Extensions Tool of the Year

Open to independent professional brands offering tools designed for extension application, maintenance or removal within salon environments. Products entered must demonstrate professional relevance, durability and suitability for professional extension services during the eligibility period.

Winning this award positions your brand among the tools professionals trust to support extension services day to day, reinforcing credibility, performance and long-term professional value. It provides a powerful platform to strengthen visibility, support growth and highlight the role your products play in helping stylists deliver efficient, high-quality extension services clients can rely on. Winners will also be invited to join the judging panel for The Indies - Salon & Stylist Awards UK.

• A written submission outlining the product range, professional positioning and industry relevance.

• Evidence of professional usage, salon adoption or stylist engagement.

• Supporting materials including campaigns, demonstrations, education or product activity relevant to the eligibility period. Future direction and plans for continued innovation or product development may also be included.

• All activity must relate to the period 1 May 2025 – 30 April 2026.

How This Category Will Be Judged

Entries will first be reviewed based on the written submission, supporting evidence and overall professional relevance within the extensions industry. Judges will consider innovation, ease of use, performance, durability and the way the tools support faster, cleaner and more efficient extension application within the salon environment.

Shortlisted brands may then move into professional product testing and evaluation carried out by selected industry professionals. Judges may assess ergonomics, usability, salon practicality and the overall experience of using the tools during real extension services.

To keep the process fair and independent, written entries and practical testing stages may be reviewed by different judges.

Product Submission Requirements

Shortlisted entrants may be required to submit selected tools from their range for professional testing and evaluation. Product requirements, quantities and judging formats will be discussed directly with shortlisted entrants depending on the tools entered and the most suitable way to assess them professionally.

This category may be tested during one of our in-salon judging days with active extension specialists from our judging panel. Tools may be assessed through professional salon use, application experience, ease of use and overall performance within real working salon environments. Products submitted for judging will not be returned unless agreed otherwise in writing.

This category is not open to conglomerate-owned or publicly listed companies. Venture-backed brands are permitted, provided the brand operates independently within the professional market. Products without active professional salon relevance or suitability for professional extension services will not be considered.

To protect the integrity of the awards, all judges are required to declare any professional, commercial or personal relationships with entrants prior to scoring. Any judge with a declared conflict of interest will not be permitted to review, discuss or score the relevant entry or category.

Entry Recommendations

Strong entries should clearly demonstrate how the tools support faster, cleaner and more efficient extension application within the salon environment. Judges are looking for tools professionals genuinely rely on for ease of use, performance, reliability and improving day-to-day extension services.

Supporting imagery, salon usage examples, educational content, demonstrations, testimonials and evidence of professional industry support are strongly encouraged.

Entry Deadline

Final entry deadline for this category is 6 September 2026.

Shortlisted entrants may be contacted directly regarding additional judging stages, product submission requirements or further supporting information where applicable.