Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Not all hair needs to be fried between hot plates to straighten it. Some people can get soft, bouncy blowouts using a blow-dry brush rather than the old dryer and round brush combo. For coarser hair like mine, I recommend the RevAir below. I was afraid the new batch of wet-to-dry stylers would sizzle hair off like the ones in the early 2000s. But now there are a few that actually work. Dyson's Airstrait ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends) has the same form factor as a standard flat iron, but instead of hot plates, it uses airflow to dry and straighten your hair simultaneously. Using one focused jet of air that moves downward, it dries your hair with a natural, smooth finish. You'll also have the option between two main styling modes (wet and dry) and three temperature settings for each. WIRED product reviewer Brenda Stolyar typically uses it on wet mode to fully dry her hair and switches to dry mode to flatten any puffiness. The entire process, which normally takes her about 45 minutes, now only takes 12 to 15 minutes. Tourmaline straighteners are ceramic or metal irons that are coated with the mineral for a smoother finish and better glide. “They’re great for most hair types and for people looking for smoothness and to fight frizz,” says Henry. “The coating allows the flat iron to glide through the hair without pulling or snagging.” Our testers found the CHI Lava 4D Hairstyling Iron to be the least damaging of all the flat irons we tested. The iron’s lava mineral plates are made of silicon, iron, magnesium, sodium, titanium, and more to ensure a sleek finish in a shorter amount of time and with less heat, preventing even more damage. When I first put this straightener to work, it heated up in just 20 seconds. I sectioned my hair into one-inch pieces, glided the iron through my hair from root to tip, and it went from frizzy to smooth and polished. Despite having just one heat setting of 392 degrees, the temperature was enough to reshape my hair in just one pass, although I did have to do two passes on the layers around my face. This was refreshing because I get a little anxious about heat damage when I have to go over the same section several times.
Dyson Corrale: The lightning-fast heat-up of this iron and its flexible floating plates allow for serious maneuverability while styling. But the base, charging cord and tool itself take up a lot of real estate on the counter. I didn’t love that it required 70 minutes to charge for only 30 minutes of use. And the iron, while cordless, was about six ounces heavier than most others due to its lithium-ion battery, so it felt cumbersome. The 1-inch plates on this iron make it versatile enough to work well for short or medium-length hair, or on bangs or fine baby hair around the face. “A 1-inch plate allows for a grip tight to the root regardless of hair length,” says Nicole Henry, senior colorist at Warren Tricomi Salon. However, the Chi may be slightly more time-consuming to use on longer hair between the single set temperature and the face that the plates cover less surface area.The T3 Smooth ID hair straightener would be in our top spot if it wasn't so expensive. But it might be worthwhile if you're concerned about hair damage. Most hot hair tools claim to cause less damage than the competition, but the T3 actually delivers with a unique temperature-finding feature the company calls HeatID Technology. To set the right temperature, select your hair features via the touch controls on the iron's handle: texture (fine, medium, coarse), length (short, medium, long), and if your hair is color-treated. It will then suggest a heat level. I also love its Refresh Mode for touching up hair later at a lower temperature based on previous settings. Remington Shine Therapy Argan Oil And Keratin 2-Inch Iron: The nine digital settings and smooth glide of this ceramic model made it a standout, but the wide paddles aren’t versatile for use on shorter hair. Plate material: Ceramic | Plate size: 1.5 inches x 4 inches | Temperature: 250-410 degrees Fahrenheit | Weight: 15.8 ounces | Cord length: 8 feet, 11 inches | Warranty: 1 year Some straighteners come with heat-resistant mats or gloves, which are helpful for keeping countertops or fingers from getting singed. A storage pouch is another plus. If you travel a lot, look for an iron with universal voltage to allow you to use it abroad. Lightweight compared to other hair straighteners we’ve tested, we found the Hot Tools styler glided through hair relatively smoothly, both while straightening and curling. In addition, its rubberized finish certainly made twisting the straighteners to curl hair more manageable.
This Chi flat iron doesn’t have multiple temperature options, but it does have an under 30-second heat-up time and extra-long (over 10 feet) swivel cord that gives you extra reach while styling. Most importantly, it has gloriously smooth ceramic plates with beveled edges that make it a nimble tool for creating everything from pin-straight styles to polished curves at the ends of hair. The temperature of the Hot Tools Pro Signature Digital Straightener is displayed on the LCD screen. However, we did feel that the solid green color it illuminated to when the desired temperature had been reached gave the straighteners a less than premium feel. This was true of the flashing blue display when the styler has been switched off but not removed from the electrical outlet, too. We were also disappointed to find that there was no audible notification to alert you to the fact that the straightener has reached temperature. To put it plainly, we found this flat iron a luxury to use. Admittedly, it is a bit bulkier than standard flat irons, but it’s because this one features two iron plates on both sides. Despite the size, it’s not heavy by any means and is actually very easy to hoist above your head for minutes at a time. As for functionality, once you turn it on, you’re able to understand what every single button does (for example, plus and minus buttons indicate higher and lower temperatures), which isn’t usually the case with hot tools. The manual explains that the temperature of the iron will display in the form of lights—so one to three lights indicate that the iron is 250-350°F, while four and five lights depict 440°F and 450°F, respectively. What’s more, the cord is long enough to comfortably style hair while being plugged into an outlet, and the vibrating technology creates the perfect tension to straighten or curl hair like a pro. Just take note that if you pass the straightener through your hair too fast, it might snag,; so take your time.
Products
This mini is the straightener you want to stash in your bag for long weekends, trips abroad or just to use at the gym. It heats up in just over 60 seconds to a single heat setting of 380 degrees, which is hot enough to shape hair into super straight strands or perfectly imperfect flatiron waves.
Revlon Double Straight Copper + Ceramic Dual Plate Iron: This is an easy-to-use iron, but despite reaching high heat it didn’t leave my hair super smooth because the floating plates were only on one side of the tool. Plus, the short, 6-foot cord made the iron difficult to maneuver.The rounded tip of the styler means we were able to clamp the plates extremely close to the roots of the hair, and we found one pass at a time was sufficient to smooth any kinks out of fine hair. Neither ceramic nor titanium is necessarily better or worse—it's just that one plate is likely better for your specific hair type. “ Ceramic plates are often ‘safest’ for dry, damaged, or fragile hair,” says hairstylist Amy Abramite, adding that these plates, in general, don’t get overly hot, so the overall temperature of ceramic irons stays in a relatively safe range. Updated September 2023: We added GHD's Platinum Plus flat iron and Duet styler, Chi's Original Ceramic flat iron, and L'Oreal's Steampod. We also added a section for blow-dry brushes.
Never straighten your hair while it’s wet because that’s when your hair is at its most fragile state,” says Bryant. And before styling, always, always apply a heat protectant first. Plate material: Ceramic | Plate size: 1 inch x 3.5 inches | Temperature: 392 degrees Fahrenheit | Weight: 14.7 ounces | Cord length: 10 feet 11 inches | Warranty: 2 years T3 Smooth ID: Along with a new name, the Smooth ID is a consistently top-rated smart iron, and I love that it has heat personalization and a lower temperature “Refresh” feature for day-after hair. However, the buttons are fussy to press, and I used multiple passes to get my hair smooth. Bio Ionic One Pass Styling Iron: This ceramic iron was a close runner-up, but I preferred the wider plate on the overall winner for everyday use. This model has an extremely smooth glide and the silicone “speed strips” helped guide my hair into the tool and straighten it after just one pass, which saved time. Another plus was the temperature memory so I didn’t have to recall the last heat setting I’d used.One of the first decisions to make before purchasing a hair straightener is choosing which material will work well for your hair type—specifically, which will get your hair straight and cause the least amount of damage. “Ceramic, tourmaline and titanium are all good options for flat irons,” says Henry. “The type of hair you have should determine which one is best for you.” Ceramic hair straighteners, she says, are the most common and most gentle, and therefore best for delicate or fine hair, and for color-treated or chemically-stressed hair that’s prone to damage. “Typically, ceramic irons do not get as hot as metal irons,” she says. In testing, it only took 20 seconds for the iron to beep and indicate it was ready. To use this tool, you press the button on the inside of the smart styler, and it heats to 365 degrees. “This standard setting is the ‘sweet spot’ where the heat can break down the hair just enough to mold it into shape and fight frizz without burning it or causing damage,” says Henry. “Maintaining this slightly lower temperature ensures your hair will be healthy, straight and tremendously shiny.” While straightening, predictive sensors in the plates monitor heat 250 times per second to make sure the iron doesn’t overheat and potentially singe your hair. Ceramic: Heats evenly and slowly and can be less damaging on fine and fragile hair because it often doesn’t reach high temperatures It’s better to start off using lower heat and fewer passes until you see what works best with your hair. “You should expect to pass over the hair one to four times depending on your hair type and texture,” says Bryant. “As straighteners are extremely hot, it’s best to use it on a lower setting at first to see how your hair handles it.” Should You Always Use A Heat Protectant With A Flat Iron?
Related:
Great Deal 
New Comment