The best hair straighteners for foolproof styling, tried and tested by our expert
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The looks you can achieve with a straightener have become more versatile as well: one twist of a modern, curved-edge straightener can create styles from ultra-smooth strands to structured ringlets and soft, beachy waves. There's a wide range of styling possibilities with just one tool.
I put a selection of 13 hair straighteners to the test – from budget tools to premium models – and here's what I found.
Best overall hair straighteners:
GHD Platinum Plus£199 at GHD
Best budget hair straighteners:
Remington Shine Therapy S8500£29.99 at Boots
Best cordless hair straighteners:
Dyson Corrale£399.99 at Boots
Best hair straighteners for long or thick hair:
GHD Max£174 at John Lewis
Best premium hair straighteners:
Cloud Nine New Original£219 at Look Fantastic
As a longtime owner of naturally curly hair, my locks bear the scars of living through the poker-straight 2000s. Fortunately, I've been a beauty and lifestyle journalist for more than 10 years, which has allowed me to get my hands (and hair) on much better kit than I used to own as a curly haired student. While I often wear my curls with pride, it's nice to switch things up now and again.
I tested 13 straighteners on clean, dry hair that started off in its usual curly pattern. In its natural state, my shoulder-length hair has a fairly tight Type-3 curl (meaning you definitely wouldn't mistake it for merely wavy). Before testing, I made sure my hair was clean and detangled, and I used the same heat-protection spray with each straightener to help reduce damage and hold the finished style. As my fine hair doesn't get on well with higher temperatures, I used a medium heat setting where there was a choice.
For each straightener, I noted the time taken from a curly standing start to a fully straightened head of hair, the overall ease of use, and how comfortable each tool felt in my hand in terms of weight and grip. After straightening I checked how my hair looked and felt, and then wore the style for a typical working day to test how well the styles lasted with each tool.
Final ratings take into account the speed and ease of straightening, how my hair looked and felt afterwards and overall value for money considering the finished result – and how well this lasts through the day. Here are the eight best performers from my tests.
If not returned to the manufacturer, the hair straighteners sourced for this article are being donated to the homelessness charity Crisis for resale.
£199 at GHD£200.76 at John Lewis
There's a reason why GHD's Platinum Plus straighteners are in their seventh year of supremacy in houses up and down the UK – provided straight hair is what you want, they're unsurpassed as a styling tool.
Why we love itWhen you take the Platinum Plus out of the box, the first thing you'll notice is the sleek good looks: the floating ceramic plates are a stylish matt black, and the flowing curves of the design ooze sophistication. The Platinum Plus is not just a pretty tool, however – it heats up in seconds and styles hair from curly to straight in minutes.
Beneath the shapely casing is GHD's predictive heat technology, which measures and adjusts the temperature of the tool hundreds of times a second. This is so the plates won't either overheat or cool down as you style and you won't have to run them over the hair more than once. Straightening with the Platinum Plus was effortless, and the result was shiny, healthy-looking hair (with no toasted ends).
It's a shame that … the Platinum Plus comes in only two colours, matt black and matt white, although special editions pop up from time to time. It's also rarely priced below £200, even in sales. Fine or damaged hair may prefer the cooler settings some straighteners offer.
Heat settings: one (185C)Cord length: 2.7m swivel cordAutomatic shut-off time: 30 minutesWeight: 302g
£25.99 at Currys£29.99 at Boots
If you're not in the market for a premium pair of straighteners, there are good options for significantly less than £100 that won't break the bank or ruin your hair.
Why we love itRemington's slimline straighteners have ceramic-coated floating plates infused with natural oils for added shine; the ones I tested were infused with Moroccan argan oil, but there's also a coconut version. The design is simple and sleek if a little unglamorous: two plates, two buttons and a gently glowing LCD screen that lets you know the temperature you've selected. There are nine temperature settings, from 150C to 230C. I found 180-190C worked perfectly on my fine-ish curly hair.
The floating plates moved nicely over my hair without catching, and my hair looked shiny and healthy after straightening. The RRP is a quite reasonable £79.99 but you'll often find these straighteners reduced to half that price, making Shine Therapy a bargain.
It's a shame that … Remington's straighteners take a little longer to heat up than others we've tested – not a dealbreaker, but the wait was about twice as long as other straighteners in our test.
Heat settings: nine (150 to 230C) Cord length: 2.5m swivel cordAutomatic shut-off time: one hour Weight: 368g
£399 at John Lewis£399.99 at Boots
It was initially a shock when Dyson – the company best known for vacuum cleaners and hand dryers – moved into the beauty market more than eight years ago, but its hair drying and styling tools have been runaway successes. The Corrale – Dyson's cordless straightener – is no exception.
Why we love itIt just works so well. The Corrale is named after the flexible manganese copper alloy plates that corral the hair through the tool smoothly and evenly for one-stroke straightening. The adjustable heat control lets you select from three temperatures, 165C, 185C and 210C, and an intelligent heat-control system keeps the temperature even throughout styling, so there's little risk of scorching damage.
A rechargeable lithium-ion battery makes the Corrale fully portable – the tool was originally designed with fashion shoots in mind, and it's genuinely easy to use anywhere around the house or on the go. The size of the battery means the Corrale feels heavier and chunkier in the hand than some other straighteners, but not unpleasantly so; and the thicker plates grip the hair well for efficient styling without snagging. One battery charge lasted for 30 minutes, which was more than enough to fully straighten my medium-length hair.
It's a shame that … the Corrale charges only from its dock or proprietary cable, so unlike other cordless chargers you can't charge it with whichever cable you have to hand.
Heat settings: three (165C, 185C and 210C)Cord length: cordless, but charging cable is 3.8mAutomatic shut-off time: 10 minutesWeight: 561g
£174 at GHD£174 at John Lewis
If you have very long or thick hair you'll find that standard-width straighteners take a long time to style your hair. With wide-plate straighteners, you can reduce that time and effort.
Why we love itGHD's Max are the best wider straighteners I tested. With its 1.65in styling plates, there's almost twice the width of standard plates, meaning you can style much larger sections of hair – a godsend if your hair is long, thick or curly. The Max smoothed down my Type-3 curls in minutes.
Wider plates mean faster styling, which not only helps you get on with your life but also means less time spent in contact with hair-damaging heat. Like all GHDs, the Max has the one 185C heat setting, which was enough to straighten my hair to a soft and shiny finish with just one pass.
It's a shame that … as it's designed for long and thick hair, the GHD Max is a bit fiddly to use on shorter sections, such as a fringe or shorter layers. As with the other GHDs here, some hair types may prefer lower temperature settings.
Heat settings: one (185C)Cord length: 2.7m swivel cordAutomatic shut-off time: 30 minutesWeight: 830g
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£219 at Look Fantastic£219 at Boots
Cloud Nine is GHD's main rival in the premium straightener market and a familiar sight in professional salons. First launched in 2009, the Original straightener was relaunched last year with an updated model.
Why we love itCloud Nine straighteners have two main differences from their GHD counterparts: the mineral sericite added to the heating plates, sealing moisture into the hair to leave it extra-soft and hydrated; and 11 heat settings, allowing you to select a suitable heat for your hair type and texture. It's easy to choose a heat with the flat buttons on the handle, and there's a handy quiz on the website to help you find the right temperature for your hair. The chic matt-black tool feels light in the hand with a nice balance.
The Original also has a vibrating Revive mode unique to Cloud Nine, which reduces friction and drag on the hair to minimise damage as you style. The slight buzzing sensation was a little odd at first, but the vibrations seemed to help the straighteners glide over my hair to leave it soft and glossy.
It's a shame that … for an entry-level model (to a premium brand), the price tag is undeniably high – not much lower than GHD's top-of-the-line Platinum Plus model. If you have very fine or thick hair, the multiple heat settings make the Original worth shelling out for.
Heat settings: 11 (100-200C)Cord length: 3mAutomatic shut-off time: 30 minutesWeight: 440g
£59.99 at Boots£59.99 at Amazon
Best for: travel
Small but mighty, this compact straightener has three heat settings, keratin-infused plates for extra conditioning and ionic technology for a glossy finish – that's a lot of features to pack into a dinky package. It's hard to say how much difference they make, but I can say from extensive testing that the results feel good, leaving my hair feeling soft and hydrated. The battery takes three hours to charge and lasts for about 30 minutes, enough to fully straighten my hair in one go.
The Liberate Compact also comes with a carry bag, a travel adaptor plug and a flight-safe lock, making it an excellent choice for travel. It's also great to keep handy in a desk drawer for quick hair fixes between work and evenings out.
It didn't make the final cut because … it's ideal for travel and suitable for infrequent home use, but not beefy enough to replace my favourite straighteners day to day.
Heat settings: three (160C, 180C and 210C); cord length: cordless; automatic shut-off time: 30 minutes; weight: 243g
£39.99 at Tesco£39.99 at Amazon
Best for: taming frizzy hair
If you don't mind your hair tool being associated with a daytime TV celebrity, then these ionic straighteners from hairdresser (and This Morning fixture) Nicky Clarke are lovely to use and come at a very good price. The plates are coated with ceramic and tourmaline and glided smoothly over my hair, leaving it soft and shiny. There are five heat settings, from 150C to 230C, so the straighteners are good for various hair textures, including thicker hair.
It didn't make the final cut because … I slightly preferred the way my hair felt after using the Remington Shine Therapy, but there's very little to choose between the two and these would be a great alternative.
Heat settings: five (150-230C); cord length: 2m; automatic shut-off time: 60 minutes; weight: 360g
£124 at GHD£124.02 at John Lewis
Best for: precision styling and quick fixes
Rocking a pixie cut or French bob? The GHD Mini's half-inch plates are just the thing for styling shorter hair, easily reaching the roots without the kinking or crimping that can be more noticeable on shorter hair with standard plates. The Mini has the same floating ceramic plates and heat-sensing technology as its bigger brethren, in a slimline package that's perfect for keeping a textured crop or face-framing fringe sleek and straight. The rounded barrel means you can also create waves and curls if you want to change up your look.
It didn't make the final cut because … the GHD Mini is a good thing in a small package, as long as you have shorter hair. For anything longer than shoulder length you'll want a full-size tool.
Heat settings: one (185C); cord length: 2.7m swivel cord; automatic shut-off time: 30 minutes; weight: 320g
How do hair straighteners work?Whatever the price, brand or extra features, all hair straighteners work in the same way: by using heat to temporarily break the hydrogen bonds in the hair. With these bonds momentarily broken, the hair can be set into a new style that stays in place once the hair cools and the hydrogen bonds reform.
Most modern straighteners have heating plates coated in a non-metallic material, such as ceramic and tourmaline, to distribute the heat more gently and evenly than a metal plate and reduce the risk of scorching the hair. A ceramic coating also helps the straighteners glide smoothly over the hair, reducing snagging and giving straightened hair a glossy, healthy-looking finish.
How much should you spend?If you heat-style only occasionally, a basic straightener will do the job. If you style more frequently, investing in a premium model with smart technology can save you time and reduce the risk of heat damage. A premium tool is likely to include features such as 'floating' plates on tiny springs that keep an even grip on the hair; and heat sensors that adjust the temperature of the straighteners as you style. Premium straighteners may also include ionic technology, using a material that when heated releases negative ions, reducing frizz and adding shine to the hair.
How to stop your hair getting damagedMake sure your hair is completely dry before straightening (unless your straightener is a wet-to-dry straightener). Brush your hair and divide it into even sections, then spray with a heat-protection product to keep heat damage to a minimum and help your finished style last longer. Any of these products is better than nothing, but my favourite is GHD's Bodyguard spray (and Revlon's Uniq One is a good alternative). It's best to start around the bottom of your head and work your way up to the top, using as few strokes as possible – the best straighteners work in one or two passes over each tress. Finish with a spritz of your favourite hairspray to hold the style in place.
If your straightener has adjustable temperature settings, use a lower temperature for fine or damaged hair, 170-190C for most hair types, and up to 200-210C for thick or curly hair. With the right heat settings for your hair type and a protective spray, there's no reason straightening your hair should be bad for it.
Lise Smith is a freelance writer with more than 15 years of experience covering beauty, lifestyle, parenting and the performing arts. She knows her titanium from her tourmaline and is always ready to try the latest hair tools and products
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