Best Hair Extensions of 2019

Ah, yes, the question(s) on every human’s mind as of late: What’s the best brand of hair extensions, how much do they cost, and how TF do I even wear them?! Thanks to celebrities completely owning the fake-hair world in the past few years (lookin’ at you, entire Kardashian-Jenner clan, and roughly 99 percent of celebrities in general), hair extensions have become the ultimate celeb hair trend that actually seems attainable—even if you don’t have a team of professional hairstylists on call to help. Because that’s where I come in.

Call me your fairy—hairy?—godmother, your extensions guru, or even your friend (aw): I’ve created the ultimate guide to the best hair extensions of all time, so you can finally get the butt-length/baby bangs/curly shag/ponytail-whipping hair of your dreams. Keep reading to find a breakdown on every type of hair extension (like clip-ins, tape-ins, I-tips, and more), which hair brand is best for you, and how much looking really, really (really) goodwill actually cost you.


Honestly, there’s no single answer for this, because the best hair extensions for you, personally, “totally depends on your budget, your skill level, and the look you’re going for,” says Kat Lewis, hairstylist and head of education at Bellami Hair. If you want some really cheap $20 clip-in extensions that last one night, get some synthetic bundles from Amazon. But if you want high-quality, 100 percent REMY hair that you plan on wearing for months and months, go for a reputable, review-backed brand like Bellami or Just Extensions. Basically, just keep reading, k?
What is REMY hair?

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REMY hair is just a term for human hair that still has its cuticles intact (meaning it hasn’t been stripped by chemicals) and those cuticles are facing the same way (like they do when they grow out of your head). Basically, if you chopped off a toddler’s hair (um, don’t tho?), they’d have REMY hair. “The top tier of hair extensions is 100 percent virgin REMY human hair, which means it’s never been dyed or processed, it actually comes from a real human—you’d be surprised how many packages that say ‘human hair’ are mostly synthetic and animal hair—and its cuticles are still intact,” says Lewis. And guess what? It ain’t cheap.

How much do really good hair extensions cost?

“Listen, you get what you pay for,” says Lewis. “If you want permanent, butt-length Kim K. hair that’s also 100 percent REMY, you’re not going to find that for $50—you’re probably looking at $1,000 in hair and installation.” But that doesn’t mean you need thousands of dollars of hair. “If you always wear your hair in a ponytail, you may not need 10 packs of keratin-bonded hair for a ton of money—you might just want a ponytail extension that’s a tenth of the price,” she adds. “Which is why it’s so important to actually go to a salon that specializes in extensions and have them talk you through the best options for your lifestyle, budget, and hair type.”