Best hair straighteners 2024: tried and tested by experts

Are pricey Dyson hair straighteners worth it? Do GHD straighteners really give you a good hair day? Which hair straighteners should you use if you've got straight, wavy or very curly hair?

We've tested the most popular hair straighteners costing from £25 up to £400, both corded and cordless. The best are easy to use and will leave your hair with a sleek, shiny finish that's free of static. The worst will damage your hair with repeated use. 

We've found hair straighteners that really hit the mark and others you'll want to avoid – to keep your locks looking healthy and straight,  and prevent arm ache or scorched fingers while you use them.

Best hair straighteners from our tests

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The hair straighteners we tested

All the hair straighteners we tested are listed in alphabetical order below. 

Only logged-in Which? members can view the hair straighteners from our tests. 

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Babyliss 9000

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Weight 0.45kg

Cable length Cordless

Need to know Travel storage case with heat protective lining included, silicone plate guard

Babyliss Smooth Pro 235

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Weight 0.48kg

Cable length 3 metres

Need to know Hinge lock, heat proof mat included

Beauty Works X Molly Mae

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Weight 0.44kg

Cable length 2.6 metres

Need to know Travel case, paddle brush and heat protective glove included

Cloud Nine the Original Iron

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Weight 0.44kg

Cable length 2.75 metres

Need to know Style case included, protective heat guard

Dyson Corrale Cord-Free

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Weight 0.57kg

Cable length 3.2 metres

Need to know Heat-resistant travel pouch included, Travel Dok charging station, magnetic charging cable

Flower Beauty Ceramic Styling Iron

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Weight 0.5kg

Cable length 2.9 metres

Need to know No carry case included

GHD Original Hair Styler

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Weight 0.38kg

Cable length 2.6 metres

Need to know One button on/off switch with light and sound indicators

GHD Platinum +

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Weight 0.44kg

Cable length 2.6 metres

Need to know Heat resistant plate guard

Read our reviews of the best hot brushes

John Lewis Ultra JL 2082JLU

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Weight 0.44kg

Cable length 2.45 metres

Need to know Heat protection wrap included

L’Oréal Professional Steampod 3.0

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Weight 0.67kg

Cable length 2.6 metres

Need to know Removable comb included, integrated water tank refill bottle

Panasonic Nanoe EH-HS99

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Weight 0.51kg

Cable length 2.7 metres

Need to know No carry case

Panasonic Nanoe EH-HSOE

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Weight 0.48kg

Cable length 2.7 metres

Need to know Cleaning brush included

Pifco Silk Shine Ceramic Straighteners

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Weight 0.36kg

Cable length 2.55 metres

Need to know Heat-proof carry case included

Remington Shine Therapy S8500

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Weight 0.43kg

Cable length 2.55 metres

Need to know Heat proof pouch included

Revamp Progloss Ultra X Shine Wide ST-2000-GB

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Weight 0.6kg

Cable length 2.9 metres

Need to know Carry case included

How we test hair straighteners

The best hair straighteners will straighten curls or kinks out of your hair and leave it looking sleek, shiny and healthy, plus they're easy to use without feeling too unwieldy or cumbersome. The worst will drag your hair and leave it looking damaged; also they might feel heavy to use or fiddly to operate. 

Here are some of the most important tests that we put each hair straightener through at our laboratory:

• Hair straightening A panel of 30 with a wide variety of hair types each try all the hair straighteners. They rate each for smoothness, frizz control, shine and overall straightening ability. We also check in with the testers 24 hours later to see how well the style has held. 
• Temperature accuracy We check the accuracy of the heat settings at three spots along the plate, to make sure heat distribution is even and the temperature claims are accurate.
• Hair damage On the highest heat setting, we repeatedly straighten test hair with each stroke lasting five seconds. After this, the hair is examined under a microscope and inspected for damage, as well as being tested for tensile strength. 
• Ease of use Each of our panel of testers provide scores on how easy they found the straighteners to use and how easy it is to get good results. 

We regularly revisit hair straighteners on sale to see if there are other popular models that need testing; if we find any, we test them, too. 

Find out more about how Which? is not influenced by product manufacturers or retailers and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent.

Which hair straighteners are best for my hair type?

Hair is often split into 12 categories, which go from very straight to a very tight coiled hair. See the image above.

When shopping for hair straighteners, it's worth thinking about the type of hair you have, as that can affect how easy it is to straighten. Below, we explain what you need to know depending on your hair type.

Type 1: straight hair

Straight hair has no natural curl and can be fine or thick. 

As hair is naturally straight, you probably don't need a straightening iron to actually remove curls or kinks, but you may use one to provide a sleek or shiny finish or to create waves or curls. For that reason, you can get away with straighteners that don't have very high temperatures (for example, more than 200°C).

This is particularly the case with very fine hair, which could be damaged easily if you use a heat setting that's too high.

Type 2: wavy hair

Wavy hair can be split into three types: A, B and C, with 2A having a slight wave, and 2C having a more well-defined S-shape wave.

Like straight hair, you may be able to get away with using straighteners on a lower temperature, but this will also depend on the thickness of the hair shaft. 

The thicker it is, the more likely it will need a few passes of the straighteners before it's fully straight.

Type 3: curly hair

With curly hair, you start to see clear 'loop' or spring shapes along the hair shaft. Type 3A will be the loosest or widest curl while 3C will be more tightly woven, with a smaller width to the curl.

As hair may be trickier to straighten using just straightening irons, you'll need to blow-dry wet hair first so it's straight (and make sure it's fully dry), then start sectioning it out and smoothing it with the straighteners.

Very curly hair may need a slightly higher level of heat to be able to fully straighten it, but you should also be mindful that the higher the heat, the greater the damage.

Type 4: coiled or kinky hair

This type of hair is more commonly seen among Black or mixed-race people, although it can be found in people of any ethnic background, including Caucasians.

The curl pattern is highly textured, can be coiled or zig-zagged and tends to be on the drier side. This means whichever hair straighteners you use, you should ensure you apply creams or oils to reduce the risk of drying out the hair follicle.

Similar to type 3, it's best to blow-dry your hair first before straightening it. Straighteners with a high temperature setting (more than 200°C) may be the most effective on this type of hair.

Straighteners for long hair

If you've got very long hair, you'll obviously have more hair to straighten, so you may benefit from getting straighteners with a wider plate, which provides more heat coverage. 

However, it's worth remembering that the wider the plate, the trickier it is to create other styles with it, such as loose or barrel curls.

Best cheap hair straighteners

Not everyone wants to spend hundreds of pounds on hair straighteners. However our testing has revealed a pair of more inexpensive hair straighteners we recommend that are often on sale for less than the average price. 

Sign up to Which? to unlock the results and find out which of the hair straighteners we tested are worthy of our Best Buy and Great Value recommendations.

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How to prevent hair damage when using hair straighteners

Many straighteners give you the option to choose your heat setting. These can vary from around 140°C to as high as 235°C. 

Look for straighteners that clearly state what temperature you're selecting, either through a digital display or obvious labelling. 

What is the best temperature for hair straighteners?

This will depend on your type of hair (see above) and how easy it is to straighten.

If your straighteners have multiple temperature settings, it's best to start low. See if that's enough to get the desired result rather than trying the highest temperature and hoping for the best.

Hair straighteners brand GHD only offers one setting for its straighteners (185°C), which it claims is the optimal temperature to straighten hair without damaging it.

However, if you have very fine or very curly hair and you have hair straighteners that go lower or higher, then you could see how effective it is at those temperatures, too.

Watch out for the sizzle

If you hear a sizzle or crackling noise, or you see steam, it means there's moisture on the hair follicle. 

This is bad because your hair is in its most fragile state when damp or wet, making it more susceptible to damage from being pulled, stretched, bent, or otherwise roughly handled.

Ideally, you want hair to be bone dry when you straighten, so give it a blast with a hair dryer or leave it to fully dry naturally.

Apply a heat-protectant spray or cream

The best time to do this is before you blow-dry your hair. If you have to apply it just before you straighten, choose a spray and keep it light, waiting a few minutes to let it dry.

Straighten your hair slowly once, don't do it many times quickly

Slow and steady is best when it comes to straightening your hair, rather than repeatedly clamping with the hot irons and going over it multiple times. 

Make sure your hair is taut as you pull the straighteners down – this will help with the process.

How to curl hair with straighteners

If you want a bouncier ringlet curl, a curling tong is your best bet. However, hair straighteners can double up as curling irons to provide loose waves if that's the look you're after.

Make sure you choose hair straighteners with rounded edges, so they can wrap around the plate and glide easier. 

1. Section your hair with clips and leave a handful of hair that's free at the back. The back of the head is the hardest to reach, so it's good to start here when your arms are least tired and then work your way forward.
2. Clamp the hair between the straightener plates, then rotate the straightening iron one full turn. If you're styling the sides or front of your hair, make sure you twist the straightening irons away from your face.
3. As you do this, pull the straightener down the hair shaft. It's a bit like curling a ribbon with a pair of scissors – clamp, twist and pull. As you release the irons, you should have a nice, barrel-shaped curl. 
4. Once you've done the back, give those curls a spritz with hair spray, then move on to the sides and front.
5. For a softer curl or wave, you can gently brush through curls with a paddle brush, or use your fingers to break them up a bit.