Best hair straighteners reviewed, with expert advice from a celebrity hair stylist

Telegraph

6 hours ago

The best hair straighteners will see you in good stead, come humidity or shine. With luxurious finishes and easy to navigate controls, they are perfect for freshening up your style.
As when choosing the best hair dryers, the key is to always to consider your hair type. Do you want to calm frizzy hair or straighten tight curls? Or perhaps adding waves or flicks to poker-straight tresses is your priority? Each hair straightener will have its forte, so it's worth paying close attention to the details. In addition to our full reviews, you can find answers to frequently asked questions and tips from celebrity hair stylist, Katie Allan, founder of MayFive Hair.
The best hair straighteners: At a glance
How to choose the best hair straighteners
The best designs come with optimum heat settings or automatic heat modes that adapt to suit your hair. Heat plates that can maintain the heat output, or come infused with minerals, will also work well if your aim is to smooth frizzy hair.
A generous cord length or even a cordless design is also a feature worth looking out for if you want a flexible design for at home or on the go. Meanwhile, automatic switch-off safety features will avoid any 'Did I or didn't I leave them on?' moments when you're out to dinner.
How we test hair straighteners
We asked celebrity hair stylist, Katie Allan, to trial a range of the latest hair straighteners in her London salon. Katie has styled hair for the Baftas and London Fashion Week, and regularly appears on ITV's This Morning. Her client list includes actress Gemma Chan and presenters Mel Giedroyc and Alex Jones, to name a few.
Over the course of the month, Katie tested each hair straightener in her salon across all types of textured and curly hair, from fine to thick. Writer Emily also tried them out on her own thick, wavy hair to see whether salon results were easy to achieve at home.
We were keen to know how effective the hair straighteners were for use on hair types from straight through to type 4 curl patterns. We rated the designs on how quickly they reached temperature, how well they tackled frizzy hair and how easily they could be used to wave or curl hair after straightening. Comfort and ergonomics were also taken into consideration.
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1. Best Buy Hair Straighteners: Cloud Nine The Wide Iron
This quickly became a favourite in our test as we found its wide plates and variable temperature settings good for use across a range of hair types, including thick and fine. While it's aimed at those with thick and long hair, Katie thought that it worked equally well on clients with fine and shorter hair.
It feels premium and comfortable to hold and comes with a decent sized 2.7m cord, which meant we could move about (and dance to Friday night tunes in front of the mirror) while using it. At 520g, it's surprisingly light in hand too considering its wider than normal heat plates. For peace of mind, after 30 minutes of inactivity, the irons will automatically shut off.
If you buy the gift set, you'll get a protective heat guard, a heat-resistant style case that comes in handy when travelling and storing and a styling tool kit with white croc clips and a comb.
Katie particularly liked the fact that the mineral-infused wide ceramic plates glided over hair smoothly, without any snagging. The plates are, in fact, designed to be floating plates – rather than clamp down on your hair, for a more seamless feel when straightening.
'I found the Wide Iron versatile and I enjoyed using it across all hair types,' says Katie. 'As the heat plates are wide you can cover a large surface area without having to go over it more than once. It was also quick to heat in 20 seconds. I liked the fact that I could easily switch from high to low heat settings using the variable controls that didn't get in the way while I was styling hair.'
Katie also enjoyed using these straighteners to curl hair. 'While you can't achieve a very tight curl like you could with say the GHD Max or Babyliss Cordless, The Wide Iron is excellent for creating loose waves after straightening,' she says.
Key specifications
2. Best Value Hair Straighteners: Revlon Double Straight Dual Plate Design
What we like most about this design is how accurately you can tailor the heat settings from 140 to 235C. These are clearly marked on the handle, with buttons hidden discreetly on the side that make it easy to raise or lower the temperature. The straightening plates are designed in such a way that you get two passes as you straighten your hair in one stroke – with the first plate designed to straighten and the second plate designed to 'reinforce' the results. I found that this meant fewer passes needed to reach a frizz-free straighten.
The design felt comfortable to hold in hand and as the heat settings aren't prominent, I didn't find myself accidentally changing the settings while using it. While the head is quite large in design, the hair straighteners do feel balanced in hand. There's also a handy locking switch to make it easier to store and a tangle-free swivel cord, so you can move around freely when using it. A clever feature is the smart heat memory system that will remember the previous heat you set it to. This means that when you switch it on, it will instantly go to that heat setting, which is easily changeable should you wish to try another.
While you can curl and wave your hair using this design, Katie felt that it wasn't the most effective design she's tried for doing so. 'I thought this worked really well to straighten thick hair and is excellent value,' she says. 'It's recommended that you start with the lowest heat setting and work your way up, and I found it quick to heat and effective at achieving smooth results in fewer passes than it would normally take me using a design with regular plates. I used it on very thick, black curly hair and had satisfying results as it heated up quickly and glided through hair smoothly.'
Key specifications
3. Best Hair Straighteners for Frizzy Hair: Gtech StyleOnic Straighteners
As I get older, my hair seems to be getting wilder. After drying, it can sometimes look like I've just stepped out of a wind tunnel, so the Gtech StyleOnic Straighteners with ceramic tourmaline plates came at just the right time. While my hair has noticeably tamed since using the Hello Klean Shower Head, I had yet to find a straightener that could knock the frizz out of the back of my hair completely the way that my hairdresser always seems to – until I tried this StyleOnic.
The straighteners range in temperature from 40 to 230C and, after spritzing my hair with heat protection spray, I found the highest heat and ceramic plates made it smooth. The straighteners reach temperature quickly, so I could use them within a minute. This heat made the tool great for curling the ends of my hair, too.
The design comes in the same attractive oyster and gold finish as the DryOnic Ionic Fast Drying Hair Dryer, and they work well together. I'd prefer the controls to be moved a little higher to avoid accidentally knocking them while using the straighteners, as moving my hand higher was problematic as the back of the plates get hot while in use. There is a heat protection glove included in the box, which came in useful.
The overall finish of the device feels comfortable in hand and provides good grip. There's a useful button on the exterior of the straighteners that lets you close them and keep the plates together, and at 1.7m, the cord is an ample size for moving around at the dressing table while getting ready for a night out.
Key specifications
4. Best Hair Straighteners for Curly Hair: Diva Pro Styling Precious Metals Gold Dust
These super sleek hair straighteners come with gold-dust ceramic plates with ionic conditioning for optimum conductivity and styling. The plates are infused with macadamia and argan oil and keratin to enhance smoothness, and I found they glided very well through curly hair – tackling frizz with ease and maintaining heat throughout the process.
The straighteners come presented in a stylish storage tin, which we think makes it a great gift idea. It also comes with an eco-felt storage bag that you can tuck the straighteners into, which also doubles up as a practical heat mat.
Katie really enjoyed the lightweight feel of these hair straighteners, which have an ample three-metre cord for excellent flexibility. They don't hang about getting hot either. 'Within seconds of turning these on, the temperature had reached 150C,' says Katie. 'With a little swipe of the temperature control, I was able to get it to around the 210C very quickly, which was ideal for use on a client with tight, curly hair. The coating on the handles felt a lot smoother and more comfortable to hold than other designs I tried, so I think these would be a good option when using over a long period of time.'
Key specifications
5. Best Hair Straighteners for Thick Hair: GHD Max
With slightly wider 1.65in plates compared to Cloud Nine The Wide Iron's 1.50in plates, the GHD Max hair straightener does a good job at covering a wide expanse of hair in a short amount of time. Attractive in design, with GHD's simple black frame, we found the hair straighteners are comfortable in hand and evenly balanced.
They are designed to maintain 185C, which GHD suggests is the optimum styling temperature and this heat is achieved in a rather impressive 30 seconds after turning them on. This is standard heat temperature set across GHD hair straighteners, including the GHD Platinum+, which currently comes in a limited edition Orchid Pink finish.
'The GHD Max worked particularly well on Afro-textured hair, which can often be fine and curly,' says Katie. 'It smooths over really quickly and is excellent at getting rid of frizz on straight hair, too. If you have very thick hair and thick curls, you may want to choose a straightener that can get a bit hotter, however.'
Katie also rates and regularly uses the GHD Glide Hot Brush for smoothing hair after drying. 'The Glide Hot Brush is really good for next day hair styling as you're using one plate not two to smooth over hair,' she says.
Key specifications
6. Best Hair Straighteners for Fine Hair: Remington Proluxe You Adaptive
These hair straighteners come with Intelligent StyleAdapt technology that is designed to 'learn, adapt and personalise the heat' to suit your hair. As you use them, the sensor along the plates reads your hair's temperature and adjusts the straighteners to suit, styling at the optimum temperature. Its microprocessor will then store the information for next time you use it and fix the temperature accordingly, so that you can achieve your desired style quickly and efficiently.
We liked the sleek design of these straighteners that come with a two-in-one protective storage sleeve that doubles as a styling mat. The ample three-metre swivel cord and slim handle meant it was comfortable in hand too, and they were ready to use in an impressively fast 15 seconds.
'The 110mm slim floating plates felt light in hand and worked well when styling finer hair,' says Katie. 'I liked the fact you could save temperature settings for two different profiles as it means more than one person can get the benefits from an intelligent straightener like this. I used it on the lowest setting, which worked really well on long, fine hair. The curvy and pointy barrels were good for curling hair, too.'
Key specifications
7. Best Hair Straighteners for Maintaining Body: Dyson Corrale
The cordless Dyson Corrale comes with a magnetic 360C charging cable that easily attaches itself to the straightener. There's also a travel charging dock that can be neatly housed on your dresser. A tactile heat-resistant travel pouch is included in the set, but everything can also be stylishly stored away in the presentation case.
Dyson prides itself on its flexible copper plates that claim to give you 50 per cent less breakage, less frizz and fewer flyaways. Its intelligent heat control sensor system also regulates the temperature of the plates to maintain an even heat. You also get 30 minutes of cordless use on a single 70-minute charge, and the OLED screen clearly displays battery level so you know when you're near to running out of juice.
Katie was impressed at how long the straighteners lasted on a full charge and thinks they are a natural add-on for anyone who already owns a Dyson Airwrap and Dyson Supersonic hair dryer. 'Due to their corded nature, these felt quite heavy and chunky in hand compared to slimmer, corded straighteners, but they worked well on a range of hair types,' she says. 'They didn't make hair too straight, and left a bit of bounce in the hair to create more of a blow-dry finish.'
Key specifications
8. Best Hair Straighteners for a Shiny Finish: Panasonic EH-HSOE
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This model is designed to give you smooth results in just one stroke and we were impressed at how well it worked on fine to medium wavy hair. On board there's a thermal sensor to continuously measure and maintain the heat so the plates stay at the optimum temperature throughout use. There are no added extras in the box such as a protective heat guard or heat mat, which we think could be a good idea considering the premium price.
'It took around 20 seconds for these to heat up and I like the flexibility of the five temperature settings that give you enough scope to use on a range of textured hair,' says Katie. 'At 230C they do feel very hot to touch, so I used them at 200C, which suited perfectly. The straighteners are slim in design too and easy to hold, with flexible 3D floating plates that glide well across the hair. The shape of the slim tips made it easy to get right to the root too. It comes with Panasonic's 'nanoe' technology that over time claims to help minimize damage to your hair, which is a positive feature.'
Key specifications
9. Best Hair Straighteners for Cordless Use on Thick Hair: Babyliss 9000 Cordless
Another excellent gift idea, the Babyliss 9000 Cordless comes beautifully presented in a printed travel storage case with a protective heat guard and heat protection mat. The design is noticeably slimmer than the Dyson Corrale cordless model, longer and felt marginally lighter to hold.
You can use these cordless hair straighteners for 30 minutes after a three-hour charge and there are three temperatures to choose, easily interchangeable via the button on the top of the design. 'While it didn't last as long as the Dyson did, I found the Babyliss gave much smoother results. They worked very well on thick hair in particular and were great for creating curls after straightening.'
Key specifications
Hair straightener FAQs
Which hair straighteners do hairdressers recommend?
GHD have always been the go-to for hairdressers as they were the first to market with good-quality products over 20 years ago. Katie Allan says, 'GHD Max and GHD Cordless are popular designs, as is the latest GHD Platinum+ and the Glide Brush for finishing off hair,' she says. 'But we are now seeing a range of other great brands such as Cloud Nine, Diva and Revlon rival them.'
What are the least damaging hair straighteners?
Katie suggests choosing a hair straightener with controllable heat settings and only straightening hair after washing. 'Any straightener that has either a heat of around 185C, or a controllable heat setting will be least damaging for the hair,' she says. 'You need a hair straightener that can adapt to all hair types. A lower temperature is necessary on fragile and damaged hair, or hair that isn't freshly washed, for example.'
What should you apply before hair straightening?
Katie stresses the importance of using a heat protection product before straightening your hair. 'I recommend using any heat tool in between washes with caution,' she says. 'There is only so much moisture a shampoo or conditioner can give you, which is then released the first time you straighten your hair. Re-straightening your hair thereafter, without washing, can then cause damage to your hair as you start to take out moisture from inside the hair, making it dry and brittle.'
What is the best hair straightener for thick hair?
Wide plates often work well on thick hair as it means fewer passes through the hair when straightening. 'A straightener that can allow you to reach a heat above 200C and a wider heat plate is helpful to cover density,' says Katie.
What is the best hair straightener for frizzy hair?
Katie suggests looking for heat plates that are designed for easy gliding. 'Frizzy hair tends to be fine, so you need to treat smaller sections with your straightener,' she says. 'A hair straightener with slimmer plates can often work well on frizzy hair.'
What is the best value hair straightener?
There are a wide range of hair straighteners to choose from to suit your budget. Look for something that offers a good mix of variable heat settings, a long cord and a handle that feels comfortable in hand. 'Something that adapts itself for all hair types and can easily be transported is key for me,' says Katie.
Is ceramic or titanium better?
'Titanium is best for quick use and for thick hair as it heats up quickly and means you have less passes through the hair,' says Katie. 'Ceramic is best for finer hair as the heat is a lot more even and gentle.'
Katie Allan's expert hair straightening tips
'Do use heat protecting products before drying or straightening your hair with any hair tools – be it a hair straightener, hair curlers or hot brush. I like to put on any cream or spray before hair drying so the product has more of a chance to sink into the hair follicles.'
'Don't over straighten hair in between washes. Ideally, wash your hair first to lock in moisture as you straighten. If you must use a heat tool in between washes, use a heat protection product that you can apply onto dry hair first.'
'Do use high temperature with caution to avoid hair damage. Always do a test piece with one small strand at the back of your head before you tackle the top.'
'Don't forget to choose the best flat irons for curling your hair. If you want to curl your hair after straightening, you'll need to think about the heat plate width. The thicker the heat plate the looser the wave, while you get a much thicker curl if you go for a slimmer heat plate.'
'Do look for hair straighteners with a long cord so you can move around easily. Also look for flexible design features such as a 360-degree swivel cord that will make it easier to use when you're trying to wave or curl your hair, for example.'
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