More Straighteners We Tried
Photograph: Kat Merck
Paul Mitchell Neuro Style+ for $150: The latest in Paul Mitchell’s lineup of otherwise standout hair straighteners, this ceramic iron with Paul Mitchell’s new NeutraHeat temperature-regulating technology goes up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and has dual voltage for travel. However, the body feels weirdly cheap and lightweight compared with older Paul Mitchell models, it took over a minute to heat up, and it was not especially effective on my curly hair.
Amika the Confidante Moisture Maintenance Titanium Flat Iron for $150: This is an effective titanium iron with a design similar to our Best for Thick Hair pick, the Sutra IR2, right down to its infrared strip. It has a hefty, high-quality feel, and it made short work of curls and frizz. However, the Sutra heats faster and keeps hair smooth longer, and the titanium runner-up, the Kristen Ess 3-in-1 ($68), does a comparable job for less than half the price.
NuMe Megastar X for $169: This matte-black iron with wide 1.75-inch plates looks much like the Amika Confidante and Sutra with its infrared strip, except it has tourmaline ceramic plates instead of titanium. It was great for imparting shine, but it took at least four passes to de-frizz a section of my hair. Which may be fine for easy-to-straighten locks, but in that case you’d be better off with the T3 SinglePass Smooth X (Best for Fine Hair, above), since it’s a similar price and offers T3’s proprietary heat precision technology. The T3’s size is also easier to maneuver than the NuMe, since the plates are longer, not wider.
Dyson Corrale for $500: Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano loved the Dyson Corrale (8/10, WIRED Recommends), save for the price. Medea reported that it makes the user feel fancy, like all Dyson tools tend to do, and its flexing plates quickly straighten hair with less heat—they curve around the hair, avoiding the splaying-out effect and uneven heat distribution that plague other flat irons. Still, she thought it had its flaws for a $500 hair straightener. It can be used without a cord, but the battery life was too short to straighten Medea’s whole head of curly hair. The onboard battery also makes it quite heavy.
Chi Vibes on the Edge Curved Edge Hairstyling Iron for $110: I’m a longtime Chi devotee, having owned and loved the original ceramic flat iron until it broke after a decade. So I admit, I was excited to zhuzh up my bathroom counter with this metallic-rainbow version from Chi’s Vibes line. The 1- or 1.5-inch ceramic plates (I tested the latter) actually curve around the sides of the tool, allowing the user to get closer to the roots of their hair, as well as create crease-free waves if desired. While this feature did actually do an impressive job of tamping down my flyaways (and I appreciated the unusually long 11-foot cord), both I and a longer-term tester thought the construction felt cheap, especially for the price, and we both experienced an alarming amount of movement with the plates.
BondiBoost Aloe-Plated Flat Iron for $80: This iron has ceramic-coated tourmaline plates infused with aloe powder, which “add shine and frizz control every time you swipe down strands,” according to the company. It’s also unique in that it heats to 480 degrees Fahrenheit—hotter than any other iron we’ve tested and beyond the capabilities of most heat protectant sprays. The plates didn’t look or feel any different to me than typical ceramic plates, and the plastic construction felt lightweight and somewhat flimsy for this price point. My hair also poofed up again rather quickly after use. This iron does have many devoted fans online, though, so your experience may vary.
L’ange Le Duo Airflow Styler for $89: This flat iron features a clasp similar to a curling iron. Most flat iron plates stay apart, and need to be pushed together to use, while this is the opposite. It works just as well as any other iron, and the clasp design and the rounded edges make it easier to curl too. The real draw here is the air vents that blast out cool air to lock your style in. The fan turns on automatically, but there’s a button to turn it off. (Just to clarify, it’s not meant to dry your hair—you will not be happy if you try that.) —Medea Giordano
Tymo Ring Hair Straightener Comb for $60: I’d seen the Tymo Ring all over social media for years before trying it, and the wait was worth it. It’s like a traditional hot comb and a straightening brush in one, but you can get closer to your roots without burning yourself than you can with a comb, because there’s an outer shell covering the hot teeth. Straightening brushes aren’t usually a one-stop shop for my hair, and that was the case here. I did need to go over my hair with a flat iron to smooth out some of the puffiness left behind, but the Tymo Ring took the curl right out quickly—I didn’t have to go over sections more than once or twice. —Brenda Stolyar
Sleek’e for $81 and Kosa for $195: These irons are essentially the same tool. Sleek’e confirmed that they are in fact made by the same manufacturer, which is not uncommon. The Kosa felt a little lighter, but neither seemed better or worse to use. They both emit ions and have a strip of infrared lights down the middle of one of the plates, which are supposed to help distribute heat evenly and in a way that won’t damage hair. —Medea Giordano
Brilliance New York Smooth Pro Ceramic Flat Iron for $45: WIRED reviewer and fellow curly girl Louryn Strampe swears by this hair straightener. She impulse-bought it via a Groupon deal in 2014 and still consistently reaches for it, despite having tried several more flat irons since—she even prefers it over the Dyson Corrale. It’s lost some of its heat consistency over the years, and the plates occasionally snag her hair, but it still leaves her unruly curls sleek and shiny, and most important, straight. —Medea Giordano
FoxyBae Tres Sleek Flat Iron for $40: This budget titanium flat iron does a fairly decent job at straightening thick, curly hair for the price, though its flimsy-feeling construction, long heat-up time, and difficult-to-maneuver, 1.75-inch-wide plates make it less appealing than our top budget pick, the Conair Infiniti Pro, above.
Revlon Easy Heat Precision Flat Iron for $29: Another entry-level flat iron, this deep-pink model with easy-read temperature settings feels heavier and more expensive than it is. I also loved that it heats up in 30 seconds—one-third the time of most irons in its price category. However, I was surprised how ineffective the 1-inch plates were on my curls, even at the iron’s maximum temp of 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Plus, my (barely) straightened hair poofed back up again within minutes.
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