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The Ultimate Guide to the Top 5 Hair Straighteners for Curly Hair
How to Choose the Right Flat Iron for Thick, Curly Hair
Finding a flat iron that gives you the smooth, shiny locks you’re trying to achieve can be challenging when you have super thick, curly, or coarse hair. Most of the time, you’re left with frizzy uneven sections. This happens because some flat irons just don’t get hot enough to tame thicker hair textures. And call me crazy, but wasting money on flat irons that DON’T WORK gets annoying fast!
But I’m not telling you anything new — every curly gal knows this struggle!
When you have thick, curly hair, you try all types of flat irons and hair products in hopes of landing your ideal hairstyle. Personally, after testing several flat irons, I’ve learned the key to a successful straightening experience is choosing a flat iron specifically designed for our hair type. So in this article, we’ll discuss the best flat iron features for thick, curly, and coily hair, so you can achieve sleek, straight locks in a safe and efficient manner that won’t damage your hair cuticle or curl pattern. But before we share our top 5 flat iron picks for thick, curly hair, let’s explore what you need to look for!
At this point, you’re probably wondering what type of flat iron really works best for thick, curly hair. Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered!
So, let’s address one of the biggest questions in the curly hair community…
Ceramic vs. Titanium: Which Plate Material Is Best for Thick, Curly Hair?
When choosing a flat iron for thick, curly hair, plate material is one of the most important things to consider. While ceramic plates are a popular choice for many hair types, there are better options for those with thick, curly hair. Ceramic plates don’t get as hot as other materials and may not provide enough heat to straighten thicker hair textures effectively. On the other hand, hard
anodized titanium plates are known for their ability to heat up quickly and maintain a consistent temperature, making them an excellent option for tackling thick, curly hair. In fact, many find that using this type of flat iron drastically cut down overall styling time — myself included!
Hard anodized titanium is also extremely durable and scratch-proof. Titanium does get hotter much faster, so it’s important to keep an eye on the temperature you’re using — but this isn’t an issue if your flat iron has a visible temperature screen. Great! Now that you have an idea of the type of flat iron suitable for thick, curly hair, let’s explore the essential factors to consider when searching for the perfect flat iron!
My highly-trained team of BEAUTY EXPERTS and I researched, dissected, and tested hundreds of straighteners to determine the most essential elements of each.
The name of the game is HEALTHY HAIR, and healthy hair starts with using products you can actually trust! So before committing to your next flat iron, make sure you look for the SEVEN FLAT IRON ESSENTIALS we uncovered in our research and have conveniently listed below.
There are several high-quality straighteners on the market using modern innovation to help give your hair that strong, shiny, salon-chic look you’ve always dreamed of without costing you a fortune.
What to Look for in a GREAT Flat Iron
The Seven Flat Iron Essentials For Thick, Curly Hair:
- Hard Anodized Titanium Plates – One of the most exciting recent developments in hair straightening technology is fast-heating Hard Anodized Titanium Plates. These flat iron plates are virtually scratch-proof and one of the most durable on the market. In addition, this type of flat iron plate material heats up quickly and makes it easy to achieve that sleek, sexy style you’re trying to achieve.
- Fast-Heating with Adjustable Heat Settings – A straightener shouldn’t take more than 45 seconds to heat up, and you should get silky smooth hair with just one pass. It’s also just as important to have a flat iron with a range of temperature options — from lower temperature settings for fine or damaged hair up to high heat for thick or curly hair.
- Floating Plates – Some flat irons pull, snag, and tug hair strands while styling. If you’ve ever experienced this, you already know how annoying (and painful) this is! All the quality flat irons I encountered have floating plates that adjust to your hair’s texture and thickness — solving any uncomfortable styling mishaps!
- Curved Design – Most people overlook this feature, but it’s incredibly helpful because a curved design helps you create a variety of curls and wavy styles.
- Value – Rather than dishing out a hefty chunk of cash on a flat iron with a cringe-worthy price tag, look for a straightener that uses current technological advancements to help do the same amazing job at a fraction the price.
- Durability and Warranty – The last thing you want is to fall in love with a straightener only to have it break in 3 months, leaving you with nothing but a futuristic-looking paperweight. So when choosing a flat iron, make sure the company offers extensive warranties, uses sturdy materials with a durable design, AND provides a money-back guarantee.
Keeping these seven essential features in mind…
I compiled a list of the TOP FIVE FLAT IRONS that work best for thick, curly, and coarse hair textures. These flat iron picks will help you achieve the sleek, straight style you want! that work best for thick, curly, and coarse hair textures. These flat iron picks will help you achieve the sleek, straight style you want!
Regular Price: $169
SPRING CLEANING SALE: $129
When I saw the Infrarose Styler, it stood out from the crowd…
This straightener is modern and luxurious with lots of thoughtful features (like a latch that locks the straightener closed for ease of travel), and the packaging is elegant and fun! The floating, hard anodized titanium plates work wonders on thick, curly, coarse hair textures, gliding through your hair without pulling, tugging, or snagging.
I also loved that the technology used in this flat iron is the latest on the market. The Infrarose Styler combines fast-heating, hard anodized titanium plates and custom temperature controls to help you get the best results in the least amount of time.
Our tests proved you could effortlessly straighten your hair in just one pass to get the glossy salon finish you deserve without worrying about breakage, frizz, or damaging your hair.
Even better — Skin Research Institute, the company behind the Infrarose Styler, is renowned and trusted by professionals. They work closely with some of the top stylists in the industry — even a few celebrity stylists — to ensure their products meet customer needs. It is also nice that there is no risk when buying this straightener because it has a 60-day money-back guarantee and 1-year warranty.
The other great thing about SRI is that they always have really good sales! So order your Infrarose Styler today to take advantage of their ##SALE_TITLE! So if you hurry, you can snag this limited-time discount!
PROS:
- EFFECTIVENESS : Straightens a variety of thick, curly hair textures without frizz or taking all day.
- GENTLE ON HAIR: Floating titanium plates glide through hair without snagging, pulling or tugging.
- NO FUSS STYLING: The ergonomically designed 360-degree swivel cord prevents tangling, allowing you to style your hair from any angle effortlessly.
- LESS FRIZZ: Titanium plates provide even heat distribution that support fast, easy, frizz-free straightening.
- FAST STYLING: Heat up your styler in less than 30 seconds.
- ROUND BODY: The easy-to-grip rounded body helps you straighten or curl your hair with ease.
- TEMPERATURE RANGE: Choose from a wide variety of temperatures so you can customize for your exact hair type.
- RISK FREE: SRI is BBB accredited, offers a 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee and has a 1-year warranty.
CONS:
- AVAILABILITY –Only available online
- STORAGE –Could use a traveling bag for convenience
Regular Price: $159.99
The BabylissPRO Nano Titanium Flat Iron is a strong contender when it comes to straightening thick, curly hair. And while this flat iron works great for most, a few consistent complaints definitely raise some red flags on my end.
One of the biggest complaints is that the plates don’t properly touch, making it challenging to really get that even heat distribution needed to achieve super straight, smooth locks.
Of course, this isn’t the case for everyone, but who wants to risk it with such a hefty price tag?! Aside from this, there are some things to like about this flat iron, like the nano titanium plates (even though it’s just a play of words they trademarked for negative ions).
PROS:
- SLIM DESIGN – Great hold and feel while styling
- VERSATILE HEAT SETTINGS – Provides a good range of temperatures for all hair textures.
- 4-YEAR WARRANTY – Impressive warranty on this product.
- SLIM DESIGN – Great hold and feel while styling
CONS:
- PLATE ISSUES – Sometimes, the plates don’t close properly, so it’s hard for the tool to straighten properly.
- FAULTY PRODUCTS – Many reviewers say they received used and/or broken products.
- DELAYED HEAT – Some say it takes way too long to heat up.
- PRODUCT LIFESPAN – The heating element is known to short out after a while.
Regular Price: $169
The Tress Pass Straightening Iron has many admirable features and is well thought out, but in my experience, it’s hit or miss with some hair types.
On the upside, there are great features like ionic technology and titanium plates, but I have many concerns with this product before spending close to $200!
The biggest concern comes down to product lifespan issues I noticed while shuffling through reviews on sites like Amazon and Reddit.
PROS:
- HEATING TIME – Great hold and feel while styling
- LOOK AND FEEL – Cute design and overall feel of product.
- BRAND VIBES – Great customer service if you ever need to reach out.
CONS:
- EFFECTIVENESS – Mixed reviews on curly hair effectiveness, especially on thicker, coarser textures.
- OUCH! – A good number of reviewers report plates snagging hair when styling.
- PRODUCT LIFESPAN – Short lifespan; some reviews say these flat irons die out after a while.
Regular Price: $169
Sutra is an up and coming brand that targets thicker, coarser hair types. That said, at first glance, Sutra’s IR2 Flat Iron has everything you’d need to straighten your hair properly — but there are a few questionable things I noticed.
For example, this flat iron claims to use infrared light technology through a tiny green light on the inside of the flat iron, nowhere near the plates. This isn’t true infrared technology but more of a gimmicky marketing tactic.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are hair tools with infrared technology, but this isn’t it. Aside from that, I did notice a lot of one-star reviews on Amazon that say this flat iron dies out after some time.
PROS:
- TITANIUM PLATES – This flat iron has rose gold titanium plates.
- WIDE PLATES – Has wider plates, which those with thicker hair textures tend to like because it reaches more hair while straightening.
- ADJUSTABLE HEAT SETTINGS – Great range of heat settings needed for all hair types.
CONS:
- NOT USER FRIENDLY – Difficult to use without instructions.
- WEIGHT – At 1.5 pounds, this flat iron is a little heavier than the others on our list.
Regular Price: $169
This flat iron was good — but it didn’t fully live up to my expectations, unfortunately. I love the brand’s vibes, and yes, it’s a nice flat iron for the most part, but I had to do three to four passes to get my hair straight, so it ended up just taking way too long to finish.
PROS:
- HEATING TIME – This flat iron has rose gold titanium plates.
- TITANIUM PLATES – Has wider plates, which those with thicker hair textures tend to like because it reaches more hair while straightening.
CONS:
- QUALITY – Many report hearing a steady buzzing sound when using this flat iron.
- TIME – Requires multiple passes to get hair straight.
- OUCH! – Pulls and snags hair during styling.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6894537/ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/exd.13347
