LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel vs Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector

105 facts in comparison

Based on 1,148 Reddit opinions. Sport Gel leads by 7 points.

1.1K opinions
Sport Gel leads by 7pts
Reddit's Pick
LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel
89%
A-
Based on
1,117 Redditors
Winner

LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel

~$7
777 opinions

tldr; LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel is highly praised for its very strong hold, excellent frizz control, and ability to create a great cast, all at a very affordable price.

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VS
Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector
82%
B+
Based on
687 Redditors

Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector

~$34
371 opinions

tldr; Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector is widely recommended and praised for repairing bleach and heat damaged hair, helping curls regain their spring.

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Curl DefinitionHoldMoisture & HydrationProduct WeightIngredients
CUR
HOL
MOI
⚖️PRO
ING
61
Points
59
Points

Score by Category

Curl Definition
97%91%
Hold
89%67%
Moisture & Hydration
8%58%
Product Weight
42%0%
Ingredients
31%50%

Why is 3 Hair Perfector better than Extreme Sport Gel?

  • Better moisture (58% vs 8%)
  • Better ingredients (50% vs 31%)
  • ⭐ Highly recommended for major bleach damage.
Based on 1,804 Reddit opinions
Slight Edge

Reddit prefers the Sport Gel

Winning by 7 points (89% vs 82%)

Better value
Better hold
Better curl definition
High confidence (1,804 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 1,804 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Sport Gel
8.9/10
1,117 mentions
Hair Perfector
8.2/10
687 mentions
VALUE
Sport Gel10.0/10
Hair Perfector2.7/10
HOLD
Sport Gel8.9/10
Hair Perfector6.7/10
MOISTURE
Sport Gel0.8/10
Hair Perfector5.8/10
CURL DEFINITION
Sport Gel9.7/10
Hair Perfector9.1/10
WEIGHT
Sport Gel4.2/10
Hair Perfector0.0/10
INGREDIENTS
Sport Gel3.1/10
Hair Perfector5.0/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

Sport Gel: 4|Hair Perfector: 2
ValueSport Gel
Sport Gel100%
Hair Perfector27%
HoldSport Gel
Sport Gel89%
Hair Perfector67%
MoistureHair Perfector
Sport Gel8%
Hair Perfector58%
Curl DefinitionSport Gel
Sport Gel97%
Hair Perfector91%
WeightSport Gel
Sport Gel42%
Hair Perfector0%
IngredientsHair Perfector
Sport Gel31%
Hair Perfector50%
Sport Gel89%
Hair Perfector82%
Sport Gel wins by 7 points

Key Specs

SpecLA Looks Extreme Sport GelOlaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector
Hold Level
10+ (Extreme Hold)
Formula
Alcohol-free, non-sticky
Key Ingredients
PVP, Sorbitol, Keratin Amino Acids, Rahnella/Soy Protein Ferment
Technology
TriActive hold
Brand
LA Looks
Olaplex

Key Highlights

LA Looks Extreme Sport GelWinner
⭐ Provides strong hold & awesome frizz control.
✓ Extremely budget-friendly ($2.99 for 16 oz).
⚙ Creates the "best cast" and is lightweight.
⭐ Many users find it works better than other gels
Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector
⭐ Highly recommended for major bleach damage.
⭐ Saved hair from inexperienced stylists & damage.
⭐ Helps curls get their spring back.
⚙ Functions as bond repair, not a conditioner.
⭐ Many people "swear by" it.

Topic Battles

Sport Gel: 3|Tied: 0|Hair Perfector: 2
Curl Definition
Sport Gel wins
Sport Gel
97%
Hair Perfector
91%
Hold
Sport Gel wins
Sport Gel
89%
Hair Perfector
67%
Moisture & Hydration
Hair Perfector wins
Sport Gel
8%
Hair Perfector
58%
⚖️Product Weight
Sport Gel wins
Sport Gel
42%
Hair Perfector
0%
Ingredients
Hair Perfector wins
Sport Gel
31%
Hair Perfector
50%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel

Best Praise
+247 pts
We have very similar hair though I’m a chick lol. Wash & condition hair as usual. For a wet look that lasts all day, put more conditioner in your hair and leave it in. Brush through then add a ton of heavy gel like LA looks and scrunch it in. Style how you like but make sure it’s soaking wet with conditioner and gel. It should not be wet frizzy at all. Don’t scrunch out the crunch.
r/curlyhair
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Top Criticism
+14 pts
I agree with the others. You're hair type likely doesn't need super thick heavy "cream" products. La Looks gel might also be too heavy of a styler for your hair. It's a pretty thick product and if you are applying too much with your hair type, especially if it is getting clumped in certain spots and not spread out thoroughly, could cause the unevenness in which areas are keeping definition. What type of styler did your hair dresser use? The results looked perfect for your hair type. Even the extra volume at your roots on pic 8 looks fine and is to be expected with most curly hair as it dries and "poofs" a bit as the day goes on.
r/curlyhair
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3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector

Best Praise
+285 pts
Olaplex #3 will revive the curls but I suggest you leave it overnight and wash out next day I have 2C hair and same issue when straightening hair. Think it's better to blow dry straight, lay it down straight with durag or bonnet, and then low heat straighten with oil/heat protectant EDIT: OP bc your hair is dyed it's more sensitive to the heat. So I'd advise you to stay away from heat if you wanna keep your curls. Someone else said that olaplex only works when wet and for an hour. That might be true, but I've experimented with leaving olaplex in 3, 6, 8 hours and 6 to overnight resulted in tighter curls. I have long hair low porosity so it doesn't completely dry until next day and that might be why it works better for me
r/curlyhair
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Top Criticism
+24 pts
I used K18 and olaplex. Personally for me they didn't do anything magical that any other good protein based deep conditioner didn't do. For instance the hask keratin deep conditioner. Did a much better job in reducing frizz, adding shine and definition to my hair compared to k18 or olaplex.
r/curlyhair
View
3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel
Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector
$9$18$27$36Apr '25May '25Jun '25Aug '25Sep '25Dec '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Low: $2.58Low: $15Current: $7Current: $34
LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel
All-time low: $1.5(2014-06)
Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector
All-time low: $15(2024-09)

Which is Better?

LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel Wins
89%
Gel
vs
82%
Perfector

LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel leads by 7 points based on 1,804 Reddit opinions.

Why Sport GelWinner
  • Better Value for Money (100% vs 27%)
  • More discussed (1,117 vs 687)
Why Hair Perfector
  • ⭐ Highly recommended for major bleach damage.
  • ⭐ Saved hair from inexperienced stylists & damage.

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

62%Positive
Positive
62%
Neutral
31%
Negative
7%
Based on 1,117 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

45%Positive
Positive
45%
Neutral
46%
Negative
9%
Based on 687 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel or Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector?
Based on 1,804 Reddit comments, LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel is the preferred choice with 89% positive sentiment vs Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector's 82%. LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel leads by 7 percentage points.
Should I buy LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel or Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel has stronger approval ratings (89% vs 82%). However, Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel?
Reddit users highlight: Provides strong hold & awesome frizz control.. Extremely budget-friendly ($2.99 for 16 oz).. Creates the "best cast" and is lightweight.. With 1,117 mentions and 89% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector?
Reddit users highlight: Highly recommended for major bleach damage.. Saved hair from inexperienced stylists & damage.. Helps curls get their spring back.. With 687 mentions and 82% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 1,804 Reddit comments: 1,117 about LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel and 687 about Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector. Data was sourced from Curly hair products community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

1,148 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 4/6/2026