There is an army of beauty tools vying for precious real estate in your home.
From hair dryers, curling irons and straighteners, to heated rollers, hot brushes and crimpers, the market is awash with gadgets to turn any bad hair day on its head and help you replicate that professional salon experience.
But if you’re looking to pare back your collection and make your heated hair tools work harder for you, there’s a more considered purchase you can make.
Sure, there are the likes of the Dyson Airwrap and Shark FlexStyle that have more attachments than most people know what to with but then there’s the humble hair straightener that can do far more than leave your locks poker straight.
With very little skill required, you can use the ceramic plates to create bouncy blow-out curls or effortless beach waves, depending on tightness of wrap and angle.
Hairdresser and ghd UK Ambassador Samantha Cusick breaks it down into a six-step process:
- Prepare Your Hair: Start with clean, dry hair and apply heat protection.
- Section Your Hair: Divide your hair into manageable sections using clips. Smaller sections result in tighter curls, while larger sections create looser waves.
- Get Curling: Take a small section of hair (approximately 1 inch wide) and clamp the tool near the roots, close to your scalp. Twist the straightener 180 degrees away from your face, creating a U-shape. Slowly glide the styler down the hair shaft while maintaining the twist. Alternate the direction of the twist with each section for natural-looking curls. Repeat this process for all sections of your hair.
- Allow the Curls to Cool: Leave your hair in its ringlets to cool without touching them. This gives hair time to set and will make your style last longer.
- Style and Finish: Once the curls have cooled, gently run your fingers through them to loosen and style as desired. Add hair spray for a light hold or shine serum for added shine.
- Final Touches: Check your curls in the mirror and make any adjustments if needed. My pro tip is to straighten the ends slightly for more of a cool girl look.
What should you look for in a straightener for curling?
In order to achieve this, you need the right type of straightener. Tyler Moore, Expert Stylist at Live True London says that it requires “a standard, thin but rounded straightener”. He adds that “A paddle style straightener will be much harder to use” and stresses the importance of using a good quality one to minimise damage. This is something Cusick highlights too, she flags seven features to look for:
- Plate Material: ghd stylers feature advanced technology, which ensures even heat distribution and reduces the risk of heat damage.
- Plate Size: different plate sizes cater to different lengths of hair.
- Temperature Control
- Rounded Barrel: A rounded barrel is perfect for creating curls, waves, and flips. The curved edges make it easier to create curls with the straightener.
- Dual Voltage: If you travel frequently, consider a straightener with dual voltage compatibility, which allows you to use it in different countries without the need for a voltage converter.
- Durability and Warranty: invest and you’ll get lots of use out of them.
- Safety Features: Ensure the straightener has safety features like automatic shut-off after a certain period of inactivity, which can provide peace of mind, especially when you’re in a rush.
When using any heated tool, protecting your precious mane is of the utmost importance. In order to ensure this, Moore advises to “only heat style dry hair (after blow drying), use heat protectant spray, replenish moisture with masks and use good quality hair products”.
Shop the best straighteners for curling below
Dyson Corrale™ Cord-Free Hair Straighteners, Copper/Nickel
Forget tying yourself up in knots thanks to the straighteners cord. Dyson’s Corrale design does away with wires altogether, offering a less stressful styling experience that’s portable too.
More suited to finessing thick hair rather than styling from scratch, the flexing copper plate gadget works both as a straightener and a curler for both smooth and sleek dos, as well as curly and textured. There are precise heat settings to choose from - 165°C, 185°C, and 210°C - offering a temperature for all hair types. Choose the lowest if you’ve got damaged or dyed strands.
Buy now £399.99, John Lewis
ghd Platinum+ Professional Smart Styler
If the original is the timeless work horse in the collection, the Platinum+ is the slick, technologically-advanced super straightener that comes with smart features. The intelligent tool has the ability to adapt its temperature to each section of your hair, offering the optimal degrees to better protect as you straighten. It monitors the tresses at 250 times per second in order to achieve this. This device also impacts colour protection and encourages a healthy shine.
Buy now £166.00, Amazon
Flower Beauty Ceramic Styling Iron
Drew Barrymore created Flower Beauty to give our hair tools a vibrant upgrade. The colourful designs make for eye-catching gadgets you’ll be proud to display but don’t for one minute think it’s a case of style over substance. Far from it.
The Ceramic Styling Iron provides a purse-friendly way to both straighten and curl, making the latter a breeze thanks to a specialised round barrel shape designed for exactly that. The cord measures 3m and is attached with a swivel design, giving you freedom of movement no matter where your plug is placed. There are four heat settings with a max temperature of 225°C.
Buy now £34.99, Boots
BaByliss Straight and Curl Brilliance Rose-Gold Hair Straightener
The exterior of these straightening irons from BaByliss is fitted with a curved stainless steel housing that leads to easy curly styles - just pay very close attention to your finger placement. The hair tool brand beloved by professional stylists the world over has thought of everything to ensure the styling process is seamless from start to finish.
From the five different temperature settings, longer plates and smoothing frizz control, your finished look will be as sleek as you’d imagined. There’s also a 3-metre cable with a swivel design, quick heat up (only 15 seconds) and auto shut off.
Buy now £75.00, lookfantastic
José Eber HST Air Styler
José Eber has been redefining the hair styling movement since the 70s, giving the process artistic flair - something he hopes everyone can achieve with his eponymous range of tools.
Not your classic curler, this gadget has a high-speed nano fan that pushes cool air through the barrel to set the hair as it goes. It also means that you can place it directly next to your scalp without fear of burning mishaps. Both the straightening and curling functions happen at super speed, much quicker than ordinary versions of this product type so you can streamline your morning routine. The entire process is customisable with varying temperature control - from 140°C-220°C - to suit all hair types.
Buy now £225.00, Selfridges
CLOUD NINE The Contour Iron 2-in-1 Pro Hair Straightener
Whether you switch between sleek straight strands or glamorous curls, the polished plates of this iron from CLOUD NINE make style spontaneity a breeze. This was the first straightening iron on the market designed with curling in mind, so you can expect that it boasts all the features to make this possible - namely curved plate technology.
The interior is infused with the brand’s signature healing minerals - Sericite and Tourmaline - that are chosen for their ability to lock in moisture and leave a healthy shine in its wake. You can also switch between different temperatures ranging from 100-200°C to give you greater control over the process.
Buy now £299.00, CLOUD NINE
Bio:Ionic 3-in-1 Curler Wand and Flat Iron with UK Plug
When closed, it’s hard to determine whether this tool is in fact a straightening iron or a curler, but here’s the thing: it’s both. The brand is Bio:Ionic, which may not be the most well-known on the market but is gaining traction among the beauty community for its revolutionary use of heat. Moisturizing Heat, as it has been dubbed. This gives a sleek, frizz-free finish using a proprietary complex of natural minerals to put moisture back into the individual strands.
Buy now, Cult Beauty
GHD Unplugged Cordless Styler
On opening the GHD cordless styler, we were first struck by its compact size. It almost miraculously fits into the tiny travel-sized pouch provided that could slip into any clutch bag with ease. It’s tiny. The device is also so light - weighing in at just 300g - but yet doesn’t sacrifice on power.
Press the button and the flat iron straighteners are ready to use just 45 seconds. They live up to the GHD product range, allowing you to create shiny straight looks or waves in an instant with up to 20 minutes of continuous styling power (after two hours of charge).
Down to the tech nitty-gritty: the stylers use a Hybrid Co-lithium technology with long-life lithium-ion batteries and the brand’s signature advanced dual-zone technology to ensure that the device will stand the test of time and perform as you need throughout. It has also been kitted out with high gloss plates for sleek styling results. Charge up through the USB-C cable once the indicator suggests that you’re running low on juice and that can be slipped into the travel pouch too, which is heat-resistant. It switches off after three minutes of inactivity so no panic is necessary.
There is just one temperature setting - 185oC - and it comes in either black or white.
Buy now £299.00, lookfantastic
Cloud Nine Cordless Iron Pro hair straightener
This is the first portable tool from Cloud Nine but packs a professional level of power into a compact device. It uses the same tech as the brand’s best-selling Original Iron Pro but gives you the opportunity to use it while you’re on the go. Ten years of research have resulted in this device that is powered through Nano technology, is super lightweight and charges up in just 45 minutes. The plates have been infused with minerals to lock in moisture and minimise hair damage. The latter also has defrizzing effects and works wonders to the lasting power of your look.
The device is made up of curved plates so whether you want an all-straight look or want to flex your prowess with curls, it’s easy and quick to do without snagging on your precious locks.
Cloud Nine’s cordless straightener comes alongside a faux leather roll bag and state-of-the-art charging pod. You’ll also receive a heat guard and boar bristle dressing brush as well as a travel bag.
Buy now £349.00, Selfridges
Babyliss 9000 Cordless Range
With thrice the cordless love, Babyliss has launched not one but three high-performance styling tools using innovative heater technology and all of which have wireless capabilities. The devices are powered by the brand’s Micro Heating Matrix that keeps it at a consistent and even temperature throughout with quick heat-up times - just 15 seconds - and iconic conditioning to fight against frizz and lock in hair’s natural oils.
The Curling Tong will help you create the professional-level ringlets of your dreams in seconds with a 25mm barrel for those tighter curl looks. It offers 40 minutes of continuous use and even has varying temperature settings to protect your hair - 160oC, 170oC and 180oC.
The Waving Wand is best for those effortless beach waves with a 28mm barrel and all the manoeuvrability to create the soft, loose styles that you wish without pesky wires getting in the way. Like the model above, it has 40 minutes of use and the same three temperature settings.
Last but certainly not least, the Cordless Straightener will fix those bad-hair days in an instant and help you get long, sleek and polished looks with 30 minutes of use and the same varying temperatures as the devices above. It weighs just 456g and has a battery-level indicator so you know when it’s time to rejuice.
Buy now £100.00, Amazon
ghd Gold Hair Straightener
The Gold model may have a similar appearance to the other ghd straighteners in the collection but it has been specifically designed for those looking to create bouncy bombshell curls, effortless beach waves and silky shiny styles. This tool also has sensors on the styling plates to monitor the temperature and a contoured design to eliminate snagging.
Buy now £179.00, lookfantastic
