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Side by side

American Crew Medium Hold Spray Gel vs American Crew Pomade - 3.0 oz

54% function match · 5 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 13%. American Crew Medium Hold Spray Gel and American Crew Pomade - 3.0 oz share 4 ingredients among each other's most prominent.

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.

  • Medium Hold Spray Gel — dry, thirsty hair
  • Pomade - 3.0 oz — 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 Medium Hold Spray Gel — container, alternate view American Crew

Medium Hold Spray Gel

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Moisture-rich
American Crew Pomade - 3.0 oz — container, alternate view American Crew

Pomade - 3.0 oz

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$20–21 8.4 oz · $2.44/oz
$29.99 3 oz · $10.66/oz

Compared at different sizes — 8.4 oz against 3 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.

Value / price positioning
Upper-mid price for a gel $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 54% of the 159 gels we’ve priced
Priced above most pastes $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 77% of the 92 pastes we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Wavy–Coily Co-washes, curl creams, and gels are built around wave and curl. Your hair
Wavy–Coily The brand’s own claims name curly or textured hair. Your hair
Moisture level Differs
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
Hold system Same
High Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems. Your hair
Synthetic polymer Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems. Your hair
Slip / detangling Differs
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. Your hair
Weight on hair Same
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. 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 Differs
Minor Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient. Your hair
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Differs
Low The silicones here are the water-soluble kind. Your hair
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Low Your hair
Moderate Your hair
Hold (as stated)
Medium A medium hold, as stated by the brand. 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 Same
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
Oils and butters Differs
Present, high in the list Oils sit high in the list — a softening, coating formula. Your hair
Present, lower down Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch. Your hair
Fast-drying alcohol Differs
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. Your hair
Present Fast-drying alcohol is present — it speeds drying and can read dry on the hair. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • 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
  • Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
  • Silicone-free routinesit does contain silicones — the water-soluble kind
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
  • 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
Stylerspray
Stylercream
Where to buy
Brand website
Ulta · Brand website
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Hold
mediumMedium hold
Finish
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

$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

IngredientMedium Hold Spray GelPomade - 3.0 oz
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
PVP
Holds
#2Leading
#10Secondary
Propylene Glycol
Moisturizes
#5Supporting
#11Secondary
Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil
Softens
#8Supporting
#12Secondary
Fragrance
Fragrance
#19Below the 1% line
#16Below the 1% line
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Fragrance
#20Below the 1% line
#21Below the 1% line
Linalool
Fragrance
#30Below the 1% line
#17Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#29Below the 1% line
#18Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Full ingredient list — Medium Hold Spray Gel (39)
Full ingredient list — Pomade - 3.0 oz (29)

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.

VerdictsMedium Hold Spray GelPomade - 3.0 oz
Supported
2
3
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
1
2
Potential conflict
0
0

Medium Hold Spray Gel

  • Provides medium hold with a natural look and feelSupportedStructure that lasts the day.
  • Excellent for blow drying, suitable for hair of all lengthsStated by brandSee the fit panel instead.
  • Alcohol-free formula, contains UV protectionSupportedNothing that flashes off dry.

Pomade - 3.0 oz

  • flexible alternative to styling gelsSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.
  • tremendous shineSupportedReflects light for visible shine.
  • pliable holdSupportedStructure that lasts the day.
  • works well for curly hairStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • classic, slicked-back looksStated 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 Pomade - 3.0 oz draws complaints about weight.

Medium Hold Spray Gel

Multiple long-time customers say they have used the product for over a decade for daily styling.

Several reviewers say the strong hold does not hold up well against sweat and can feel expensive relative to how long a bottle lasts.

Reviewers describe the spray as giving a naturally matte finish without stiffness or shine.

Pomade - 3.0 oz

Switched to this pomade after a prior favorite reformulated and became glue-like; this one did the job

reviewer Karen, Thornton CO

Users with short, spiked styles find the hold and texture works well for that look

reviewer dria, Miami — men's short/thick hair

A longtime user found it too greasy for a short, spiked style

reviewer Ardele, SC

Longtime fan of the line but recent jars arrived visibly disturbed (finger marks in the product), a quality-control complaint separate from performance

reviewer Billy, Midwest City OK — repeat buyer

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.

$2.44/oz vs $10.66/oz — American Crew Pomade - 3.0 oz costs about 4.4× more per ounce than American Crew Medium Hold Spray Gel.

Medium Hold Spray Gel

Against 159 gels with a computable unit price.

Pomade - 3.0 oz

Against 92 pastes with a computable unit price.

Value readMedium Hold Spray GelPomade - 3.0 oz
Label
Upper-mid price for a gelSits in the middle of the range for gels per ounce.
Priced above most pastesCosts more per ounce than most pastes; nothing in our library matches it closely for less.

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.

Medium Hold Spray Gel · Pomade - 3.0 oz · All gels 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.
  • 7 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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