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Side by side

American Crew Boost Powder vs American Crew Heavy Hold Pomade

48% function match · 6 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 0%. American Crew Boost Powder and American Crew Heavy Hold Pomade 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.

  • Boost Powder — fragrance-free
  • Heavy Hold Pomade — 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 Boost Powder — 0.7 oz container American Crew

Boost Powder

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
American Crew Heavy Hold Pomade — container, alternate view American Crew

Heavy Hold Pomade

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Protein-free
  • Strong hold
Price, size & price per ounce
$18.89 0.7 oz · $46.48/oz
$23–28 3 oz · $7.83/oz

Compared at different sizes — 3 oz against 0.7 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.

Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 95% of the 64 volumizers we’ve priced
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs less than 51% of the 90 pastes we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Straight–Wavy A light volumising formula — the lift it adds matters most on straighter hair. Your hair
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. Your hair
Moisture level Same
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
Hold system Differs
Moderate Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Synthetic polymer Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems. Your hair
Slip / detangling Differs
Little Nothing here is built to reduce combing force. Your hair
Some Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners. Your hair
Weight on hair Same
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your hair
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your hair
Fragrance
None listed No fragrance is listed. 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 Differs
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
Low The silicones here are the water-soluble kind. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Low Your hair
Low Your hair
Hold (as stated)
—
Maximum A strong hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Cast risk Differs
Unlikely Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely. Your hair
Likely Film formers without much softening them — expect a cast to scrunch out. Your hair
Oil absorption Differs
High Absorbent powders or starches high in the list. Your hair
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
Oils and butters Same
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
Fast-drying alcohol Same
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. Your hair
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Covers the core
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • Fragrance-freeno fragrance (parfum) on the label
  • Unscentedfree of strong smells
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Why you might skip it
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
  • Frizz in humid airno film former or silicone to hold it back
  • If scent matters to younothing is added here
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
  • Anyone who dislikes a castthe film formers here can set firm
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
Stylerpowder
Stylerpaste
Where to buy
Brand website
Brand website · Target · Ulta
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • fragrance-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • protein-free
Scent
Unscented
Scented, not described
Hold
—
maxUse for styles that require maximum hold and shine.
Finish
—
high-shine
How often
—
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

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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

IngredientBoost PowderHeavy Hold Pomade
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Propylene Glycol
Moisturizes
#2Leading
#6Supporting

What only one of them carries

Boost Powder

Heavy Hold Pomade

Full ingredient list — Boost Powder (5)
Full ingredient list — Heavy Hold Pomade (26)

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.

VerdictsBoost PowderHeavy Hold Pomade
Supported
1
3
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
1
1
Potential conflict
0
0

Boost Powder

  • Delivers anti-gravity volume, lift and thickness with a matte finishSupportedLeaves room for lift.
  • Can be layered with other styling products for enhanced texture controlStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

Heavy Hold Pomade

  • maximum holdSupportedStructure that lasts the day.
  • high shineSupportedReflects light for visible shine.
  • water basedSupportedComes out in a normal wash.
  • easy removalStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

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.

American Crew Heavy Hold Pomade draws complaints about dullness.

Boost Powder

Reviewers with thinning or fine hair say the powder provides lasting texture and volume all day.

Several reviewers value that the product is effective on hot, humid days without adding oiliness.

Multiple reviewers say a jar lasts a long time because only a small amount is needed per use.

Heavy Hold Pomade

A parent of a child with tight curls at the hairline said the pomade kept his chosen style for about a day and helped tame those small curls.

parent styling a son's curly hairline

A verified buyer said it worked without leaving an obvious goopy residue in the hair.

verified buyer

A reviewer buying for her husband said this was the first pomade that did not leave his hair looking greasy and hard like prior ones.

spouse purchasing for her husband

One reviewer found that it sets like a hard clear gel; trying to restyle it broke up the product and took away its shine.

reviewer seeking a reworkable pomade

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.

$7.83/oz vs $46.48/oz — American Crew Boost Powder costs about 5.9× more per ounce than American Crew Heavy Hold Pomade.

Boost Powder

Against 64 volumizers with a computable unit price.

Heavy Hold Pomade

Against 90 pastes with a computable unit price.

Value readBoost PowderHeavy Hold Pomade
Label
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for pastes per ounce.

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.

Boost Powder vs Big Sexy Hair Powder Play Lite Soft Volumizing & Texturizing PowderSexy Hair · 93% function matchHeavy Hold Pomade vs MITCH Original PomadePaul Mitchell · 100% function matchBoost Powder vs Big Sexy Powder Play Volumizing & Texturizing PowderSexyHair · 93% function matchHeavy Hold Pomade vs Salty Not Sorry Texturizing Salt Spray For Natural Undone HairstylesBed Head · 100% function matchBoost Powder vs Texture & Volume PowderMoroccanoil · 93% function matchHeavy Hold Pomade vs Texturising Salt SprayBed Head · 99% function matchBoost Powder vs Curl Refresh + Hold SprayOCOA · 89% function matchHeavy Hold Pomade vs Extra Hold Alcohol-Free Hair GelTRESemmé · 96% function match

Boost Powder · Heavy Hold Pomade · All volumizers 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.
  • 8 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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