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I once used a little bit of hand lotion on the ends of my hair when I found myself in a hotel shower without any conditioner or cream rinse. I was that desperate. My fine, fly away hair isn't damaged by color or perms, but it does take a daily beating from hot rollers and sizzling curling irons, so a good moisturizing conditioner is a must. But I've never been a snob when it comes to hair care products, so I'm not married to the idea that you have to spend a lot to get a lot. More often than not, spending a little and getting a boatload is more my speed. And with that in mind, I tested a trio of hair conditioners at varying price points. All were moisturizing formulas. My results follow.

Pantene Pro-V Moisture Renewal conditioner

$5 for 12.6 ounces, drug stores and mass merchandisers

The rundown: Made by Procter & Gamble, Pantene Moisture Renewal conditioner is billed as moisturizing and formulated to help repair the look of dry, damaged hair. Ingredients include water, stearyl and cetyl alcohol, which are fatty alcohols that act as emollients. It also contains panthenol, a derivative of vitamin B5, and dimethicone, which gives conditioner the slick factor.

Upside: It's the thickest of the three conditioners tested. For a moderately priced conditioner, it performs beautifully, leaving hair soft and easy to manage. Pantene was the best of the three as a detangler. The comb never even skipped through towel-dried hair. Subtle, fresh fragrance.

Downside: It features an oval flip top that's difficult to snap open when wet, so someone with weaker hands might have trouble. While I like the fragrance, it might be too strong for some. Don't confuse the promise of helping to repair damaged hair with actually repairing. Your split ends won't magically fuse together.

Bottom line: Excellent midpriced conditioner.

Nexxus Humectress Ultimate moisturizing conditioner

$14 for 13.5 ounces, drug stores and mass merchandisers

The rundown: Like the others, Nexxus contains the usual ingredients but it also boasts coconut oil and honey extract to "provide nourishing moisture, leaving hair luxuriously soft, manageable and full of luster." Nexxus has a list of ingredients that's twice as long as Pantene and Suave.

Upside: This is a rich conditioner that left my hair very soft, without static, and fairly easy to comb while wet. However, it didn't perform any better than the other two conditioners tested. Love the fragrance, which brings to mind floral notes with a touch of coconut.

Downside: I didn't notice any exotic ingredients, nor did it make my hair any softer than the others, so I can't see spending nearly $15 for a product that, as good as it is, isn't much different than others that cost far less.

Bottom line: If you have money to burn, then you might consider Nexxus.

Suave Professionals humectant conditioner

$3.62 for 32 ounces, drug stores and mass merchandisers

The rundown: This moisturizing conditioner blatantly challenges Nexxus by comparing itself to the high-end product on its label. Along with a lot of the same ingredients that the other two conditioners contained, Suave also contains Keratin. It's formulated to restore hair, leaving it soft and manageable.

Upside: Obviously, the price is appealing since you practically get a vat of the stuff for under $5. But, best of all, it works beautifully, leaving my hair silky and without any tangles or static electricity. Although the color is slightly lighter, the consistency and clean fragrance are nearly identical to Nexxus.