Trying to pick the best flat iron or hair straightener can be daunting. How to know which ones won't break, won't damage hair and will work the fastest? I've done the work for you, researching the best flat irons and hair straighteners on the market. You'll find the pricey flat irons the pros love and the more affordable flat irons that won't break on you.
See How to Use a Flat Iron.
More tips:
SalonTech won the "Best of Beauty" award in the flatiron category in Allure Magazine's 2010 issue. It made their list (and mine) because it reaches 450 degrees in under 20 seconds, which means the coarsest of hair is flattened with just one pull-through of this iron. Other technology sets this iron apart from others. It communicates with you via smart sound when ready for use, and can automatically shut off if not used after 30 minutes.
Perhaps the best flat iron on the market today, the FHI Heat Runway is a favorite among the pros because it creates sleek, smooth hair with just one or two passes, according to stylist Jonathan Hanousek in the 2009 issue of InStyle Magazine, which named it a Best Beauty Buy for 2009. With a price tag of more than $300, the FHI Heat Runway (with tourmaline plates, of course) will last a lifetime.
Hai's ceramic plates are coated to protect hair from heat. This flat iron gets hot enough to straighten hair (and hair stays straight) but not too hot as to damage hair. Plus it's ready to use in under 30 seconds. An InStyle magazine best beauty buy for several years running.
If I had to pick just one flat iron for my beauty closet (I have several), I would have a hard time choosing between the CHI and the HAI (see above). This flat iron is an all-around good bet and worth the price tag (from $200 on up). You'll have this baby for many, many years.
So you don't want to pay for the extra-special professional flatirons. No problem. A favorite of Lucky Magazine, this inexpensive flat iron is basic and dependable. A steal at about $25.
This is one of the most popular flat irons on the market right now. Go to any of the big review Websites and you'll see the women rate this hair straightener very highly. It's also an Allure favorite, which warrants placement on my list alone. The price tag (about $130) makes it a good mid-range choice.
Hana's mini flat irons are perfect for travel or keeping in your purse for touch-ups. Highly rated and perfect for any hair texture, these ceramic and tourmaline flat irons come in blue or pink, making them perfect gifts for teens and adults alike.
My friend Deirdre has hard to straighten hair. It's short and wavy and she likes to wear it sleek and straight. In the past, she had to get professional blowouts for film premieres and such (she's a documentary filmmaker}, but recently she found the secret to straightening her hair: the Instyler. [p] Why it's so amazing: The Instyler is a rotating hot iron that has 4 rows of bristles that act like a brush. The first set of bristles separates hair, then the rotating cylinder polishes the hair, smoothing and straightening it. I know it sounds crazy, but Deirdre swears by it and we even tried some of the above straighteners on her hair and this one by far was the best.
At $200, this flat iron better be good. It's not just good, it's amazing, straightening wet, curly hair in a matter of minutes. That's right, it dries hair while it straightens it. How does it work? According to the company, the tourmaline-infused ceramic plates carry a negative ionic charge. As the water evaporates, frizz is smoothed out.
Created for frizzy hair, this new ceramic flatiron works like a regular flatiron with a catch. The plates of the flatiron have a porous ceramic coating that actually emits a silicon-based conditioner. According to Allure Magazine, tests on the flatiron showed it decreased frizziness 65 percent more effectively than an average flatiron. Hair was kept straight for up to 15 hours. What's more, the fluid in the iron lasts 4 years. At under $60 for this flatiron, that's a pretty good deal.
