Curls are naturally beautiful, but maintaining and styling them can often feel like a daunting and pricey endeavor. Whether you have tight curls, gentle waves, or bouncy ringlets, sometimes you just want a break and need to straighten them out for a few days. Having the right tool, like a good hair straightener for your curly hair or a blow-dry brush, can make this process much simpler.
Curly hair is often more porous than straight hair, which makes it drier and more susceptible to breakage. Therefore, choosing a good straightener with excellent plates that glide smoothly and offer adjustable heat settings is key to avoiding damage.
Using an excellent hair straightener for curly hair should make your styling process easy and efficient. You shouldn’t have to run the straightener through your curls multiple times to get them straight, and the results should be sleek and shiny, lasting all day.
With so many options available, finding the right straightener can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best hair straighteners for curly hair to help you find the perfect one for your hair type.
Types of Hair Straighteners
When choosing a hair straightener for curly hair, you’ll find three main types based on the material of their plates: ceramic, tourmaline, and titanium.
- Ceramic Plates: These are the most common and safe for most hair types. Ceramic plates heat evenly and gently straighten hair from the inside out using infrared technology. This means your hair looks smoother with fewer flyaways and less damage.
- Tourmaline Plates: These plates are great for fighting frizz. They release negative ions that smooth the hair and lock in moisture, leaving your hair shiny and straight.
- Titanium Plates: If you’re always in a hurry, titanium plates are for you. They heat up quickly and can handle high temperatures, which makes them perfect for straightening hair fast and effectively with just a few passes.
How Hot Should a Hair Straightener Be?
The ideal temperature for a hair straightener depends on your hair’s length, type, and condition. Most GHD hair straighteners for women are set at 185 degrees Celsius, which is considered a safe middle ground. This temperature effectively straightens hair in one pass without causing damage.
If you have very thick or fine hair, a straightener with adjustable temperature settings might be better. This allows you to customize the heat level for your hair type: thicker hair often needs higher heat for longer-lasting results, while fine hair benefits from lower temperatures to prevent damage.
Always ensure your hair is completely dry before using a straightener, and use a heat protection spray to shield your hair from heat damage.
Choosing the Best Hair Straightener for Curly Hair
For curly and thick hair types, wide plates are ideal as they can handle larger sections, reducing styling time. Look for straighteners with ceramic-coated plates or steam options, which are gentle on afro hair (4A-4C curl types) and help prevent frizz.
If you struggle with flyaways, consider straighteners with ionic technology, which keeps hair sleek and smooth. To create loose curls or waves, opt for a straightener with a curved casing around the plates for a smooth, kink-free finish.
Avoid over-straightening your hair; one pass is usually enough. Also, try styling the ends of your hair with a slight curve to add volume and shape to your straightened style, rather than making it look flat.
Best Hair Straighteners for Curly Hair to Consider
Dyson Airstrait Hair Straightener For Women
Dyson’s latest innovation in hair styling uses wet-to-dry technology to deliver a natural yet smooth finish to your natural curls. Instead of traditional hot plates, it employs air styling which reduces breakage and damage while maintaining a glossy look. The tool features three preset temperatures (80°C, 110°C, and 140°C) to transition hair from wet to dry and straightened quickly and efficiently.
Flower Ceramic Styling Iron
Drew Barrymore’s brand delivers impressive results with these straighteners, whether you’re aiming for poker-straight ends or tight curls. These hair straighteners for women create shiny, silky-smooth hair without snagging, featuring tourmaline ceramic plates and four heat settings. They do not include additional accessories.
Remington Wet2Straight Pro Hair Straighteners
If you’re always short on time in the morning, this tool could become your new favorite. It skips the need for a hair dryer by using a ‘moisture sensor’ that detects hair’s water content and adjusts the temperature accordingly to prevent damage. This hair straightener leaves hair shinier and healthier-looking, even those with bleached or damaged hair. This hair straightener for short hair is fast and effective, making it perfect for quick styling.
T3 SinglePass Compact Thin Flat Iron
This hair straightener for women features ceramic plates that provide even heat distribution and tension, ideal for precise styling around bangs and flyaways. It heats up quickly to a fixed temperature of 410°F, ensuring efficient styling without needing multiple passes. It includes a heat-resistant cap for convenient storage and travel.
BaBylissPro Nano Titanium Mini Straightening Iron
Compact and powerful, this mini hair straightener for curly hair is perfect for touch-ups on the go. It heats up quickly and is small enough to fit in a purse or even a clutch. It’s particularly handy for smoothing stray hairs and refreshing your hairstyle throughout the day.
CHI Original Ceramic Flat Iron
Known for its sleek results, this ceramic flat iron heats up rapidly to 392°F and is excellent for creating smooth styles with minimal effort. It’s lightweight and features curved edges for versatility in styling, from straightening to soft curls.
Nicky Clarke Infrared Pro Hair Straightener
These straighteners for short hair utilize infrared technology to balance moisture and seal hair cuticles, enhancing shine and reducing frizz. They feature titanium plates and offer ten heat settings, with no additional accessories.
BaBylissPro Nano Titanium Prima3100
Featuring stainless steel housing that heats up evenly, this hair straightener for curly hair offers five temperature settings from 300 to 465°F. It’s effective for quick straightening and curling, with options for 1-inch, 1 1/4-inch, and 1 1/2-inch plates to suit different hair lengths and styles.
Hot Tools Pro Micro Shine Flat Iron
This versatile flat iron heats up quickly and features an LED temperature display for easy control. It glides smoothly over hair, making it suitable for various hair types, including coarse and curly hair. It includes features like floating plates and a travel lock, with an auto-shutoff feature for safety.
Dyson Corrale Hair Straighteners for Short Hair
These cordless hair straighteners for women are innovative, featuring ‘flexing’ plates that gather every strand for even heat application in a single stroke. They include a charging stand and heat-resistant travel pouch, making them ideal for travel. The OLED screen shows variable temperatures clearly, and a flight mode preserves battery life. Although slightly heavier, they heat up quickly and are efficient for styling.
GHD Duet Styler
Ghd’s Duet Styler combines a powerful hair dryer with ceramic straightening plates, making it possible to straighten hair from wet in one go. The hairdryer’s airflow does most of the work while the ceramic plates operate at a lower temperature to prevent damage. While it focuses on straightening and lacks curling or waving capabilities, it’s a quick and convenient option for achieving sleek styles every morning.
Cloud Nine The Wide Iron Pro Hair Straightener
If you have thick or long hair and find straightening time-consuming, consider the plate size of your straightener. Wider plates cover more hair in one pass, speeding up styling. This tool quickly straightens hair, reduces frizz, and keeps styles intact longer, giving a diamond-like shine. It features ceramic plates and offers 11 heat settings, and comes with a faux leather case and heat guard.
Photo: Pexels/Marcelo Dias
