14 Best Hair Straighteners We Tested (2025)

More Straighteners We Tried

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

Revlon Easy Heat Precision Flat Iron for $29: Another entry-level level iron, this deep-pink exemplary pinch easy-read somesthesia settings feels heavier and much costly than it is. I besides loved that it heats up successful 30 seconds—one-third nan clip of astir irons successful its value category. However, I was amazed really ineffective nan 1-inch plates were connected my curls, moreover astatine nan iron's maximum temp of 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Plus, my (barely) straightened hairsbreadth poofed backmost up again wrong minutes.

T3 Singlepass Smooth X for $160 and T3 Style Max for $160: The Singlepass Smooth X pinch its extra-long plates and soul temperature-regulating spot was antecedently our apical prime for good hair. The Smooth X and its regular-plate-length sibling, nan Style Max, were perfectly serviceable irons, though they did require aggregate passes connected very curly hair. However, my semipermanent fine-haired tester ended up vastly preferring nan GHD Chronox Max complete these.

Drybar Straight Shot Blow-Drying Flat Iron for $179: WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar discovered there's a spot of a learning curve pinch this air-powered robust (7/10, WIRED Recommends), and that it won't switch her accepted straightening robust immoderate clip soon, but it did thief her style her wavy hairsbreadth quickly and astatine a fraction of nan costs of comparable aerial devices for illustration nan Dyson Airstrait (8/10, WIRED Recommends).

Amika nan Confidante Moisture Maintenance Titanium Flat Iron for $150: This is an effective titanium robust pinch a creation akin to our Best for Thick Hair pick, nan Sutra IR2, correct down to its infrared strip. It has a hefty, high-quality feel, and it made short activity of curls and frizz. However, nan Sutra heats faster and keeps hairsbreadth soft longer, and nan titanium runner-up, nan Kristen Ess 3-in-1 ($68), does a comparable occupation for little than half nan price.

NuMe Megastar X for $189: This matte-black robust pinch wide 1.75-inch plates looks overmuch for illustration nan Amika Confidante and Sutra pinch its infrared strip, isolated from it has tourmaline ceramic plates alternatively of titanium. It was awesome 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 pinch nan T3 SinglePass Smooth X above, since it’s a akin value and offers T3’s proprietary power precision technology. The T3’s size is besides easier to maneuver than nan NuMe, since nan plates are longer, not wider.

Dyson Corrale for $500: Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano loved nan Dyson Corrale (8/10, WIRED Recommends), prevention for nan price. Medea reported that it makes nan personification consciousness fancy, for illustration all Dyson tools thin to do, and its flexing plates quickly straighten hairsbreadth pinch little heat—they curve astir nan hair, avoiding nan splaying-out effect and uneven power distribution that plague different level irons. Still, she thought it had its flaws for a $500 hairsbreadth straightener. It tin beryllium utilized without a cord, but nan artillery life was excessively short to straighten Medea's full caput of curly hair. The onboard artillery besides makes it rather heavy.

Chi Vibes connected nan Edge Curved Edge Hairstyling Iron for $110: I’m a longtime Chi devotee, having owned and loved nan original ceramic level robust until it collapsed aft a decade. So I admit, I was excited to zhuzh up my bath antagonistic pinch this metallic-rainbow type from Chi’s Vibes line. The 1- aliases 1.5-inch ceramic plates (I tested nan latter) really curve astir nan sides of nan tool, allowing nan personification to get person to nan roots of their hair, arsenic good arsenic create crease-free waves if desired. While this characteristic did really do an awesome occupation of tamping down my flyaways (and I appreciated nan unusually agelong 11-foot cord), some I and a longer-term tester thought nan building felt cheap, particularly for nan price, and we some knowledgeable an alarming magnitude of activity pinch nan plates.

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

Tymo Ring Hair Straightener Comb for $60: I’d seen nan Tymo Ring each complete societal media for years earlier trying it, and nan hold was worthy it. It's for illustration a accepted basking comb and a straightening brushwood successful one, but you tin get person to your roots without burning yourself than you tin pinch a comb, because there's an outer ammunition covering nan basking teeth. Straightening brushes aren't usually a one-stop shop for my hair, and that was nan lawsuit here. I did request to spell complete my hairsbreadth pinch a level robust to soft retired immoderate of nan puffiness near behind, but nan Tymo Ring took nan curl correct retired quickly—I didn't person to spell complete sections much than erstwhile aliases twice. —Brenda Stolyar

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 together to use, while this is nan opposite. It useful conscionable arsenic good arsenic immoderate different iron, and nan clasp creation and nan rounded edges make it easier to curl too. The existent tie present is nan aerial vents that blast retired cool aerial to fastener your style in. The instrumentality turns connected automatically, but there's a fastener to move it off. (Just to clarify, it's not meant to barren your hair—you will not beryllium happy if you effort that.) —Medea Giordano

Sleek'e for $92 and Kosa for $195: These irons are fundamentally nan aforesaid tool. Sleek'e confirmed that they are successful truth made by nan aforesaid manufacturer, which is not uncommon. The Kosa felt a small lighter, but neither seemed amended aliases worse to use. They some emit ions and person a portion of infrared lights down nan mediate of 1 of nan plates, which are expected to thief administer power evenly and successful a measurement that won't harm hair. —Medea Giordano

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

FoxyBae Tres Sleek Flat Iron for $79: This lightweight titanium level robust does a reasonably decent occupation astatine straightening thick, curly hairsbreadth for nan price, though its flimsy-feeling building and agelong heat-up clip make it little appealing than almost each different straightener we tried astatine this value 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 matter which you spell with, what you telephone it, aliases what your fund is, location are a fewer things you should support successful mind.

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

What Do Ionic Straighteners Do?

A batch of basking hairsbreadth tools, including astir connected our list, declare to merchandise antagonistic ions to protect your hair. I utilized to chalk this up to marketing-speak, but hairstylists I said pinch opportunity ions are helpful.

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

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

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

Do I Want Ceramic aliases Titanium Plates?

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

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

Titanium plates power up overmuch much quickly than ceramic (though typically not arsenic evenly), and they usually tin scope a higher temperature—typically 450 degrees Fahrenheit. An robust pinch titanium plates needs less passes to get that perfectly consecutive look, but nan higher power tin inflict much damage. Titanium plates are champion utilized by those pinch thick, coarse, aliases stubborn hair, and while flat-iron users should ever usage a power 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 power 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 nan building of your hairsbreadth proteins. This type of harm tin materialize successful nan shape of breakage, divided ends, unsmooth texture, frizz, aliases ace barren strands. So, it's champion to effort and limit really often you scope for your level iron.

As Byrdie points out, nan wide norm (regardless of hairsbreadth type) is to limit it to 2 aliases 3 times per week. But for circumstantial hairsbreadth types, nan wave varies. For curly hair, you should only 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 power mounting (between 400 and 420 degrees Fahrenheit) to coily hairsbreadth while 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 nan straightener betwixt 250 degrees and 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

How Do We Test Hair Straighteners?

For each straightener, I commencement pinch freshly washed hair, blow-dried pinch nan aforesaid power protectant (see beneath for a database of favorites). I past straighten my hairsbreadth from roots to extremity successful sections, keeping mindful of really agelong an robust takes to power up, really overmuch it weighs (I measurement conscionable nan assemblage itself connected a room scale), what features are helpful, and really galore passes it takes to move my frizzy locks shiny and smooth. I past spell astir my regular activities, including walks successful my humid Pacific Northwest neighborhood, to spot whether my hairsbreadth stays consecutive aliases puffs up again immediately. I past usage nan straightener for regular touch-ups until it's clip to lavation my hairsbreadth again.

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