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Hair

10 Best Hair Straighteners and Flatirons, According to Our Testers

 

New technology has revolutionized the humble hair tool.

The term flatiron may bring back memories of a wide-plated clamp that would fry your hair into straight (but definitely not sleek) strands. Thankfully, today’s best hair straighteners are a fry cry from the relics of the early 2000s. The newest hair straighteners work better than ever. In fact, they often go above and beyond—some operate on air alone so you can style wet-to-dry without damage and breakage, while others (including my personal favorite!) are highly versatile since they can double as a curling iron.

Our top pick, the Amika The Confidante has been my personal go-to for at least four years now. That's saying a lot, because, as a beauty writer, I'm always searching for the next best thing. I just haven't found anything that can top this hot tool. It can both straighten and curl equally well, and its ceramic plates glide effortlessly through my wavy, medium-texture hair, yielding soft, shiny, frizz-free results with just a single pass. And although I think Amika's flatiron is suitable for all different hair types, we found there are other solid options out there, particularly if you're looking for something a little less expensive. We found an awesome drugstore buy and one that operates at a lower temperature that won't singe finer hair.

Ahead, the very best flatirons we tested, approved by hair stylists.

1. Best Overall: Amika The Confidante Flatiron

What we love: Easy to use; high-temperature settings; curved edges allow for curling
What could improve: Doesn’t stand up well on its own
Plate material: Ceramic
Size: 1 inch
Temperature: Adjustable up to 450°F
Auto shutoff: 60 minutes
Cord: 9 feet

This hair straightener has floating plates that adjust to tension, so hair—even the curliest types—glides exceptionally well through the styling tool. My long, wavy, medium-textured hair slips right through the plates like silk whether I’m styling it pin-straight, rounding out the edges, or using the tool to create long, loose waves reminiscent of those you might get from a large-barrel curling iron. Most times, my hair goes pin-straight in a single pass. I’ve never experienced anything else like it—and I’ve tried at least a dozen hair straighteners over the years.

I also like the easy-to-read digital display, which allows you to see the temperature you’re working with, up to an impressive 450°F. The fact that it’s dual-voltage is also a nice bonus, since I can tuck it in my suitcase and travel globally without any issue. This is a highly durable pick too. I’ve been using the same Confidante for at least four years, and it’s still going very, very strong.

2. Best for Thick Hair: GHD Chronos Styler 1-Inch Flatiron

What we love: Ultrasmooth glide; delivers a sleek and shiny look in just one or two passes; shuts off after just 10 minutes
What could improve: Cannot control temperature manually; not as well-suited for curling
Plate material: Ceramic
Plate size: 1 inch
Temperature: 365°F
Auto shutoff: 10 minutes
Cord: 8.8 feet

We’ve long been fans of GHD’s flatirons—one of the brand’s longer-standing models, the GHD Platinum won a Glamour Beauty Award in 2020. And we’re pleased to say this one is even better. Yes, the price tag is steep (very steep), but there’s really no guesswork here. There’s no temperature to choose from; instead, it’s a smart iron that uses predictive technology to recognize the thickness of your hair and the speed at which you’re styling. It then adjusts its power accordingly, operating at an optimum temperature of 365°F.

In tests we found that GHD’s Chronos Styler heated very quickly, plus it emits a satisfying ping to alert you that it’s ready to use. We also appreciate the 10-minute auto shutoff, which is much faster than all of the other products we evaluated—a nice safety feature. On the downside, I didn’t have as much success curling my hair with this flatiron, despite the rounded edges—and I’d consider myself pretty advanced in this department. I did, however, successfully execute a sleek, straight style with plenty of shine and the type of rounded ends you might get from a blowout.

3. Best for Fine Hair: Dyson Airstrait

What we love: Less direct and intense heat means less heat damage over time; wide range of styling settings and modes (wet, dry, rough-dry, smoothing boost); LCD screen; intelligent airflow and temperature control
What could improve: Slower process than traditional flatirons
Plate material: N/A
Size: 1.6 inches
Temperature: Three preset settings in wet mode (175°F, 230°F, 285°F); two preset temperatures in dry mode (250°F or 285°F)
Auto shutoff: Auto-pause after three seconds of inactivity; standby mode after 5 minutes
Cord: 9.6 feet

The Glamour commerce team put the buzzy Dyson Airstrait to the test and found it to be most suitable for those with fine, straight hair that’s not exceptionally prone to frizz. Think of it as a flatiron and a blow-dryer in one. Instead of pressing your hair between hot plates, it dries strands with hot air (using the same technology as our favorite Dyson Airwrap)—which is way less damaging than your standard straightening iron.

Though it’s gentle on hair, the process is a bit lengthy, since you have to first use the tool to rough-dry your roots. This is an important step, because the shape and size of the Airstrait is a bit bulky and the air shoots down towards your ends, so you can’t clamp hair all the way at the top to smooth it during the straightening process. Once I was ready to work on individual sections of hair with passes closer to that of a traditional flatiron, I found there was a bit of a learning curve to keeping hair inside of the tool. But I figured out that it helped to hold my hair, guiding it through. Even though this whole process was a bit time-consuming—especially for someone who has wavy, medium-textured hair like mine—the effort paid off. My finished style was incredibly soft and shiny, plus had impressive staying power.

4. Best for Curly Hair: Drybar The Tress Press Digital Styling Iron

What we love: Heats quickly; frizz-reducing ionic and infrared tech; digital temperature control
What could improve: Outside of tool can get hot
Plate material: Titanium
Plate size: 1 inch
Temperature: Adjustable up to 450°F
Auto shutoff: 60 minutes
Cord: 9 feet

If it’s a two-in-one straightener and curling iron hybrid you’re looking for, consider the top-selling Drybar styler—a favorite of more than one Glamour editor. “I’m mostly inept at curling hair, let alone at using a flatiron to do anything other than run it over my already flat-as-a-board hair,” Glamour contributor Lindsay Schallon says. “But Drybar’s flatiron makes it easy, since it has rounded edges that mimic a curling wand,” she says. “It’s also super lightweight, which makes it easier to wield.”

Glamour commerce director Brie Schwartz has owned this straightener for more than five years and is a fan of how straight it gets her 3C curls. “I’ve been using a flatiron for over 25 years, and I’ve tried at least 10. I used to be loyal to the popular GHD, but I find the Dry Bar option is even better for my fine, midlength curly hair since it has a narrow barrel, and is super lightweight so my wrists don’t hurt after a styling sesh. (The GHD is a bit longer.) Despite being the daughter of a hair dresser and having been exposed to all the best hair tools out of the womb, I didn’t get her skills, and this has by far been the easiest to work with and gets as hot as the professional one she used. My wand has stayed in great shape, and despite dropping it countless times, it hasn’t broken. The one thing to note is that, after about a year, the outside started getting hotter to the touch, so I’ve had to to be careful about how I grip it.” Schwartz also likes the digital temperature control that lets you know what temperature you’re operating at, up to 450°F.

5. Best for Frizzy Hair: Silk’n SilkyStraight 2-in-1 Hair Straightener and Curling Iron

What we love: Heats up quickly; smooth glide; 12 temperature settings
What could improve: The outside of the iron seems to get a bit hotter than others we tried.
Plate material: Titanium
Plate size: 1 inch
Temperature: Adjustable up to 450°F
Auto shutoff: 45 minutes
Cord: 8.53 feet

Red-light therapy for hair growth may be trending, but Silk’n doesn’t make any promises surrounding this particular purported benefit. Instead, the brand says the infrared technology allows you to style at a lower heat to reduce overall heat damage and helps retain moisture, thus more effectively smoothing and minimizing any frizz.

Glamour commerce writer Alanna Martine Kilkeary said she was a fan of this straightener from the moment she turned it on. “I liked how quickly this iron heated up—it took no more than 30 seconds (the brand says 15)—and how easy it was to glide through my hair. It didn’t get caught or snag,” she says. “It maintained a consistent temperature that didn’t feel too hot or singe my hair, and gave me a velvety soft finish. My hair looks super sleek after using this, and I’ll definitely be reaching for it again and again, I can already tell.”

6. Best for Wavy Hair: CHI Original 1-Inch Ceramic Hairstyling Iron

What we love: Fast-heating; long cord; customizable temperature
What could improve: Doesn’t get as hot as some others
Plate material: Ceramic
Plate size: 1 inch
Temperature: 392°F
Auto shutoff: 60 minutes
Cord: 11 feet

The CHI Original 1-Inch Ceramic Hairstyling Iron is an enduring classic and a perennial bestseller because of its functionality. The powerful hot tool heats up in just one minute and has adjustable heat up to 392°F—hot enough for those with wavy or curly hair. It also has an 11-foot charging cord (longer than many of its competitors). While it did take approximately two solid passes per section to straighten my hair, the end result was nice and sleek while still maintaining some volume.

Even testers with coarser hair said the hair tool worked well for them. “My hair is so frizzy that even after a blowout, it tends to be unruly by day two,” says Macaela MacKenzie, a Glamour contributor who put this straightener to the test. “I used the CHI on second-day hair and was impressed—my hair was smoother without falling flat, and my ends felt silky and full.”

7. Best for Less Heat Damage: T3 SinglePass StyleMax Flatiron

What we love: Smart temperature selection; heats up quickly; can straighten and curl
What could improve: Shorter power cord; doesn’t glide as smoothly over hair as we hoped
Plate material: Ceramic
Plate size: 1 inch
Temperature: 9 settings up to 410°F
Auto shutoff: 60 minutes
Cord: 7.9 feet

When you straighten your hair, you want the process to be as straightforward as possible and the result as sleek as possible. Of course, you also want to minimize any damage to your strands. T3’s Single Pass StyleMax delivers on all fronts, thanks to a unique technology that customizes the styling process for you—no fiddling with different temperatures. You simply select your hair texture and styling goals via buttons on the flatiron, then get to work—the iron will heat to one of nine temperatures selected for you.

This straightener came closer than any others to matching the quality of my beloved Amika. While there is a bit of a learning curve to figure out the smart heat settings, once I figured it out, things came to temperature exceptionally quickly. I appreciated that the rounded edges allow you to both straighten and curl, but I was disappointed with the feel of the plates. The iron didn’t swipe effortlessly but rather stuttered over my hair. It did, however, do a pretty solid job in a single pass.

8. Best for Coarse Hair: Hot Tools Pro Artist Flatiron

What we love: LED temperature display; travel lock; tone lets you know when device reaches desired temperature; high heat
What could improve: Doesn’t glide through hair as effortlessly as we hoped
Plate material: Ceramic and titanium
Size: 1 inch
Temperature: Adjustable up to 455°F
Auto shutoff: 60 minutes
Cord: 9 feet

We like this Hot Tools iron for how quickly it heats up, its easy-to-read LED display with adjustable temps up to a whopping 455°F, and the fact that it gives an audible beep when it reaches whatever temperature you set it to. As one of the hotter irons on our list, it’s a great pick for anyone who has hair that’s trickier to style, whether it’s super coarse or curly.

As someone who relies on their flatiron to straighten and curl, I really liked the rounded design of this pick. It made it very easy to get rounded edges that mimic a blow-dried style when straightening, but also helped create really beautiful long, loose curls when curling. It did stutter a bit on my wavy, medium-textured hair, but not quite as much as some others I tried.

9. Best Titanium: Kristin Ess 3-in-One Professional Titanium Hair Straightener

What we love: Grips hair for great tension without snagging; multiple heat settings up to 440°F; long power cord
What could improve: Doesn’t stand up on its own very well
Plate material: Titanium
Plate size: 1 inch
Temperature: Adjusts up to 440°F
Auto shutoff: 30 minutes
Cord: 9 feet

Since its launch in 2017, Kristin Ess has developed a name for itself as a budget-friendly brand with exceptional quality, and this three-in-one straightener is an excellent example of its wares. Not only does the flatiron look and feel like a higher-end model, but it also performs at a similar level.

I found it easy to use—simply long-press the power button to turn it on, then continuously press it to toggle through the various heat settings up to 440°F. It heats up, even to its max temperature, relatively quickly—certainly under a minute. But what I was most impressed with was the tension of the titanium plates. They really grip hair without snagging or stuttering, so you can get enough of a hold on hair to smooth it in a single pass. There were only a few stubborn sections that required a second pass—something that’s hard to come by in most straighteners, let alone one at this price point. On the downside, it did keep tipping when I set it down on my counter, although it does come with a thermal sleeve for traveling or storing the hot tool after you’re done using it.

10. Best Value: Conair Double Ceramic Flatiron

What we love: Budget-friendly; impressive number of heat settings for a budget-friendly option; lightweight
What could improve: Short cord; no automatic shutoff
Plate material: Ceramic
Size: 1 inch
Temperature: Five settings up to 410°F
Auto shutoff: No
Cord: 5 feet

It’s hard to believe you can score a straightener for just $25, let alone a good one, but Conair proves it’s possible with this double ceramic flatiron. It’s ultral-ightweight, has ceramic plates, and heats up to 410°F, so it’s suitable for all hair types from fine to coarse and curly. Sure, its heat settings aren’t quite as numerous as some other more sophisticated models, but you can still select from five different options, which is pretty impressive compared with other models at similar price points.

I was, overall, impressed with the value. I used the iron on its hottest setting to smooth out second-day hair and round out the edges. Most sections required just one to two passes to eliminate any kinks and tame any frizz around the nape of my neck and my hairline. It did, however, stutter just a bit towards the ends where my hair isn’t quite as smooth. It would also be nice to have a longer cord and, more importantly, an auto-shutoff feature, but I’d have no qualms about buying this as an option to leave at my mom’s house for visits or even to buy on vacation should I forget to pack my top pick.

All your hair straightener questions, answered

What type of hair straightener is best?

There are two main types of hair straighteners: those made with ceramic plates and those made with titanium plates. Less commonly, some flatirons feature a combination of the two materials. There are also outliers, like the Airstrait, which use air rather than hot plates.

For fine or relatively easy-to-straighten hair: Set your sights on a flatiron with ceramic plates, since this material takes longer to heat up and has more even heat distribution, says Raven Hurtado, a hairstylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago. Sometimes you’ll find ceramic tourmaline options; these offer added hair care benefits, since tourmaline is a mineral that helps smooth and boost shine while locking in moisture, helping to minimize both frizz and static.

For coarse or curly hair: A titanium flatiron may be preferable for these hair types, since this type of material heats up faster and can maintain a higher temperature that requires fewer passes on the hair, says Lacy Redway, Unilever stylist and celebrity hair artist.

What temperature setting should you use in a flatiron?

Fine to medium hair: Experts recommend lower temperature ranges of 250°F to 300°F.

Curly to coarse hair: Experts recommend staying within the 350°F to 450°F range. But you’ll want to use a protective spray or serum beforehand and smoothing oils afterward to balance out the extreme heat.

Colored or damaged hair: Experts recommend using heat sparingly, as bleaching and highlighting dries out and damages hair—and if you do use heat, stick to the lower ranges of 250°F to 300°F.

How to prevent hair damage when using a flatiron

The hotter your setting, the more likely it will damage your hair—no matter what type of straightener you’re using. After all, you’re applying direct, intense heat to your hair. Always apply a heat protectant before you begin and choose a safe temperature (as outlined above) for your type of hair, says Redway.

How we test hair straighteners

At Glamour we’re constantly researching, testing, and writing about the best hair tools on the market, including curling irons, hair dryers, blow-dry brushes, and more.

While spec sheets and reviews are a crucial component of our research, we believe it’s important to put hair tools like flatirons to the test for real-world feedback. That’s why we sent more than a dozen of the top-rated and most well-reviewed options to team members to assess both performance and long-term durability.

Brigitt Earley, the author of this roundup, is a writer with more than 15 years of industry experience evaluating and testing consumer products, including beauty products of all kinds (hair, cosmetics, skin care, gadgets, and more), for leading publications like Glamour, Oprah Daily, Good Housekeeping, and more. Brigitt has long hair that’s wavy with a medium texture and has been using hair straighteners for more than 20 years. We also tapped additional Glamour staffers and reviewers with various hair types to help test, including Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour’s commerce writer, and Brie Schwartz, director of commerce for Glamour and Teen Vogue. Together, they bring more than 22 years of industry experience to the table.

During evaluations, we looked for a variety of qualities like material, temperature range, ease of use, overall performance, and convenience features like an auto shutoff. We also considered how durable the tools were over time. Most importantly, our top hair straighteners had to deliver sleek and shiny results that lasted throughout the day—and, ideally, beyond.

Five months later we asked our testers to reevaluate each straightener. How well did each product hold up throughout continued use? Did our testers still stand behind their picks—why or why not? We also researched the market for new and notable flatirons, and put four of the most promising to the test, ultimately selecting three standouts to replace two previously recommended models that we felt were either outdated or didn’t live up to the hype in the long run.

Meet the Experts

• Raven Hurtado, hairstylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago
• Lacy Redway, Unilever stylist and celebrity hair artist