4 Best Lip Balms of 2026 for Smooth, Hydrated Lips, Tested by Experts

Six evaluators tried eight popular lip balms, including trendy picks from Rhode and Summer Fridays. One of our top choices costs just $3.

By Lisa Fogarty
Home & Trends Writer

Updated February 8, 2026

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Woman applying lip balm, plus images of Vaseline, Summer Fridays, Chapstick, and Eos lip balms. — CR evaluators tried eight lip balms, including those made by (clockwise from top left) Eos, ChapStick, Vaseline, and Summer Fridays. The least expensive option was our favorite.

Lip balm and I go way back. I purchased my first cherry ChapStick in middle school, and from there, my love affair with lip balms evolved into what it is today: a pricey problem.

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Lisa Fogarty

Lisa Fogarty is a senior multimedia content creator at Consumer Reports. She studied journalism at Columbia University and has written numerous health, parenting, fitness, and wellness articles for The New York Times, Psychology Today, Vogue, and NPR. Lisa is passionate about mental health and is a co-creator of The Hunger Trap Podcast, which focuses on eating disorders. In her spare time she surfs, plays the guitar, and kickboxes. Follow her on X: @lisacfogarty