Best straighteners for curly hair 2024: Jump Menu
1. The list in brief ↴
2. Best overall: ghd Platinum+ Styler
3. Best luxury: Dyson Corrale Straightener
4. Best budget: Remington Shine Therapy Advanced Ceramic Hair Straighteners S8500
5. Best wide: Cloud Nine The Wide Iron Hair Straighteners
6. Best speedy: T3 SinglePass X Wide Flat Iron
7. Best steam: L'Oréal Professionnel Steampod 4.0 All-In-One Professional Styler
8. Best versatile: BaByliss Brilliance Straight & Curl
9. Best long: Revamp Progloss Ultra X Shine Wide Ceramic Hair Straightener
10. Best for damage-prone hair: KEEO Genius Smart Glide Straightener
11. How we tested
12. How to choose
In order to qualify as the best straighteners for curly hair, a tool has to yield a fuss-free styling experience, not require dozens of passes across curls to achieve poker straight strands and leave hair looking sleek and glossy. Thankfully, woman&home's experienced beauty team members have tested dozens of heat stylers during our careers and know which tools fit that exact criteria.
From tight coils to loose waves, curly hair is hugely diverse and encompasses all kinds of patterns, thicknesses and porosity levels; as with hair in general, no two heads of curls are the same. And while it's important to use the best hair straighteners with heat protection to avoid compromising – and, some would stress, sparingly if you want to preserve your curl pattern – how you style your hair day to day is your prerogative. That said, there are a few additional things to consider when straightening curly hair.
Generally speaking, curly hair types are naturally drier than straighter ones, due to having more bends in the strands. Curls can also have higher porosity, meaning that strands both easily absorb moisture and lose it more quickly. When styling, some straighteners may not seal the hair cuticle properly, leading to frizz developing and an overall unfinished look – which is why knowing which tools work well on curly hair will help you create those lasting results.
When curating this list, we factored in a few must-have features and characteristics that are specifically targeted towards those with curly hair - including whether they have ceramic or tourmaline plates, the size of the plates and its temperature range. Then, each tool was carefully trialled on a variety of curl types, from 2a to 4c to ensure that they work well on various kinds of curls.
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The best straighteners for curly hair, reviewed by our beauty team
Why you can trust Woman & Home Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The quick list
Known to be one the best ghd straighteners, this fan-favourite styler is woman&home's number one pick for straightening curly hair. It's sleek, easy to use, and with ultra-gloss plates, even the tightest curl pattern will be left sleek, straight and shiny.
From flexing plates that prevent hair damage to shiny and long-lasting results, this Dyson straightener is on the expensive side, but it's totally worth every dime. Plus, this straightener also comes with cordless functionality, meaning you can smooth out any stray curls and waves or frizz while on the go.
Costing less than £80, this is a more affordable straightener that can still style curly hair super sleek and straight. It has nine heat settings and ceramic conditioning plates, leaving your hair ultra-straight and shiny.
The Cloud Nine Wide Iron is one of the best straighteners for thick hair; its wide, mineral-infused plates can style and straighten large sections of hair in one go. And if you're someone for whom hair health is the number one priority, you'll be happy to know this styler's temperature can go as low as 100°C.
If there's one thing with straightening curly hair, it is that it's very time-consuming, from waiting for the flat iron to heat up to your desired temperature to the endless passes to straighten out every curl and wave. But the T3 SinglePass does what it says: straightens your hair within one pass with its wide ceramic plates and consistent heat.
Don't let the steam element here scare you. This dry steam feature helps retain moisture while styling your curly hair. This wide-plated styler is designed with three combs that work with any hair type, giving you a smooth, glossy finish.
The best straightener for curly hair overall
The ghd Platinum+ Styler is everything we look for in a premium straightener, making it even easier for those with curly hair to cut down their styling time, whilst being left with sleek, straight results. Not only does it look great aesthetically, in our experience it also gets the job done faster than most other tools on the market. Adding a chic touch to any dressing table, the plush wishbone hinge and contrasting finishes compliment its sleek, streamlined shape.
Aside from its top design, we love that this feels satisfyingly sturdy and has been designed to give more control when styling – a great plus for those with curly hair. The plates are generous and robust enough to capture a large section of hair in every pass, whilst its predictive technology, which responds to the thickness of the hair, styling speed and size of the section being styled, lends itself particularly well to curly hair. However, those with tighter curl patterns will benefit from a glide or two more to achieve a super sleek finish, but the ultra-gloss plates still left our hair looking shiny rather than frazzled even then.
Other than its high price tag being a slight downside, if you also want to use this tool to add loose and bouncy curls back into your hair, it's worth noting that some of our testers have found that they can drop out easily.
See our full ghd Platinum+ hair straightener review for a more in-depth guide to this tool
The best luxury straightener for curly hair
While hair tools have made strides in recent years, giving us the ability to style our own hair at home (thank you, ghd), frizz can still develop within hours of styling curly hair. But our testers found results from the Dyson Corrale were unmatched, with speed and convenience at its core. Unlike any other straightener on the market, this styler boasts flexing plates that gather around the hair as it styles, meaning that less pressure is put onto the hair shaft, subsequently resulting in less damage. This was evident in the finish of our hair, as it felt shinier and straighter than we’d seen with any other hot tool. A small quibble is that the styler feels as though it's snagging when it glides across the hair (it isn't, this is the corrale effect gathering up your hair), but you can push through this for the results.
Although fairly weighty compared to its competitors, its limited battery life makes this cordless design great for on-the-go touch-ups – although, with its seriously long-lasting results (especially if you prep with the brand's Dyson Chitosan pre-style cream) you may find that you can make it to your next hair wash without needing to reach for the irons. Unusually wide plates for a non-curl-specific device allowed the styler to capture a large section of hair, resulting in reduced styling time – even in very thick and/or coarse locks.
See our full Dyson Corrale Hair Straightener review for a deep dive into this tool's capabilities
The best budget straightener for curly hair
The Remington Shine Therapy Advanced Ceramic Hair Straighteners - S8500
Unlike some of the other tools on this list, Remington proves that you don’t have to break the bank to get your hands on a good pair of hair straighteners – their Shine Therapy styler offers a range of heat settings (more than most of its competitors) with nine options to choose from depending on your hair type.
Obviously, for curly hair the higher the heat settings, the better the job – leaving lengths super straight and sleek. But the downside to higher heat usually means a higher potential for damage. The Shine Therapy attempts to counteract that drawback with its Moroccan Argan oil-infused plates, an ingredient that's rich in nourishing vitamin E to hydrate hair with every pass.
However, we found that the bargain price does show in the tool’s ability to curl hair, when you want to put a uniform wave or loose curl back into your smoothed-out hair. When styling, we did feel that this tool was slightly difficult to manoeuvre through our locks and left unwanted kinks. Plus, as smoothly as it glides through when straightening, it can be a little bit more snaggy than its competitors when it comes to catching baby hairs.
The best wide straightener for curly hair
Cloud Nine The Wide Iron Hair Straighteners
After trialling many pairs of straighteners over the years, we can say with certainty that this Cloud Nine model never disappoints. If your hair is both curly and thick, or curly and long (or all three), then straightening tends to be a lengthy, labour-intensive and arm-ache-inducing process. But not with this tool. Aside from its fairly chunky design, the speedy pre-heat time means you can get started within 20 seconds, while the wide plates capture larger sections of hair at a time for far faster styling; we straightened an entire head of very thick hair in just three sections.
As we've mentioned, curly hair is more prone to damage, so it’s important to invest in tools that are designed with this in mind. This styler’s heat settings can go as low as 100°C, which was a major plus point in terms of its versatility. For example, we like to use a higher heat post-wash when hair is at its fluffiest, then a lower one for any touch-ups in the days that follow. The straightener’s plates are both ceramic and mineral-infused, which means heat is distributed evenly across them with no strand-singeing hotspots and they glide through the hair easily without snagging or catching. With continued use, you’ll probably notice that hair feels and looks healthier compared to other straighteners you've tried.
The best speedy straightener for curly hair
The T3 SinglePass X Wide Flat Iron
A product promising to cut down on styling time always intrigues us. That was very much the case with this T3 straightener, which aims to yield a quick styling process – even for those with curly hair.
We found the ultra-wide plates here worked extremely well on thick sections of hair, passing over smoothly and straightening them in one go. This also comes down to the brand’s signature singlepass technology, which means that just one swipe leaves hair straight and frizz-free. Its internal microchip also regulates the temperature so that plates are consistently heated, which allows for even styling and fewer damaging hotspots. Not only that, tourmaline-infused ceramic plates also left our hair with an unusually glossy finish on our tester's 3c curls, which can sometimes look a little frazzled after styling.
That said, if you’re looking for a multitasking hair hero, this styler is not the one. The straight edges of this tool mean you aren't easily able to create different styles, while the width of the plates also makes it difficult to catch shorter baby hairs. That said, the tool is a great option for anyone with curly hair who simply wants to straighten strands fast.
The best steam straightener for curly hair
The L'Oréal Professionnel Steampod 4.0 All-In-One Professional Styler
This innovative hair styler from L’Oréal Professionnel has had a few different iterations over the years, and the Steampod 4.0 is its best yet. The concept behind the unique tool is that, by combining steam with heated straightening iron plates, moisture that would normally be lost during the styling process is retained. It’s an especially great tool for curly hair as it helps to reduce the possibility and appearance of damage and split ends.
So what’s new in the 4.0 edition? The plates are wider, so you can straighten larger sections of hair at a time. There’s also now a choice of three different combs (compared to previous versions having just one), which means you can select one that's best suited to your hair type. For curly hair, we’d recommend the one with the teeth set widest apart to avoid any snagging. It may feel counterintuitive to curl or wave your hair when your hair is curly in the first place, but if you do want to create a different type of curl, then the new addition of heated, curved outer plates will make that easy to do with this tool, too.
When we tested the Steampod, its results were smooth but not rod straight - a single swipe achieved a similar finish to that of best hair straightener brushes. If you’re after a poker straight hairstyle, we’d recommend passing through each section of hair twice, moving the tool slowly as you go. Unfortunately, the 4.0 still has some of the same cons as its predecessors. It still needs to be filled with demineralised water, requiring way more faff than your average iron, and it’s still quite cumbersome and still makes a noise like a steam train when you style. Is it worth it for the reduction in damage, though? We’d say so, and overall it’s a good choice for straightening curly, thick, coarse, or hair that's all of the above.
The best versatile straightener for curly hair
The BaByliss Brilliance Rose Gold Straight and Curl Straightener
If you love to switch up your look from curly to straight hairstyles and vice versa, this could be the styler for you. The BaByliss Brilliance Straight and Curl is versatile and can create seemingly endless looks on all hair types, including curly. As well as straightening, it suits those who want to create other styles, too, such as bouncy curls or Hollywood waves.
For a straight finish, simply select your preferred heat from the five options and glide the tool down the length of your hair as you would with any other pair of straighteners. Due to the heat being evenly distributed, our curly locks were left frizz-free, thanks to the titanium ceramic plates and ionic technology. We were particularly impressed with the smooth and shiny finish it imparted on our hair.
Far from a one-trick pony, this tool also expertly waves and curls hair, with rounded edges and cool tip that can be used for extra control. We twisted the iron as we moved down our hair for a voluminous, curly 'do. While the five temperature settings offered styling versatility, we did notice that curled styles dropped out fairly quickly after using a lower heat, so it's best to stick to the hotter temperatures when restyling an already thick or curly 'do.
The best long straightener for curly hair
The Revamp Progloss Ultra X Shine Wide Ceramic Hair Straightener
Revamp’s extra wide, extra-long ceramic straighteners make for the perfect tool for curly and long hairstyles, cutting our tester's styling time almost in half without compromising on the results; think smooth and sleek hair that stays straight for hours.
Catering to different hair types, this tool arrives with a variety of temperatures to choose from, varying from 80ºC to 235ºC, whilst the floating plates allowed for snag-free styling - something that can be a big ask for larger plates. What’s more, the plates are infused with the brand’s Progloss super smooth oils (including keratin, argan and coconut oil) to bolster shine and help to smooth hair.
When testing, we did find that this one isn't the best tool for curling hair, but it can create wavy hairstyles when rotated to add some movement. Also, due to the design being specifically targeted towards those with longer locks, a tool with smaller plates such as the BaByliss Brilliance Straight and Curl straighteners may be easier to manoeuvre when styling shorter hair. As well as the straightener, you also get a heat-resistant mat to protect surfaces here.
The best straightener for curly hair prone to damage
The KEEO Genius Smart Glide-Straightener
When you straighten your hair, there are a couple of things that can cause damage. The first is the obvious one, which is heat, and the second is the tension that you create as you pull the straighteners through your hair. This is where KEEO has focused a lot of its attention, creating a straightener with a “precision air gap” between its plates that won’t clamp tightly onto hair. It’s achieved through innovatively shaped plates, which are wavy with grooves that slot (almost) into each other when pushed together.
We found that this makes for a silky glide and our hair was left smooth, but not flat. The only downside is that we found that if you try to curl or wave your hair with the KEEO, the motion of pressing the straighteners can create a crimped effect halfway down your strands.
This tool will best suit anyone whose hair is curly but also fine or prone to breakage, as it’s very gentle on strands. That it doesn’t rob hair of its volume will appeal to this hair type too, as the shift from curly to poker-straight hair can sometimes feel quite harsh. The plates are narrow and we found we needed to move it slowly across hair for the sleekest results, which made for a time-consuming process. It’s nice and easy to set up (plug in, press the button wait 30 seconds and you’re good to go) so there’s no time wasted reading the instructions. An exciting launch from a forward-thinking new brand.
How we tested the best straighteners for curly hair
Some of the best straighteners for curly hair that we tested for this feature
To ensure you’re well-informed on each of the straightener models that made it into our final guide before parting with any of your hard-earned cash, we tried and tested every pair of irons on this list on more than one occasion. Each tool has been trialled by women with curl types ranging from 2a to 4c to ensure that they work well on various kinds of curls. To make this list, they had to excel on the following criteria...
- How well they styled hair: All of the best straighteners for curly hair made this list because they left our hair smooth, silky and most importantly, straight.
- How hair looked and felt felt after use: Heat styling will always inflict some level of damage, but we want to see that a brand has thought about ways to minimise this. Certain technologies and innovative features like floating plates, adjustable heat settings and smart sensors all earned points for this reason.
- Price: Most things are becoming more expensive and beauty products are no exception. If a tool is pricey, we need the extra investment to be justified.
- Ease of use: It might be one of the best straighteners for curly hair, but if using it requires reading an instruction manual longer than our arm and a degree in physics to understand its contents, then it doesn't feel worth it. They should be simple and intuitive to use and lightweight enough that you don’t feel like you’re breaking a sweat by the end.
- Design: A sleek or chic design is also a plus. We don’t want to sound shallow, but if you’re splashing out on a tool you want it to look the part, too.
How to choose the best straighteners for curly hair
As well as our testing insights, hair experts note that there are a few other considerations to make before settling on a new pair of straighteners.
- Temperature range: “When looking for a straightener for curly hair, it’s best to check temperature settings and whether it can style all hair types,” explains celebrity hairstylist and Dyson ambassador Larry King. Between 180–210°C is the recommended temperature for thicker, coarser and curly hair types.
- Size of plates: For thick or curly hairstyles, wider plates will usually do the job better as they can straighten a larger section of hair at once, cutting down the overall styling time.
- Type of plates: For even heat distribution and to make styling seamless opt for ceramic plates, whilst tourmaline plates are great for damaged or coloured hair, as they help to reduce frizz and seal the hair cuticle, which retains moisture.
FAQs on the best straighteners for curly hair
Syd Hayes is a renowned hair stylist and the owner of the Q Cut salon in Kew Gardens, London. He is also an ambassador for BaByliss and has worked on countless photo shoots and fashion week shows during his career.
Larry King is a celebrity hairdresser and the founder of Larry King Salons and haircare brands. He is also an ambassador for Dyson.
Adam Reed is a leading hairdresser and the founder of the ARKIVE Headcare brand and salon. At the time of writing, he was also an ambassador for ghd.
Charlotte Mensah is an award-winning hair stylist, founder of the Hair Lounge salon and her own eponymous haircare brand, and the author of Good Hair: The Essential Guide to Afro, Textured and Curly Hair. When this article was first published, she was also an ambassador for ghd.
Sam Burnett is a hairdresser and the founder of the Hare & Bone salon, as well as an ambassador for KAO brands including KMS.
What straighteners are best for frizzy hair?
Want to know what the experts think? Unsurprisingly, ghd gets global hairstylist, founder of ARKIVE Headcare and ghd Global Ambassador Adam Reed's vote. “The best straighteners for frizzy hair are the ghd Platinum+,” he says. “I think the Dyson Corrale (as well as the Dyson Airwrap) are amazing at maintaining your hair’s condition and smoothing frizz,” adds Sam Burnett. “I also think the ghd Duet wet-to-dry Styler is great.”
Is it OK to straighten naturally curly hair?
There is absolutely reason why you can’t straighten naturally curly hair, but it does come with a few caveats. “It’s only OK if you care for your hair correctly,” says Burnett. “I would always suggest using a light amount of heat by blow-drying your hair first, and then straightening on a low setting.”
Your straighteners should also work harder for you. “I would advise finding a straightener [with] incredible plates with a smooth glide and controllable heat settings, so you don’t completely kill your hair,” says celebrity session stylist and BaByliss Ambassador Syd Hayes .
A blow-dry spray that speeds up drying time will mean you’re not using heat for as long, while products like your best shampoo and conditioner for dry hair and the best hair styling products for curly hair will help to restore any moisture lost through the process. A final thing you need to consider is that the more you straighten your hair, the more you’ll distort your natural curl pattern. Heat styling causes damage to the hair, and also gets it used to being in a different position, both of which can impact the bounciness of your curls or coils. If you’re really trying to protect your curls, you might want to lay off the irons for a while.
Is it better to straighten curly hair wet or dry?
Unless the styler is specifically designed with this function in mind (like the ghd Duet Style) you should never straighten your hair when it’s wet. “Never ever dry your hair with a straightener,” Reed stresses. “Always dry it first.” Not only does straightening wet hair risk damaging your tool (a non-ideal scenario when the best straighteners for curly hair aren’t cheap), but your hair, too.
“A straightener applies heat directly to the hair at a high temperature,” says Burnett. “And when your hair is wet and at its most fragile, it can quickly be heated to scorching temperatures. This results in burnt or even broken hair.” By drying the hair first, you can also smooth it out with a brush, which will mean your straighteners won’t have to work quite so hard to smooth your hair afterwards.
How to protect curly hair while straightening
“One of the best hair care tips, which is very often ignored, is using a heat protective spray on your hair before any heated tools,” says Charlotte Mensah, hair stylist and ghd ambassador. “If you prep your hair using ghd Bodyguard Heat Protect Spray before applying any heat, you’ll love how your hair looks even after the styling wears off. Follow this commandment, and your hair will really thank you for it.”
Mensah recommends caring for your curls in between styling sessions, too. Noticed split ends? “Trim your hair every six to eight weeks to maintain your style and keep your ends healthy,” she adds. When straightening curly hair, doing this will ensure the edges look sharp and in good condition, too.
Another top tip is to consider what you’re sleeping on. “The rougher texture of cotton and linen pillowcases can cause unnecessary hair damage,” warns Mensah. “Sleeping on cotton pillowcases can also draw moisture out of the hair, which contributes to breakage,” she adds. “Wrapping your hair in a silk scarf or sleeping on one of the best silk pillowcases to ensure healthier hair.”
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