February 8, 2025

Styles Extension

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The 13 Best Hair Straighteners, Editor-Tested and Reviewed

The 13 Best Hair Straighteners, Editor-Tested and Reviewed

Kristin Ess 3-in-One Flat Iron
PHOTO: Amazon

Why We Love It: An excellent flat iron can straighten hair quickly, but this one goes a couple of steps further by using negative ion technology to combat frizz and lightweight, nonslip dual-titanium plates to reduce the number of passes needed to get the straight look we wanted. We partially credit our healthier-looking hair to the lack of pressure we needed to use while moving the iron through our strands—each pass from root to end was smooth, which prevented crimping, and the wider plates meant that we could work in larger sections to straighten and curl our hair in just one pass, reducing the number of times our hair was exposed to heat.

Who It’s For: Though the gorgeous white finish and gold accents give this tool an elevated, luxurious appearance, the design is uncomplicated and straightforward, especially for beginners. One button controls all four heat settings and a clear LED screen on the handle flashes when one is changed. You also won’t have to worry about whether you left it on or not—it shuts off automatically after 30 minutes of inactivity.

Plate Width: 1.25-inch | Plate Material: Titanium | Heat Settings: 4 | Temperature: 280—440 F | Automatic Shut-Off: Yes

Nasya, tester with 2a hair: “The flat iron was very easy to use and comfortable to hold for an extended period of time. There is only one button (which serves as both the on and off button as well as the temperature button), making it easy to figure out how to use the flat iron. There is also a small reading screen which tells you the temperature you are using at the time. The cord is long and my hand was not tired while using the flat iron throughout the process.”

ion Magnesium Flat Iron
PHOTO: Sally Beauty

Why We Love It: When we wanted to exert the least amount of effort and see the highest payoff, the Ion Magnesium Flat Iron gave us the best results. At an affordable price point, its design includes everything you’d want from a hassle-free hot tool: It automatically turns off after 45 minutes, beeps when it reaches your desired temperature, and the heat setting buttons are easy to reach (but hard to accidentally bump—a true feat). The tool also felt comfortable in our hands, courtesy of a slim design and silicone-textured handle, which gave us a firm grip and prevented our hands from burning on the hot iron. 

Who It’s For: Across hair types 1c to 4b, the ceramic tourmaline plate on this tool evenly distributes heat (though we did notice minimal shedding when we used it on especially fine hair). The aforementioned features, along with a swivel cord, enabled us to easily reach all the way around our head and were especially helpful when we used it to curl our hair—the narrow, thin plates required us to work in small sections. A tighter clamp may have led us to see more defined curls on fine hair, but we were glad that it was loose enough to avoid clamp marks.

Plate Width: 1-inch | Plate Material: Ceramic tourmaline | Heat Settings: 4 | Temperature: 210—450 F | Automatic Shut-Off: Yes

Mandy, tester with 1a hair: “The flat iron is very comfortable to hold and use for an extended period of time. The cord is a good length and it is a good weight. My arm did not become tired after an extended period of time. The buttons for turning on and setting up the flat iron were also easy to use.”

T3 Smooth ID Smart Straightening & Styling Iron
PHOTO: Ulta

Why We Love It: Overall, the pièce de résistance of this smart tool is the technology. After evaluating our specific hair type and texture (including whether we colored our hair or not), it selected and heated to the perfect temperature to style our fine hair for a totally customized experience. From there, we never needed to re-enter our information—the iron remembered our unique settings and automatically heated up to that temperature with every use. The arms’ edges are slightly longer than the hot plates themselves, meaning our fingers had a place to safely rest (versus burning our fingertips, like other options) while we straightened our hair. However, they did cause a few pain points when we tried to curl our hair—sometimes our hair wasn’t sitting on the hot part of the iron due to the length of the arms. However, when we did find ourselves wanting to adjust the temperature ourselves, it was simple to unlock the screen and go back to the manual mode, where we could choose one of the nine temperature settings.

Who It’s For: This tool harnesses an ion generator and patented CeraGloss-coated ceramic plates to boost shine and reduce frizz, making it a great pick for anyone who regularly struggles with this issue. And unlike with other designs, we rarely saw our fine hair slip from the tool as we twisted and twirled it between the plates.

Plate Width: 1-inch | Plate Material: Ceramic | Heat Settings: 9 | Temperature: 260—410 F | Automatic Shut-Off: Yes

Hot Tools Pro Artist Black Gold Dual Plate Salon Flat Iron
PHOTO: Ulta

Why We Love It: Since curly hair is more delicate than other hair types, we wanted to find a flat iron that was gentle, but still gave us the straight look we wanted. And we found it with this Hot Tools iron: The smooth plates and rounded surfaces prevented our hair from getting stuck or tugged like it so often does with traditional rectangular edges, and we liked being able to adjust the temperature settings on each individual plate to control how much heat we were using. We found the most success by setting one plate at a lower degree than the other, so that we could prime the hair with just a little heat before the hotter second plate sealed in the style.

Who It’s For: Whether you have fine, medium, or thick hair, there’s a heat setting (30, to be exact) to guide you toward your desired look. This technique isn’t totally intuitive—occasionally the dual plates creased our hair when we left it on a strand for too long—but once you get the hang of it, it’s smooth sailing.

Plate Width: 0.5-inch | Plate Material: Gold plated | Heat Settings: 30 | Temperature: 300—450 F | Automatic Shut-Off: Yes

Cydnie, tester with 3c hair: “This tool had a very smooth glide. To see my hair go from super curly to super straight in a matter of seconds was incredible. I could glide it on and through my hair with ease and no resistance.”

TYMO Ring Plus
PHOTO: Tymo

Why We Love It: The Tymo Ring Plus has a lot going for it: With an ergonomic design and cord that swiveled with our movements, we could get every one of our strands pin straight, even when we started on very wavy, curly hair. At first, we questioned whether this would be possible, since the highest heat setting (out of nine!) is 410 degrees (many irons go up to 450 degrees), but we got a sleek, straight finish without ever needing to crank it way up. Although this design isn’t conducive for curling hair—at most we saw a soft wave, similar to the results from heatless curlers—we loved the straight look it gave us that we didn’t mind. Plus, it comes with hairpins, a glove, a travel bag, a detangling brush, and a straightening comb.

Who It’s For: The interior of the clamp has comb-like teeth to mimic the effect of a hot brush, making it a great option for those who typically reach for those tools. This feature allowed us to easily straighten and untangle our hair without catching strands.

Plate Width: 1.25-inch | Plate Material: Titanium | Heat Settings: 9 | Temperature: 250—410 F | Automatic Shut-Off: Yes

InStyle


Tina, tester with 1b hair: “This tool combed my hair while straightening it, making the process easier, especially for fine hair such as mine. It came with a cute brush that was compact and easy to use while flat ironing it at the same time.”

BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Dual Ionic Flat Iron
PHOTO: BaBylissPRO

Why We Love It: A hair straightener usually isn’t our first choice for curling hair, but the lightweight BabylissPro made creating everything from beachy waves to tighter ringlets so easy that we considered ditching our other hot tools. The swivel cord was so flexible, we barely had to move a muscle as we worked from our bangs to the back of our heads, and we didn’t experience any hair catching in the plates—especially impressive since curling required us to wrap and pull each section through. Additionally, we believe the ion technology truly did give us softer, shinier strands. With our hair woes solved, our one wish is an automatic shut-off, but given all of its other great features we can let this con slide.

Who It’s For: This tool works well for anyone who appreciates having multiple options for styling their hair. Regardless of whether we fancied straightening or curling our hair, we were blown away by how we didn’t have to crank the iron up to the highest heat setting to see results that lasted all day.

Plate Width: 1.25-inch | Plate Material: Titanium | Heat Settings: 5 | Temperature: 300—450 F | Automatic Shut-Off: No

Breanna, tester with 3b hair: “The tool did a great job at straightening my hair. I think it could get a looser hair pattern even straighter than it got mine.”

Dyson Corrale Hair Straightener
PHOTO: Dyson

Why We Love It: In true Dyson form, this straightener comes with all the bells and whistles. Whether we were curling, straightening, or creating waves, the patented flexing plates seemed to mold around our strands so we could create a variety of styles in record time. The plates are made of flexible materials and when hair is clamped between them, it molds to your specific hair weight and automatically adjusts the temperature to a customized setting for your hair, giving you far more control with fewer passes needed. The straightener doesn’t travel solo either: It comes with a charging dock, a heat-resistant travel case, a beautiful storage box, and a magnetic charging cable. There’s even a safety lock, so you can stow it away when it’s still warm. The cordless design was a total game changer because we could style our hair faster without getting tangled, but we also loved the less flashy features as well, like the dinging sound it makes when it reaches the temperature we want and a five-minute automatic shut-off. 

Who It’s For: Anyone looking for sleek, fast styling would do well to choose this straightener. We also feel that using this tool had a direct impact on the lack of static around our scalp—a good thing considering it helped us avoid frizzy curly hairs getting occasionally caught in the plates.

Plate Width: 1.6-inch | Plate Material: Copper alloy | Heat Settings: 3 | Temperature: 330—410 F | Automatic Shut-Off: Yes

Danielle, tester with 3c hair: “I have fairly small hands and the Dyson Corrale fit in my hand pretty easily. There was a noticeable weight to the Dyson, due to its rechargeable battery. But I didn’t find myself fatigued or arms sore while using it.”

Drybar Reserve Dual-Plate Styling Iron
PHOTO: Ulta

Why We Love It: We blame frizz and flyaways on bad weather and high humidity, but sometimes it starts with what tool we’re using—and Drybar came to the rescue with this innovation. The titanium plates on its styling iron slid through our hair like butter and took no stragglers in the process. The results? Hair so soft and smooth we couldn’t stop touching it. We took advantage of its slightly curved edges to target the flyaways around our faces—a feat we weren’t able to accomplish with the bulky, rectangular designs of traditional flat irons. It also features Drybar’s signature Ionic Technology, which releases negative ions to seal the cuticle to lock in the style and prevent frizz.

When we followed the brand’s suggested temperature settings for our hair type, we were able to style our hair quickly. We ran out of time, however, when we tried to rush the process and squish large sections of hair into the thin 0.5-inch plates. However, working in small sections prevented slippage and actually allowed us to create more defined curls and rewarded us with styles that lasted all day.

Who It’s For: Those looking to target frizz and achieve an ultra sleek look will appreciate this straightener.

Plate Width: 0.5-inch | Plate Material: Titanium | Heat Settings: 5 | Temperature: 250—450 F | Automatic Shut-Off: Yes

Maritza, tester with 1a hair: “My hair looks beautifully straight with this tool, but somehow also has the perfect volume. I achieved my desired results in one to two passes.”

L'ange Le Duo 360 Airflow Titanium Styler
PHOTO: Amazon

Why We Love It: Weighing under a pound and designed with smoothing plates and an overall adorable look, there’s a lot we love about this mini pink tool. We were particularly over the moon about its compact, rounded tip design, ideal for styling and curling short hair. Unlike traditional flat irons with an elongated shape, this one held our shoulder length strands in place, courtesy of the miniature size of the plates, and we never saw any dents from too much pressure. Plus, it has a cooling function that kicks on once the tool reaches the set temperature.

Who It’s For: The ceramic plates on this tool very rarely tugged at our strands, making this a great pick for those with damaged hair. In fact, we really only noticed it when we clamped down too hard after we got greedy and tried to straighten too much hair at once with the 1-inch plate. Its uncomplicated design is also a great introduction for beginners: It heated up fast, fit perfectly in our hands, and only had one button to cycle through the five heat settings.

Plate Width: 1-inch | Plate Material: Titanium | Heat Settings: 5 | Temperature: 280—430 F | Automatic Shut-Off: Yes

Rebecca, tester with 3b hair: “My hair still looked good several hours later! I like that it looks naturally straight. It’s not the stiff, flat look that I’ve gotten with other straighteners. It’s perfectly straight without being intense and blunt.”

L'Oreal Professionnel Steampod Flat Iron & Styler
PHOTO: Sephora

Why We Love It: It’s a daunting thought to consider applying more heat to already brittle, damaged hair, but the L’Oreal steam feature straightened our strands just as efficiently as traditional high heat options. As steam tools were new to some of us, we appreciated that there were downward facing arrows on the tool that we used to guide us through the straightening process and ensure we were holding it correctly. Although the practice isn’t a totally new concept, styling tools use steam to boost moisture, condition hair, and cleanse scalps. Frankly put, our hair looked incredible after using the tool’s steaming feature. Think: Shinier, glossier, and healthier hair—and it wasn’t even a painstaking process to get these results. We also like that we only had to press one button to toggle between the three different temperatures as we straightened our hair. Plus, the flat iron came with a detachable comb that we used on days we craved big, beachy waves. It helped hold our hair in place as we styled, although the comb prongs are a little close together, meaning we had to work through our hair slowly to avoid tugging. 

Who It’s For: Innovative hair tool aficionados will appreciate the uniqueness of this straightener, as well as how well it actually works.

Plate Width: 1.25-inch | Plate Material: Ceramic | Heat Settings: 3 | Temperature: 350—410 F | Automatic Shut-Off: No

Danielle, tester with 3c hair: “The final appearance of my hair was akin to a fresh blowout—just much looser and straighter. I let twenty minutes pass and checked the appearance of my hair. The cuticles had not swollen up nor did my roots or strands revert back to their natural state.”

Chi Lava 4D Hairstyling Iron
PHOTO: Ulta

Why We Love It: Chi has long been a leader in styling hot tools (and no stranger to TikTok fame) for a good reason. Case in point: The Lava 4D Hairstyling Iron, which offers ceramic plates infused with a thick mineral lava coating that tamed our pesky flyaways and frizz with just one pass. It smoothly moved through our super coarse hair like it was nothing. Designed with long, curved arms, and 1-inch plates, the flat iron is a versatile option, and we were able to master all the styles we could dream of, flipping small sections into spiral waves or running the iron root to end for a blown-out look. Plus, it heated up faster than any of the other irons we tested (about 15 seconds!). It took about an hour before the iron automatically turned off, and as added security, we liked that there was a locking mechanism to prevent the hot plates from touching other items while it cooled off. 

Who It’s For: Anyone looking for quick styling time with frizz-free results will be satisfied with this straightener. We should note that we were initially concerned that this hot tool would be, ironically, too hot for us (especially on fine or damaged hair), as 370 degrees is the lowest heat setting available, which is far higher than your average straightener. Fortunately, we didn’t have to clamp down on our hair for more than a few seconds, so the heat isn’t applied for very long.

Plate Width: 1-inch | Plate Material: Ceramic | Heat Settings: 5 | Temperature: 370—450 F | Automatic Shut-Off: Yes

Mandy, tester with 1a hair: “This flat iron is very comfortable to hold and use for an extended period of time. The cord is really long and it’s good for those users who have to plug into an outlet that’s far. I felt the flat iron was lightweight and my arm did not become tired.”

Dyson Airstrait Straightener
PHOTO: Ulta

Why We Love It: The Airstrait isn’t a traditional hair straightener, per se, but it takes your hair from wet to dry by skipping the hot plates and using directed hair flow to dry and straighten simultaneously. Plus, it has all the features you could imagine: A bright LED screen, preset temperatures for wet and dry styling, and zero wait time for the tool to heat up. One of the highlights for us was noticing the preset wet styling temperatures (175 degrees, 230 degrees, and 285 degrees) were significantly lower than the temps for dry styling (250 degrees, 285 degrees, and Boost—which goes up to 320 degrees and is recommended only for touch-ups). We appreciated the preemptive defense against heat damage, and the settings were easy to adjust.

We loved how easily the Airstrait slid over our hair; without any hot plates, there was virtually no tugging or pulling, further reducing the risk of hair damage. Even when we used the clamps to press down on our hair, there was no chance of our hair getting stuck in the hair straightener. Like many Dyson products, we were less than impressed with the bulky cord that ultimately weighed down the Airstrait. It was heavy, and our editor with Type 3b/3c hair had to take a break to give her arms a rest midway through using. We also imagine the thicker cord will make it hard to store this in space-constrained areas.

Who It’s For: Those seeking out a multiuse hot tool will enjoy this pick from Dyson. Thanks to its fluidity, we found it incredibly easy to successfully straighten hair (although thicker hair needed a few more passes).

Plate Width: 1.6-inch | Plate Material: Copper alloy | Heat Settings: 3 | Temperature: Up to 320 F | Automatic Shut-Off: Yes

FHI HEAT Platform Tourmaline Ceramic Professional Styling Flat Iron
PHOTO: Amazon

Why We Love It: If you’re new to using hair straighteners or other hot tools, you won’t be intimidated by the Fhi Heat Platform flat iron we tested. The simple, intuitive tool didn’t require us to watch hours of tutorials or practice on an old Barbie before we were able to straighten our hair with ease. It heated up in about 30 seconds and had five easily adjustable heat settings to choose from (140, 230, 300, 370, and 450 degrees). It slid through all hair types easily while straightening (although we felt a little tug while curling). The swivel cord was super long—up to 12 feet—and when purchasing this flat iron, you can select from a few different width options depending on your specific hair type and needs.

This hair straightener did fall short for us with the temperature adjusting. The Fhi flat iron uses a dial, and the designated markings are every 70 degrees. So, if you wanted to hit a 350-degree temperature, you’d have to make your best guess between 300 degrees and 370 degrees. If you’re comfortable with imprecise temps, this may not bother you as much.

Who It’s For: Those who appreciate no-frills hair tools will enjoy this tool’s straightforward design.

Plate Width: 1.25-inch | Plate Material: Ceramic | Heat Settings: 5 | Temperature: 140—450 F | Automatic Shut-Off: Yes

Tina, tester with 1b hair: “My hair is fine, so setting the temperature to 350 degrees complemented it. My hair has become sleek, shiny, and gorgeous in one swipe!”

Our Testing Process

InStyle editors tested 25 of the most popular hair straighteners in search of the very best. We started in our NYC-based testing lab to get first impressions on how the tools arrived in their packaging, what features we were most excited about, how quickly it straightened, and our thoughts on the final results. Our editors then took the tools home for several more weeks to use the hair straightener and continue to note performance and notable features, like auto-shutoff and adjustable temperature settings.

What to Keep in Mind

  • Plate Material: “Ceramic is the most commonly used option because it distributes heat evenly, reducing ‘hot spots,’ which leads to damage,” says Taylor, while Justin urges his clients to double check that their flat irons are fully ceramic, and not just ceramic plated. However, if you plan on using your iron every day or have fine or thin hair, tourmaline plates might be the best option as they are the most gentle, thanks to their semi-precious stone coating. “This layer emits negative ions once it heats up,” says Taylor, preventing static and frizz, while increasing shine.

    Titanium plates are durable and typically made from lightweight metal, which will “heat up very quickly and maintain a consistent temperature,” says Taylor. She recommends these features only for hair types that need extra oomph, like thick, coarse, and curly hair, but she adds that titanium flat irons are very powerful tools and if you aren’t careful or familiar with this type, you could easily and quickly damage hair.

  • Styling Goals: One of the best parts about flat irons is their incredible versatility. When we say the sky is the limit for how many styles you can create with an iron, we actually mean it. For example, by holding the hair straightener horizontally, you can build your hair’s body by adding waves. And with a little practice, you can take it to the next level to fully curl too—just twist small sections of your strands between the plates as you pull it down.
  • Hair Type Considerations: Consider your hair type when choosing the right hair straightener for you—coarse and thick hair does best with a titanium straightener, while soft and thin hair does well with ceramic, says Amanda DiChiara, a New Jersey-based hair stylist and hair loss expert. “Fine hair is delicate and can be damaged easily, especially by heat, so using a hair straightener with lower heat between 250 and 300 degrees will help prevent breakage over time,” says celebrity hairstylist Annagjid Kee Taylor.

    If you have especially thick or heavy-bodied hair, celebrity hair artist Kieron Justin says you may need to bump it up to 450 degrees to get a pin-straight style (so be sure to check your desired straightener’s temperature range), but going any higher can damage your natural curl pattern.

Your Questions, Answered

Can you curl your hair with a flat iron?

After applying a heat protectant and curl cream, Justin tells us to separate the hair into manageable sections, starting with the bottom layers of hair first, moving from the base of the head to the tip of the strand. To create the curl, “run the irons from the root to the end, twisting the iron at 180 or 360 degrees slowly away from the face with the iron vertical until you reach the tips of the hair,” says Justin. Repeat this method around your head, changing the direction of how you curl the hair to add depth and dimension. If you want a more natural look, Taylor suggests allowing the curls to cool before combing through with your fingers and giving your hair a good tousle.

What type of flat iron is the least damaging?

According to Taylor, ceramic plates are superior because they distribute heat evenly and use far-infrared heat to heat the hair from the inside out, meaning that “you’re reducing the amount of time you need to expose your hair to heat,” she says. Ceramic material also slides through hair seamlessly without pulling on strands. Just be sure to watch how often you’re ironing the same section of hair, says Taylor, since these plates tend to heat up quickly and can disrupt your hair’s integrity when it lingers on hair or you’ve done one too many passes.

How do you clean a flat iron?

Without a regular weekly wipe down, buildup from heat protectants and other styling products can impact the amount of heat that is transferred from the plates to your hair, dulling the heat’s strength. Even with a high temperature, you’ll need to do more passes to get the same result. Before cleaning, ensure the iron is turned off and has completely cooled down. Then dip a damp cloth into a bit of rubbing alcohol and carefully wipe down the plates to remove any debris. Taylor also likes to dip a cotton swab into rubbing alcohol to really get into the iron’s edges and crevices.

Alternatively, LA-based hair stylist Laurabeth Cabott says a simple microfiber cloth works, as long as you don’t see too much buildup. “And if you are consistently seeing a lot of gunk, you may need to rethink your shampoo, conditioner or other products you are using.”

What temperature should I use to prevent damage?

Innovative features and high-quality materials protect your hair from heat damage, providing that sleek, frizz-free polish. “Anything over 360 degrees can strip your hair color, so keeping temps below will prevent breakage over time, especially if your hair is fine, dry, or colored,” adds Cabott. “Ceramic plates are going to be your best bet if you are looking to straighten without compromising the integrity of your hair.”

Why Shop With Us

Irene Richardson is an InStyle writer covering fashion and beauty trends. Allison Lax is a commerce updates writer for InStyle. For this story, they compiled insights from in-house testers, read dozens of online reviews, and rounded up top picks. They also spoke with hair experts Amanda DiChiara, Annagjid Kee Taylor, Kieron Justin, and Laurabeth Cabott.


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