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Side by side

American Crew American Crew Fiber vs American Crew Matte Clay

48% function match · 6 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 0%. American Crew American Crew Fiber and American Crew Matte Clay share no ingredient among each other's most prominent — which does not stop them doing the same job.

Based on your consultation

Which of these fits your hair?

We check your pattern, moisture need, scalp, fragrance tolerance, weight sensitivity and more against each formula — and say which one lines up.

Your profile at a glance

  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here

When each one is the right call

What each formula is built for, from its own ingredient list.

  • American Crew Fiber — protein-sensitive hair
  • Matte Clay — protein-sensitive hair

Side by side

Every trait, aligned

One row per trait, read from each product’s own ingredient list and record. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a “no”.

Trait
American Crew American Crew Fiber — 3 oz container American Crew

American Crew Fiber

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
American Crew Matte Clay — 3 oz container American Crew

Matte Clay

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$15.90 3 oz · $6.23/oz
$10.50 3 oz · $3.50/oz
Value / price positioning
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs less than 65% of the 92 pastes we’ve priced
Lower cost than most pastes $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs less than 88% of the 92 pastes we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Curly–Coily A heavy formula: coarse, curlier strands carry it without flattening. Your hair
Curly–Coily A heavy formula: coarse, curlier strands carry it without flattening. Your hair
Moisture level Differs
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
Hold (as stated)
Strong A strong hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Strong A strong hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Slip / detangling Differs
Some Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners. Your hair
Little Nothing here is built to reduce combing force. Your hair
Weight on hair Same
Rich Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients. Your hair
Rich Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients. Your hair
Fragrance
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Protein Same
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Same
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate Your hair
Moderate Your hair
Hold system Differs
Mixed Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Wax Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Cast risk Same
Unlikely Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely. Your hair
Unlikely Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely. Your hair
Oil absorption Differs
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
High Absorbent powders or starches high in the list. Your hair
Oils and butters Differs
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
Present, high in the list Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating formula. Your hair
Fast-drying alcohol Differs
Present Fast-drying alcohol is present — it speeds drying and can read dry on the hair. Your hair
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
  • Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
  • Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
More facts about each one
Type
Stylerpaste
Stylerpaste
Where to buy
Brand website · Ulta
Ulta · Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Vegan
Not vegan · label states
—
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Hold
strongAmerican Crew explicitly describes Fiber as a high-hold product with strong, pliable hold.
strongHigh hold
Finish
matte
matte
How often
as needed
as needed

Facts as we recorded them. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a "no".

The bottom line

The bottom line depends on your hair

Which of these two suits you is a question about your hair, not about them. The consultation answers it — and tells you what your routine needs around it.

Take the consultation

$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

The detail behind the table

Where the readings above come from: the ingredient lists themselves, each brand’s claims checked against them, what owners report, and cost per ounce in context.

Shared and distinct ingredients

Shared and distinct ingredients

Computed from the ingredient lists as printed. "Shared" means both lists carry it; where it sits on each label is stated, because position is what tells you how much.

What both formulas carry

IngredientAmerican Crew FiberMatte Clay
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Fragrance
Fragrance
#17Below the 1% line
#9Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#19Below the 1% line
#14Below the 1% line
Citronellol
Fragrance
#20Below the 1% line
#12Below the 1% line
Geraniol
Fragrance
#21Below the 1% line
#13Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

American Crew Fiber

Matte Clay

Full ingredient list — American Crew Fiber (27)
Full ingredient list — Matte Clay (19)

Claims check

What each brand says, against what each formula shows

Claims are quoted from each brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when that product’s ingredient list actually speaks to it.

VerdictsAmerican Crew FiberMatte Clay
Supported
2
1
Partly supported
1
1
Stated by brand
1
2
Potential conflict
0
1
high hold
SupportedStructure that lasts the day.
Partly supportedSoft structure, not firm hold.

American Crew Fiber

  • low shinePartly supportedA hint of gloss.
  • strong pliable holdSupportedStructure that lasts the day.
  • ideal for shorter hair lengthsStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

Matte Clay

  • Medium shineSupportedReflects light for visible shine.
  • Long-lasting workable holdStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Builds textureStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Washes out easilyPotential conflictExpect to need a real cleanse.

What owners say

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings, and we never balance one product’s themes against another’s by inventing them.

Both praised for a light feel, hold, and shine.

American Crew Fiber

Reviewers value the strong hold, straightforward washout, and subtle scent when they want less greasiness than alternatives.

repeat styling-product users

Longtime users with fine, straight hair say it keeps short styles in place with a natural low-shine look.

fine, straight short hair

Some reviewers with coarse or thick hair find the hold falls short or say the product becomes oily and hard to work through.

coarse or thick-hair users

Matte Clay

Easy to work with, provides great hold that lasts all day

Ulta reviewer

Matte finish keeps hair where it's combed, without greasiness

Ulta reviewer

Gives a dry, low-shine, medium-hold look that reads as natural rather than product-heavy

Ulta reviewer

Price check

Cost per ounce, in context

Cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in. Value labels are computed from that percentile and from how many products that do the same job cost less; they are comparisons, not judgements about a brand.

$3.50/oz vs $6.23/oz — American Crew American Crew Fiber costs about 1.8× more per ounce than American Crew Matte Clay.

$1.50/oz median $7.92/oz $73.33/oz $6.23/oz American Crew Fiber $3.50/oz Matte Clay

Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 92 pastes with a computable unit price.

Value readAmerican Crew FiberMatte Clay
Label
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for pastes per ounce.
Lower cost than most pastesCosts less per ounce than most pastes we have researched.

Computed from cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, and from how many products that do the same job cost less. It is a comparison, not a judgement about the brand.

Compare with something else

Close formulas to each of these, as their own comparison pages.

American Crew Fiber vs Fiber - 3.0 ozAmerican Crew · 100% function matchMatte Clay vs Brews Clay PomadeRedken · 100% function matchAmerican Crew Fiber vs Forming CreamAmerican Crew · 99% function matchMatte Clay vs Green Grease Pomade Oil-Based Medium HoldREUZEL · 93% function matchAmerican Crew Fiber vs Matte SeparationBed Head · 96% function matchMatte Clay vs Rosemary Mint Hydrating Styling CreamREUZEL · 93% function matchAmerican Crew Fiber vs MITCH Clean CutPaul Mitchell · 94% function matchMatte Clay vs MITCH Dry PastePaul Mitchell · 89% function match

American Crew Fiber · Matte Clay · All pastes in the library

How this page was made

  • This page is assembled from the same researched records the individual product pages render: identity, each ingredient list as printed, each brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. Nothing on it is written per comparison.
  • We do not rank these against each other. Which of them suits you depends on your hair, and that is what the consultation works out.
  • The formula similarity percentage is a stored, precomputed number: position-weighted overlap of the two ingredient lists blended with agreement on the attributes we derive. It measures how alike two formulas are, not how well either works.
  • The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
  • The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
  • 4 sources were consulted across the products on this page.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice. We do not sell these products and take no placement fees.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.

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