While the Y2K fashion revival saw a return to pin-straight hair, recent years have seen a trend towards bringing natural curls back from the dead.
Gone are the days of straightening our hair until steam begins to billow from the roots, spraying a bucket’s worth of dry shampoo after a day or two, and repeating the process without applying nourishing or protective products in between. Healthy hair is well and truly in, and the beauty industry is responding to this newfound desire to keep our locks looking as luscious as possible.
A vast array of heatless styling products have thus hit the market in the last few years, removing the need for wavy hair enthusiasts to DIY their own overnight contraptions with dressing gown ties. We’re talking about the kind of hair invention designed to produce silky smooth curls and waves, without leaving us with the need to wear our rollers mid-commute.
The most popular solution for achieving overnight waves without heat, however, is a plush rod-like structure covered in a silky material which is worn like a headband. Either side of the rod is then brought down towards the face, and the wearer will simply wrap their locks around the leftover material before securing them with hair-safe scrunchies.
The results are near-magical, with proponents of the technique rushing to TikTok to show viewers their incredible curls from the minute they wake up. Interested in trying a heatless curl headband for yourself? We’ve got you covered. Keep scrolling for a round-up of the best on the market.
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SILKE Heatless Curler
If you’re anything like us, right now on your wrist is anywhere between 1 - 3 hair ties, ready for those moments when you need your hair out of your face. SILKE offers some of the best around, and now has brought its kind-to-strand signature to other tools. A claw grip and a heatless curler are all you need here to help achieve Hollywood-esque curls minus the heat.
Made from the same silky fabric as the hair ties, the tool is essentially one long, skinny foam sausage that you position on the centre front of your head (hair centre parted) and secure with the claw grip. Then working from the top-most sections, wrap a three-inch-wide section around the tool, pulling away from your face so that the roots are pulled up - this is what will give you the volume you’re looking for. Work in sections along one side from the top of your head to your temples, around the ears and finally the back of the neck, securing it all at the end with the hair tie, then repeat on the other side.
SILKE recommends using the tool with damp hair and sleeping in it, which, as side-sleepers, we found challenging. Luckily the tool will give you the desired effect if you wear it for three to four hours (or as long as it takes for your hair to completely air dry). This makes it an option if you want to try heatless for an afternoon or evening event.
The benefits are obvious: zero heat damage and bouncy curls to die for. Add a styling creme, mousse or a few drops of hair oil to your damp locks before wrapping them around the hair tool for a more polished result.
Available in black or pink.
Buy now £42.00, Sephora
Corated Heatless Curling Rod Headband
This value-for-money option comes with both a hair clip and scrunchies to secure your heatless curls in place. Available in a variety of colours, it’s made from a velvety soft material which will prevent static build-up and breakage. The most recent review from January 2024 has seen one user shun her Dyson Airwrap for this sub-£10 wonder – dubbing it the most comfortable option of them all.
Buy now £9.99, Amazon
2 Pairs Heatless Hair Curlers with Satin Bonnets
This brilliant set comes with two heatless hair curlers, which makes it perfect for those with thicker, more luscious locks. Miniature silken hair bonnets attach to each end to form a space-bun like hairstyle, which keeps your hair in place throughout the night.
Buy now £7.99, Amazon
Kitsch Satin Heatless Pillow Rollers 6pc- Soft Marble
If you’re after beachy waves or a more laid-back curl, this set of six rollers may be the heatless hero your hair has been crying out for. Once you’ve added product through damp hair, section off parts and wrap around each curler, snapping the ends together once all the hair has been gathered to keep it all secure. Wait until hair has completely dried before removing the satin rollers, which should slide off your locks with ease thanks to the silky nature of the fabric.
Buy now £10.50, Boots
Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set - Sunset Tie Dye
We've had overnight oats, now it's time to say hello to overnight curls; both sensations born from social media. This fabric tube is another riff off a viral TikTok trend, in which users wrapped hair around the belt of a dressing robe and secured it with ties on the end. You can leave your gown tied with this tool encased in a warm soft tye-dye print with matching hair scrunchies.
Section from the top, away from the face and loop around the tube, securing the whole lot with the ties at the end. By morning, you'll have perfectly curled waves. Easy.
Buy now £12.99, Amazon
Pintaur Store High Resilience Sponge Heatless Hair Curler
The length of this headband is perfect for longer hair in particular, with plenty of room to wrap sections around. If you’re after beachy, boho waves, wrap larger sections loosely around the rod; for tighter curls with added longevity, pack the sections in a bit tighter.
Buy now £9.99, Amazon
DMQ Heatless Curler Hair Bun
It may be a streamlined version of a hair rod, but this double-scrunchie offers much the same results. Using it is arguably more simple too: gather hair into a high pony as far up along your head as you can manage, and wrap sections around the more concentrated scrunched section (shown here in light green). Once all your hair is in, use the darker half to wrap over your hair and keep everything secure, ready for you to sleep or work in. This option works best on longer hair as you need to have enough to gather up and wrap from the top of your head.
Buy now £6.59, Amazon
Octopus Heatless Curling Rod
For a more intense curl, we recommend giving an octopus-shaped curling headband a go. This silky-smooth option has hairbands attached to the end of each rod, making securing your locks an absolute breeze.
Buy now £9.99, Amazon
