17 Best Detanglers That Make Knots and Tangles Disappear

Proof that you don't need to drop an entire paycheck to get yourself a really good detangler? This drugstore option from Pantene. The lightweight mist uses panthenol to hydrate and detangle wet or damp hair without weighing it down for feeling sticky.

THE REVIEWS: One reviewer who use the Curly Girl method says it's the perfect complement to co-washing: "It is light enough that it doesn't weigh down my hair but it removes tangles and leaves hair easy to style." Apparently it works on wigs, too!

If your dream hair is super shiny and smooth, you need this detangler. It uses a blend of lightweight oils (pomegranate, apricot, and coconut) to make your hair slippery and tangle free, along with antioxidants and flower extracts to give fine hair a ton of moisture and shine.

THE REVIEWS: Reviewers with long hair say it's worth every penny to detangle their heavier hair: "My hair looks and feels healthy again."

This multitasking detangling spray's a major time saver. A few spritzes on either wet or dry hair adds instant moisture for easy detangling (bless you, coconut milk and monoi oil), minimizes dryness and flyaways, and helps prep your hair for any type of style.

THE REVIEWS: Reviewers with color-treated hair especially say it's a lifesaver for dryness. "I have been bleaching my hair for years and so keeping my hair healthy and hydrated is a must to reduce breakage. This is lightweight and smells nice while also making my hair feel very silky smooth."

Ideal for anyone who needs a dry and sensitive scalp product, this gentle detangler is made without any harsh ingredients—like essential oils, fragrance, or dyes—so it won't cause irritation. Spritz it from the roots to tips for hair that's soft, shiny, and knot-free.

THE REVIEWS: According to one reviewer, "This detangler is by far, hands down, the best I’ve ever used. I have incredibly thick, 4c hair and a very tender scalp so combing my hair always meant actual tears for me...This thing was shockingly effective."

Apple cider vinegar is the hero in this detangler. It regulates the pH of your hair (which can be thrown off by things like tap water) to boost shine and help seal your hair cuticle—a must for preventing frizz and tangles. It works best if you mist it on wet hair as soon as you hop out of the shower.

THE REVIEWS: FYI, it smells like vinegar, but "it faded quickly and the product left my hair very soft," according to one reviewer.

HOKAY, if you blow-dry or heat style your hair on the reg, then you one hundred percent need to be using a heat protectant (it's essential for preventing breakage and split ends). I always spritz this detangling spray on my damp hair before blow-drying. It provides up to 400 degrees of heat protection and shields from hair from color-fading UV.

THE REVIEWS: One reviewer loves that it didn't weigh her hair down "at all," unlike other products.

The lightweight spray gives fine hair needed volume, just the right amount of hydration to make it soft and shiny, and just the right amount of slip make it super easy to detangle without being weighed down or clumpy.

THE REVIEWS: One person who tested this writes, "I used this product just once and my hair feels so soft, exactly how healthy and bouncy your hair looks and feels after you get a haircut at the salon." (The review is titled, "BUY IT QUEENS," lol.)

Hot take: I don't use regular conditioner. Bad beauty editor, I know. I just hate wasting extra time in the shower, and TBH, most options leave my fine hair looking limp and greasy. Instead, I work this lightweight lotion through my mid-lengths and ends and then let my hair air dry. It detangles, cuts down on dryness, and weighs my hair down zero percent.

THE REVIEWS: One reviewer who tested it for the first time explains, "This is the first product that makes my hair turn into natural beach waves with zero frizz."

Every curl type can benefit from this leave-in detangler. Work it through damp hair, then finger-comb it through your coils to break up tangles while adding extra moisture to your hair. Life hack: Use it as a curl refresher on your non-wash days to add shine and definition.

THE REVIEWS: One tester says a little goes a long way, FYI, but "it smells amazing!"

Yes, this cream is a detangler, but it doubles as a hydrating treatment for curly and coily hair textures, too Inside this bottle is a blend of nettle extract, rosemary leaf oil, and shea butter, all of which work together to moisturize, strengthen, and add slip to dry or damaged hair.

THE REVIEWS: One reviewer says, "I use it for re-twisting my hair a few times a week. Love mixing it with the adwoa oil."

This bb legit does it all. Use it on your curls or coils as a cleansing conditioner on wash day, a regular conditioner when your hair needs extra moisture, or as a detangler to give strands serious slip and shine.

THE REVIEWS: One person who tested this product says it's great to add into your schedule: "I shampoo once a week, but use this in between washes once or twice a week to freshen up, especially after a sweaty workout."

If sustainable beauty is your thing, you're going to love to this detangling spray from Drunk Elephant. The silicone and paraben-free formula is full of nourishing, smoothing, and hair-repairing plant oils, like marula oil and sacha inchi seed oil, so your hair stays healthy and moisturized long after it dries.

THE REVIEWS: One reviewer says it doesn't weigh the hair down after application, either. "It is perfect for my fine hair. It detangles without pulling or knotting. It smells so clean. It will stay in my hair station!"

Fun fact: This is the detangler I use when my hair's feeling particularly knotty. Part of the appeal is the cotton-candy scent, for sure, but part of it is the easy-but-effective formulation (with strawberry, blueberry, and papaya) for my dry and damaged hair.

THE REVIEWS: "It is absolutely the perfect spray for soft, manageable air-dried hair," writes a reviewer. "My hair has a bit of natural curl to it, so it was important to find a product that defeats frizziness without weighing my hair down. This stuff is fabulous."

Long hair is notorious for getting knotty—and this super-fine mist is clutch for getting it smooth and soft again. Generously mist it on your mid-lengths and ends, then comb through your hair using a detangling brush. P.S. The formula is also safe for detangling extensions, too.

THE REVIEWS: "My hair is over (3) three feet long and knots and tangles were the worst if I didn't braid my hair every single night," writes one tester. "But now that I found Long Sexy Hair Detangler, I don't worry about any hair problems anymore. My hair is is soft, shiny, and best of all...free from knots and tangles."

K, yes, this is technically marketed to ~children~ but it works super-well for adult hair too. Plus, it smells like *pineapple banana*, so, you know. Huge plus.

THE REVIEWS: One person who tested this out writes, "The best detangler I have ever used!! I am mixed race, with very tightly curled hair. This takes out all of the knots and does the best job. And it smells amazing."

Kinney is "obsessed" with this product, which her salon sells, and is sodium chloride-, sulfate- and gluten-free. It strengthens hair, tackles dryness, protects color, and blocks sun damage (thanks to silk protein). Plus it makes the hair ever-so-shiny.

Kinney loves this option because it "adds shine and protects color-related dryness." Free of sulfates, parabens, and silicones, the okara extract and hamamelis extract reinforce strands' structure and bind to the keratin for extra protection.

THE REVIEWS: One reviewer raves that the smell was incredible, plus "I really like the way it smells and my hair was soft and shiny."