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Seeking out the best hair straighteners can seem like an uphill struggle…but it doesn’t need to be.
The first thing to do is amend your thought process so that, rather than imagining there’s a definitive best hair straightener, think instead of finding the best flat iron for your hair type and style. Consider:
- Is your hair long or short?
- Is it curly and wildly frizzy?
- Do you have coarse hair, thin, or fine hair?
- Is your hair dark or light?
- Have you inflicted any damage on your hair over the years?
As we explore all the top hair straighteners to help you find the most appropriate irons, we’ll help you figure out why the answers to these questions are important in your search…and much, much more. This will ensure you get the best new hair straightener perfectly tailored to your needs.
We’ve given you the basics —so now you should be aware of 2 factors:
- Not all hair straighteners are created equal.
- You should personalize your decision according to your hair type.
We’ll now launch into our hair straightener reviews, so you can familiarize yourself with everything from the most expensive straighteners through to a selection of more affordable but high quality straighteners.
One last brief diversion before our best flat iron reviews, though…
We’ll kick off with a capsule summary of why the GHD V Gold Max is our editor’s pick for the best hair straightener of the year.
Choosing a single set of hair irons as the best hair straightener is tough, since everyone has slightly different needs.
We thought long and hard about our product recommendations and the straighteners we tested across all categories and the GHD V Max Flat Iron Styler manages to tick most boxes.
As with all ghd irons, you’ll need to pay for the privilege, but you’ll get salon-grade straighteners built to go the distance. Packed with features and boasting that all-important auto shut-off, you can use these irons to style your hair in a hurry without compromising the end result.
1. GHD V Gold Max Flat Iron Styler
If you appreciate the finer things in life and you’ve got a more fluid budget, you are most probably looking for a high quality hair straightener.
Well, ghd is a brand with a hard-won reputation for tech-driven excellence. The Gold Max are among the most expensive straighteners in a crowded market but they represent outstanding overall value.
If you’ve got long, coarse hair, you’ll get your hair straightened rapidly thanks to the extra-wide plates. If you’re looking to impart some curls, on the other hand, the curved plate edges make this super-simple.
- Salon-Professional finish
- Universal voltage, great for travel
- Professional length 2.7m cable
- Cooler, lighter body
- Sleep mode: auto shut off after 30 minutes
- Smoother plates
- 2-Year warranty
- Wide plates make straightening thick or curly hair easy
- Contoured plate edges help to create perfect curls or waves
- Protective plate guard lets you pack styler straight after use
- Attractive gold colour and sleek design
Salon Professional
Not everyone is looking for the cheapest irons. While we’re aware budget is always a factor in any buying decision, it should never be the determining factor.
These Gold Max flat irons give you salon-quality straighteners so you can get that pampered feeling without constantly heading to the hairdresser.
If you consider the money you’ll save on professional treatment, these straighteners suddenly seem like a bargain rather than a costly luxury.
Wide Plates
Remember, the wider those plates, the more hair you’ll be able to deal with in one go—and this model has them. With everyone so busy today, shaving off a few precious minutes in the morning can mean the difference between a relaxed breakfast and hustling out the door with an empty stomach and a travel mug of coffee.
Speeding things up further, there’s a nifty plate guard so you can stash your straighteners away immediately after use rather than waiting for them to cool off. Combined with the speed at which they heat up and those wide plates, there’s no reason to take too long making yourself look beautiful in the morning.
Ceramic Plates
As mentioned before, ceramic plates are gentler on your hair. This material forms a natural barrier between your hair and the super-high temperatures essential for effective hair straightening.
Beyond this, the Gold Max’s ceramic plates can also help to bring out the natural shine in your hair, so it looks more lustrous rather than stripped out and brittle.
Even if your hair is long, curly, and unruly, you’ll be able to better tame it with the Gold Max.
Curved Edges
The Gold Max also feature curved edges which really increase this appliance’s value if you want to use these irons to impart some waves or curls into your hair.
With their lustrous gold finish, the contoured plates will glade effortlessly through your hair.
Whether you want your locks poker-straight or curled, you can get the result you want with very little time and effort if you invest in these top-tier straighteners from ghd.
Ideal for Long, Thick & Curly Hair
When you’ve got particularly long or curly hair, finding the best straighteners can be challenging. Impeccable design married to first-class build quality from ghd gives you the confidence to coax your hair into just about any style you fancy with very little fanfare.
Who Should Buy This Hair Straightener?
If you thought that extreme heat and silky, straight hair were incompatible, you obviously haven’t experienced the ghd Platinum+, a strong contender for the best flat iron in 2019.
From that intelligent adaptive technology to make your life easier through to salon-quality build and snag-free hair styling with minimal damage, this ghd flat iron hair straightener might be the best investment you make this year and is worthy of our best hair straightener title.
Pros
- Auto-Off Function
- Wide Ceramic Plates
- 30 Second Heat up Time
- Lighter Body
- Attractive Gold Colour
- Salon Professional
- 2-Year Warranty
- Dual Voltage
- Rounded/Curved Edges For Curling
Cons
- No Styling Temperature Settings Control
- Expensive
- Learning Curve Using Wider Plates
2. Babyliss Pro Graphite Titanium Straightener
This ion straightener from Babyliss is a must-have if you’ve got thick hair begging to be tamed—but you want to ensure you don’t damage it in the process.
An ionic straightener with titanium and graphite plates, you’ll end up with far less static in your hair, and it will end up silky smooth and shiny to boot.
Read on to see why the Babyliss Pro Graphite Titanium Straightener is arguably the best ionic flat iron in its class…
- Dual function- straightens and curls
- Adjustable 140°C-232°C temperature settings enables styling of all types of hair
- Digital Display with 10 Settings For All hair types
- 37mm Graphite and Titanium
- Ionic generator for ultra-smooth, shiny and silky hair
- Hi-Density Dual Ceramic Heating System- 20% faster heat up Time
- Warp resistant stainless steel housing for perfect plate alignment
- Dual voltage
- 2-year warranty
Ion Technology
The technology in this ionic hair straightener helps in more ways than one.
Ion hair technology acts to condition your hair while also removing static. By smoothing the cuticle, you can expect blissfully frizz-free hair with a wonderful shine to it.
Heats up High and Fast
Variable heat settings from 150 degrees through to 230 degrees ensures you’ll have all the oomph you need to get your hair as straight as you want it.
This ionic flat iron gets up to styling temperature very swiftly too, so it makes an ideal styler if you’ve got a busy lifestyle and little time to waste waiting on your iron’s heat up time.
This speeding up of styling is further amplified by the plate design…
Titanium and Graphite Plates
Titanium is more than just marketing jargon, it’s a popular material for hair straightening irons because it heats up quickly and evenly. The graphite material means your hair will glide effortlessly over the surface, which in turn means less wasted time.
And, as you now know, due to the wider plates, you’ll be able to style more hair in one pass, saving you time while saving your hair from needless extra wear and tear.
Rugged Build
Combined with this hard-hitting performance, you’ll also get an ionic straightener that’s built to go the distance.
Its housing ensures you’ll get no warping. These titanium and graphite plates will also give you years of happy service so you’ll get a great return on your investment.
Who Should Buy This Hair Straightener?
Since these irons get particularly hot, they work best if you’ve got thicker hair. However, the 10 heat settings ensure that it’s perfect for all hair types. We suggest you pick the right level of heat for your hair and prevent unnecessary damage.
With dual voltage, the Babyliss is a perfect hair care solution for anywhere in the world.
If you’ve got thicker, more unruly hair, this is the best ion flat iron you can find. Its professional styling capabilities will assure that you achieve perfectly straight hair with little effort.
Pros
- Titanium and graphite plates
- Ion Boost Technology
- Temperature Settings Control
- Ceramic Heating System
- Reduces Damage, Hair Is Healthier
- Dual Voltage, Perfect for travel
- 2-Year Warranty
Cons
- No Auto-Off Function
3. GHD Platinum+ Hair Straightener
If you want sleek and straight hair but you don’t have too much spare time, you should consider investing in the ghd Platinum+ straightening iron.
These adaptive straighteners will keep damage inflicted on your hair to an absolute minimum by optimizing the power delivery; you’ll get the temperature you need for straight, sleek hair without overheating or harsh treatment.
As you’d expect from ghd, you’ll get salon-grade straighteners with ceramic plates and the usual robust build quality and warranty…so why not treat yourself?
- Salon-professional finish
- Ceramic plates
- SMART styler predicts hair needs, adapts temperature to ensure optimum styling
- Ultra-zone predictive technology
- Get stronger, healthier hair (reduced breakage and 2x less colour fade)
- 3-year warranty
- Auto shut off, fast heat up time feature
- Universal voltage
SMART Styler
The smart tech in place on these pioneering ghd straighteners comes very close to completely automating your hair treatment.
Rather than leaving things to chance, this predictive straightener comes with a matrix of sensors tucked below the plates. These sensors monitor temperature settings 250 times each second…but what does this high-technology jargon mean for you and your hair?
Well, by taking the thickness or thinness of your hair into account, the unit will determine how much power needs to be delivered. You’ll be able to make sure your hair is precisely straightened, all while the irons consistently maintain that 365-degree temperature crucial for best results.
This is accomplished thanks to the ultra-zone predictive technology in place. And what is that, you ask? Well, read on…
Ultra-zone Predictive Technology
By intelligently adapting the power delivery to both your styling technique and your type of hair, the temperature stays perfectly consistent.
Not only does this promote single-stroke styling, you’ll also end up with a couple of additional benefits…namely, you can expect up to 70% less breakage and 20% more shine according to ghd. How is this possible, you ask? Continue on for the answer…
Stronger, Healthier Hair
If you’ve got extremely thick hair or you’re working on a larger section with this straightening iron, that predictive technology makes sure enough heat and power comes through, so that you won’t stress your hair.
If, on the other hand, you’re working with thinner sections of hair or your hair is particularly fine, the temperature is dialled back automatically. This allows you to straighten your hair evenly with less damage.
Salon-Professional with Ceramic Plates
These top-rated flat irons heat up in just 20 seconds, and the ceramic plates give you the performance and protection you’d expect from the very best straighteners.
Build quality is exceptional, and the sleek, matte white finish wouldn’t look out of place in a salon.
The 1-inch, precision-engineered ceramic plates are super-smooth and finished with a gloss effect. You’ll get none of those damaging sharp nooks and crannies where stray hair can so easily get trapped.
As is typical with the best hair straighteners, these are not just built for performance, but to give you many years of faithful service.
Who Should Buy This Hair Straightener?
If you thought that extreme heat and silky, straight hair were incompatible, you obviously haven’t experienced the ghd Platinum+, a strong contender for the best flat iron in 2019.
From that intelligent adaptive technology to make your life easier through to salon-quality build and snag-free styling with minimal damage, this ghd flat iron hair straightener might be the best investment you make this year.
Pros
- Ceramic Plates
- Salon Professional
- Auto-Off Function
- Dual Voltage
- 3-Year Warranty
- Smart Temperature Settings Control
- Great For Damaged Hair
- Protects Hair From Damage
- 20 second heat Up Time
Cons
- No Rounded/Curved Edges For Curling
- Expensive
4. Silver Bullet Keratin Gold Straightener
Good hair straighteners are hard to come by in a market glutted with sub-par irons. The Silver Bullet Keratin 230 is a tech-driven hair iron suitable for a wide range of hair, proving you don’t need to break the bank for salon-quality treatment at home.
Whether you’re looking to tame chaotic and frizzy hair or work with keratin straightening systems, these flat irons make a solid choice.
- Salon-professional finish
- Titanium gold plates
- Adjustable heat up to 230°C
- Straightener controls on inside of handle, can’t be accidentally changed
- Distributes heat quickly and evenly for successful keratin straightening treatments
- Floating plate design: glides through hair like
- Includes heat resistant mat, paddle brush, styling comb, and sectioning clips
- Advanced surround heat for longer-lasting curls, flicks, and waves
- Universal voltage
- 2-Year warranty
Gold Titanium Plates
Finished in an eye-catching gold, the plates are wide enough to streamline straightening, and work especially well for the ends of your hair.
Titanium offers the ultimate in precision, promoting exceptional heat acceleration even at higher temperatures.
Advanced surround heat ensures you’ll impart curls, waves, and flicks in a flash so you can get ready for your day without needing to set aside hours to get your hair just right.
Works Well with Permanent and Keratin Straightening
From the wildest and most unmanageable hair right through to permanent and keratin straightening, the Silver Bullet is a remarkably versatile hair straighter, giving you maximum freedom in one lightweight straight iron.
Ergonomic and Lots of Extras
Alongside considering the type of plate and the consistency of heat delivered, the best hair straightener should also be a joy to use. The Silver Bullet does not disappoint.
Those titanium plates mean you’ll get a lightweight and compact hair straightening tool.
With the controls tucked away inside the handle, you won’t trigger any accidental changes to the settings when you’re halfway through the styling process.
You’ll also get plenty of extras with this model. Along with a styling comb, paddle brush, and heat resistant mat, you’ll also get 4 crocodile clips, so you’ll have everything you need right away.
Dual Voltage for Use Worldwide
If you’re constantly travelling and hate the thought of leaving your straightners behind, you’ll appreciate the dual-voltage functionality and fast heat up time of this unit.
Wherever you are in the world, there’s no need to worry about compatibility with your straightening iron. International hair care sorted!
Who Should Buy This Hair Straightener?
As we’ve said—everyone has different styling requirements, meaning it’s not a question of the best hair straightener, but simply what works best for you.
If you want lightweight irons that heat up super-fast and deliver a consistent temperature throughout your treatment, the Silver Bullet is a wise bet.
As well as delivering top-notch performance in an attractive set of hair irons, the Silver Bullet is also priced reasonably, putting it in well within reach of most budgets.
Pros
- Titanium Plates
- Attractive Gold Colour
- Can Be Used With Keratin Treatments
- Dual Voltage
- 2-Year Warranty
- Temperature Control up to 230C
- Protects Hair From Damage
Cons
- No Auto-Off Function
- No Rounded/Curved Edges For Curling
5. GHD Original IV Professional Straightening Styler
If you want a good hair day every day, the ghd Original IV is a great option for everyday styles for pretty much any type of hair.
The round barrel and ceramic plates allow your creative juices to flow—whether you want curls, waves, or pin-straight hair.
If you’re looking for new flat irons, read on to see where the Original IV line excels…
- Ceramic plates heat up quickly
- Sleep mode switches off after 30 minutes
- Round barrel
- Salon professional quality
- 2.8m swivel cord
- 2-Year warranty
Floating Plates
If you normally struggle to control your straightner when you’re trying to style your hair, you’ll appreciate the floating ceramic plates.
This technology allows the irons to smoothly slip through your hair even with its single heat setting. Since the temperature is perfectly and evenly distributed with just the lightest of presses, you can style your hair to perfection with little risk of damaging it.
The combination of ceramics and these floating plates gives you maximum freedom, whether you want your hair curled or straight.
Automatic Sleep Mode
GHD combines safety and energy-efficiency in one neat bundle with these hair irons. After 30 minutes, the straighteners automatically power down. So if you are one of those people that often find themselves with that sinking feeling in the pit of their stomach wondering if they turned off their straighteners, this is a small but valuable benefit.
Ideal Temperature
Just like all ghd hair straightener irons, the Original IV operates at the ideal temperature to give you styling that will last throughout the day without being heavy-handed.
While some irons run hotter, this perfect heat setting gives you enough strength and evenly-distributed heat for instant styling right from root to tip. ghd dials the temp for you so you don’t need to worry about heat damage.
Round Barrel
If this is your first hair straightener iron, you might be wondering what the significance of a round barrel is…
The beauty of this design is the way the original professional styler serves double-duty. You’ll get a highly effective straightener and a curling iron rolled into one. Hair stylers of all walks of life rejoice!
Whether you want loose and wavy curls for a big night out or straight hair for a day at the office, get the opportunity for both in a single affordable styler…from a brand you can trust.
Who Should Buy This Hair Straightener?
The ghd Original Professional Styler IV are among the best flat irons for pretty much any hair type and application.
Many of the top hair straighteners are outstanding in one key area but the Original IV works as an effective all-round hair styling tool.
Regardless of your hair type and whether you want your hair straightened or curled, the ghd Original IV is that rarity among irons: a styler that is a good fit for anyone, and quite possibly the best hair straightener for you.
Pros
- Auto-Off Function
- Ceramic Plates
- Rounded/Curved Edges For Curling
- Dual Voltage
- 2-Year Warranty
- Fast Heat Up Time
Cons
- No Temperature Control
6. Silver Bullet Titanium Infrared Heat Hair Straightener
Silver Bullet, a highly reputable brand, delivers some outstanding, titanium-plated, infrared flat irons…and we’ll outline what this means and why you should care. The Silver Bullet Titanium Infrared Hair Straightener features:
- infrared heat smooths hair from the inside out
- 38 mm-wide titanium-infused plates for faster, smoother straightening
- Heats from 130°C to 230°C to style all hair types
- Advanced Surround Heat for faster curls, flicks and waves
- Professional length cord with 360° swivel
- Dual voltage for worldwide Hair Care
Wide Titanium Plates
While most regular infrared straighteners come with 25mm plates, these 38mm giants allow you to style a great deal more hair with a single pass.
If you stave off buying straighteners because you don’t think you’ll have time enough in your busy routine, these irons should make you rethink that.
As well as that precious extra width, the titanium gives you all the heat you want in a hurry and then the temperature stays remarkably consistent.
The extra advantage with titanium is that winning combination of durability in a lightweight set of irons.
Surround Heat
Along with the titanium build, surround heat technology also helps to speed up the straightening process without any noticeable dip in quality.
Temperature is adjustable up to a high of 230 degrees with a fast heat up time, giving you a great deal of scope to get creative with both straightening and curling.
While that high top temperature is great when you need it, it’s a valuable bonus to be able to fine-tune it backward if you’re looking for a more natural look that’s not quite so bullet-straight.
User-Friendly with Generous Accessories
As well as the straightening irons, you’ll get 4 crocodile clips, a styling comb, paddle brush, and a heat-resistant mat.
Using the Silver Bullet is a real treat, and you won’t feel fatigued even if you’re styling away for some time…which you most likely won’t be.
Ergonomic Design and Controls
The controls are tucked away on the inner side of the handle so you won’t accidentally tweak that temperature setting and end up scorching your hair.
Who Should Buy This Hair Straightener?
This infrared hair straightener works well if your hair is prone to damage; the titanium plate and infrared functionality come together to give you protection from needing to work the irons too hard and damaging your hair in the process.
Perfect for use with keratin and permanent straightening systems, you’ll bring the overall time down while enhancing your treatment options.
For anyone looking to straighten their hair in a hurry but not prepared to compromise quality in the quest for speed, this infrared flat iron makes a rock-solid option as the best hair straightener for you.
Pros
- Infrared Keeps Hair Healthy, Smooths Hair
- Reduces Heat Damage
- Wide 38mm Plates
- Dual Voltage
- Temperature Control - Adjustable Heat Up To 230°C For All Hair Types
- 2-Year Warranty
Cons
- No Auto-Off Function
7. Flair Titanium LUX Straightener
This flat hair iron from Flair is another very good hair straightener offering salon-grade styling from the comfort of your home.
As with all titanium-plated models, you’ll enjoy the ability to style all types of hair and a super-swift start up, with maximum temperature reached in less than half a minute. The Flair Titanium LUX Straightener features:
- Titanium floating plates suitable for all hair types, especially thick hair
- Heats to maximum temperature in 25 seconds
- Curved plate edges assist when curling and waving hair
- 3 digitally-controlled heat settings
- Extra-long 3-meter swivel cord for easy styling
- Auto switch-off after 60 minutes
- Universal voltage
- Digital display with digital sensor technology to control and regulate heat
- Salon professional standards
Curved Titanium Floating Plates
The floating design of the plates makes the Flair irons ideal whatever type of hair you have, even when you’re straightening it daily. If you have particularly thick or stiff locks and you normally struggle styling them, these plates will make your life easier and your hair will look much better.
The curved edges allow you to curl and wave your hair a lot more easily while you’ll also avoid those tell-tale demarcations that can spoil your styling efforts.
LCD Display and Digital Controls
The heat is regulated automatically thanks to the onboard sensors.
You’ll be able to see the heat settings at a glance, as well as when the straighteners are ready for use, thanks to the crisp LCD display.
Variable Heat Settings and Cool Tip
You benefit from 3 pre-set heat settings with these straightening irons. Smart sensors kick in so you can optimize the temperature according to styling, hair texture, and condition.
100 degrees works well if you’ve got fine, sensitive, or damaged hair. Ratchet the heat up to 210 degrees if you’ve got normal to medium hair. The highest 230 degree setting comes is ideal for coarse and thick hair, which tends to be resistant to treatment.
This added flexibility makes the Flair an all-rounder and one of the top flat irons in terms of versatility.
The cool tip is a heat-resistant area on the end of the irons so your fingers can press down without any risk of getting scorched. This is a thoughtful and valuable touch.
Rounded Casing for Curls
If you need to more than just straighten your hair, you can’t go wrong with this model. The irons have a rounded casing that ensures hair can neatly wrap around when you’re curling or waving it. Not only does this streamline the process, the end result is much more precise and refined.
Who Should Buy This Hair Straightener?
Versatility is the key selling point with this top-notch hair straightener.
Regardless of the type and condition of your hair and whether you want it immaculately straightened out or loosely waved, you’ll get a range of temperature settings to suit, along with those curved titanium blades to make your life easier.
Priced in the mid-range, if you’re looking for affordable quality, the Flair Titanium Lux makes perfect sense.
Pros
- Affordable (Below $200)
- Rounded/Curved Edges For Curling
- Wide 38mm Plates
- Dual Voltage
- Temperature Controls - Adjustable Heat Up To 230°C For All Hair Types
- 2-Year Warranty
Cons
- Only 1-Year Warranty
Straightening Brush Fuss
Imagine you could straighten your coarse hair with a simple combing action. If you could find a straightening brush that performed as well as the best hair straightener. Your search may be over..
The Best Hair Straightening Brush Awaits8. Hot Tools Titanium Flat Iron
Quality straighteners at a pocket-friendly price-point, Hot Tools proves you don’t need to spend a fortune for salon-quality styling at home.
With a solid build and packed with heat settings, you’ll get flexible and highly capable hair straighteners with the added ability to wave or curl. The Hot Tools Titanium Flat Iron features:
- Titanium floating plates suitable for all hair types, especially thick hair
- Heats to maximum temperature in 25 seconds
- Curved plate edges assist when curling and waving hair
- 3 digitally-controlled heat settings
- Extra-long 3-meter swivel cord for easy styling
- Auto switch-off after 60 minutes
- Universal voltage
- Digital display with digital sensor technology to control and regulate heat
- Salon professional standards
Multiple Heat Settings
Hot Tools serve up no less than 14 digital heat settings with these irons. This affords you a wide degree of scope whether your hair is fine and wispy or thick and frizzy.
Temperatures range from 100 degrees up through to 220 degrees Celsius.
Gets Hot, Stays Hot Technology
Thanks to the Gets Hot, Stays Hot technology in place on these straighteners, you’ll be able to get straight down to the business of styling in the morning or when you’re heading out for the evening.
Let’s face it, it takes long enough to get your hair done to perfection anyway without standing on ceremony waiting for your styler to warm up.
Once up and running, you’ll enjoy consistent heat delivery for refined results.
Lengthy Swivel Cord
If you’re a keen multitasker and often move around the kitchen or bedroom when you’re straightening your hair, you’ll appreciate the long and swivelling cord. This gives you plenty of freedom of movement rather than keeping you pinned to the spot as you make yourself look great; this cord is fully 8 feet long so you’ll get the next best thing to a cordless appliance, something that of course is not an available option with straightening irons.
Floating Flexi Plates
The best flat iron stands and falls on the performance of the plates.
Hot Tools don’t let you down here. Flexi plates have neatly rounded edges, giving you the ability to curl your hair if you’re in the mood for something different; there’s no gap between the plates, either, so you’ll experience no snagging.
Who Should Buy This Hair Straightener?
This hair straighteners best considered If you’ve been hunting for powerful straightening irons that don’t require you to take out a bank loan, the price/performance ratio from Hot Tools is unbeatable.
Multiple settings give you a nice range when you’re styling and the worldwide voltage makes international hair care easy. This hair straightener tailor-made for anyone who spends a lot of time jetting around the world.
Another multipurpose set of irons, you’ll get one-pass styling, whatever your hair type, with a one-size-fits-all straightening solution.
Pros
- Affordable (Below $200)
- Titanium Floating Plates (25mm)
- Auto-Off Function
- Dual Voltage
- Temperature Control - Adjustable Heat Up To 220°C For All Hair Types
Cons
- Only 1-Year Warranty
- No Rounded/Curved Edges For Curling
Once you’ve personalized the quest, you should also take your budget parameters into account…but remember one thing: Top-rated flat irons are not cheap. Keep this in mind: Buy cheap, buy twice. This is not to say you need to spend a fortune, but you should buy the best iron you can afford rather than thinking the cheapest will do the same job for less money. If you’re looking for salon-grade straighteners, you’ll need to dig a little deeper…but in return you’ll get the very best hair straightener—one that should also give you years of faithful service.
Now that we’ve gotten that caveat out of the way, let’s dive right into the various types of irons on the market, so you’ll be better informed about their features and functionality before making your purchase…
When you’re hunting down the best hair straighteners, the whole process can seem overwhelming.
Today, we’re here to make that job much easier for you.
As with any buying decision, time spent researching and planning is never wasted. On the contrary, if you start by focusing on what you actually need from your straightening iron, you’ll minimize the chance of an expensive mistake.
With so many features on these seemingly simple styling tools, how do you decide on the best hair iron for your hair type?
We’ll start that process by stripping down the core features on the leading models…
The first serious choice you’ll be faced with is choosing from a ceramic vs titanium flat iron. These two are by far the most popular materials. Tourmaline plates are also a fairly common sight these days. Tourmaline plates generate exponentially more negative ions than ceramic plates.
Plate materials make more difference than you might imagine, so we’ll take a quick glimpse at titanium vs ceramic so you can see which makes the best fit. Rather than looking at titanium flat irons vs ceramic one by one, instead we’ll examine the main areas where the material of the plates comes to the fore.
- Overall Effectiveness: Titanium heats up very quickly but the plates on some brands end up with hot and cold spots. Ceramic plates tend to heat less swiftly but more evenly, and allowing for fewer passes and thus reducing damage to your hair.
- Heat Transfer: With the gentle infrared energy used in ceramic plates, it can take some time for the heat to transfer to your hair. That said, ceramic flat irons can work well for beginners, since you don’t need to worry about excessive heat. But overall on this count, titanium is more effective, since it heats up faster.
- Evenness of Heating: The aforementioned potential cold spots on titanium plates lead to uneven heat distribution. A ceramic flat iron has superior even heat distribution.
- Durability: While a ceramic hair straightener has many advantages, this material tends to be more brittle. Titanium might be super-light, but it’s also extremely rugged. From a durability standpoint in the battle of the titanium vs ceramic straightener, aircraft-grade titanium definitely has the edge here.
- Ease of Use: Since titanium is so lightweight, these irons are easier to handle—and because of their durability, you won’t need to worry about dropping and cracking them, either.
- Price: The best ceramic flat irons—ones with pure ceramic plates—are expensive. Titanium can also be pricey if you’re looking at the higher end of the options range. But again—we suggest that price should not be your prevailing factor when comparing titanium vs ceramic flat irons or curling irons. Look at overall value vs performance and durability rather than obsessing over the bottom line.
- Hair Type: Ceramic irons are ideal if you’ve got thinner hair prone to split ends or naturally black hair. Due to the speed of heat transfer, titanium plates should be the go-to choice if your hair is thicker and less manageable.
There’s no right or wrong answer when you’re considering titanium flat irons vs ceramic—there’s simply the right answer for you.
Once you’ve determined which plate material would work best for you, you need to consider the width of the plates themselves.
Size matters—but it’s not necessarily a case of bigger being better.
A wide flat iron helps you create smooth styles in a flash since you can deal with much more hair in a single pass. Not only does this save time, you’ll also protect your hair from damage, since you won’t be repeatedly heating the same section.
Wide hair straighteners are not necessary if you’ve got a shorter hairstyle, however. Slim plates can give you a lot more control.
Sizing varies from 25mm to 38mm and above, so make sure you consider your hairstyle and type rather than simply assuming wide plate hair straightners are always best.
What’s the purpose of curved flat irons?
Well, if you’re looking to have the option to impart curls and waves as well as straightening your hair, slim and curved plates combined with a rounded body help you achieve this.
A curved flat iron gives you great control, and the ability to get a multi-tasking styling tool in one compact unit. if you really want curls, a curling iron might be required, but most people can get by without.
How important is it to be able to control hair straightener temperature?
Researchers have determined that 185 degrees Celsius (365 degrees Fahrenheit) is the optimum temperature for flat irons—but that assumes everyone has the same hair type and wants the same type of styling.
Many digital flat irons come with temperature control, because, as we know, everyone’s styling needs are different. While a 230 degree flat iron might be ideal if you’ve got a mane of thick hair, it’s not what you need with a short style and thinner strands. A digital flat iron with temperature controls is great for easily-damaged hair because you can dial the heat back and prevent further harm to your hair.
If you’ve got a hair straightener with temperature control, you’ll be able to style your long, thick hair, and your daughter can also borrow it for her thinner hair—no need to buy a second one; just tweak the temperature to suit.
A flat iron with auto shut-off is a must if you’re prone to forgetting to switch appliances off. Hair tools that save sleepy brain!
While leaving your stereo on all day might use a little extra electricity, hair straighteners left unattended and powered up are an obvious fire hazard. Additionally, a hair straightener with auto shut-off will prolong its lifespan.
Need a Hair Dryer ?
What if i told you there is such thing as the perfect hair dryer? Check out our in-depth reviews of the best hair dryers for all hair types. Product recommendations without the BS.
The Best Hair Dryer Awaits
When you’re investigating hair straighteners for the first time, new terminology is everywhere. Ionic…infrared…keratin…What do these terms even mean? If you’re new to the world of hair straighteners, all the terminology can be confusing. We’re here to help by stripping it down into plain English for you, so you’re better informed about ion hair treatment, the benefits of an infrared straightener, and why you should consider the best keratin straightening system.
- Infrared Hair Straightener: An infrared flat iron heats your hair from the inside out, keeping damage to an absolute minimum. Heat distribution is remarkably even, and you’ll have the ability to style more hair in less time.
- Ionic Straightener: An ion straightener generates negative ions which help to keep your hair smoother and frizz-free. While this technology is normally found on hair dryers, there are also plenty of ion flat irons on the market.
- Keratin Hair Straightener: The best keratin hair straightener is ideal if you’ve had a keratin treatment and want to keep reaping the benefits of this natural protein that helps your hair stay sleek and glossy. A Brazilian keratin flat iron, for example, will neatly trap in the moisture in the cuticle layer from the treatment, leaving your hair lustrous and shiny.
Why should you care about a dual voltage flat iron—and what is it, anyway?
Electricity works on either 110 volts or 240 volts, depending on where you are in the world. If you’re looking at a single voltage straightener, make certain it’s compatible with the voltage in your country. A dual voltage flat iron gives you far more flexibility. If you’re planning to travel frequently, dual voltage straightners are a must for hair care overseas.
What else is key if you’re a frequent traveller?
A mini-flat iron is tailor-made for jetsetters since you can pop it in your hand luggage or suitcase without feeling burdened.
There are plenty of travel hair straighteners and also plenty of mini-straighteners that work well for this purpose
Are you searching for professional flat irons?
If so, it’s worth chatting with your hairdresser to see which salon professional hair straightener they recommend for both performance and durability, because, just like with any other product, there is a bewildering array of hair straighteners out there, from a plethora of manufacturers.
Which hair care brands are actually any good, though?
You’re probably already aware of most of the best hair straightener brands if you’ve got even a passing interest in beauty products. The top brands for hair irons in 2020 include:
- GHD
- Flair
- Silver Bullet
- Babyliss
- Hot Tools
As we mentioned, the best professional flat iron doesn’t come cheap, and different hair straightener brands serve up a variety of features on their irons targeting different types of hair.
While warranties vary, all the main brands will offer you coverage for anywhere from 1 year to 5 years.
We have no allegiance to any specific straightener brand, so you can trust that we’ll frankly outline the advantages and drawbacks of all the best irons.
If you take the time to investigate our guide in depth, we’re confident you’ll be able to find the perfect hair iron from our carefully curated picks. If by some odd miracle you’ve made it to the end of this guide and are still unsure, maybe a hair straightening brush is more your cup of tea.