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The Secret to Best-Ever Curls: Pro Tips and Top Curling Irons
Choosing the best curler for your hair type, desired style,and price range is not as easy as it sounds. We took the time to narrow down a top 3, so you don’t have to!
Unlock the key to flawless, long-lasting curls with expert advice and the right tools
If you spend as much time styling your hair as I do, you know that the right tool can be a game-changer. As a hair stylist for over ten years, I do a lot of research to make sure that the tools I use are the best of the best–ones that allow me to style any and every look my clients are going for.
While some flat irons can create loose waves, only a curling iron is going to get you those glamorous, red carpet curls that everyone dreams of having.
Spoiler: not all “high quality” curlers are created equally!
Today I’m going to share the top 4 things to look for in a curler. Think of these things as your guiding compass on curling iron shopping. If your purchase doesn’t have at least 3 of these checklist items, it’s probably not worth it!
The reason owning a great curler is so important, is because, hello! You can save time and money doing your hair yourself. Even if you’ve never curled your hair before, or think you’re not cut out for it, the right tool will make you feel otherwise!
Using a bad, low quality curler can burn your hair and even cause irreversible damage. Even with all the heat protectants in the world, a styling tool made with the wrong material can be the difference between hair health and hair loss. Yikes!
Each of the curlers I narrowed down my search to include at least 3 of the 4 important features to look for in a curler. Any of these products will help you get shiny, gorgeous, bouncy curls no matter which one you choose!
Still, it’s important to consider how often you’re going to use your tool, where you’ll be using it (travel, at home, on set, etc.) and make sure you’re choosing the best tool for your own personal style.
My personal must-have feature is infrared light. Once I started using it, I can’t go back! It helps give my hair (and my clients’ hair!) a lasting shine that I’ve never seen before. It’s truly incredible.
But again, you have to decide for yourself which features are the best for your looks, and overall lifestyle. Luckily, each of the curlers I chose are great for all hair types, so you don’t have to worry about that when picking.
Now, let’s get to the top four features to look for in a curling iron
Invest in one powerful, long-lasting tool that can style any look, with the least amount of damage.
Be sure to get a curler that can achieve a variety of styles, such as big, voluminous curls andlight beach-blown looking waves.
- Tourmaline-Ceramic Barrel– If you’re hot tool isn’t made of tourmaline and/or ceramic (bonus points if it’s made of a combination of the two!) then you are probably doing a lot more damage to your hair than you realize. The gentle gemstones help to reduce damage, fight frizz and static, and produce the most beautiful lightweight curls. Curling irons made with gemstone barrels are the only way to go if you want to care for your hairand help minimize breakage and damage.
- Digital Temperature Screen –Knowing exactly what temperature your curling iron is set to is so important! Not only does utilizing a range of temperatures help you reduce unwanted damage, but it’s the only way to get the exact style or curl type that you’re going for. For loose waves, a lower temperature will be best. For voluminous, bouncy curls, you’re going to need a higher temp. Especially if you’re sharing your curler with a daughter or sister or friend who has a different hair type than you do, knowing the exact temperature to set it at for a range of textures and types is best.
- Easy Grip & Cool Tip–No one enjoys burning themselves when styling their hair. Yes, it happens, but it’s not ideal or safe! Buying a curler that is easy to hold will help you enjoy styling again. No one likes holding up a tool that weighs you down. Plus, having a cool tip grip for holding curls makes it safe for handling when you’re in a rush or need to hold a curl for longer than a few seconds.
- 360º Orbit Cord– This is the #1 attribute that women overlook! Having a 360º orbit cord allows you to seamlessly style and move around your bathroom or bedroom without getting all tangled up. It makes it easier to plug into an outlet that’s farther away, and you’re less likely to burn yourself in the process! Full range orbit cords also help you style from all angles, getting perfect curls even in the most hard-to-reach spots on your head!
Styling with the right curler should be a fun experience! Finding the right one is the hard part! Get a curler that meets all of your styling criteria, will look nice in your bathroom, and won’t do major damage to your hair.
This beautiful 1” Curler is designed to create gorgeous curls and waves with ease. Its unique red light therapy and negative ion technology help to rejuvenate hair from frizzy to silky, so you can rock gorgeous hair all day long.
SPRING CLEANING SALE
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$95
Help Increase Shine, Reduce Damage & Frizz, & Love Your Curls Every Time!
The Infrarose Curler came in at the #1 spot for good reason–it’s the BEST! This sleek, tourmaline-ceramic gemstone barrel curler is the best on the market in terms of quality, price, and they even have an amazing refund policy (though you won’t need it!).
The best part is it has an infrared light strip! Red light is what the sun gives off, whereas blue light is what phones and other harmful screens give off. Red light therapy has been used on hair to help increase shine, encourage hair growth, reduce frizz, and support overall healthier hair. The Infrarose Curler’s red light strip is reason enough to award it the top spot.
Still, there’s even more to love about it…
Honestly, we fell in love with it before even trying it. It comes in a gorgeous box, and arrived a day earlier than anticipated. Which was perfect, because this was the one curler we could not wait to try!
It is beautifully designed and easy to handle. The smooth, ergonomic grip is perfect for long-term and everyday use. It has a cool tip, a 360º orbit cord that helps you style every strand of hair without getting all tangled up, and a digital temperature screen! Anyone who styles their hair regularly knows how crucial a digital screen is.
We weren’t surprised by the incredible quality of the Infrarose Curler, because we swear by the Infrarose straightener. The company honors a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so you can send it back within 60 days if you don’t love it. Since there’s no doubt you will love it, they also offer free replacement parts and repairs for one full year from your purchase.
Any company that puts health and wellness at the forefront of their products gets an “A” in our book. The Infrarose Curler not only helped us get the exact gorgeous look we were going for, but it also left our hair feeling good, too! A++!
The other great thing about SRI is that they always have amazing sales! Order your Infrarose Curler today to take advantage of their SPRING CLEANING SALE!
Our Final Verdict on the Infrarose Curler: Highly Recommended
DryBar’s 3-Day Bender curling iron was a great purchase, and it came in a very close second!
Like the Infrarose, the DryBar curling iron utilizes powerful red light therapy to reduce frizz and flyaways, and its ceramic barrel leaves hair looking mega shiny.
The curling iron overall was very easy to use. It had a perfectly legible digital temperature screen, heated up fairly quickly, and is lightweight enough to pack along for a, well, 3-day bender! Not sure where they got the name from, because these curls did not last even close to three days.
Still, we loved the way the curler was able to create relatively big, bouncy curls just as well as it allowed for soft, loose waves. We didn’t even have to torch our hair to get it to hold the big curls, which is always a plus!
DryBars warranty program is pretty good, too! They offer a two-year warranty, but if you do end up wanting to return it, you have to have the receipt. If you purchase online they offer free shipping, which is awesome!
Overall, we were very pleased with DryBars curling iron. It was efficient, easy to handle, had the digital temperature screen that we love, and left our hair pretty shiny.
The T3 styling tools are fairly well known in the curling iron world. However, we can’t seem to figure out why after trying it for ourselves.
While it looks beautiful, and has a great return policy (thankfully), it didn’t give our hair the same shine as the other two curling irons we tried. It was able to give us beautiful beach waves and semi-big curls, but it didn’t have a digital temperature screen. We did love that we got our curls styled in one single pass, though!
We thought the T3 was going to be our favorite because of the interchangeable wands, but it ended up just snagging our hair.
The cool tip made it easy to handle, and the sleek grip was comfortable to hold for extended periods of time, but the hair pulling just made the experience disappointing.
The T3 is beautifully designed with its crisp white exterior and rose gold accents, so it would be easy on the eyes in a suitcase and bathroom, but the cord does get pretty unruly. After just one time wrapping it around the iron, it became misshaped.
T3’s curling wand is perfect for a styling tool photoshoot or as a prop on a set, because again, it truly is a gorgeous tool. However, as far as styling quality, ease of use, and comfort it did fair, but we would probably choose the Infrarose or DryBars curler over this one.
Conclusion
While the above list barely scrapes the surface of the numerous hair curling iron products available, hopefully it gives you a starting place in the process of buying your new glamorous tool.
You are moments away from acquiring a high-quality hair curling iron that will not only help generate the ageless glamour you see dazzling the pages in magazines, but you will also be taking a new step towards making sure you support a healthy head of hair for a good long time.
