Transforming curly or wavy strands into sleek, pin-straight tresses without damaging hair is nearly impossible. Unfortunately, this is the price of using a flat iron; heat does a number on hair, and there’s only so much the best heat protectant sprays can do to mitigate the effects. However, investing in a good quality hair straightener can make a significant difference. Professional hair and makeup artist Kate Johnson agrees.
“A good straightener should help protect your hair, not damage it,” The Bridal Beauty Team founder and Glossed Finishing Studio cofounder tells Business Insider. Special infrared and ionic technology can help, but Johnson says the most important detail to look for is a straightener’s heat control settings. “Fine or damaged hair needs lower heat to avoid breakage, while thick or coarse hair requires higher heat to straighten efficiently.”
Of the many hair straighteners we’ve tested, we named the Silk’n SilkyStraight Infrared Hair Straightener as our top pick. The styler leaves hair smooth but not pin-straight to the point where there’s no volume. Its infrared technology also keeps strands protected from damage by evenly distributing heat, resulting in less damaging exposure. Below are more of our top picks for the best hair straighteners, as well as answers to your most-asked questions.
How I tested straightening irons
When setting out to find the best straightening irons, temperature range was top of mind: the more temperature options a tool offers its user, the better for controlling their styling experience. Likewise, I noted how quickly the irons heated up and cooled down, as well as whether they had an automatic shut-off feature (I can’t tell you how many times I have or thought I had left my straightener on after already leaving the house). Each tool’s special features (unique technologies, barrel materials, interchangeable attachments, etc.) were also reviewed, as well as how quickly I was able to straighten my hair. (Did I need a second pass through? A third?)
The state of my hair when testing is also worth noting. I’m a night hair washer, so I washed my hair and let it air dry before each morning style session. Because heat protectant sprays can impact the finished style, I didn’t use any to test these flat irons.
Our top picks for the best hair straighteners
Best overall
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Best value
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Best for beginners
Julia Guerra/Business Insider
CHI Original Ceramic Flat Iron
The CHI Original Ceramic Flat Iron is a tried-and-true hair straightener. Its cult following values the basic styler for its simplicity; it’s easy for beginners and tweens/teens because it isn’t stacked with bells and whistles.
Testing the CHI Original Ceramic Flat Iron was a nostalgic experience, to say the least. The styling tool was my first; I started using it in middle school, and it kept my hair tame all through high school (I graduated 15 years ago, for reference). The straightener is the most basic model you’re going to find on the market, making it an excellent option for beginners of all ages. It boasts 1-inch floating plates with ceramic technology to ensure even heat distribution and doesn’t come with a whole bunch of bells and whistles — just an on-off switch that, when on, heats the iron to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.
Best for travel
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CHI LAVA Mini Styler
The CHI LAVA Mini Styler is a handheld hair straightener that’s perfect for travel and almost the size of a smartphone.
The CHI LAVA Mini Styler is aptly named; it’s a smidge longer than an iPhone, so it will take up hardly any room in a suitcase or carry-on. The handheld size takes some getting used to, though. It felt too small at first, and the grip felt awkward, but the straightener’s features made it worth the effort to adapt.
One thing that sets this small iron apart is that it quickly heats up, almost instantly. While the iron itself is compact, its plates are not. It didn’t take less time to straighten my hair than if I had used a standard straightener. What’s more, my hair felt fresh and healthy post-styling, which could be a testament to the natural minerals and heat-conducting materials from the volcanic lava in the tool’s plates. According to Gina Rivera, hairstylist and founder of Phenix Salon Suites, negative ions are produced with lava and heat, breaking down water molecules and allowing moisture to penetrate the hair. In other words, those marketing buzzwords may, in this case, have some truth to them.
The tool also makes good on its promise to deliver shiny, frizz-free, straight hair. It’s exactly the kind of iron I’d want on the road with me. Bonus: The LAVA Mini is dual voltage, making it compatible with international outlets.
Best cordless
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Dyson Corrale Straightener
Dyson’s cordless hair straightener claims to adjust to your hair thickness and texture, which mitigates damage to the hair shaft.
A cordless straightener is handy for so many reasons, whether you’re traveling, your outlet is located in an annoying spot, or you just hate dealing with cords. Color me obsessed with the Dyson Corrale, a straightener that is next-level elite with a cordless design that only adds to its luxury. What sets this battery-operated straightener apart from competitors is its flexing plates that shape and gather hair, smoothing out the strands and evenly distributing heat to ensure less exposure and damage. I liken it to a straightener brush; the design is sleek, and the tool leaves hair looking and feeling healthy, which isn’t often the case with straightening irons.
Best wet-to-dry
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Dyson Airstrait Straightener
The Dyson Airstrait simplifies your hair straightening routine without any hot plates. Using high-pressure airflow, it straightens and smooths wet or dry hair.
As a beauty editor, I’ve tested more hair tools than I can count. Dyson’s products are always my favorite because of their intuitive, efficient designs that keep my hair shiny and soft without causing damage. The Airstrait is the first Dyson product I’ve felt both curious and skeptical about. “Wet-to-dry straightening” conjures up images of frizz, breakage, and that telltale sizzling sound. Thankfully, that wasn’t my experience at all since this tool uses concentrated airflow rather than hot plates to straighten hair.
I used the Airstrait’s blow-dryer function to rough-dry my hair to about 50%. From there, I divided it into 10 sections and ran the tool (set to the wet-hair straightening mode) slowly through each one. Each section only required a single pass to dry and straighten completely, although I had to move the device slowly over my strands. The result was smooth, shiny, pin-straight hair with no frizz or damage. I could barely believe how fast and simple the process was.
Now, I prefer the Airstrait to traditional flat ironing, which sandwiches hair between hot plates. The Airstrait use of airflow instead is both gentler and more effective. Personally, I didn’t find the dry-hair straightening mode as impressive, but the wet-to-straight function makes this tool well worth the investment. —Talia Ergas, freelance beauty editor and product tester for the Reviews team
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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.
