Hairbond’s First New Products in Five Years
Hairbond’s first new styling products in five years have taken two years to perfect. Forger, Drifter and Vector were not made to chase a trend. They were made to make the range better.
Forger, Drifter and Vector have taken two years to develop. They were not created to chase a trend. They were created because the range needed them.
Hairbond has not made a new styling product for five years.
That is about to change.
Forger. Drifter. Vector.
Three new products. Three different jobs.
We have spent two years working on the formulas. Now we are waiting for them to be manufactured.
I wanted them ready in August.
September is looking more realistic.
That is frustrating, but I would rather launch the right products late than launch average products on time.
Hairbond has never needed more things to sell.
It has needed better things to sell.
Why Two Years?
People see a finished jar.
They do not see what comes before it.
You start with an idea. Then come the samples.
You test the hold.
You test the finish.
You test how it feels going into the hair and how easily it washes out.
You use it on short hair, thick hair, fine hair and longer hair. You try it in the cold. You try it in the heat. You leave it alone and see what time does to it.
A formula can be brilliant when it is first made and fail months later.
It can separate.
The fragrance can change.
The texture can harden or soften.
The product can react with the jar, lid or liner.
That is why stability and packaging compatibility testing matter. Depending on the formula, that testing can take up to sixteen weeks.
Then, when something is wrong, you change it and start again.
Nobody puts that part on Instagram.
A photograph of a jar sitting in a laboratory for four months would struggle to break the internet.
It still matters.
The Delay
The products have passed development. We are now waiting for production.
Our manufacturer has experienced longer lead times as the conflict involving Iran has disrupted fuel, energy, shipping and parts of the international supply chain.
The Strait of Hormuz normally carries roughly one fifth of global oil and gas trade, and disruption in the region has placed further pressure on manufacturing and transport. (House of Commons Library)
That is outside our control.
The quality of the finished products is not.
We hoped to have them made during the summer, with August as the target. September is now more likely.
They will arrive when they are right.
Drifter Professional Hair Crème
Drifter is very similar in purpose to two products Hairbond made before: Designer and Texturiser Cream.
I always liked that kind of product.
Not everybody wants maximum hold.
Some people want their hair to move. They want softness, control and a natural shine. They want their hair to look better without looking covered in product.
Drifter is a lightweight styling crème developed for medium and longer hair, layered cuts, finer hair and more relaxed styles.
It uses conditioning oils, soft waxes and light styling polymers to smooth and refine the hair without stiffness or heavy build-up. It gives soft hold, natural shine and movement. (partners.hairbond.com)
Drifter does not try to dominate the haircut.
It finishes it.
The best cream products do not announce themselves.
The hair just looks right.
Why We Made Forger
We had to discontinue Hairbond Mattifier.
Some of the raw materials used in its formula were discontinued. We could have replaced them with weaker alternatives and continued selling the product under the same name.
I would not do it.
If Mattifier could no longer perform like Mattifier, it had no right to carry the name.
The customer might not notice immediately.
I would.
Forger fills the space Mattifier left, but it also gives the Hairbond matte range something new.
Super Fibre is very dry. It creates volume, structure and powerful control.
Distorter Clay gives matte texture, separation and a more flexible finish.
Forger is about matte finish and maximum hold.
It is a high-performance putty made with clays, waxes and binding agents. It is designed to grip thick or unruly hair, create dense texture and hold structured styles without grease or shine. It suits short and medium cuts, including crops, quiffs and heavily textured styles. (partners.hairbond.com)
Super gives dry volume.
Distorter gives flexible matte texture.
Forger gives hard matte control.
It does not ask the hair nicely.
Vector Professional Hair Gum
Vector has been in my head for years.
We first considered launching it as a replacement for Sculptor, our old putty.
At the time, the market had moved towards dry clays, matte pastes and powders. Everything had to look rough, dry and textured.
A modern gum felt out of place.
That was then.
Hair is getting longer again.
Side parts, sweep backs, layered cuts and more natural styles need flexibility and movement. Wetter finishes are returning, but people do not necessarily want the greasy gels and heavy gums they remember from years ago.
Vector is a cleaner, more modern answer.
It gives a medium, reworkable hold with controlled structure and natural movement. Flexible styling polymers and conditioning agents help the hair remain smooth and touchable rather than rigid. (partners.hairbond.com)
You can style it.
You can adjust it.
You can run your hands through it without needing planning permission.
Vector probably made less sense in 2016.
It makes complete sense in 2026.
Am I Excited?
I am not excited simply because Hairbond is launching something new.
Brands launch products every week.
Most of them are forgotten before the next marketing meeting.
I am excited because these products deserve to exist.
There is a difference.
Forger fixes a genuine gap in the matte range.
Drifter brings back the kind of lightweight styling cream we should never have lost.
Vector gives longer and more flexible hairstyles the product they now need.
Nothing has been created merely to fill a space on a shelf.
That is not product development.
That is furniture arranging.
Why Hairbond Will Not Make a Powder
People often ask whether Hairbond will make a styling powder.
We already made one years ago, before the powder hype arrived.
I understand why powders are popular. They create quick volume and grip. They are easy to demonstrate. Shake some into the hair, mess it around and the video is finished.
I still do not like them.
They make a mess.
They fall onto clothes, chairs, floors and workstations.
The fine powder can become airborne during application and may be breathed in or swallowed.
There are already hundreds of powders on the market.
The world does not need another one because Hairbond has found an empty jar.
Popularity alone is not a good enough reason to make something.
We Stayed in Our Lane
Ten years ago, every men’s brand suddenly discovered beard oil.
A man grew a beard.
Someone found a brown bottle.
They stood him against a brick wall.
By lunchtime, another authentic barbershop company had been born.
Hairbond stayed out of it.
We also stayed away from much of the fake barbershop hype.
That was not because we did not respect barbers. Hairbond was created behind a barber’s chair. Barbers and hairdressers built this brand.
We stayed out because we knew our lane.
Professional hair styling products.
That was the job.
There is nothing wrong with selling beard oil.
There is something wrong with chasing every trend until the brand no longer knows what it is good at.
Quality Drives Hairbond
Trends do not drive me.
Quality does.
Trends can change how people wear their hair. They can show us where styling is going.
They do not decide our standards.
Hairbond is not about gimmicks.
It is not about launching something because everybody else has one.
It is about creating the best hair styling products in the world.
That is a large ambition.
Good.
Small ambitions usually create small products.
Forger, Drifter and Vector are the first new Hairbond styling products in five years.
They have taken two years to develop.
They are nearly here.
Not because the shelf needed filling.
Because the range needed improving.
Preorder Forger, Drifter and Vector
Customers can preorder Forger, Drifter and Vector now through Hairbond.com. Each product is currently listed at £25. (Perfected Since 2008.)
Barbers, hairdressers, salons and retailers can order Hairbond at trade prices through our Faire wholesale store. (Since 2008)
August was the target.
September is more likely.
We have waited five years to launch new Hairbond products.
We are not going to ruin them by rushing the final few weeks.