Styling fiber and pomade are two types of hair styling products. “Pomade” can be a very broad term that encompasses a variety of different styling products – for example, oil-based (traditional) pomade, matte pomade, clay pomade, etc.

Styling fiber is a bit more narrow in scope – when most people talk of “styling fiber,” they are probably talking about one specific kind of styling product.

Hair Pomade Vs Hair Styling Fiber - Whats the Difference?

Tl;dr: Styling fiber is usually tacky/sticky and semi-firm with high malleability, whereas pomade is usually less vicious and has slightly less hold, but with greater spread-ability. We say “usually” here because there are many different types of hair pomade!

Styling Fiber – usually made with lanolin or sometimes pine resin, giving it a very tacky feel that is very viscous and firm. Sometimes styling fiber will feel sticky, but the best ones, like the Allwave Styling Fiber, will blend stickiness with spread-ability for a good balance. This will feel like “fiber,” almost putty-like in your hands. It’s used to give a very firm hold that is malleable throughout the day.

Because it’s harder to spread, styling fiber is most commonly used for short hair styles. You can use it on long hair styles of course, but it just takes more work to get it through your hair.

Benefits of styling fiber – styling fiber has a high hold, and is malleable throughout the day. This means that your hair will be somewhat “soft” and you can style it different ways, while still having high hold to keep your hair in place.

Pomade – a very general term to describe most men’s (and women’s) styling products. There are dozens and dozens of different pomade types, from oil-based “traditional” pomade (think slick-back hair styles of the 1950s) to clay pomades that are designed to give volume with a matte finish. There are pomades that blend the two extremes, like the Daytona Hi-Lo pomade that has the creamy viscosity of a traditional pomade, but with a low-shine, matte finish for modern hair styles.

Benefits of pomade – when talking about a traditional pomade vs styling fiber, pomade has the edge in terms of ease-of-use and spreadability. Pomade has less viscosity than styling fiber, making it easier to work with and comb through your hair. Pomade can also have high hold as well, but one of the drawbacks of this is that when it’s in your hair, its set for good until you wash it out. That means no changing your mind once it’s in for the morning!

Styling fiber retains lots of the good things from a general high-hold hair pomade (good hold, adds volume) but its more malleable, giving you more freedom of expression and the ability to restyle your hair, like after you’ve been out jogging or wearing a motorcycle helmet, etc.

There really is no wrong choice, it just depends on the situation!