8 Best Heatless Curlers for Divinely Damage-Free Ringlets
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So, you want wavy hair. You crave curls. You thirst for tendrils…but you hate using heat on your hair. Turns out, the best heatless curlers are the solution you never saw coming. Yes, you're well acquainted with the rollers your mom used to sleep in every night, but man, they always looked so uncomfortable—and they were. Lucky for you, it's 2024, and there are some fantastic alternatives. If TikTok has taught us anything, it's the power of a flexi-rod, a silky-soft curling tool that requires zero heat and results in the best, most natural-looking ringlets you've ever worn, all achieved with a simple rap around the rod and a couple of hours (or a full night's snooze) of patience. Check out the best heatless curlers the web has to offer, plus some expert insight.
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall: Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set, $18
- Best Splurge: Silke London Heatless Curler, $58
- Best Set: Mermade Hair Heatless Curls Kit, $33
- Best Ribbon Wrap: Mane Label The Sway Hair Curling Ribbon Wrap, $31
- Best Rollers: Drybar High Tops Self-Grip Rollers, $12
- Best for Short Hair: Invisibobble Heatless Curling Set, $15
- Most Versatile: RobeCurls Satin Heatless Hair Curler, $28
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do heatless curlers work?
- What's the difference between curls done with heat and curls done with heatless curlers?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set
Why It's Worth It: The easy-to-use, reasonably priced, and comfy-to-sleep-in Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set comes in a ton of colors and can be easily customized to your curl preferences. You can wear this curling set overnight or wrap it with sections of hair during a WFH sesh to prepare for a night out. The 34-inch rod is an excellent match for longer lengths and the silk material nips frizz in the bud. In her review, staff editor Jihan Forbes noted that you may benefit from extra prep if you already have curly hair. "If your hair has some texture, though, you might want to run a blow-dryer over it before you try this. Overall, it's an easy way to style your hair and pretty comfortable to wear to bed—I slept soundly with this curler in," she wrote.
Tester Feedback: "This was my first rodeo with a heatless curler after months of admiring the trending tools on TikTok. I watched a few tutorials and was daunted by the French braiding magic some girls were using to wrap their hair, but a simple, tight twist of my thick hair around the rod did the trick," says contributing commerce writer Annie Blackman. "I basically don't know how to use an actual curling iron (vulnerable statement), so this is huge for me."
Material: Silk | Included Accessories: Curling rod, two scrunchies | Who It's For: Everyone
Best Splurge: Silke London Heatless Curler
Why It's Worth It: The Silke London Heatless Curler set is the whole package—literally. In addition to two silk scrunchies that keep your hair in place, this kit comes with a small (and chic) claw clip to secure the rod atop your head as you wrap. The high-quality, 100% pure mulberry silk fends off frizz, and the rod's thickness lends to exceptionally bouncy curls and waves. Oh, and the foam is dense and holds well no matter what.
Editor Tip: While you can twist dry hair around the rod, Silke recommends having slightly damp hair before wrapping.
Material: Mulberry silk | Included Accessories: Curling rod, two scrunchies, claw clip | Who It's For: People who want bouncy curls
Best Set: Mermade Hair Heatless Curls Kit
Why It's Worth It: Mermade Hair is known for its hot-pink tools, but if you want to beat the heat, try the brand's Heatless Curls Kit as a cool alternative. The rod's cotton fill lets you sleep comfortably or, if you prefer, wear it during the daytime. After using the clip during wrapping, take it off, tie the ends with the scrunchies, and let the tool work its no-breakage, damage-free magic.
Editor Tip: Another heatless option is the Mermade Hair Heatless Velcro Roller Kit, a six-pack of nylon velcro 1.5-inch rollers, along with six clips to hold them steady.
Material: Mulberry silk | Included Accessories: Curling rod, two scrunchies, claw clip | Who It's For: Everyone
Best Ribbon Wrap: Mane Label The Sway Hair Curling Ribbon Wrap
Why It's Worth It: If you already own a heatless curling rod, expand your horizons with the Mane Label The Sway Hair Curling Ribbon Wrap. This ribbon is especially conducive to large curls and, because of its less-constructed build, it can be securely tied at your forehead to guarantee no slipping, day or night. Because it's made of 100% cotton, it's easy to (hand) wash—just lay it flat to dry.
Editor Tip: This curling ribbon is less rigid than some of its peers, which, if you're a Princess and The Pea-style sleeper (or a good old-fashioned side sleeper), is a good match for you.
Material: Cotton velour | Included Accessories: Curling ribbon, two hair ties, claw clip | Who It's For: Light sleepers
Best Rollers: Drybar High Tops Self-Grip Rollers
Why It's Worth It: Of course, there's more to heatless curling than the newfangled TikTok fave rods. Round rollers have been with us for decades, but that doesn't mean they haven't improved over the past however long. Proof? Drybar's High Tops Self-Grip Rollers. These bright yellow buddies are self-gripping, meaning they stay put, aren't tricky to remove, and you don't need to sleep in them to get impressive results. Each set features two sizes (three medium and three large rollers), so you can customize the size of your curls depending on where you want the most definition and drama.
Editor Tip: While these rollers don't require heat, the results will last longer if your hair is slightly warm before wrapping.
Material: Plastic | Included Accessories: 6 rollers | Who It's For: People who prefer traditional-style heatless curling
Best for Short Hair: Invisibobble Heatless Curling Set
Why It's Worth It: Invisibobble's Heatless Curling Set is an effective, affordable option that covers all the bases. The champagne-colored, TikTok-revered set yields soft waves and looks pretty classy in the process. It comes in an especially giftable box, perfect for your younger sister or cousin who wants to play with different hairstyles but isn't quite old enough to use heat.
Editor Tip: This set works best for short to mid-length hair, as some users find the rod is too short for long hair (past the shoulders).
Material: Polyester | Included Accessories: Curling rod, two scrunchies | Who It's For: People with shorter hair
Most Versatile: RobeCurls Satin Heatless Hair Curler
Why It's Worth It: This headband-style curler works just as well as an out-of-the-house hair accessory as a before-bed heatless tool. RobeCurls's Satin Heatless Hair Curler creates 1 to 1.5-inch, damage-free ringlets that last all day and look good the whole time. The headband has a comfortable, microfiber lining and is constructed with a satin charmeuse fabric to curb frizz and help keep split ends at bay.
Editor Tip: With your RobeCurls purchase, you get a free 1:1 consultation with one of the brand's curl experts to help you figure out your perfect style.
Material: Satin charmeuse | Included Accessories: Curling headband, two scrunchies | Who It's For: People who want long-lasting curls
Frequently Asked Questions
How do heatless curlers work?
"Heatless curls work because the temporary hydrogen bonds between the keratin protein structures of your hair strands can be rearranged to assume the shape of anything that they dry around," says New York City-based hairstylist Devin Toth. In other words, if your hair is in a particular shape for a long time, it will naturally hold.
And the science behind shaping wet or damp hair? "The simple process of manipulating hair texture by molding it as it transitions from wet to dry is known as a set," Toth explains. "Whether it be a blazing hot curling iron rod or a room temperature satin heatless curling rod, your hair will keep its new curly form until it gets wet because water breaks down the hydrogen bonds and creates new ones." Keep this in mind when you step out of the shower.
What's the difference between curls created with heat and curls created with heatless curlers?
"Curls created with thermal styling tools are quicker to make but get damaged in the process, can be a little limp, and do not last all day," Toth continues. "Curls created by heatless methods take a bit longer to make but remain undamaged by heat and keep a lot more bounce throughout the day." Another difference between the two methods is the appearance of the curls. "Visually, heated curls look more intentional and forced; in other words, fake. While heatless curls look effortless, uncontrived, imperfect, and like natural hair," says Toth. Does that not make for a solid case, or what?
Aesthetic goals aside, avoiding heat damage is among the most compelling arguments for using heatless curlers. Shani Francis, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in California, previously explained to Allure that heat damage—the result of the loss of protein in the hair's outermost cuticle layer caused by heat—can cause hair to break easily and be susceptible to frizz. Thus, heatless curlers are a much healthier choice for styling your hair.
Meet the experts
- Devin Toth, a hairstylist based in New York City
- Shani Francis, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in California
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 heatless curlers, 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
- 15 Best Air-Dry Creams to Perfect Your Heatless Styles
- 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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