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Dyson?…Hot Tools?…Babyliss?… Find Out Which of These and Other Top Straighteners Are The Best
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Discover how we ranked the top 4 straightening irons on the market
When it comes to styling your hair consumers are often faced with a dilemma: style how they want, or subject their hair to repeated damage. This is especially true for hair straighteners.
Many of us feel that we need to have perfect hair 24/7. Sleek, frizz-free, and immaculately styled– but the catch-22 is that the more you do to your hair, the more prone it is to developing said frizz, split ends, becoming dry, or even burning.
Fortunately, technological advances in the beauty industry have progressed enough where hair tools are built with materials, technologies, or special features built in to minimize or avoid causing damage.
But even so, no one’s hair is exactly alike, so finding a product that’s “one size fits all” is like trying to find a miracle needle in the proverbial haystack. Just because a product works well on someone’s medium-length fine hair, will the product work on longer, coarser strands?
The question remains: which straighteners on the market– and there are a fair few –offer the best technology to handle a wide variety of hair stypes, be able to deliver on results, and cause as little damage as possible? We’re glad you asked.
We’ve combed through (pun intended) a veritable forest of straighteners and stylers, and identified the ones that we think offer the best blend of technology, results, and most importantly– value.
But first, let’s walk through the features. What should a savvy shopper look for in an ideal hair straightener?
Ionic technology and more hydration
Ionic technology is essential for achieving a sleek, ultra-smooth looky
We think all hair tools should include ionic technology, full stop. And here’s why–
Ionic technology does multiple positive things to your hair. In order to get that super smooth straight look you’re after, you need to conquer frizz.
Most people know that ionic technology introduces negative ions to your hair that helps to neutralize static, but what you may not know is that it also helps smooth down your hair’s outer layer called the cuticle.
When the cuticle is raised, it is jagged and snags on things (which is why frizzy hair seems to almost stick up on itself.) When the cuticle lays flat, the strands lay more smoothly on top of each other. A smooth, or closed, cuticle also helps your hair stay more hydrated. Since an open cuticle allows for the moisture in your hair to escape, a closed one helps keep your hair’s needed moisture locked in tight.
Pairing open cuticles with a hot flat iron spells trouble, accelerating lost moisture, contributing to developing overly dry hair and split ends.
You can see why we’ve put ionic technology at the top of the list, but when it’s paired with our next must-have feature the results get even better.
Infrared technology means less damage
Infrared, or red light, reduces damage by heating hair from the inside out
Infrared technology is one of the newer things to come on the market– but wow does it deliver.
On its own, infrared light already has many different positive benefits, but when it started being included in the hair care world it changed the game entirely.
Infrared light has the ability to reach through the strands of your hair, heating them from the inside out. This allows for a much gentler styling experience because the outside of your hair is not subjected to as much direct heat.
The red light helps evenly distribute the heat, helping to reduce hot spots or potential burn zones that might cause more damage. The result is a powerful straightening experience that drastically reduces the risk of exposing your hair to too much surface heat.
Heats up quickly for those on the go
Opt for a quality hair tool that won’t keep you waiting
You’ve got a busy life, the last thing you need is a hair tool that can’t keep up. We live in the age of amazing technology and buying tools that can’t keep up with your busy schedule just don’t cut it. Especially if you’re looking at top of the market options that can cost $300 or more.
If you’re shelling out potentially hundreds for a hair tool the least it can do for you is be ready when you need it to be. The hair straightener market is full of stylers that heat up in a matter of seconds, no matter what temperature you set it to. Make sure the styler you pick is powerful n this way as well in how well it manages your hair.
Okay, before we get to our top choices, let’s recap what to look for in a quality hair straightener:
- built with ionic technology for less frizz and hydration
- includes red light to reduce direct heat exposure
- evenly distributes heat to tackle any hair type
- heats up quickly
With that, let’s move on to our hair straightener picks. We matched some of the most popular straighteners on the market to see how they stacked up to our criteria.
Infrared light, ionic technology, and tourmaline plates make styling a breeze with our top choice
Our # 1 Pick: Infrarose Styler
The Infrarose Styler from SRI scored the highest because it ticks every box on our checklist.
This sleek hair tool not only has the sought-after infrared light, and is build with tourmaline plates which are fantastic ion generators. The plates evenly distribute heat as you style, avoiding over drying or causing burn spots. It’s able to handle fine hair, thick hair, coarse hair, and curly hair as the infrared light gently dries, and the ionic technology from the plates helps keep frizz at bay.
Plus it heats up, fast. In about 30-45 seconds fast. Along with being affordable for what it offers, the Infrarose Styler earns the top spot on our list.
- Includes ionic technology
- Built with infrared light
- Heats up quickly
- Affordable for the benefits it provides
- Available for online sale only
Cordless and rechargeable, ionic technology, lower heat
Our # 2 Pick: Dyson Corrale
Dyson is a company that needs no introduction. It’s also a brand with products that cost. A lot.
The Dyson Corrale features ionic technology to help tame frizz, and manganese copper alloy plates that flex with the hair while you style. While we were impressed by the even heat distribution and the ability to straighten while applying less heat to hair we felt it had a couple of drawbacks that kept it from ranking first.
Appliances in this range are not accessible to everyone. There is a certain appeal to products that are built with all customers in mind, and are priced appropriately.
We also had our concerns about the cordless feature. While this design is unique and will charge in about 70 minutes, we were left wondering what happens on the days where you’ve forgotten to charge your appliance. Surely any hair straightener that ranks number one should be ready when you are.
- Ionic technology
- Lower heat means less damage
- Cost
- Cordless feature may pose some drawbacks
Even heat distribution, ionic technology.
Our # 3 Pick: Hot Tools Professional 1 ½” FLAT IRON GOLD PLATE 3 IN 1
Hot Tools is another recognizable name on the hair tools market. This model features titanium plates for even heat distribution, multiple heat settings, and as a special feature– multidirectional plates for better control and coverage.
While this last point will definitely help get you in and out of your routine quickly, we noticed a lack of ionic technology. Even if your hair is straightened with less exposure, it still leaves your hair vulnerable to drying and developing things like split ends or frizz.
Still, this option is by far the most affordable on the list but may be better suited for those who do not plan to use their iron every day.
- Even heat distribution
- On the low end cost-wise
- 2 hour shut-off
- No ionic technology
- No red light capabilities
Ionic technology, titanium plates, dual ceramic heating system
Our #4 Pick: BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Prima3000 1 ¼” Ionic Straightener
Last but not least, the BaByliss Pro titanium-plated straightener is designed to be both a straightener and is able to create curls, but that’s not the only impressive feature.
It’s made with a dual-ceramic heating system that heats up quickly, and is designed with ionic technology, which helps to keep your hair’s outer layer resistant to damage. While the ionic technology is a win for us, it still leaves the door open for prolonged heat exposure if used on a daily basis.
Because we feel that infrared light is so essential to healthy hair, we can only place this straightener as fourth on our list.
- Ionic technology
- Round body for curls
- Heats up quickly
- No infrared light
- Expensive for what it offers
