Men's wig in human hair or synthetic hair: differences, price and durability

This is the first choice you need to make, and the one that affects both price and everyday life the most.

Feel and appearance

Human hair moves, reflects light and feels like hair because it is hair. Modern synthetic hair has come a long way and is hard to tell apart from human hair at a distance, but it often has a more even shine that can look slightly too perfect in strong light.

Styling

This is where the difference is greatest. Human hair can be blow-dried, straightened, curled and coloured. Synthetic hair holds its shape on its own – mainly a practical advantage, as you never need to style it – but it can't take high heat. A synthetic men's wig looks the same every morning with no effort.

Price

Synthetic men's wigs start at around 450 SEK. Human hair costs considerably more, as the hair is sourced and knotted by hand.

Durability

With daily use, a synthetic wig lasts about four to six months. Human hair can last for years with the right care. Worked out as cost per month, the difference evens out more than the price tag suggests – but synthetic hair asks less of you day to day.

Our advice

If you're buying your first men's wig, start with synthetic. You'll learn what you like in terms of length, density and hairline without tying up a lot of money. If you already know what you want and wear a wig every day, choose human hair.

Use the right care for each material – synthetic hair needs products made for synthetic hair, which aren't the same as those for human hair.