LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel vs Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner

99 facts in comparison

Based on 944 Reddit opinions. Sport Gel leads by 26 points.

944 opinions
Sport Gel leads by 26pts
Reddit's Pick
LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel
89%
A-
Based on
1,117 Redditors
Winner

LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel

~$4.29
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.

Check prices
VS
Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner
63%
C
Based on
499 Redditors

Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner

~$20.8
167 opinions

tldr; Reddit comments primarily mention Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner as a regular part of users' hair routines without specific praise or criticism.

Check prices
Curl DefinitionHoldMoisture & HydrationProduct WeightIngredients
CUR
HOL
MOI
⚖️PRO
ING
61
Points
45
Points

Score by Category

Curl Definition
97%67%
Hold
89%
Moisture & Hydration
8%65%
Product Weight
42%7%
Ingredients
31%14%

Why is & Shine Conditioner better than Extreme Sport Gel?

  • Better moisture (65% vs 8%)
  • Moisturizing
  • Affordable
  • Heavy for fine
Based on 1,616 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner

Reddit prefers the Sport Gel

Winning by 26 points (89% vs 63%)

Better value
Better curl definition
Better weight
High confidence (1,616 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 1,616 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Sport Gel
8.9/10
1,117 mentions
Shine Conditioner
6.3/10
499 mentions
VALUE
Sport Gel10.0/10
Shine Conditioner7.3/10
HOLD
Sport Gel8.9/10
Shine ConditionerN/A
MOISTURE
Sport Gel0.8/10
Shine Conditioner6.5/10
CURL DEFINITION
Sport Gel9.7/10
Shine Conditioner6.7/10
WEIGHT
Sport Gel4.2/10
Shine Conditioner0.7/10
INGREDIENTS
Sport Gel3.1/10
Shine Conditioner1.4/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

Sport Gel: 5|Shine Conditioner: 1
ValueSport Gel
Sport Gel100%
Shine Conditioner73%
HoldSport Gel
Sport Gel89%
Shine ConditionerN/A
MoistureShine Conditioner
Sport Gel8%
Shine Conditioner65%
Curl DefinitionSport Gel
Sport Gel97%
Shine Conditioner67%
WeightSport Gel
Sport Gel42%
Shine Conditioner7%
IngredientsSport Gel
Sport Gel31%
Shine Conditioner14%
Sport Gel89%
Shine Conditioner63%
Clear winner - Sport Gel leads by 26 points

Key Specs

SpecLA Looks Extreme Sport GelShea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner
Hold Level
10+ (Extreme Hold)
Formula
Alcohol-free, non-sticky
Key Ingredients
PVP, Sorbitol, Keratin Amino Acids, Rahnella/Soy Protein Ferment
Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Hibiscus Flower Extract, Neem Oil, Silk Protein
Technology
TriActive hold
Brand
L.A. Looks
Shea Moisture

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
Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner
💧 Moisturizing
💰 Affordable
⚠️ Heavy for fine
🛒 Widely available

Topic Battles

Sport Gel: 4|Tied: 0|Shine Conditioner: 1
Curl Definition
Sport Gel wins
Sport Gel
97%
Shine Conditioner
67%
Hold
Sport Gel wins
Sport Gel
89%
Shine Conditioner
Moisture & Hydration
Shine Conditioner wins
Sport Gel
8%
Shine Conditioner
65%
⚖️Product Weight
Sport Gel wins
Sport Gel
42%
Shine Conditioner
7%
Ingredients
Sport Gel wins
Sport Gel
31%
Shine Conditioner
14%

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
View
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
View
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner

Best Praise
+63 pts
Seconding the Shea Moisture products. The line is one of my go-tos. I definitely have Caucasian hair, but in pretty tight corkscrews. It's hard to keep curly hair properly hydrated, which is why Shea Moisture is good. Each product has a really decent write up of what it does, and how to use it.
r/curlyhair
View
Top Criticism
+20 pts
I think it depends on hair porosity. I have really low porosity hair and shea moisture was too heavy for my hair also. I actually use regular shampoo/conditioner (non curly specific) and use a lightweight mousse and gel and that works best. Doesn't sound like that would necessarily mirror OP's foster daughter's needs but I think porosity is a key component of figuring out someone's hair needs and what kinds of products it can cope with.
r/curlyhair
View
3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel
Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner
$7$14$21Jun '25Jul '25Jul '25Aug '25Aug '25Oct '25Dec '25Dec '25Mar '26Apr '26Low: $2.58Low: $20.5Current: $4.29Current: $20.8
LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel
All-time low: $1.5(2014-06)
$1 below 90-day avg
Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner
All-time low: $10.79(2018-11)
$0 below 90-day avg

Which is Better?

LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel Wins
89%
Gel
vs
63%
Conditioner

LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel leads by 26 points based on 1,616 Reddit opinions.

Why Sport GelWinner
  • Better Value for Money (100% vs 73%)
  • More discussed (1,117 vs 499)
Why Shine Conditioner
  • 💧 Moisturizing
  • 💰 Affordable

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

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

Sentiment Breakdown

20%Positive
Positive
20%
Neutral
67%
Negative
13%
Based on 499 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel or Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner?
Based on 1,616 Reddit comments, LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel is the preferred choice with 89% positive sentiment vs Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner's 63%. LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel leads by 26 percentage points.
Should I buy LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel or Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel has stronger approval ratings (89% vs 63%). However, Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner 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 Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner?
Reddit users highlight: Moisturizing. Affordable. Heavy for fine. With 499 mentions and 63% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 1,616 Reddit comments: 1,117 about LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel and 499 about Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner. 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.

944 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 6/26/2026