Insert Name Here Ponytail Extensions Save Me From Bad Hair Days

There are days when I wake up and my blowout has fallen flat, humidity has reduced my strands to a pile of frizz, or my curls are limp and lifeless. My typical solution entails piling my hair into a messy bun — but then I discovered the viral Insert Name Here ponytail extensions on BeautyTok.

Countless influencers swear by these ponies, which come in a range of colors and styles and are supposedly a cinch to install. I wondered... could these extensions take my hair from spiritless to snatched in just seconds?

Given the reasonable price point and so many rave reviews, I decided to give the Insert Name Here (INH) ponytail extensions a whirl. Here’s my honest take on a few of their popular styles — plus tips on how to put them in.

Fast Facts

• Price: $54-59
• Best for: Anyone with short or thin hair seeking a more voluminous or longer ponytail, or who just likes to change up their look
• My rating: 5/5
• What we like: Lots of styles to choose from, high-quality, easy to install and care for
• What we don't like: Not all styles come in every color option

Insert Name Here Ponytail Extensions

The INH ponytail extensions are made with synthetic hair, which is partly why they’re less expensive than those made from real human hair (those typically cost $170-$250). But INH’s strands are meant to be indistinguishable from real human hair, and have a flexibility that allow them to bounce back to their original form even after you wear, wash, and brush it.

From short, sleek ponies with flipped ends to extra-long braided styles, INH offers more than 18 options. Once you decide on one, you then have to figure out the color. To help, you can take the color matching quiz, send some photos of your current hair via chat to the company’s experts, or order swatches to compare the different shades to your hair in person. I took the quiz first and connected with the team over chat about my results for added assurance that I had the right shade of blonde.

INH ponytails are super easy to care for. The company recommends brushing them regularly, starting from the bottom using careful downward strokes and then working your way up. You should only wash the ponies every once in a while when it’s absolutely necessary — which you do by using a mild shampoo followed by a moisturizing conditioner or hair mask. Leave the conditioner on for 5-10 minutes before rinsing with cool water. You can also use detangling sprays, serums, and leave-in conditioners. Blow-drying the ponytails can cause damage, so just lay them flat or hang them to dry, and store them in the reusable satin storage bag in between uses. Whenever you need to bring your pony back to life in between wears, just spritz it lightly with water and gently shake it out.

When it comes to heat styling, most ponytails can handle flat irons and curling irons up to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Just note that if you use hot tools on pieces that are already pre-styled with waves or curls, you’ll lose that original texture.

How To Put Them In

Follow these simple steps to put in any of INH’s ponytail extensions:

1. Pull your hair into a tight ponytail or bun. I like to wrap mine into a bun because I find it gives me a little more volume at the root of the pony, and my short hair doesn’t tend to blend well with the longer hair in the extension. If you have long hair, make a braided bun by tying your hair into a pony first, braiding it, and then wrapping it around itself.
2. At the top underside of the INH ponytail extension, you’ll see a mini comb. Slide this into the base of the pony right above the hair elastic.
3. Tightly wrap the velcro strip and hair tail around the base of your pony. Make sure the hair tail covers the velcro. Secure the end of the hair tail in place with the two bobby pins included. (You can use more if needed.)

My Experience

The fact that there are so many styles to choose from is a huge perk for noncommital girlies like me, who prefer to match their hair to their mood — or fit — of the day. I tried three different styles, all in the shade vanilla blonde:

• Aly: 18” mid-length with soft beachy waves
• Dove: 16” short with flipped-out layers
• Isabel: 18” mid-length with loose spiral curls and blunt ends

Surprisingly, I was able to nail the installation on the first try. I quickly learned that you can achieve a range of looks with the same style simply by adjusting the height of your pony; when I start with a low one, the extension gives me more length — whereas if I opted for a high pony near the crown of my head, I got a more voluminous effect that would make Ariana Grande proud.

I’ve now worn these ponies to date nights, events, on vacation, and even to a photo shoot. Whenever I reveal my secret, people are always shocked — that’s how real they look. I’ll chalk it up to the fact that I got a perfect color match.

It’s also worth noting that these truly are the highest-quality synthetic extensions I’ve ever come across — they feel just as silky and hold up just as well as some of the Remy extensions I’ve used. I even washed the Aly after a small handful of wears and the hair bounced right back, retaining its loose waves as well as its soft texture and shiny finish.

A word on styling: For a polished look, you may need to apply a little product on your hair to smooth those flyaways. I swear by the INH No Fly Zone Super Hold Hydrating Hair Pomade, which is hydrating and provides a strong yet flexible hold (make sure to rub it in your hands before applying). I also use the Tricoci Style Stick — a quick swipe onto the strands along my hairline helps tame and smooth them down for a slick effect.

The Verdict

You can’t put a price on good hair days, IMO — but at just over $50 a pop, these ponytails are pretty budget-friendly. For the sake of girl math, even if you only wear them once a week for a year, that’s $1 per use.

The only downside is that not every single INH ponytail style comes in my shade. I’d love to try the Lily or Lola, but they’re not available in vanilla blonde.

Regardless, on days when I don’t have time to bust out a curling iron, or I’m looking to serve a little extra attitude with my hair flip, these ponytail extensions are a godsend — even when I’m in a rush, because they only take a minute to pop in. My only regret? That I didn’t find them sooner.