer European hair as it tends to have better bouncy, shine and last much longer than the Yaki version.

Ok now you are all clued up on all the main terminology in human hair extensions.  I am going to go into detail on the six different brands of human hair extensions that I have used that are available currently on the market.

Premium Too

Premium Too is the cheapest good quality human hair extension that you can get on the market.  An 8 inch premium too can start from £5.99 and 18 inches can be around £20.  It comes in a Yaki form if so desired.  Its packaging is a turquoise green with yellowish/gold writing (as seen to the right).  This brand is available in different lengths from 8 inches to 18 inches and all the lengths in between in intervals of 2 inches.  Premium Too is also available in many colours.  If you want a crazy colour in your weave then Premium Too is a good brand to go for.   There are many different styles with Premium Too, straight, body wave and curly.  So in relation to styles it is a great brand to get.

ADVANTAGES: 

Wide range of lengths, Wide range of colours and styles, Very cheap, Comes in Yaki form for easy blending, Can be washed, Hair products can be used, Can be styled using heating appliances such as Straighteners and curling tongs, Can be dyed, The shorter lengths tend to come with a lot in the packet

DISADVANTAGES:

Sheds easily, Single drawn, Not Remy so tangles easily, No cuticles so loses its shine after a couple of days, When washed shrinks in length, Does not dye easily, The longer lengths tend to have less in the packets

VERDICT:

I love using Premium Too for those times I am really strapped for money.  But I never leave it in for more than 3 weeks, as the floor of my room is just full of hair extensions from the excessive shedding.  The hair tangles very easily, so I usually end up with a birds nest on my head.  If you like low maintenance hair this is not the hair for you as you constantly have to brush it.  When I washed the hair extensions it seems to shrink about a couple of cm shorter than the original length.  The shine also wears off after 2 weeks of wearing.  I usually use this hair for fringes as it easy to change and relatively inexpensive.  This hair is also excellent for cap weave, and also if you want to use bonding glue on your hair.

Premium Now

Premium now is very similar to Premium Too, and slightly more expensive, about £1 more expensive.  There are some differences between Premium now and Premium Too.  The main one is that it is slightly silkier than Premium Too and blends in better with European hair.    The same product profile applies to Premium Now as applies to Premium Too.  Premium Now comes in a yellow packaging with gold writing.

ADVANTAGES:

Very cheap, Shinier hair, Good for blending with European hair, wide range of colours, styles and lengths, does not shrink when washed, more consistency in length than premium too

DISADVANTAGES:

Tangle like premium too, shine wears off, harder to dye than premium too, harder to curl initially than Premium Too

VERDICT:

For me personally I prefer Premium Too compared to Premium Now as I find when I am doing a whole head of weave with the extensions it blends in better than the Premium Now.  But on saying that Premium Now blends in better with high end Remy extensions, better than the Premium Too.  If you are going for a whole head weave go for Premium Too, if you want a fringe that you can mix with high end extensions go for Premium Now.

Dream Girl

Dream Girl can be anywhere from £2 to £10 more expensive than Premium hair extensions, and are of better quality than the Premium brand.  Dream Girl comes in a gold packaging with black writing (as seen to the right).   The thing that I love about Dream Girl that not only does it come in the standard colours 1, 1B, 2 and 4, they also have extra brown hair colours such as 5, 6, 8,9,10,12, which other brands do not have.  Dream Girl is available in a wide range of lengths aswell from 8 inches to 26 inches.  8 inches is around £5.99 and around £60 - £70 for 26 inches, but prices may vary.  Another good quality about dream girl is that the extensions come very thick and full in the packet so you definitely do not need more than 2 packets.

ADVANTAGES:

Good range of brown colours, Goes up to lengths of 26 inches, Thick and full in the packet, Easy to dye, No more than 2 packets needed, very soft, Black hair extensions can easily be changed to brown

DISADVANTAGES:

Does not tangle as much, Single drawn, so tapered ends, expands when washed, and takes a long time to dry compared to other hair extension, not as shiny in the packet as other hair extensions

VERDICT:

Dream Girl is such a good product to use that is a bit more expensive than Premium, but relatively cheaper than other brands.  It is very thick and soft in the packet and closely matches to Yaki hair, even though the manufacturers have not stated this on the packet.  The product does tangle and shed but not near as much as premium.  The only downfall I have with this product is that you tend to find it only in straight styles and the hair extensions seem to absorb water when washed, taking a long time to dry the hair.  Apart from that I found it very easy to dye the hair from black colour to brown and I love the fact they have an extra range of brown colours which other brands do not offer.

Milky Way
Milky Way is very comparable to Dream girl hair extensions in price.  The only difference is that it comes in Yaki and European versions.  The range of length is much more limited than other brands ranging from about 10 inches to 18 inches.  Also the colours are limited aswell, with most hair shops only stocking the darker colours.  Milky Way extensions are usually found in a navy blue, yellow and white packaging.  The only advantage of Milky Way over Dream Girl is that it is much shinier and the shine tends to last a lot more than other brands. 

ADVANTAGES:

Silkier, Tapered ends for lighter ends, Easy to wash, Dries quickly

DISADVANTAGES:

Not a wide range of colours and lengths available, single drawn, not easy to colour, expensive compared to other brands, very little in the packets, hair sheds more than Dream Girl

VERDICT:

Milky Way is a good human hair extension to use, but for what it is I find it a bit on the expensive side, compared to other cheaper brands on the market that do the same job.  Not only that the packets tend to come with very little in them, and I find clients using more than 2 packets of hair which can be quite costly.  The one good thing that I like about Milky Way is the tapered ends, so you have a layered effect much easier than other brands of hair extensions.  It also tends to shed a lot at the same rate as Premium.

Sleek

Sleek in my eyes is the second best human hair extensions you can get on the market.  It is smooth, soft and shiny.  Most of all doesnt shed, as the wefts are sewn using a special stich from the manufacturers.  The only thing that lets sleek down is the fact that it does tangle, but is still better compared to previous brands on the market.  The lengths can range anything from 8 inches to 18 inches.  8 inches can cost around £8.99 and 18 inches can cost around £45 - £50.  It is avaialble in many colours aswell.  The extensions is double drawn, but the weft and the stitiching does not make it easy to bond to the hair.  It tends to come in European straight style and is very limited in other styles

ADVANTAGES:

Soft, Silky, can easily be brushed, special stiching in wefts to reduce shedding,  same length consistent, can be washed

DISADVANTAGES:

Difficult to dye the hair, tangles, limited range of lengths, only available in European weave makes it harder to blend.

VERDICT:

Sleek is one of my favourite human hair brands to use and you do get your money’s worth out of the hair extensions.  The texture in the hair is very nice, and the length is always consistent with the Sleek brand.  It is not very easy to dye this hair and the shedding is minimal.  The only difficulty I had with this hair is that it is not very good for use with hair bonding glue.  Overall if you want an upmarket extension that looks good but don’t want to pay over the odds, this human hair is your best bet.

Remi Goddess

Remi Goddess is the most expensive hair for Afro-Caribbean women that you will find in hair shops or on the market in general.  Prices can range from £30 to £150.   Lengths for Remi Goddess start from 12 inches and can range up to 26 inches retrospectively.  Sometimes you can find 10 inches but very rare.  Remi Goddess comes in a range of colours.  The thing I love the most about Remi Goddess is all the cuticles are still intact so the hair is extremely shiny.  Another important factor is the fact that the hair does not tangle and shedding is so minimal it is unbelievable.  The packaging of Remi Goddess is in a yellow and reddish packet with flowers imprinted on the red part.  Remi Goddess is one of the only hair extensions that is double drawn, so you actually get the length you pay for.  It is so easy to wash and dry and very versatile hair extensions.  It comes in two styles straight and body wave.

 

ADVANTAGES:

Shiny, Thick, Cuticle correct hair extensions, tangle free, takes hair products very easily, easy to brush, minimal shedding due to weft stitching

DISADVANTAGE:

Heavy ends, ends straight not tapered, extremely expensive, need about 3 packets for a full head.

VERDICT:

Remi Goddess is definitely my extension of choice and I love it over any other human hair extension on the market.  You definitely get what you pay for.  I have had my Remi Goddess for 3 years now and it’s still going strong.  It’s the most versatile hair on the market and no matter how much you wash it; it always remains shiny and smooth.  The hair does not tangle and the shedding is so small compared to other hair extensions.  The only downfall of the extensions is that it can be quite heavy at the ends due to the double drawn extensions, meaning that you need a good stylist in order to layer those ends.  Apart from that it takes heat very well and can be styled with the greatest of ease.  If you have money to burn this is definitely the brand of extension on the market that I would suggest, not only that it is a good investment as the extensions can be used over and over again.

I hope this guide has been very useful in choosing your brand of hair extensions, and like I said before, there are many other brands on the market, that I am not familiar with.  But if you stick to one of these six brands you can never go wrong really!!!

Love

Kolours

xxx