The best curling wands for thick hair in 2024 to deliver lasting, frizz-free results

If your hair is on the thicker side, you’ll understand all too well the challenge of finding a curling tool that effortlessly styles your locks with a long-lasting, salon-worthy finish. So, we’ve tried and tested an array of irons in order to scout out the best curling wands for thick hair that create curly and wavy styles with ease…

Not only will the best curling wand make styling your strands an easy and hassle-free task, but they’ll also create curls that leave others with hair envy. However, finding a tool that does just the trick isn’t always as simple as it sounds. Much like the best hair straighteners for thick hair, you’ll be in the market for a curling wand that works well with your thicker hair type that also yields results that last all throughout the day - without dropping out or succumbing to unwanted frizz.

We spoke to Nicole Petty, Hair Expert at Milk + Blush to find out the exact tool we should be looking for. "When looking for a curling wand, much of what you consider should depend on your hair length and texture," says Petty. “You ideally want a curling wand with an adjustable temperature range so you can customise the heat depending on your hair type," she advises. Keeping the experts' advice in mind, we tried and tested an array of hair curlers that are available on the market to discover the ones that are actually worth the investment for those with thick hair…

Best curling wands for thick hair deals

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ghd Curve Creative Curl Wand: was £159 now £117.79 at Amazon UK

Known for championing hair tools, ghd's Curve Creative Curl Wand boasts a tapered barrel that creates natural-looking curls and deep beachy waves. Its ultra-zone™ technology ensures the tool maintains the optimum styling temperature of 185°C, making the health of your locks a priority. Plus, it now has 26% off!

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Remington PROluxe You Curling Wand: was £74.99 now £49 at Amazon UK

Not only equipped with clever adapting technology that adjusts the temperature to suit your hair's personal styling needs, Remington's PROluxe You Curling Wand also boasts a ceramic coating infused with diamond particles for even heat distribution, leaving glossy and smooth curls. What's more, this kind-to-hair tool has had its price tag has been slashed by a huge 35%!

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Beauty Works Professional Styler: was £69.99 now £52.49 at LOOKFANTASTIC UK

For those with lengthy locks, you can now make a 25% saving on Beauty Works' Professional Styler, which boasts an extra long barrel designed specifically for long hair. Its ceramic barrel works to seal the cuticle, prevent frizz and enhance the shine of your voluminous curls. Its adjustable temperature of 80-220°C allows you to create an array of styles, from loose waves to tight curls.

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The quick list: Our top 6

If you're in a time crunch, we've curated a list of our top six curling wands for thick hair that are set to leave you with bouncy, frizz-free results...

The best curling wand for thick overall

When it comes to hair styling, ghd certainly are champions, making home to some of the best tools that money can buy, including the best hair straighteners and even a stellar lineup of haircare products. So, if you're looking to invest in a quality hair tool, ghd is the ultimate destination.

Curling thick hair can be a lengthy task, so investing in a lightweight tool that avoids the dreaded armache is key. Delivering exactly that, this curling wand boasts an easy to hold and manoeuvre design - without having to fiddle any buttons. Whilst the tool only has one heat setting, it did just the trick at creating bouncy curls for our thick and frizzy hair. Plus points for the wand's cold tip, which helped make the styling process a breeze, too.

Best affordable curling wand for thick hair

Many can be sceptical about the performance of budget-friendly hair tools, but the Remington PROluxe You Adaptive Wand really impressed us throughout the testing process. The tool itself was easy to use and we found the wider barrel was perfect for quickly creating effortless curls on long hairstyles. As for the results, these curls lasted incredibly well without the need for any hairspray or hair styling products. Two days after styling our curls were still there, albeit looser, proving that the results hold up in thick hair.

Despite boasting a more affordable price tag, this curling wand's clever StyleAdapt technology is a unique touch for those prioritising the health of their hair - although, we would have quite happily set the temperature ourselves, too. If you’re struggling to curl your hair with the desired outcome, or you’re unsure on what’s needed for your hair type, this tool is a great option.

Best premium curling wand for thick hair

Arguably needing no introduction, Dyson has created an impressive selection of hir tools, from the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer to the Dyson Airstrait. But, with this particular guide in mind, we focused our testing on how well the eponymous Airwrap works specifically on thick and frizzy hair. Our tester's locks can be difficult to manage and need high temperature tools to achieve the desired results, which initially made them unsure on how well the air styler would perform. Although this tool swaps out traditional heat for air-powered styling, we'd still recommend applying the best heat protection. After one use of the curling attachment on our tester's natural, dry hair, they were completely sold. Each curl only took a matter of seconds to create, leaving our once dry and frizzy strands with smooth and shiny curls.

It's worth noting that this pricey tool requires quite the investment, but the results spoke for themselves and required very minimal effort. So, if you have the budget and want a styler that saves significant time and effort, we think it is worth the splurge.

See our full Dyson Airwrap review for a detailed guide to this famous tool

Best hydrating curling wand for thick hair

Revamp's tools are great for those with thick hair that's on the drier side, in particular the brand's hydrating Progloss range - take it from us. This small, lightweight and easy to use wand made styling incredibly easy, whilst the bouncy curls it created remained intact all night long (minus the need for hairspray).

Although the barrel may look deceivingly short, it still catered well for our long and thick hair, delivering a curl that was neither too tight nor too loose. Its oil-infused design left our hair both looking smooth and feeling healthy, with no need for finishing products which further sped up the process.

Arriving with two interchangeable batteries, this wire-free tool made for quick and easy styling, even when you're on the go - although, the batteries do take a few hours to charge. But overall, if your hair is prone to getting dry and frizzy, we'd highly recommend this tool.

Best curling wand for thick hair for bouncy curls

It can be quite the mission to find a curling tong that doesn't produce ringlet-style curls, that was until this Beauty Works number came along. This wand boasts an easy to use design, only take 60 seconds to warm up before you can use. Plus, it arrives with a travel case, heat-proof glove and mat which makes for easy travelling.

After trialling the tool, we noticed that those with thick, straight hair needed finishing products to ensure the curls were defined and lasted all day long. For those with smooth hair, or if curls typically tend to drop out of your strands, it might be wise to invest in a strong-hold hairspray to lock this look in place. Overall, considering this is one of the most affordable curling tongs for thick hair on this list, it performed extremely well and yielded the type of curl we wanted without any additional effort.

Best automatic curling wand for thick hair

We're always intrigued by brands that create innovative new methods to styling your hair, just like this BaByliss tool which left us seriously impressed. Its design works by automatically drawing a section of hair into its ceramic curling chamber, heating and curling it, before stopping itself once the curl is formed. It does take some getting used to, but if you're in the market for a quick, easy and effortless curling method, this styler is for you.

Based off first impressions, this tool does boast a large head which is on the bulky side, but it also makes it great for styling chunky sections of thick and long hair - for more defined waves, we'd recommend using small sections of hair. However, one downside we noticed throughout our testing was that you don't have any control over the type of curl this tool creates, but the results are truly brilliant so we don't really mind. We must also mention how it comes with a handy heat-proof mat – a feature that always gets a tick from us.

See our full BaByliss Wave Secret Air review for more on this easy curler

Best curling wand for thick hair for travel

Speaking of BaByliss, the brand have yet another candidate to add into the best curling tongs for thick hair mix. Particularly great for those who spend time on the go or want flexibility on where you can take your tool, this cordless curler makes for easy and fuss-free styling wherever, whenever. When testing the tools, we found this wand to be on shorter side compared to others, however the thick barrel provided more than enough room to wrap each strand around. Albeit slightly heavy, using this tool isn’t too much of a strenuous task – in fact, it gives the curler a luxe feel.

In terms of ease of use and results, we loved how quickly our curls formed with this tool and how well they lasted throughout the day. The downside? It will does require recharging after about 40 minutes of use on the maximum heat setting, which is fine if your hair didn't take long to style, but those with very thick and long hair may find that this isn't enough, which is worth bearing in mind.

Best curling wand for thick hair for loose waves

A hybrid between a straightener and a waver, we had to include this Bellissima tool in our guide thanks to the tousled waves it provided us. Externally, it has the appearance of one of the best hair straighteners but features a rounded internal clamp that helps create a natural, relaxed wave that lasts - even on thick hair. If you've mastered how to curl hair with straighteners, this is a great option that is both less damaging to your hair and also more naturally catered towards curling.

Our tester usually struggles to create curls using a straightener, but found this tool pretty easy to use when styling. Simply hold it at a slanted angle, turn it 180° and smooth through the hair in one motion. With more practice of the technique, we could see this becoming a go-to multi-use tool, as it's ideal for travel or for creating quick hairstyles. The rounded plate allows waves to form without much effort, while the steam technology and argan oil-infused ceramic promote a healthy, shiny finish, even in the thickest of strands.

Best curling wand for defining thick curly hair

It's no surprise that another ghd tool made this list, thanks to their impressive and extensive styling selection. This Curve Thin Wand behaves in a similar way to the regular ghd Curve tool, except this extra-slim barrel is both longer and much thinner. This wand is a great option for those who already have a curly hairstyle and are looking to enhance and refresh your natural texture. Alternatively, if you’re a fan of the tight ringlet look, this tool is perfect.

Heating up in just 30 seconds, this curler is incredibly easy to use and makes the styling process incredibly quick. When testing, we found that it lives up to its claims of being able to set hair in as little as three seconds, even on thick hair. We also love its automatic sleep mode after 60 minutes, which is perfect for those worrying about whether you left your hair tools on in the morning rush. A foolproof wand for achieving defined curls extremely quickly, this is definitely our top pick for giving new life to naturally curly and wavy textures.

How we tested the best curling wands for thick hair

In order to find the best curling wands for thick hair, we made sure to complete a thorough testing process where we paid close attention to a number of details, features and characteristics - including the settings and functions available, how easy they were to use and, most importantly, the look and lasting power of our curls. Each of the tools that made this guide either met or went above and beyond our expectations, so you can be certain that they're a worthy investment into your styling arsenal.

How to choose the best curling wand for thick hair

The abundance of curling wands available on the market can make finding the best tool a tricky task, so we've collated a number of helpful top tips from hair experts that will make the shopping process even easier.

• Look at the barrel type: "There are many different sizes and shapes that can help you achieve different looks, whether that's a large barrel for loose and glamorous waves or a small barrel for tighter curls," says Tyler Moore, Expert Stylist at Live True London.
• Pay attention to barrel size: "Generally speaking, a 1-inch curling wand is the best all-rounder and can work for most lengths and textures," says Petty. This size is especially good for thick hair.
• Assess the type of wand: "We tend to recommend ceramic for finer or more damaged hair types that can't handle higher temperatures, and tourmaline for thicker hair that is prone to frizz, as this emits negative ions to counteract this," says Moore.
• Consider temperature controls: "We also recommend shopping for a curling wand that allows you to control the temperature with a degree setting, allowing you to have more control," says Moore. This is especially important for damaged hair types.
• Look at additional extras: "Curling wands with an automatic shut-off option are great, so you don’t spend the day wondering if you remembered to turn them off," says Petty. “Rotating barrels make the curling process easier, and some wands come with interchangeable barrels, so you can create different curl types without having to splash out on different gadgets."

Tyler Moore

Tyler Moore is an experienced hair stylist working for Live True salons in London.

How can I keep my hair healthy when using a curling wand?

"Always, always use heat protection!" says Moore. "No matter how you heat style your hair, this is the most vital step. We also recommend looking for a barrel material that is suited for your hair, and not styling too hot. As a rule for damaged, fine or colored hair, go no hotter than 150 degrees Celsius. For healthy or medium thickness hair, 150-190 degrees, and for coarse or thick hair, a maximum of 175-230 degrees."

When it comes to hair styling, Petty says opting for a heat protection spray is key to minimising the heat damage to your locks and recommends you "invest in heat protector creams and sprays, which are made to protect your hair from the heat of dryers and curling wands." As for using the heated tool itself, she also advises you to work quickly: "If you are using a curling wand, try not to use it for more than three or four seconds per section."

Finally, Petty stresses the importance of adding nourishing and reparative products into your haircare routine: "Invest in good aftercare like hair oils and the best hair masks that are designed to repair any damage, which might be caused by overuse or too much heat."

Why won't my thick hair hold curls and how can I fix it?

After spending your time adding bouncy curls into your thick locks, it can feel frustrating when they fall out after a few hours (or sometimes even less), as to why this happens, Petty explains: "One of the main reasons [a curl doesn't hold] is usually because the curling wands are not hot enough when used, thick hair usually needs higher temperatures, ranging from 350 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit to set the curls." In order to combat this issue, Moore advises: "If your hair won't hold curls, try styling your hair on a higher degree setting until you find a temperature your hair can tolerate without becoming dry."

Problems can also arise due to the way you're washing your hair, Petty advises: “Even if you're already using quality products, you want to ensure you're thoroughly rinsing your hair in the shower, too," she says. "Not properly removing conditioner creates an oily residue, which doesn't react well with heat, and also creates a barrier that stops the heat from activating the hair curl."

As for the styling process, it's worth trying to avoid touching your hair as soon as you've finished curling. “If you brush or touch your curls when they are still warm, they lose their curl quickly," says Petty. "This is a challenge if you have longer, thicker hair, which takes more time to cool. Setting the hair with pins or clips until it has fully cooled can be useful here to get your style to hold for longer."

How can I make my curls last longer?

The answer to the question that's on all of our minds, preparation. "Prep will be important to make our curls last longer," emphasises Moore. Mirroring Petty's comments about allowing the hair to cool, Moore adds: "Clip each curl in place while it cools down to help it set and apply a generous amount of flexible hold hairspray to maintain the style throughout the day."

Petty also recommends styling non-freshly washed hair to get a stronger hold. "For even better results, curl your hair on the second or third day after shampooing. Dirtier hair can hold a curl better. If your hair feels greasy, you can always use a dry shampoo beforehand," she says.