What’s the Best Hair Straightener for You? It Depends (2025)

7 hours ago 6

Compare Our Top 10 Hair Straighteners

Other Straighteners We Tried

Photograph: Kat Merck

Paul Mitchell Neuro Style+ for $150: The latest successful Paul Mitchell’s lineup of different standout hairsbreadth straighteners, this ceramic robust with Paul Mitchell’s caller NeutraHeat temperature-regulating exertion goes up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and has dual voltage for travel. However, the assemblage feels weirdly inexpensive and lightweight compared with older Paul Mitchell models, it took implicit a infinitesimal to vigor up, and it was not particularly effectual connected my curly hair.

RevAir Reverse Air Dryer for $459: Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano perfectly loved the vacuumlike RevAir, declaring it faster than a blow-dry brush. However, she did not find that it gave her curls the aforesaid silky-straight decorativeness arsenic a straightening iron, truthful those with stubborn curls volition inactive request to usage 1 afterward. I volition besides enactment that the RevAir is akin successful terms to our apical air-powered pick, the Dyson Airstrait, but overmuch bulkier to store.

Photograph: Kat Merck

Vibrastrait Pro Vibrating Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Flat Iron for $139: Like the Drybar Reserve, above, this is different fantabulous vibrating straightening robust that runs up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. I admit I was initially skeptical of the vibrating technology's effectiveness, but I ended up being impressed by however rapidly it smoothed my frizz. I'm not definite I needfully noticed little harm implicit respective weeks of testing, but I decidedly would not hesitate to urge this robust to anyone funny astir vibrating level irons. I tested the 1-inch, but it besides comes successful a 1.75-inch size.

GHD Duet Style for $429: The GHD Duet Style looks precise overmuch similar a ample level iron, but that blistery aerial vents are connected the halfway of each limb to adust your bedewed hairsbreadth with a azygous pass. You tin halt there, or, if you privation to adhd other shine, you tin power the Duet Style to Shine Shot Mode. This turns disconnected the aerial and turns connected 2 bladed ceramic plates, frankincense transforming the Duet Style into a accepted hot-plate straightener. In my clip investigating the Duet Style, the Wet mode was much than capable to make poker consecutive styles. The blistery plates are what sets the Duet Style isolated from the Airstrait, which by examination lone uses blistery air, but successful presumption of usage and plan they nutrient the aforesaid outcome. This means your prime volition apt travel down to price, oregon marque loyalty. —Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Photograph: Kat Merck

Conair InfinitiPro for $30: This was erstwhile WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano’s favourite low-cost hairsbreadth straightener, and I hold that it checks a astonishing fig of boxes for the price. It has tourmaline ceramic plates, heats up to an awesome 455 degrees Fahrenheit, and besides boasts an encyclopedic 30 vigor settings accessible via a tiny dial connected the side. It’s besides got a generous five-year warranty. However, it inactive took aggregate passes astatine max somesthesia to creaseless my blow-dried frizz, which had maine worrying a spot adjacent the extremity of my proceedings astir my hairsbreadth health, and the iron's 6-ounce body—half the value of a pricier iron—felt beauteous flimsy. It besides took importantly longer to vigor up than the 15-second assertion connected the box.

L'Oreal Steampod for $250: You mightiness deliberation steam would beryllium the force of consecutive hair, but it really moisturizes hairsbreadth portion the vigor flattens it into shape. According to L’Oreal, this diagnostic allows the Steampod to mildly adust the outer shaft without drying the core. When you spell outside, particularly successful humid conditions, the hairsbreadth past doesn’t sorb immoderate of the other moisture and remains frizz-free. To use, archetypal capable up the built-in h2o tank. Once it reaches the desired temperature—the Steampod ranges from 356 degrees Fahrenheit (180 Celsius) to 410 degrees Fahrenheit (210 Celsius)–it blasts a travel of high-pressure steam implicit your hairsbreadth arsenic the plates clamp astir it. My hairsbreadth was shinier and felt little adust erstwhile utilizing the Steampod, and arsenic promised, it didn’t go a frizzy messiness aft a workout. The Steampod doesn’t rather springiness the poker-straight benignant I’m utilized to from blistery plates, and the curls I created didn’t clasp arsenic agelong arsenic they usually do. It’s besides a small fiddly to use: You person to ever person the comb facing down. Yet it near my hairsbreadth feeling healthy, soft, and little unwieldy, truthful I’ll marque that sacrifice. Victoria Woollaston-Webber

GHD Platinum+ for $239: This is simply a fashionable robust and a small cheaper than the Chronos models. It's sleek and comfy to hold, which makes it large for creating curls and for consecutive styles. As with the Chronos, it comes with 1 somesthesia setting—365 degrees Fahrenheit. WIRED contributor Victoria Woollaston-Webber says it was capable vigor for her good hair, but it didn't chopped it for erstwhile WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano's thick, curly hair.

Kristin Ess 3-in-1 Hair Straightener for $68: Hair doesn’t travel retired arsenic shiny—and doesn’t enactment consecutive rather arsenic long—as with the Sutra, above, nor does this robust vigor up arsenic accelerated (about a infinitesimal compared with the Sutra’s 23 seconds). But this is an affordable titanium-plate introduction that handles pugnacious straightening tasks with aplomb. Be alert that during my testing, the matte-white decorativeness seemed to pull stains alternatively quickly, from eyeshadow to tinted adust shampoo, but it’s inactive a large prime for idiosyncratic with super-curly hairsbreadth who isn’t acceptable to ammunition retired $175.

Revlon Double Straight Dual Plate Hair Straightener for $30: If you tin look past its somewhat unusual shape, the Revlon Double Straight’s four-plate plan makes a batch of sense. As you walk the Double Straight implicit your hair, the archetypal 2 plates straighten, portion the 2nd 2 “reinforce” the style. This efficaciously allows you to marque 2 passes successful one, which reduces some the clip it takes to implicit the benignant and the hazard of vigor damage. I recovered this to beryllium mostly true, though to get the afloat effect you request to walk it implicit your hairsbreadth somewhat much dilatory than you would bash normally, which cuts into the time-saving benefits a little. The plates are besides smaller than I had imagined—each 1 is fractional an inch whereas modular plates measurement 1 inch—but they inactive screen akin widths of hairsbreadth arsenic modular straighteners. The biggest downside to the plan is that it’s overmuch harder to usage these straighteners for curls. Not impossible, but difficult. Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Hot Tools Pro Artist Black Gold Dual Plate Flat Iron for $130: This robust is precise akin to the Revlon above, with the aforesaid cut-out look, the aforesaid four-plate design, and the aforesaid performance. They adjacent max retired astatine the aforesaid apical somesthesia of 455 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot Tools bumps the fig of vigor settings to 30—three times the already awesome 10 connected the Revlon model—but it’s astir 3 times the price.

Hot Tools Pro Artist Black Gold Ionic 1-Inch Flat Iron for $120: This is simply a large robust with a bevy of features, including an ion generator (see mentation below), a beep erstwhile it has reached temperature, and representation of your past vigor setting. I besides similar that you tin crook the vigor up oregon down by twisting the extremity of the handle. However, the sheet somesthesia was amazingly uneven erstwhile I tested it with an infrared thermometer, which is astir apt wherefore my hairsbreadth needed aggregate passes adjacent astatine max temperature.

Photograph: Kat Merck

Faszin Hair Straightener for $160: Would I wage the database terms of $160 for this Amazon special? Absolutely not. But during a caller several-week agelong portion my regular straighteners were retired with different testers, I ended up utilizing 1 of these arsenic my regular operator and was impressed by some its physique and effectiveness. Unlike different Amazon models, the Faszin feels much costly than it is, with a dense (but not truthful dense it’s cumbersome to hold) physique and a slick integer LED show atop the handle. It heats up comparatively rapidly successful conscionable implicit a minute, and the titanium plates made abbreviated enactment of my 3a curls. I would not hesitate to drawback this during an Amazon Prime Day oregon Cyber Monday sale, particularly erstwhile it sometimes dips beneath $50.

Revlon Easy Heat Precision Flat Iron for $35: A coagulated entry-level level iron, this deep-pink exemplary with easy-read somesthesia settings feels heavier and much costly than it is. I besides loved that it heats up successful 30 seconds—one-third the clip of astir irons successful its terms category. However, I was amazed by however ineffective the 1-inch plates were connected my curls, adjacent astatine the iron's maximum temp of 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Plus, my (barely) straightened hairsbreadth poofed backmost up again wrong minutes.

Photograph: Kat Merck

T3 Singlepass Smooth X for $160 and T3 Style Max for $160: The Singlepass Smooth X with its extra-long plates and interior temperature-regulating spot was antecedently our apical prime for good hair. The Smooth X and its regular-plate-length sibling, the Style Max, were perfectly serviceable irons, though they did necessitate aggregate passes connected precise curly hair. However, my semipermanent fine-haired tester ended up vastly preferring the GHD Chronos Max implicit the T3s.

Drybar Straight Shot Blow-Drying Flat Iron for $179: WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar discovered there's a spot of a learning curve with this air-powered iron, and that it won't regenerate her accepted straightening robust immoderate clip soon, but it did assistance her benignant her wavy hairsbreadth rapidly and astatine a fraction of the outgo of comparable aerial tools similar the Dyson Airstrait.

Amika the Confidante Moisture Maintenance Titanium Flat Iron for $150: This is an effectual titanium robust with a plan akin to our Best for Thick Hair pick, the Sutra IR2, close down to its infrared strip. It has a hefty, high-quality feel, and it made abbreviated enactment of curls and frizz. However, the Sutra heats faster and keeps hairsbreadth creaseless longer, and the Kristin Ess 3-in-1, above, does a comparable occupation for little than fractional the price.

Photograph: Kat Merck

Chi Vibes connected the Edge Curved Edge Hairstyling Iron for $110: I’m a longtime Chi devotee, having owned and loved the archetypal ceramic level robust until it broke aft a decade. So I admit, I was excited astir this caller mentation from Chi’s Vibes line. The 1- oregon 1.5-inch ceramic plates (I tested the latter) really curve astir the sides of the tool, allowing the idiosyncratic to get person to the roots of their hair, arsenic good arsenic make crease-free waves if desired. While this diagnostic did really bash an awesome occupation of tamping down my flyaways (and I appreciated the unusually agelong 11-foot cord), some I and a longer-term tester thought the operation felt cheap, particularly for the price, and we some experienced an alarming magnitude of question with the plates.

NuMe Megastar X for $169: This matte-black robust with wide 1.75-inch plates looks overmuch similar the Amika Confidante and Sutra with its infrared strip, but it has tourmaline ceramic plates alternatively of titanium. It was large for imparting shine, but it took astatine slightest 4 passes to de-frizz a conception of my hair. That whitethorn beryllium good for easy-to-straighten locks, but you mightiness beryllium amended disconnected with the T3 SinglePass Smooth X above, since it’s a akin terms and offers T3’s proprietary vigor precision technology. The T3’s size is besides easier to maneuver than the NuMe, since the plates are longer, not wider.

BondiBoost Aloe-Plated Flat Iron for $119: This robust has ceramic-coated tourmaline plates infused with aloe powder, which “add radiance and frizz power each clip you swipe down strands," according to the company. It's besides unsocial successful that it heats to 480 degrees Fahrenheit—hotter than immoderate different robust we've tested and beyond the capabilities of astir heat protectant sprays. The plates didn't look oregon consciousness immoderate antithetic to maine than emblematic ceramic plates, and the integrative operation felt lightweight and somewhat flimsy for this terms point. My hairsbreadth besides poofed up again alternatively rapidly aft use. This robust does person galore devoted fans online, though, truthful your acquisition whitethorn vary.

Photograph: Kat Merck

Tymo Ring Hair Straightener Comb for $40: Former WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar liked this viral two-in-one blistery comb and straightening brush, but it wasn't a one-stop store for her hair, and it wasn't for maine either erstwhile I tried it. If you cognize you similar utilizing a blistery comb, though, this is simply a overmuch safer version, with the blistery teeth safely covered successful a integrative overlay.

L’ange Le Duo Airflow Styler for $59: This level robust features a clasp akin to a curling iron. Most level robust plates enactment apart, and request to beryllium pushed unneurotic to use, portion this is the opposite. It works conscionable arsenic good arsenic immoderate different iron, and the clasp plan and the rounded edges marque it easier to curl too. The existent gully present is the aerial vents that blast retired chill aerial to fastener your benignant in. The instrumentality turns connected automatically, but there's a fastener to crook it off. (Just to clarify, it's not meant to adust your hair—you volition not beryllium blessed if you effort that.) —Medea Giordano

Sleek'e for $89 and Kosa for $195: These irons are fundamentally the aforesaid tool. Sleek'e confirmed that they are successful information made by the aforesaid manufacturer, which is not uncommon. The Kosa felt a small lighter, but neither seemed amended oregon worse to use. They some emit ions and person a portion of infrared lights down the mediate of 1 of the plates, which are expected to assistance administer vigor evenly and successful a mode that won't harm hair. —Medea Giordano

Brilliance New York Smooth Pro Ceramic Flat Iron for $45: WIRED reviewer and chap curly miss Louryn Strampe swears by this hairsbreadth straightener. She impulse-bought it via a Groupon woody successful 2014 and inactive consistently reaches for it, contempt having tried respective much level irons since—she adjacent prefers it implicit the Dyson Corrale. It's mislaid immoderate of its vigor consistency implicit the years, and the plates occasionally snag her hair, but it inactive leaves her unruly curls sleek and shiny, and astir important, straight. —Medea Giordano

FoxyBae Tres Sleek Flat Iron for $85: This lightweight titanium level robust does a reasonably decent occupation astatine straightening thick, curly hairsbreadth for the price, though its flimsy-feeling operation and agelong heat-up clip marque it little appealing than astir each different straightener we tried astatine this terms point.

FAQs

What Should I Look for successful a Hair Straightener?

It's each a spot confusing. A straightener tin beryllium a level iron, and a level robust is simply a straightener, but not each straighteners are level irons. They travel successful different forms too, including brushes and combs. No substance which you spell with, what you telephone it, oregon what your fund is, determination are a fewer things you should support successful mind.

  • It should beryllium casual to clasp and maneuver. If a level robust needs each your mightiness to support the plates closed, you're going to beryllium successful symptom by the extremity of your straightening session.
  • It should person a scope of easy-to-read temperatures. Dials with nary denotation of what somesthesia you're utilizing are frustrating, and you tin extremity up burning your hairsbreadth oregon skin.
  • It shouldn't snag hair. This is simply a communal occupation among level irons, arsenic hairsbreadth tin get caught successful inexpensive plates and pulled out. Look for beveled designs, which assistance forestall this.
  • Flat irons should ne'er beryllium utilized connected bedewed hair. Only benignant bedewed and damp hairsbreadth if the instrumentality is made for that, similar a blow-dry brushwood oregon Dyson's Airstrait.

What Do Ionic Straighteners Do?

A batch of blistery hairsbreadth tools, including astir connected our list, assertion to merchandise antagonistic ions to support your hair. I utilized to chalk this up to marketing-speak, but hairstylists I spoke with accidental ions are helpful.

London-based hairstylist Hollie Rose Clarke says ions successful hairsbreadth tools support the cuticle furniture of your hairsbreadth smooth, truthful you'll get a shinier, frizz-free result. “Think of a strand of your hairsbreadth arsenic being the size of my arm, covered successful food scales (the cuticles)," she says. "When the hairsbreadth is damaged, they unfastened slightly, resulting successful dry, frizzy, and anemic hair. When the hairsbreadth is steadfast they are closed, resulting successful your hairsbreadth feeling smoother and stronger.”

Abra McField, laminitis of Abra Kadabra Hair and Healing, says hairsbreadth is usually positively charged owed to its h2o content, and the antagonistic ions these level irons make tin assistance dissipate that water. “You get controlled exertion of the vigor you are applying, and you are capable to usage lone arsenic overmuch vigor arsenic you request to creaseless and straighten your hair, which tin forestall damage.”

Ionic hairsbreadth dryers are similar, with immoderate caveats. “If you person finer hairsbreadth and you are wanting arsenic overmuch assemblage and measurement arsenic possible, the ionic dryer whitethorn not beryllium the best,” McField says. "So mostly it's champion to get a dryer with an ionic enactment that tin beryllium turned connected and off.”

Do I Want Ceramic oregon Titanium Plates?

Most level irons travel with plates made of either ceramic oregon titanium, with small mentation connected oregon wrong the packaging of the differences betwixt the two. Luckily, we're present to help.

Ceramic plates vigor up mildly and evenly with less blistery spots, usually maxing retired astatine a little somesthesia than titanium. This makes them little damaging to hairsbreadth that’s thin, fine, breakable, oregon color-treated. However, they instrumentality longer to vigor up than titanium, and due to the fact that they don’t get arsenic hot, they usually request much passes to get hairsbreadth perfectly flat. This isn’t a occupation for hairsbreadth that’s comparatively casual to straighten, but those with particularly stubborn curls oregon texture whitethorn find that utilizing ceramic plates makes the full process instrumentality excessively long, thereby exposing their hairsbreadth to much heat. Some ceramic plates are besides coated oregon infused with tourmaline, a mineral that emits antagonistic ions to supposedly cancel retired the affirmative ions that origin frizz; copper, which is known for adjacent heating; oregon aluminum for higher resistance.

Titanium plates vigor up overmuch much rapidly than ceramic (though typically not arsenic evenly), and they usually tin scope a higher temperature—typically 450 degrees Fahrenheit. An robust with titanium plates needs less passes to get that perfectly consecutive look, but the higher vigor tin inflict much damage. Titanium plates are champion utilized by those with thick, coarse, oregon stubborn hair, and portion flat-iron users should ever usage a vigor protectant earlier straightening, those utilizing titanium plates should definitely usage one. See beneath for immoderate unit favorites.

How Often Can I Straighten My Hair?

It's important to retrieve that level irons tin origin vigor damage–especially if you're utilizing your straightener often. Straightening it not only dries out your hairsbreadth cuticle (the outermost furniture of your hair) but besides alters the operation of your hairsbreadth proteins. This benignant of harm tin materialize successful the signifier of breakage, divided ends, unsmooth texture, frizz, oregon ace adust strands. So, it's champion to effort and bounds however often you scope for your level iron.

As Byrdie points out, the wide regularisation (regardless of hairsbreadth type) is to bounds it to 2 oregon 3 times per week. But for circumstantial hairsbreadth types, the frequence varies. For curly hair, you should lone straighten it a maximum of 2 times per week. With coily, wavy, and consecutive hair, it's champion to usage a straightener arsenic small arsenic possible. As Byrdie notes, you tin use a higher vigor mounting (between 400 and 420 degrees Fahrenheit) to coily hairsbreadth portion a little somesthesia mounting should beryllium applied to consecutive hairsbreadth (between 350 and 380 degrees Fahrenheit). The somesthesia scope is simply a spot wider for wavy hair. You should support the straightener betwixt 250 degrees and 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

How Do We Test Hair Straighteners?

Photograph: Kat Merck

For each hairsbreadth straightener, I commencement with freshly washed hair, blow-dried with a vigor protectant (see our usher to the Best Heat Protectants for a database of favorites). I past straighten my hairsbreadth from roots to extremity successful sections, keeping mindful of however agelong an robust takes to vigor up, whether it feels heavy, what features are helpful, and however galore passes it takes to crook my frizzy locks shiny and smooth. I guarantee the somesthesia is accordant connected each parts of the sheet by utilizing an infrared thermomoeter. I past spell astir my regular activities, including walks successful my humid Pacific Northwest neighborhood, to spot whether my hairsbreadth stays consecutive oregon puffs up again immediately. I past usage the straightener for regular touch-ups until it's clip to lavation my hairsbreadth again.

WIRED chooses hairsbreadth straighteners via probe connected fashionable oregon trending brands oregon models. All hairsbreadth straighteners are either samples provided by the companies oregon purchased myself from retailers similar Amazon and past expensed. Picks are held for semipermanent testing, different models are donated locally upon investigating completion.

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