Table Of Content
- A budget flat iron
- Sign up to our newsletter and get exclusive hair care tips and tricks from the experts at All Things Hair.
- Kristin Ess Defining And Detailing Mini Flat Iron
- Of The Best Hair Straighteners, Based On A Year’s Worth Of Testing
- Hot Tools Radiant Blue Digital Flat Iron
- Find the Perfect Protein Shampoo for Your Hair Needs
- Best hybrid flat iron: Chi

We discuss this in our guide to hair dryers, but basically, ions would theoretically help kill static. In practice, Evans says he’s found that some hair dryers are able to do this. However, normal conditioners (like ones you use in the shower after shampoo) “do a wonderful job of killing static flyaway,” Evans said. “If you use a conditioner, you barely get any static buildup anyway,” he added. If you’re straightening your hair, you’d better be using a conditioner in the shower. With a real-time digital display, good-size plates, and no sharp corners or gaps to snag your hair, the GVP flat iron makes straightening quick and effortless.
A budget flat iron

Toth explains that plate size and shape are key to selecting a hair straightener. "The wider the plate, the straighter the hair will look. So if you like to really bend and bevel the ends of your hair then choose a more narrow plate," says Toth. Even if you only straighten your hair once or twice a month, it's absolutely worth investing in a quality flat iron.
Sign up to our newsletter and get exclusive hair care tips and tricks from the experts at All Things Hair.
Lauren Balsamo is deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, where she writes, edits, and produces all types of beauty content—from product reviews to personal essays and trend reports. She has covered beauty for nine years at Cosmopolitan and has contributed to Women’s Health and Seventeen magazines as well. Our product analysts start by assessing each iron's weight and size, ease of use and ability to impart shine and smooth hair. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).
Kristin Ess Defining And Detailing Mini Flat Iron
We found this to be an effective temperature during testing when coupled with the iron’s ceramic plates. Another plus for the Chi flat iron is that it has a 360-degree swivel cord, which makes it very easy to maneuver around your head without tangling while styling. This iron’s plates are 1 inch wide, beveled and ceramic, which make them extremely smooth. In our penultimate test of flat irons at the Good Housekeeping Institute, we rounded up more than 50 products from over 20 manufacturers to find the best flat irons — and in our most recent test, we added 40 more.
While some can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and concerns, many are created with specific consumers and their needs in mind. When reviewing tools, we also take into account testers’ experience levels. She brings nearly a decade of writing and editing expertise, and her work has appeared in Allure, Health, Fitness, Marie Claire, StyleCaster, and Parents.
Of The Best Hair Straighteners, Based On A Year’s Worth Of Testing
It took around a minute to reach 94% of its claimed temperature, but our pros were disappointed that there was no audible tone to indicate when it reaches temperature. It earned the top score for maintaining hair straightness in our technical test, though the lowest score for keeping hair straight, shiny and frizz-free all day long, according to consumer testers, so make sure you use an anti-frizz serum. A good straightening iron is essential for giving hair that silky smooth, glass-like shine — but you'll need to opt for one that fits your budget and hair type without totally frying your hair in the process. So you can consider worrying about patchy, irregular heat when it comes to hair straightening a thing of the past. “Even with the best heat protectants in the game, heat is not something you should be exposing your hair to every day,” says Bertin. “Those with afro-textured hair, for example, should consider flat ironing their hair at most once a week because our hair is naturally more fragile and dry, so flat ironing any more than that is a huge no-no,” says Bertin.
Hot Tools Radiant Blue Digital Flat Iron
12 Best Hair Straightener Brushes (Tested & Reviewed, 2024) - Cosmopolitan
12 Best Hair Straightener Brushes (Tested & Reviewed, .
Posted: Fri, 01 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Studies have shown that people who use these products four or more times a year have a greater chance of developing reproductive cancer. If your hair tends to just look poofy and dull after a flat-iron session (been there), you need to try this hair straightener. It’s designed with titanium plates that heat up quickly and powerfully to quickly smooth your hair for a silkier finish. And because the tongs are ultra narrow, you can easily maneuver them close to your scalp to straighten curly or wavy roots, or to help lay frizz and flyaways. Just remember to check that your hair straightener’s plates are actually ceramic, rather than just ceramic-coated, as this will make a big difference to the quality of your straighteners.
Conair’s Double Ceramic Flat Iron Is On Sale for $19 on Amazon - Parade Magazine
Conair’s Double Ceramic Flat Iron Is On Sale for $19 on Amazon.
Posted: Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The Chi Original Ceramic Hairstyling Iron is our best value pick for a hair straightener; it effectively straightens and smooths hair without a huge effort or a high price tag. When it comes to material, professionals tend to favor titanium flat irons. "Titanium is preferred among stylists because [it tends] to get hot really quickly," says Eugene Toye, stylist at celebrity-favorite hair salon Rita Hazan. According to Porsche, titanium has even heat distribution, which makes for smooth, silky hair. "Titanium is ideal as a flat iron plate," agrees Kevin Hughes, celebrity stylist and artistic director for Moroccanoil. "It heats up quickly and is a very even heat, which translates to better results and less time go over the same strands of hair."
We also measure the outer surfaces of each iron to ensure that it doesn't get too hot to the touch. We log the temperature at three spots on every iron every ten seconds for ten minutes, resulting in 183 temperature measurements for each iron. Testers loved how comfortable it was to use, praising its soft-touch surface and comfortable grip. "The finger grip on the top is excellent and I liked how fast the flat iron straightened my hair." This straightener comes with a five-year warranty—the longest of all our flat iron picks.
Yup, this is something you'd definitely splurge on, save up for, or beg for from the person who loves you most, but it'll be worth it. This cordless/corded—you can do both—flat iron uses flexible copper plates that subtly move with your hair to evenly distribute heat across every strand, leaving you with less damage and smoother hair. Its design is innovative, which can sometimes have a tricky learning curve, but testers rated the manual as most easy to understand. The plates are nice and wide, at 1.5 inches, which can make styling long hair a lot faster (although those with shorter hair may find the extra-wide plates unwieldy).
While most flat irons are best when used on 1-inch sections of hair, I found that this iron’s broad plates offered extended surface area to cover bigger sections of hair. This allowed me to work faster to smooth my shoulder blade-length strands and tame frizz from roots to ends. The iron’s ceramic floating plates had an extremely smooth glide, and the plate’s beveled edges let me angle the iron as I moved it through my hair to create waves sans creases.