In a perfect world, we’d all have glossy, strong, fast-growing hair that always looks good. But the reality of city living, indulging in colour treatments and too much heat styling, can take a toll on hair health. This is exactly why a bond repair hair treatment deserves a spot in your hair wash routine.

In case you’re wondering what hair bonds are, how they work and what causes damage, I spoke to stylist and K18’s global education ambassador Jordan Alexander to get the lowdown. “Hair bonds are chemical interactions between the protein chains in hair that give hair its structure, strength, shine, and elasticity,” he says. When they become damaged, hair loses its shine, strength, smoothness and softness.

There’s a multitude of culprits responsible, explains Alexander, such as chemical servicing like colour treatments, sun damage, chlorine from swimming pools and heat from styling. “All of this takes a toll on our locks. When hair is at its healthiest, all of our hair goals are achieved; strength, shine, bounce, elasticity, no frizz, no breakages and healthy growth.”

Bond repair first became widely known with the emergence of Olaplex, a brand exclusively available in salons for professional treatments, to reduce breakage and restore texture and shine. Then, in 2014, it launched onto shop shelves with its now cult favourite no.3 treatment, amassing celebrity and hair stylist fans worldwide thanks to its patented technology that left strands silky soft and healthier than ever.

For a long time, Olaplex dominated the market, but in recent years, a swathe of luxury and affordable brands have launched their own versions of bond repair treatments. Some require a pre-shampoo application, while others come in handy mists for damp, towel-dried hair or as leave-in creams.

In a bid to discover the bond repair treatments that actually work and are worth introducing into your shower regime, I set about testing as many as possible to narrow it down to my top-rated products that are hard-working and quick to deliver my healthiest hair yet.

How I tested

I’ve spent months testing bond repair treatments across a broad range of brands, some are budget-friendly picks, and others are firmly in the luxury category. I examined each for ease of application, value for money, packaging efficiency and of course, the results found. Here’s my verdict.

The best bonding treatments for 2024 are: