Buying the best flat iron? Whether for yourself or someone else, it's important to spend your money on something worthwhile. The best flat iron should give long-lasting results – whether that's straight or curly – and it should be easy to use. Whether that's a GHD styler, the Dyson straightener, or an Amazon flat iron, all of these top picks below are awesome.
When choosing these top flat irons, we considered everything from performance to price, specifications – settings, heat up time, temperature – as well as safety features, of course. We've listed our 11 top straighteners below.
Already decided on a flat iron? Then to get your hair ready for styling, see our list of the best hair dryers.
Here are our top 11 best flat irons:
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GHD's Classic Flat Iron Styler is great for straightening hair as well as creating curls, waves, and flicks. The automatic sleep mode is also great, as it turns the iron off if left unattended for 30 minutes. This styler is hot in just 30 seconds, ideal if you’re in a hurry first thing or you need to get ready for a party quickly. We love the smooth, floating ceramic plates that are suitable for all hair types and lengths. This makes an easy job of straightening slightly knotted hair, too. While some may be put off by the fact you can't change the temperature to suit your individual needs, 365ºF is considered a perfect temperature because it styles effectively without damaging hair.
GHD has pulled it out of the bag yet again with their Max Styler. This the best flat iron for curling – yes, such a thing exists. We're well aware that buying a flat iron for curling hair seems pointless, but for those who want the best of both worlds in one appliance, this is the buy for you. No matter if you have short fine hair, a frizzy medium-length head, or long thick locks, this styler can tackle your mane with ease. Since the plates on the GHD Max Styler are noticeably wider than other models, this makes curling hair an easier and very much quicker job. To be exact, this model features broad, two-inch (50.8mm) plates. The plates on the GHD Max Styler are contoured to create bouncy curls in one swift motion – or big waves if that's more your style. This also makes the process of curling hair with a flat iron a lot smoother.
See our buyer's guide to the best curling wands if it's really curly locks you want.
The Kipozi Professional hair straighteners are designed with comfort at their core. The adjustable temperature allows you to choose which heat setting suits your curly hair, without overheating or the risk of burning. Each wide plate is also precision milled to let hair slide through even the curliest of hair without any effort and you can see the settings clearly on the LCD display. With a 15 second heat-up time and an auto shut off mode that kicks in after 60 minutes, this hair straightener boasts intelligent safety temperature reduction.
Most straighteners have ceramic plates but these ones have titanium, which is said to give a tighter press and better distribution of heat. You can also use these straighteners on all hair types, including afro at a high heat setting, as well as slightly wet hair according to the manufacturer.
BaByliss' Pro Nano Titanium Ultra-Thin Flat Iron Straightener is the best flat iron for those with thick, long unruly hair. Two, two-inch-wide plates make a quick job of straightening and styling, while a heat-up time of 20 seconds and a 30-minute auto shut off function definitely help along the way.
Fifty heat settings ranging up to 450ºF are built into this wide styler; this way you can tailor the heat to your individual needs and hair type, all while getting the result of poker straight hair. The plates on the BaByliss Pro Nano styler feature smooth titanium plates to add shine to your hair and protect it from damage, ultimately safeguarding your hair's natural structure and locking in moisture. Not only does this flat iron come with 2-inch-thick plates, but the plates are also 5 inches long, allowing you to straighten wider sections of hair faster.
The DAFNI Allure Cordless Straightening Brush is a great buy if you're a frequent traveler, if you have hair that never stays straight, or if you have fine hair that's easy to manage. This flat iron brush works like a brush, meaning it's very easy to use no matter how good or bad you consider yourself at doing hair. And to make things better, due to its nature, it detangles your hair while straightening it. Bearing in mind that it works on a battery, it heats up in two minutes and can last for as long as three hairstyles or 30 minutes to be exact.
When we tried, it lasted for around two heads on long, thick hair. It also works great on hair extensions. When the battery is low you just need to give it a charge – it's compatible with USB chargers – and wait for just two hours. With an auto shut-off mode so that after 15 minutes of inactivity it turns off, this straightening brush will do less damage to your already fine hair while in use. This is due to the fact it doesn't feature plates like usual flat irons, and the temperature never goes over 365°F to protect your follicle. We love to hear it. It also works wonders on frizzy hair – tried and tested – so don't worry if your hair is untameable.
Simply pop this hair straightening brush in your handbag, hand luggage, or a suitcase for straight hair wherever you are, whatever you're doing. It comes with a pouch and a case to protect its bristles.
A pretty basic flat iron, the Remington 1" Flat Iron With Anti-Static Technology does what it says on the box with six temperature settings, a maximum heat of 410ºF, and automatic shut-off. Get ready to straighten up in just 30 seconds, perfect for those who need to get ready quickly in the morning or who don’t have much time in the evening before they go out.
According to Remington, the anti-static technology created by the ceramic and tourmaline straightening plates reduces static and flyaways by 50 percent. You’re in control of how hot you want the plates to be thanks to variable heat control. Use a lower setting for curls or waves and a high heat for poker-straight hair. With this styler, you also get a bottle of Heat Protect Spray, so you can help protect your hair from heat damage – great if you use a flat iron every day.
The Chi Deep Brilliance Black Titanium Hair Straightening Flat Iron is a great product for those with textured, color-treated, damaged hair. Its ceramic-titanium plates are designed to aid in moisture retention when applied to chemically-processed or textured manes and straighten each strand of hair. Reviewers report that this flat iron heats up in less than 20 seconds and that it stays hot, making straight strands quick and easy to achieve.
The Chi Deep Brilliance styler has multiple heat settings and reaches up to 450°F so it has a setting that's suitable for any hair type. If you have thinner hair you can use this flat iron on a low setting; however, those with a thick or frizzy mane will need to up the heat.
The HSI Professional Glider is Amazon's bestseller in terms of flat irons, and it's easy to understand why. This ionic hair straightener boasts one-inch wide plates that feature HeatBalance micro-sensors to regulate their temperature. These plates are perfect for styling all types of hair from long to short, and also African American hair as well as bangs. That and you can adjust the temperature from 140ºF to 450ºC to suit your hair type, too.
With a rounded barrel for snag-free styling, this flat iron gives a shinier finish than most thanks to its ceramic and tourmaline crystal ion plates. It's also easy to use – it comes with a glove to prevent burning yourself, as well as a travel pouch and a hair treatment. Small enough to pack in your suitcase for a vacation, it benefits from a worldwide dual voltage. Available in red and white, this styler is affordable, high performing, and reliable. Just don't forget to switch it off!
The GHD Glide is, without a doubt, the best flat iron brush you can buy – it's easy to handle, safe to use and it tackles frizz with ease. Simply enough, this brush features different length ceramic teeth that heat to 365ºF. When your hair glides through the teeth, the heat tames your locks and frizz in an instant. The brush features high density shorter and longer bristles for larger sections of hair to be styled, making sure your roots feel the full effect, too. For those who worry every morning that they've left their flat iron on, the GHD Glide features an auto-shutoff mode after being on for 60 minutes.
Even better? Since the hot brush doesn't feature plates, it's a lot harder to for you (or inquisitive kids) to burn yourself. Suffering from a case of zero volume? This hot brush makes the job of voluminous hair easy peasy – simply use it as you would use a brush while blow-drying your hair and ta-daa! We can almost guarantee your friends will be asking which salon you visited.
The AmoVee Mini Flat Iron should be at the top of your to-buy list if you're a frequent traveler or like to head out to happy hour or date night straight from the office. It's handbag friendly so quick touch-ups have never been easier. At just under 8 inches long, this small and lightweight flat iron is perfect for popping in a suitcase, carry-on, or handbag.
The AmoVee mini flat iron comes with a heat-resistant glove for safe and easy handling. Though small, this flat iron packs power: its only heat setting is 410°F. It'll definitely get your hair pin-straight on the go, but might not be the best pick for damaged or treated hair.
This high-end flat iron gets rave reviews from true beauty aficionados, but the high price isn't for every budget. We have this straightener on our dresser and unfortunately, it doesn't work as well as we would hope. Though it is cordless – a huge bonus! And, it has three temperature settings to choose from. With flexing plates to gather your hair rather than clamp it, the Dyson Coralle can hold quite a lot of hair and it even requires less heat to do so than other straighteners. These plates glide through your hair effortlessly, without pulling it and the fact that the plates don't touch makes curling easy.
The Dyson straightener takes from 25 to 35 seconds to heat to your desired temperature, too. Incredible! One of the best features of the Dyson Coralle is definitely that it's cordless – so convenient! A full charge of the Dyson Coralle takes 70 minutes and powers the hair straightener for 30 minutes – two or three uses depending on your hair type and length. In the box also comes a handy charging stand to sit the straightener on while it's charging, as well as a travel pouch. Just be sure to activate flight mode if you are taking it on vacation.
Want to know more? Check our review on the Dyson Coralle here!
How to buy the best flat iron?
Shape
The main thing when choosing a flat iron is that you want to avoid damaging your hair with cheap designs or those that overheat your hair. The best models will last for years to come, so it’s worth investing in a pricier model as you do get what you pay for. All flat iron plates are flat but it’s the edges you need to check. If the plates and outer edges of the plates are slightly rounded, it will be easier to turn your flat iron into a curling iron. A flat iron with sharp edges, on the other hand, will be less adaptable but may produce slightly straighter hair.
Plate material and width
These are usually made from ceramic or in some cases, titanium. Titanium heats up quickly, applying higher temperatures more evenly, and tend to cost more than ceramic versions. They are recommended for really curly or coarse hair. Ceramic is great value and really effective with even heat that suits most hair types. The wider the plates, the quicker you’ll achieve the result you want.
Variable temperature
High heat certainly means faster straightening but it’s not ideal for all hair types, so look for a model with variable settings that will reduce damage over time.