13 Best Hair Straighteners for Sleek, Glossy Strands
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Whether you straighten your hair every day or save heat for special occasions, your delicate strands deserve to be styled with the best hair straightener out there. The best flatirons can help you score pin-straight hair at home while mitigating heat damage and frizz (though, no matter what heated tool you’re using, applying a heat protectant before styling is always a good idea). Lucky for all of us, there's a flatiron on the market for every hair type, styling goal, and tool preference, so you can smoothly find your straightening soulmate. We've scoured the web and talked to pro stylists and Allure editors to serve up the best straighteners for all types of locks, sans-scorch.
Our Top Picks:
- Best Hair Straightener Overall: GHD Platinum+ Styler, $289
- Best Wet-to-Straight: Dyson Airstrait, $500
- Best Under-$100: Mane The Three Way Multi-Use Flat Iron, $98
- Best Multi-Styler: Shark FlexFusion Air & Ceramic Styling System, $400
- Best Vibrating Plates: Bio Ionic 10X Styling Iron, $239
- Best Customizable: T3 Smooth ID Flatiron, $249
- Best for Short Hair: Gussi Mane Squeeze 1" Titanium & Ceramic Flat Iron, $129
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Are hair straighteners safe for my hair?
- How do hair straighteners work?
- How should I choose a hair straightener?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Hair Straightener Overall: GHD Platinum+ Styler
Why it's worth it: To reduce damage on all hair types (especially color-treated hair and hair prone to breakage), pick up the GHD Platinum+ Styler for its proprietary technology, which monitors heat 250 times per second to ensure the plates never get too hot. The Allure Best of Beauty Award-winning tool is automatically set to a safe 365 degrees Fahrenheit and has a rounded barrel for curling hair and creating waves—in addition to straightening hair. The Platinum+ Styler can also detect your hair's thickness in real time as you style and adjust the heat accordingly.
Tester feedback: "I've been a die-hard GHD Platinum+ Styler user ever since I could flatiron my hair—and I've been styling my hair weekly with straighteners for almost 20 years," says commerce writer Jennifer Hussein. “I have especially thick, wavy-curly hair that won't bend to the heat of most flatirons, but its 365-degree Fahrenheit temperature whips my strands into shape without frying it in the process.”
Tester feedback: Shopping director Shanna Shipin also can't get enough of the GHD Platinum+ Styler, calling it the most important item in her hair-care routine. "In all of my years of straightening (at least 15 years), my repertoire has never had a more heat-safe, versatile, and quality straightener. I've had my current Platinum+ since it launched in 2018, and not once has it crapped out on me; no hint of the coil ripping or the plates loosening," she says. "It's practically as good as new—and that's saying something since I straighten my entire head of hair at least once per week." She loves how simple it is to use, too—there's no fancy LED screen and only one button to operate it.
| More to Know: | |
|---|---|
| Plate Material: | ceramic |
| Cord Length: | 9 ft. |
| Who It's For: | people with fragile or breakage-prone hair |
Best Wet-to-Straight: Dyson Airstrait
Why it's worth it: If you're a fan of the Dyson Corrale, just wait until you get your hands on an Airstrait. This wet-to-straight flatiron takes damp strands and transforms them into a silky-smooth waterfall of flyaway and frizz-free hair in minutes. The beauty of this tool is that it relies on the velocity of hot air instead of heated plates, so its highest temperature is a gentle 285 degrees Fahrenheit. Sure, it's a splurge, but its unique, hair-health-first design makes it worth the cash.
Tester feedback: "I found the dryer function useful and intuitive," says commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann. "It's really nice not having to hold a brush in one hand and a hair dryer in the other for the 30-plus minutes it takes for my hair to dry," she says. “The wide clamp is great for covering large sections of hair all at once, but I definitely needed multiple passes to add shine and smoothness to my curly hair.”
| More to Know: |
|---|
| Plate Material: none (does not feature hot plates) |
| Cord Length: 9.6 ft. |
| Who It's For: people who regularly straighten their hair |
Best Under-$100: Mane The Three Way Multi-Use Flat Iron
Why it's worth it: Whether you want pin-straight hair, waves, or curls, Mane's The Three Way Multi-Use Flat Iron gets the job done. The Jen Atkin-founded brand makes a wide array of affordable, effective hot tools, including this straightener that's equipped with a temperature spectrum of 200 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and can easily smooth coily and coarse hair. If you're unsure about your settings, the Mane website offers a handy guide on which heat setting to use depending on your hair type and styling goals, but generally, if you have fine hair or fragile hair, lower temperatures are better.
Tester feedback: In addition to straightening her whole head of hair, contributing commerce writer Annie Blackman loves using the Mane The Three Way Multi-Use Flat Iron for post-blowout touch-ups. "The narrow shape of this flatiron is perfect for touching up sections of hair as I reach the end of the day's styling journey," she says. She makes sure to brush through sections as she glides the tool along sections of her hair (and uses clips to keep things organized). “To make my naturally wavy hair more approachable, I use Mane's Ready or Knot Detangling Brush, which works like a dream to work through any lingering kinks,” she adds.
| More to Know: |
|---|
| Plate Material: ceramic |
| Cord Length: 9 ft. |
| Who It's For: people who want to touch up after blow-drying |
More flatirons we love:
Best Multi-Styler: Shark FlexFusion Air & Ceramic Styling System
Why it's worth it: Ever wished your multi-styler had a straightening option? Well, Shark heard your call to action and created the FlexFusion Air & Ceramic Styling System, a multi-tasking device that comes with a hair straightening attachment. It combines ceramic plates with air-based technology to straighten your hair (even when wet!) without causing significant heat damage. When you don’t feel like using your straightener, you can swap it with one of the four other attachments this hair tool comes with, including curling wands and a blow-dryer brush.
Plate material: ceramic | Cord length: 9 ft. | Who it's for: anyone who wants a multi-styler for a variety of looks.
Best Vibrating Plates: Bio Ionic 10X Styling Iron
Why it's worth it: Genius: Bio Ionic’s 10X Styling Iron emits sonic vibrations along its plates that polish strands as they glide across sections of your hair, leaving behind a shinier and smoother look than stagnant plates can provide. These one-inch ceramic plates also feature the brand’s signature ionic technology to minimize moisture loss. Its slender, beveled design makes this pick perfect for creating smooth, straight styles and curls.
Plate material: ceramic | Cord length: 9 ft. | Who it's for: everyone
Best Customizable: T3 Smooth ID Flatiron
Why it's worth it: T3 has taken the idea of personalization to the next level, and thank goodness for that. The 2020 Best of Beauty Award-winning Smooth ID Flatiron (previously known as the Lucea ID) is a high-tech hair straightener that chooses a heat setting for you. It does this through an algorithm based on your texture, length, and whether or not you've color-treated your hair (you enter the info into the straightener via the digital interface). The futuristic flatiron can determine which of its nine temperature control settings will be the safest and most effective.
Tester feedback: "Knowing that I was using the correct temperature was a major win on its own, but seeing the sleek results solidified the flatiron's permanent spot on my shelf," says senior beauty editor Paige Stables.
Plate material: ceramic | Cord length: 8 ft. | Who it's for: people who color their hair, or those seeking a personalized styling iron
Best for Short Hair: Gussi Mane Squeeze 1" Titanium & Ceramic Flat Iron
Why it's worth it: The Gussi Mane Squeeze 1" Titanium & Ceramic Flat Iron won a 2023 Best of Beauty Award for its clever pairing of ionic titanium plates (which promote moisture retention for a sleeker, softer feel) and a ceramic heater. This combination offers the best of both worlds—A.K.A., even heat distribution, and reliable results. The uniform temperature allows straightening in a single pass, and the flatiron heats in less than a minute. Unlike options that have preset heat settings, this straightener allows you to set your temperature in 10-degree increments. It also comes with a heat-resistant, non-slip mat for peace of mind when setting the straightener down without turning it off.
Plate material: titanium | Cord length: 9 ft. | Who it's for: people who want to customize their heat settings
Best for Long Hair: Conair Infiniti Pro Rainbow Titanium Flatiron
Why it's worth it: Sure, the Conair Infiniti Pro Rainbow Titanium Flatiron is stunning, but this affordable option is more than just a pretty face and a low price tag. Its 1.75-inch plate size covers larger sections of hair for easier, faster styling. It has a total of 30 heat settings reaching up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and a lightning-fast 15-second heat-up time, so anyone can use this styling tool without significantly damaging or burning their hair.
Plate material: ceramic | Cord length: 6 ft. | Who it's for: people who want serious results without splurging
Best Titanium Plates: BabylissPro Nano Titanium Prima3000 Stainless Steel Straightening Iron
Why it's worth it: BabylissPro's Nano Titanium Prima3000 Stainless Steel Straightening Iron is beloved for its quick heat-up time (465 degrees Fahrenheit, hello!) and its long titanium plates that speed up smoothing. (Titanium plates heat up faster and distribute heat more evenly than ceramic). You can also use this tool to create loose and tight curls, and since the plates are ultra-thin, they easily catch and straighten the shorter baby hairs you want to lay flat. If you're using the straightener to curl your hair, close and lock the iron to use it as a wand.
Plate material: titanium | Cord length: 9 ft. | Who it's for: people who want to curl
Best for Dry Hair: Amika The Confidante Moisture Maintenance Styler
Why it's worth it: The high-tech tourmaline plates of Amika's The Confidante Moisture Maintenance Styler don't just straighten your hair (though they do that quite adeptly). They also deliver heat more deeply so that, with the help of cuticle-smoothing negative ions, they seal in moisture. That's pretty much the exact opposite of what some damaging, drying hot tools are known to do.The floating plates are longer than the average flatiron's, which means more coverage and less snagging.
Plate material: titanium | Cord length: 9 ft. | Who it's for: people with dry or porous hair
Best for Shine: Remington Shine Therapy Argan Oil & Keratin 2" Flat Iron
Why it's worth it: We're not saying the keratin and argan oil infused into the plates of the Remington Shine Therapy Argan Oil & Keratin 2" Flat Iron can replace your favorite conditioning hair products, but, the extra dose of shine-boosting ingredients certainly doesn't hurt. The tool’s ceramic plates condition as they straighten your hair with heat of up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and leave hair noticeably less frizzy than untreated ceramic plates do. The 2-inch-wide plates get bonus points for making quick work of long or thick hair..
Plate material: ceramic | Cord length: 9 ft.| Who it's for: people with lackluster hair
Best for Frizzy Hair: L'Oréal Professionnel Steampod Flat Iron & Styler
Why it's worth it: Functioning like a clothing iron for your hair, the L'Oréal Professionnel Steampod Flat Iron & Styler delivers heat via a continuous release of steam, which leads to smoother, frizz-free hair and longer-lasting results. The tank holds enough water for you to style a full head of hair and the tool has a removable comb that detangles and keeps hair in place while you style. As for its temperature settings, L'Oréal programmed this nifty straightener with three options: 350, 390, and 410 degrees Fahrenheit. It works best with small sections of hair, so it might not be a great option if you have thick or very long hair.
Plate material: aluminium | Cord length: 9 ft. | Who it's for: people who want staying power
Best Multi-Use: Kristin Ess 3-in-1 Flatiron
Why it's worth it: Celebrity hairstylist Kristin Ess made waves with her affordable hair tools, and the 3-in-1 Flatiron is a testament to the styling chops behind the line. The body has rounded edges, and floating plates that reduce snagging allowing you to use it to create everything from loose waves to bouncy curls and straight styles alike. . If you need peace of mind, the iron has an auto shut-off function after 30 minutes.
Plate material: titanium | Cord length: 9 ft.| Who it's for: everyone
Frequently Asked Questions
Are hair straighteners safe for my hair?
You may be wary of using high heat on your hair, but hair straighteners are perfectly safe for your strands when used correctly. "The key is to use them on dry hair and ideally as a finishing tool. I typically recommend smoothing with a round brush before straightening. Always apply a heat protectant before styling to shield your strands from high temperatures," says hairstylist and founder of Trademark Beauty Joseph Maine. “Also, it's important to keep the flatiron clean to ensure it heats evenly and doesn't snag your hair.”
"Use a haircare product that's marketed as a heat protectant before straightening your hair. In general, I don't recommend using oils because they can burn, along with your hair, when applied right before using a flatiron," says New York City-based hairstylist Devin Toth. "Don't go over the same section of hair over and over again. It's better to go over it once, slowly. People tend to have more damage in their face-framing area of hair because they hit it with the iron too many times to get them just right." Another key to straightening safely is to be mindful of the temperature of your flatiron. According to both stylists, the optimal temperature to avoid burning is 365 degrees Fahrenheit.
How do hair straighteners work?
"Flatirons work by using heated plates to temporarily alter the structure of your hair, making it straight. When you apply the heated plates to your hair, the heat breaks down the hydrogen bonds in the hair's cortex, causing it to straighten," says Maine. "Once your hair cools down or gets wet, these bonds reform, and your hair goes back to its natural state," Maine adds that varying materials like ceramic, titanium, or tourmaline have different effects on the heat distribution and speed of the straightening process.
How should I choose a hair straightener?
Picking a hair straightener is a personal choice and largely depends on your hair type and styling desires. "For fine or damaged hair, look for a flatiron with adjustable heat settings to prevent overheating—ceramic plates are great for even heat distribution without getting too hot," Maine tells Allure. He adds that if your hair is on the thicker, or coarser side, a hair straightener with titanium plates is ideal because they "can handle higher heat and manage frizz more effectively."
Toth explains that plate size and shape are key to selecting a hair straightener. "The wider the plate, the straighter the hair will look. So if you like to really bend and bevel the ends of your hair then choose a more narrow plate," says Toth. Maine echoes Toth, explaining that a "wider plate can straighten more hair at a time, which is useful for thicker hair, while a narrower plate is better for short hair, detailed styling like bangs, or achieving specialized styles like flatiron waves or curls.
According to Maine, you should also consider the type of plate edges featured on a hair straightener before making your purchase. "If the plates of the flatiron are slightly protruding out of the iron and the edges of the plates are beveled, then you will be able to effortlessly make curls with this tool," he states. "If the plates are not protruding with beveled edges, then the iron is mainly designed for straightening hair."
Meet the experts
- Devin Toth, a professional hair stylist at Salon SCK in New York City
- Joseph Maine, celebrity hair stylist
How we test and review products
We always enlist a range of testers for any review, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While some can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and concerns, many are created with specific consumers and their needs in mind. When reviewing tools, we also take into account testers’ experience levels. For instance, an innovative new blow-dryer may feature industry-leading technology, but if the only people who find it intuitive to use are professional hairstylists, we have to consider this when determining whether it is worthy of a recommendation.
For our review of the best hair straighteners, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and hair stylists with varying hair types and desired styling outcomes, and whether one product was tested across multiple hair types. Testers considered performance across three primary categories: efficacy, safety, ease of use, and value. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
Find more Allure editor-approved picks for hair:
- These Creams Are the Way to Pillowy-Soft, Defined Curls
- 17 Best Detangler Sprays for Knot-Free Hair
- Every Allure Editor Has A Boar-Bristle Brush—Here's Why You Need One, Too
Done reading? Now, watch beauty mogul Huda Kattan nail her everyday glam routine.
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