This Is the Only Flatiron That Works on My Curly Hair (2024)

If you're in the market for a best-selling, under-$100 flatiron, the Chi Lava is an enduring classic. It heats up in one minute, has an 11-foot charging cord (longer than many of its competitors), and lets you adjust its temperature up to 395°F—making it a suitable choice for those with wavy hair.

What reviewers say: Some regrettable experiences (and photos) in middle school have left me a little straightener-shy as an adult. Typically I avoid them in favor of a good round brush, terrified of winding up with crispy-looking ends and limp roots. But my hair is frizzy, so even after a blowout, it tends to be unruly by day two. I used the Chi Lava on second-day hair and was impressed—my hair was smoother without falling flat, and my ends felt silky and full. —Macaela MacKenzie, Glamour contributor

• Plate material: Ceramic
• Plate size: 1"
• Temperature: Adjustable heat up to 395°F
• Auto-shutoff: After 60 minutes
• Cord: 11'
• Pros: Fast-heating (60 seconds); long cord, customizable temperature
• Cons: May not be hot enough for some; cord gets tangled easily.

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There's a lot to love about this sleek styling tool, which won a Glamour Beauty Award. Digital director Perrie Samotin raves about its ability to clamp sections of her thick, frizzy hair without getting any of it caught: “Plus, there’s no temperature to choose from,” she says. “It's a ‘smart iron,’ meaning it uses predictive technology to recognize the thickness of your hair and the speed at which you’re styling and adjusts its power accordingly, with an optimum temperature of 365°F.”

What reviewers say: It heats up in seconds and lets you know it’s ready with a satisfying ping—a small detail but one I appreciate as much as its ability to smooth and flatten in minutes. —P.S.

• Plate material: Ceramic
• Plate size: 1"
• Temperature: One setting (365°F)
• Auto-shutoff: After 30 minutes
• Cord: 8.8'
• Pros: Fast-heating, easy to use; predictive technology
• Cons: No adjustable temperature

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Here's another affordable flatiron that's a good pick for anyone with hair that's harder to tame (talking to you, curly- and coarse-haired girlies). It has a huge heat range with 30 temperature settings that go all the way up to 450°F—hot enough to take on the wildest of manes. Its LCD display makes it easy to keep an eye on the temperature, and it'll remember the last heat you used when you turn it off, so you don't have to adjust it every time you turn it on.

What reviewers say: The Hot Tools Ceramic Flat Iron and I go way back—we’re talking high school dance recitals. I rarely flatiron my hair since it’s so thick and long and takes forever. But whenever I want to do my best Rosalía high pony, I can always count on this to make my hair look pin-straight and frizz-free. —Tara Gonzalez, Glamour contributor

• Plate material: Ceramic
• Plate size: 1"
• Temperature: Adjustable heat up to 450°F
• Auto-shutoff: After 2 hours
• Cord: 8'
• Pros: Under $50; LCD temperature display, high temperature range, travel lock; technology remembers last temperature used.
• Cons: Auto-shutoff time is quite long.

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The Glamour commerce team put the buzzy Dyson Airstrait to the test and were blown away (pun intended). The Aistrait can act as a flatiron and a dryer at the same time, and instead of pressing your hair between hot plates, it dries it with hot air (using the same technology as our favorite Dyson Airwrap). TL;DR: It doesn't have heating plates at all—and thus is way less damaging than your standard straightener. Here's our full review.

What reviewers say: Since my curls are on the tighter side, it’s crucial that my roots dry first, so I was happy to learn about the rough-dry option, where I lock it in place and let the air do its thing. After about 10 minutes, the first section of my hair was super straight, and I was shocked. I expected it to be straight, but not that straight. As I worked it through the rest of my head, it took about an hour for my hair to fully dry with it (the temperatures are lower than a regular hair dryer, so no surprise here). The bottom line is that it works and delivers what it promises, especially since I’m used to drying my hair at much hotter temperatures. Since then, I’ve tried it on dry hair and really love the final result. My hair’s a lot smoother and more pin-straight than it would be after a regular blow-dryer touch-up. —Andrea Navarro, Glamour commerce writer

• Plate material: There are none!
• Size: 1.6"
• 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'
• Pros: Less hair damage, wide range of styling settings and modes (wet, dry, rough-dry, smoothing boost), LCD screen, intelligent airflow temperature control
• Cons: Very expensive

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Here's another baby flatiron that's little but gets the job done with ceramic plates that hug strands of hair for even tension and heat. It's under an inch in width, making it easily maneuverable around bangs and flyaways. Plus, its included heat-resistant cap lets you throw it in your bag and go without worrying about it burning your belongings (or hand!).

What reviewers say: Don't let the size of this cutie fool you. It packs some serious styling power. Because it's smaller, it obviously takes a bit longer to run through your whole head, but the strong heat (there's only one setting) helps keep it efficient, so you don't have to run it over every section twice. It also comes with a heat-resistant cap, allowing you to throw it in your bag or luggage without worrying it'll melt or burn all your other stuff. —L.S.

• Plate material: Ceramic
• Size: 0.8"
• Temperature: Fixed setting (410°F)
• Auto-shutoff: After 60 minutes
• Cord: 9'
• Pros: Beveled plates, swivel cord, heat-resistant travel cap
• Cons: Temperature is not adjustable.

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If you're someone who's always on the move or who's hunting for a straightener to throw in your bag, you'll get a lot of mileage out of this mini titanium flatiron, which is teensy enough to fit in a purse—maybe even a clutch. It's just half an inch in width and six inches in length, which is roughly the size of a toothbrush. It gets hot quickly and is super handy for smoothing stray hairs and refreshing your look at the end of a long day.

What reviewers say: If you primarily use a straightener to style your bangs, face-framing pieces, or ends (as I do)—or you’re looking for a compact yet powerful tool for travel—the itsy-bitsy Babyliss is made for you. I originally got mine to keep at my desk in case of beauty “emergencies” but have come to love it so much that I now use it in place of my other straighteners at home. Again, I mainly use it for my bangs and tiny touch-ups, but for how compact it is, it works remarkably well. If your hair is on the thinner side (which mine is), this could replace your regular hair straightener too. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that it’s conveniently small enough to tote in your day bag. —Danielle Sinay, Glamour associate beauty editor

• Plate material: Titanium
• Size: 0.5"
• Temperature: Up to 430°F
• Auto-shutoff: None
• Cord: 6'
• Pros: Under $50, great for touch-ups
• Cons: Not suitable for allover styling as it's quite small; no auto-shutoff

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Self commerce writer Jessica Kasparian likes this Hot Tools iron for how quickly it heats up, easy it is to read its LED display, and smoothly it glides across her hair. It's able to reach a very high heat, which is useful for anyone who has hair that's trickier to style, whether it's super coarse or curly.

What reviewers say: I love this flatiron, and it gets heavy use for me! I rely on it for one of my income streams, which is wedding hairstyling. It heats up quickly, stays hot, and has an easy way to change the temperature and a lock, which keeps it closed for when I'm transporting. This item has a long cord, which is important in a salon setting or some bridal suites. The flatiron makes hair smooth without snagging. I use it for smoothing and curling with no issue. —Emily, reviewer on Amazon

• Plate material: Ceramic and titanium
• Size: 1" or 1.25"
• Temperature: Adjustable up to 455°F
• Auto-shutoff: After 60 minutes
• Cord: 9'
• Pros: LED temperature display, heat-safe glove, floating plates, travel lock; tone lets you know when device reaches desired temperature.
• Cons: May feel too hot for some; pricey.

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Dyson's hair tools come with steep price tags—but undeniable results. The Corrale is a state-of-the-art hair straightener with unique flexing plates that gather around sections of hair (instead of clamping down on them), creating more even heat distribution and less breakage. It's also cordless, so you won't trip on any wires (or even need to be anywhere near an outlet).

What reviewers say: My hair-straightening routine used to involve sitting on my bedroom floor for 45 minutes with both windows open so I wouldn't set off the smoke alarm. That was until I tried Dyson's straightener. Right away two things stood out to me: First, no cord means no outlet hunting or, really, anything getting in the way between the hair on the back of my head and a hot flatiron. Second, the flexible copper plates hugged the hair being straightened, creating less heat damage and cutting my styling time in half. —Talia Gutierrez, Glamour contributor

• Plate material: Manganese copper alloy
• Plate size: 1.25"
• Temperature: Three settings (330°F, 365°F, 410°F)
• Auto-shutoff: After 10 minutes
• Cord: Cordless, but includes 10.9' cord
• Pros: Cordless; reduced heat damage with intelligent heat control technology, flexible plates, temperature display, accessories (travel dock, magnetic charging cable, heat-resistant pouch), two-year warranty
• Cons: Expensive; doesn't have adjustable temperature.

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The T3 Lucea is a go-to for New York–based hair colorist Nikki Ferrera, who says it's a versatile tool for all types of looks. “You can create beachy waves and smooth flatiron waves,” she says. So who needs a curling iron, really? It offers an array of heat settings, the lowest of which starts at 260°F, which is an ideal low temperature for thin, fine hair or dry, damaged, or colored hair.

What reviewers say: One of the biggest problems I have with flatirons is that the heat is always too strong for my very fine hair. That's what I love about this straightener. It's made with nine different heat settings, so I can boost it up on days I've freshly washed my hair and turn it down for second- and third-day touch-ups. The edges are beveled, so it's good for both straightening and curling, and it's got ceramic plates, which helps keep the heat evenly distributed. Even when my hair is extra dry, it doesn't leave me with split ends or burnt hair smell. —Lindsay Schallon, Glamour contributor

• Plate material: Ceramic
• Plate size: 1" or 1.5"
• Temperature: Nine heat settings (260°F to 410°F)
• Auto-shutoff: After 60 minutes
• Cord: 8'
• Pros: Fast-heating; temperature control, paddle hair brush and clips for styling; doesn't require an adapter when traveling.
• Cons: A bit pricey

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When you're dealing with a whole lot of hair, turn to the GHD Max Styler, which has the two-inch plates—the widest on this list. “This offers faster styling for thick, long hair because its wider plates cover more surface area, reducing styling time and providing smoother results,” says celebrity hairstylist David Cruz. “It's designed to maintain a consistent temperature, minimizing damage and creating a smoother finish.”

What reviewers say: I have extremely thick hair and lots of it. The single-temperature setting on this iron is perfect. The device is simple and really good at its job. Nothing fancy, but it produces high-quality results in a reasonable amount of time. Never has my hair felt so soft upon straightening. —JR, reviewer on Ulta

• Plate material: Ceramic
• Size: 2"
• Temperature: Preset to 365°F
• Auto-shutoff: After 30 minutes
• Cord: 8.8'
• Pros: Heats in 30 seconds; wide plates, heat-resistant guard.
• Cons: No heat adjustability; may be unwieldy; not the best pick for short hair, pricey.

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A big ol' downside of most flatirons is undeniably the cords. Who among us hasn't gotten all tangled up in one while switching sides of the head? Meet the Harry Josh Pro straightener, which Glamour senior beauty editor Ariana Yaptangco calls the “holy grail of cordless styling tools.” Not only does it stay strong for over 30 minutes, but it includes an extra battery that you can swap in when the one you're using runs out of power. Pretty genius.

What reviewers say: My hair is long and thick, so it takes a good chunk of time to style. With other battery-operated tools, I'll find myself with half a head styled after the battery inevitably dies. But Harry Josh's new cordless straightener promises 40 minutes of styling, thanks to the interchangeable smart battery, which you can reload when needed. Another plus? It's super lightweight, so you don't feel like your arm is falling off by the time you're finished. —A.Y.

• Plate materials: Ceramic tourmaline
• Size: 1"
• Temperature: Three heat settings (320°F, 335°F, 425°F)
• Auto shut-off: After 60 minutes
• Cord: Cordless
• Pros: Cordless; extra rechargeable battery, digital temperature control
• Cons: Only three heatings; pricey

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Of course, if it's a two-in-one straightener-curling-iron you're looking for, consider the top-selling Dryber styler—a favorite of two Glamour editors. “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,” Schallon says. “But Drybar’s iron makes it easy. It has rounded edges, so it mimics a curling wand but is super lightweight and easier to navigate. My favorite thing about it is that it’s perfect for getting that slight bend every Insta-girl has.”

What reviewers say: I have fine, curly hair, and through the years I've tried what feels like a zillion flatirons. My mom was a hairdresser so I was an early adapter. While I also like the T3 on this list, the Drybar tool is my go-to. It's the one that can most effectively straighten my hair (it gets hot!). I can use it create waves, even though I didn't inherit my mom's skills and I have no idea what I'm doing, and it's super lightweight.

• Plate material: Titanium
• Plate size: 1" or 1.25"
• Temperature: Adjustable up to 450°F
• Auto shut-off: After 60 minutes
• Cord: 9'
• Pros: Heats quickly; frizz-reducing ionic and infrared tech, digital temperature control; good for creating curls and waves
• Cons: Expensive

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