The Best Hair Straightener Reviews by Wirecutter

Table Of Content

• Oribe Straight Away Smoothing Blowout Cream
• What’s the ideal temperature setting for your hair texture and type?
• MOST POPULAR HAIR STRAIGHTENER ON AMAZON
• selectWe tried Shark’s two new hair tools for 10 days — here’s what to know
• Things to Consider When Shopping for a Hair Straightener
• Best for Touch-Ups: Mane The Three Way Multi-Use Flat Iron

When she is not writing about the latest expert reviewed products, you can find her rifling through vintage shops or car boots, reading a print magazine, or capturing portraits on her film camera. Straighteners are a big investment, so you need to make sure you’ve got all your hair needs covered in one tool before you make the commitment to buy. If you’re not sure what all those buzzwords mean on the side of the box, we’ve simplified them below, so you can figure out what to prioritise. This purse-friendly option is currently less than £26, so bargain hunters, look no further. It claims to heat up in just one minute but our lab test found it took slightly longer to reach its maximum temperature. Ghd's original offering was a hit among our testers for how straightforward it was to use, getting the job done quickly and effectively.

Oribe Straight Away Smoothing Blowout Cream

After extensively testing factors such as maneuverability, performance and temperature range—and re-evaluating over the course of a year—I landed on the top models on the market. I chose the T3 SinglePass StyleMax as the best overall for its excellent straightening and smoothing power. The NuMe Megastar is one of the most effective hair straighteners around. It’ll allow you to personalise your heat setting, with options from 190°F to 450°F (88-232°C), in increments of 20 degrees. It heats up quickly and it’s got some great features, as well, including a large, LED temperature display and floating, tourmaline ceramic plates with genuine give.

What’s the ideal temperature setting for your hair texture and type?

If you do it occasionally or even frequently, but on low heat, your hair won’t be damaged by the process. However, for fine, weak hair, it’s important to use a good conditioner and not apply the heat for too long. They’re not as strong as titanium, so if your hair is really curly, you’re not going to love the result.

MOST POPULAR HAIR STRAIGHTENER ON AMAZON

Our panel praised how soft and silky it left their lengths after drying, often without even having to use the ‘shine shot’ straightening function. Compact and especially good for thin or short hair, Cloud Nine’s mini pair of straighteners make it easy to get down to the root – and always leave hair healthy and shiny in their wake. According to hairstylists, there are a few things to consider when shopping for a hair straightener. This applies even to the most gentle models with low heat and plenty of protection. If you intend to straighten your hair daily, make sure you invest in a really good, delicate straightener, such as the MiroPure Enhanced Hair Straightener Brush.

Imagine being able to straighten your hair on the bus, in a nightclub bathroom, or even while camping; all of this can be achieved with Babyliss’s cordless tool. Definitely the most popular option of all, flat irons feature two heated metal plates that straighten your hair. The plates can be made from different materials, although regardless of the material, they often have a bit of ceramic technology that evens out the heat distribution. Pressing your hair with these heated plates relaxes the hydrogen bonds in the strands, smoothing them out. This spray truly does leave our hair impressively smooth and sleek, rightfully earning its place on this list for its many benefits. Credit a proprietary anti-humidity technology that essentially acts like a raincoat (hence the name), forming a shield to block out frizz-inducing moisture.

No matter your hair type, you’ll be capable of achieving a really smooth look with this product. HSI sports 1″ plates, which means it’s good for really short hair and even bangs, but it will work with long cuts, too. Longer hair will take you a while to style, as 1″ is rather thin for a flat iron.

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Although it does not have a digital display, it has smart technology that helps the straightener maintain a preset temperature as you style, according to Ghd. Harvey recommends this tourmaline-infused ceramic iron from Chi because it gives hair a smooth finish. It takes 30 seconds to heat up to the maximum temperature of 425 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the brand. “Its sleek design also makes it easy to straighten, curl or wave [hair] effortlessly,” says Harvey. Our lab test showed that it minimised flyaways and kept locks intact, even in humid conditions, making it a top pick for those with curly, bleached or damaged hair. Our panel of 285 testers — with every type of hair, including straight, wavy, curly, coily and kinky textures — tried a variety of hair straighteners to find the best you can buy.

Best for Touch-Ups: Mane The Three Way Multi-Use Flat Iron

Revlon’s super long, 1-inch-wide tool gave lasting straightness to even the longest, thickest hair. The best way to keep your hair healthy while straightening is with ample prep work. "With over 13 years of experience in the industry and witnessing numerous clients with damaged hair due to improper flat iron use, I strongly advise a specific approach," says Rehkopf. To find the best hair straighteners, we tested 22 models in our lab and in real-world conditions.

At first glance, you may think that every flat iron looks exactly the same. But just as you wouldn’t judge a book by its cover, don’t be swayed by pretty pictures and look at the facts. There are some factors you need to consider when you shop for a new flat iron, and we’re going to talk about all of them. The highest temperature you can achieve with this iron is 450 degrees Fahrenheit. There aren’t many situations in which you’ll need to go all the way up on the temp, but if you ever do, it’s good to have the option.

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Expensive hair tools aren’t necessarily “better;” they often just have more accessories and controls—basically, the difference between a five- and three-star hotel. If you want a tool with unique features (like cordless, “smart” technology, copper and ion-infused plates, etc.), you can expect to pay a bit more. Neither ceramic nor titanium is necessarily better or worse—it's just that one plate is likely better for your specific hair type. This titanium iron heats up fast, bringing its plates back to the ideal temperature quickly after each pass, so you won’t need to go over each section multiple times and destroy your hair. To get your hair extra sleek and straight, brush through each section with a fine-tooth comb while following right behind it with the straightener.

In the GHI lab, our experts used a Bossa Nova Shuffle machine to assess how long their style lasted and how much frizz was created in a humid environment. Keep in mind that this iron is fairly thin, measuring at just an inch in width. Perfect for shorter cuts and bangs, decent for long hair if you’ve got enough patience. The design allows you to get quite close to the scalp without hurting yourself, so you don’t really have to worry about having an uneven hair texture. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love.

Like the other flat irons with titanium plates, you may want to stay away if your hair is damaged. Try out a tourmaline hair iron instead, such as the INFINITIPRO Tourmaline Flat Iron. Instead of just a hair straightener, you receive a decently-sized styling set. You’ll get a velvet bag to store the flat iron in, a glove to keep you safe from heat, and even a travel-sized argan oil hair treatment, which is great for the health of your hair. And speaking of travel, this straightener is dual voltage, so you can still use it when you travel abroad.

There were a few brands that I considered testing, but ultimately they weren’t a good fit. The Cloud Nine Original Flat Iron was not widely available enough, and the L’Oreal Professional Steampod—beloved by some—had mixed reviews compared to other similar high-end straighteners. The straightener is forgiving on the wrist and is more lightweight compared to most of the other models I tested. It has a well-functioning swivel cord, and it comes with a nice silicone sleeve to keep the iron closed before use, for easy transport and to protect fingers during cool down. You indicate your hair thickness and the types of treatments you’ve had (for example, if your hair is coloured, highlighted or relaxed) and it’ll suggest a straightening temperature.

These Remington straighteners use ceramic plates infused with conditioning properties, such as Moroccan argan oil and vitamin E, to keep your hair looking and feeling its very best. Finally, nearly all high-temperature flat irons—those reaching 450 °F—advertise this fact as if it’s a good thing. All three of our experts (stylist, cosmetic chemist, and research consultant) agree that going above 400 °F will damage hair, it’s just a matter of degree depending on your hair thickness and texture. Still, as we noted above, using a slightly hotter temperature in favor of being able to work quickly may help minimize damage, versus applying lower amounts of heat for more time.