The best hair curlers for effortless, lasting results, including wands and tongs

Telegraph

2 days ago

Perfect curls may seem elusive, but the best hair curlers can transform even the most stubborn strands. With prices ranging from under £30 to over £100 and options that include wands, tongs and multi-stylers, finding the right tool is no small feat.
Celebrity hair stylist and salon owner Melissa Timperley, who has tested countless curlers, says: 'Whether you're chasing soft beachy texture, or defined ringlets, the right hair curler can be a total game-changer.' She recommends prioritising adjustable heat settings, ceramic or tourmaline barrels for even heat and selecting a barrel size to suit your style. Top brands such as Cloud Nine, BaByliss and Dyson dominate the market.
Timperley warns: 'Always check the temperature range to avoid heat damage.'
We update this guide regularly, so you can shop with confidence and find the best curler for your needs and budget, but if you're in a rush, here's a quick look at my top five:
The best hair curlers: At a glance
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How to choose the best hair curlers
Choosing the right hair curler for you can be a minefield. Starting with price, on the lower end of the scale, Timperley suggests looking at brands like Remington and BaByliss and spending between £20 and £50. Tools costing between £50 and £120 will get you better tech, as well as faster heat-up times from brands like Hot Tools, Toni & Guy and Cloud Nine.
Spend over £120 and you can expect to get high-end tools with more effective, gentle curling tech. Brands like GHD and Dyson jump to mind, but various retailers have brilliant options that push into this category.
Most good hair curlers come with a standard set of features that make them effective on all hair types. Timperley recommends looking for adjustable temperatures, automatic shut-offs, swivel cords and a cool tip or heat-proof glove to protect your hands.
Similarly, some design features can be detrimental to the finish of your hair. Timperley advises avoiding poor quality materials, or bulky designs. Thankfully, all the options on this round-up are completely comfortable to use, built from safe and durable materials.
How we test hair curlers
When testing hair curlers, I follow a strict process to ensure only the best make the cut. My hair is thick, long and slightly wavy when rough dried. The ends of my hair are prone to dryness after heat styling, so I keep this in mind during testing
Each curler is scored out of ten for ease of use, curl performance and hold, comfort and safety, suitability for different hair types and build quality. I then average these scores for a final rating.
Ease of use assesses how straightforward the curler is to handle. Curl performance and hold considers how effectively curls are shaped and how long they last. Comfort and safety cover weight, size, cord length and features like automatic shut-off, heat-proof gloves or cool-touch tips to prevent burns. Build quality includes barrel coating durability and overall feel.
When it comes to suitability for different hair types, I focus on temperature range – the wider, the better. If a curler is recommended for a specific hair texture or length, I make sure to test it on that type.
From 15 tested curlers, only those creating lasting, frizz-free curls and working well on thicker hair made the selection.
After testing, samples are returned to manufacturers, donated to charity or stored for future comparisons, ensuring recommendations remain current and fair.
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The best hair curlers of 2025
1. Best Buy Hair Curler: Cloud Nine The Curling Wand
Ask most people about their biggest hair curling frustration and you'll hear the same complaints: curls that fall flat or hair that gets damaged by high heat. With Cloud Nine's The Curling Wand, I can safely say those issues are a thing of the past. This is the best curling wand I've tested.
The barrel is infused with sericite, a mineral that helps lock moisture into the hair as you style, resulting in smooth, shiny curls without unwanted kinks. The wand offers three temperature settings: high (175C), medium (150C) and low (125C). These are lower than the usual curling wand, which usually exceeds 200C. The lower heat setting means less heat damage, reduced frizz and healthier hair over time.
Using the medium setting, I achieved shiny, bouncy curls that lasted all day, even after a humid trip on the London Underground. That's without any hairspray or styling products, which is remarkable for my straight hair that usually needs 180C to hold a curl.
If your hair is fine, bleached or damaged, go for the low setting. For thicker or textured hair, the high setting works beautifully. The wand's lightweight design, swivel cord and long cable made it comfortable to use for the 15 minutes it took to style my hair.
Extras include a heat-proof glove, a smart carry case and a built-in kickstand, which takes away the need for a heat mat, though the stand occasionally gets in the way when curling larger sections. A minor gripe in an otherwise flawless product.
Key specifications
2. Best Value Hair Curler: Mark Hill Pick 'N' Mix
Score: 8/10
We like: Easy to use, affordable, interchangeable heads available
We don't like: Only one heat setting, no heat-up indicator
If you're on a budget, the Mark Hill Pick 'N' Mix Curling wand is my value pick. The Pick 'N' Mix range consists of one main body handle, with 13 different heated styling attachments, including the 32mm medium curling barrel I tested. It's also dual voltage, great for holidays abroad.
This barrel was great for creating big voluminous, bouncy curls with plenty of space to curl my long hair. For tighter curls, I'd suggest investing in the 25mm barrel or, you could use the bubble barrel to create textured, beachy curls.
After styling, the curls lasted a full working day without dropping. After this, the curls dropped to form a subtle faux-blowout wave, which meant I didn't have to top up my style between washes.
The end of the wider barrel doesn't have a cool-touch tip, but the main handle comes with a heat-proof glove to keep your hands safe from burns. Sadly, the curler only has one heat setting, which varies depending on the attachment. The 32mm curling barrel reaches 195C, which is still low enough to be safe to use with a heat protection spray. However, I would recommend people who have bleached, fine or damaged hair to consider other options with a range of temperatures.
Still, you can't beat the Mark Hill Pick n Mix on value. Bundled together, the barrel and handle cost £35 and each attachment costs an additional £20, meaning you can create an excellent styling kit without breaking the bank on attachments you won't use.
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3. Best Hair Wrap Curler: Dyson Airwrap Complete
For beauty fanatics, the Dyson Airwrap needs no introduction. It's a brilliant choice for those who are conscious about their hair health, but don't want to compromise on convenience.
This wet-to-dry multi-styler allows you to style your hair using airflow alone. The absence of hot plates, paired with lower styling temperatures mean you'll get far less heat damage, compared with using a hair dryer and curling iron separately.
The real magic happens when it automatically wraps the hair around the curling barrels using airflow, drying it into a curled position in the process. In my experience, it takes practice to master the technique, but in time it can create gorgeous, voluminous curls.
Add onto that two smoothing brushes, a round blow dry brush and a flyaway smoothing attachment and you've got a comprehensive styling tool that takes the dread out of hair wash days.
Now to address the elephant in the room – this beauty will set you back almost £500. That's a huge amount to spend on your hair. And, if you don't use the right products, Airwrap curls won't last as long as traditionally heat-styled hair. That said, no air curling alternatives quite live up to the Airwrap's curling power in my experience.
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4. Best for Long and Thick Hair: Hershesons The Wand
Curling long and thick hair can be a battle, with many irons only able to tackle tiny sections of hair at once. Hershesons' The Wand curler is a real powerhouse that can style stubborn tresses without fuss, thanks to its brilliant temperature range and long barrel.
That's not to say it won't work for finer hair either, since its temperature range starts at 80C, for fragile coloured hair. It spans all the way to 210C, which gives a better hold on thick, textured tresses.
Simply turn the dial at the bottom of the curler, where the swivel cord attaches, and the LCD screen clearly displays the temperature you've selected. Handily, it also lets you know when your desired temperature has been reached so you know exactly when to get styling.
In my tests, I found the curler made light work of my thick hair, resulting in voluminous waves when curling larger sections, or tighter ringlets when tackling smaller sections. Thanks to the even heat distribution offered by the ceramic barrel, the finished style was totally frizz-free and stayed smooth and shiny until the next time I washed my hair.
I found the right temperature for my hair was around 170C. At this temperature, the curls lasted all day, dropping to beachy waves on the following day.
Key specifications
5. Best Automatic Hair Curler: BaByliss Wave Secret Air
If you can't wrap your head around a curling wand or tong, but still want curly hair, the BaByliss Wave Secret Air could be your new best friend. This automatic hair curler takes all the guesswork out of hair styling.
Simply clamp a section of hair between the two arms and the curler will whizz your hair around its built-in ceramic curling wand. After a few seconds, release the hair and the curler will form a perfect curl.
In my tests I was nervous about feeding my hair into this device, for fear of it gobbling it up and spitting out a tangly mess. Thankfully, the curler never pulled or snagged on my hair and if I ever fed it a section it deemed too thick, it would release the hair from its clutches without fuss. Since the heated barrel was fully encased, the risk of burns is dramatically reduced compared to typical curling wands.
The resulting curls were soft and shiny and didn't struggle to last throughout the day, only dropping hours later in the evening. I would recommend using hairspray to set the style if you need it to last longer.
The curler took a little longer to curl my hair than other curling wands and tongs, but that's partly down to my inexperience. With practice getting the right section size, I'm convinced I would be able to achieve a full head of curls quickly.
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6. Best Hair Curler Wand for Beachy Waves: Beauty Works Professional Styler
Tight ringlet curls aren't for everyone, and if you want to achieve looser, voluminous curls the Beauty Works Professional Styler is a great choice. It's got a fantastic temperature range of 80-220C, making it suitable for all hair types.
Like all the other hair curling wands on this round-up, I found it easy to wrap my hair around the barrel. I was grateful for its longer 18.5cm length, since it meant there was plenty of space to wrap my long hair, even when I used thicker sections. The curler comes with a heat-proof glove, but I still thought the cool-touch tip provided stability during styling.
The resulting curls were loose and healthy-looking. In my tests, the curls lasted throughout the day without dropping much. When they did drop, the result was a loose, faux blow-dried look. This is typical of wider curling barrels like this one, but you can use hairspray if you're keen to avoid this.
Sadly, the ceramic barrel doesn't have any shine-boosting mineral infusions, but that is reflected in this curler's price point. If you want an affordable curler that's suitable for all hair types, the Beauty Works Professional Styler is a great option. That is, as long as you don't want to create tight curls.
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7. Best Comfortable Hair Curler: Hot Tools Curl Bar
Curling hair with a typical iron requires holding your arms above your head, which can make your arms ache over time. Those who struggle to lift curlers above their heads will benefit from the 90-degree shape of the Hot Tools Curl bar.
When styling using this tool, you can keep both arms at shoulder height, with the curling barrel held at an angle toward the ground. This, paired with its lightweight construction, minimises arm aches.
The curler has a great temperature range of 160-230C, which can be adjusted in 10C increments by turning the control dial at the barrel's rear. A small screen displays the temperature you've selected and its LED ring light lets you know when the curler has reached its target temperature.
Hot Tools has also added a built-in timer to the device, which you can set anywhere between five and ten seconds. Once set, press the screen in and the timer will start, emitting a buzz when the desired time has passed. This takes all the guesswork out of curling, meaning any amateur can master the art painlessly.
The only gripe I had with this curler is that its cool touch tip is wider than the 25mm barrel. This made it more difficult to slide curls off the barrel. It's not a deal breaker, but it was slightly frustrating.
Key specifications
For a long time, I thought people who could curl their hair with straighteners were magicians. That was until I tried the Cloud Nine Contouring Iron Pro. This clever design features interlocking curved plates, which make it far easier to curl the hair around the straightener without snags or pulls. Other straighteners, like the Cloud Nine Original straighteners can be used to create curls, but I find the flat plates on this more difficult to use.
It still took me a few tries to get the twisting and turning technique right, but once I'd mastered the art I could get my thick head of hair curly in under 20 minutes. And, like the Cloud Nine Curling Wand I recommend above, it's got a brilliant temperature range that's not only suitable for all hair types but can style hair at lower temperatures.
I particularly like the styler's 'revive' mode, which reduces the temperature to 150C and adds a subtle vibration to the plates. This allows a smoother glide over the hair and gives longer-lasting styles at lower temperatures.
Thanks to the straightener's mineral-infused plates, the results in my hair were always glossy and healthy. Further, these created some of the longest lasting curls I've ever encountered. If you're on the hunt for a versatile styling tool that can curl and straighten hair, this is a top contender.
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9. Best Heated Rollers: BaByliss Thermo-Ceramic Rollers
Imagine a world where your hair could style and set itself in the time it takes you to do your makeup. That isn't too distant a reality when you use heated rollers. The best I've tested are the BaByliss Thermo-Ceramic rollers.
This convenient kit comes with 20 rollers ranging between 20 and 33mm in diameter. The smallest create tight ringlets, while the largest work beautifully to create a bouncy, curly blow-dry effect.
The rollers come in a heating box with variable temperatures. My thick hair was best styled using the higher temperatures but I wish the dial was clearly labelled with temperatures, since all you get is a vague indication of heat level.
Inserting the rollers took a bit of practice. Since each is covered in a soft fabric, the rollers could easily grip onto the hair after the first turn, but getting the ends of the hair wrapped was trickier. Thankfully, I didn't find the heated rollers too hot to touch. That meant I could hold the cool end in one hand and wrap my hair with the other without burning myself.
The set comes with 20 pins which secure the rollers to your head. I only managed to secure a roller with these pins once, as they're very tricky to insert into the hair and roller without losing tension. I much preferred using the plastic clips to secure the rollers, since these could clip over the top of the rollers. It's just a shame there's only ten of these included in the set.
All in all though, securing a full head of rollers took under five minutes, and I loved being able to carry on with the rest of my routine knowing my hair was sorted. Removing the rollers left me with gorgeous bouncy curls that, without hairspray, lasted a good half day without dropping.
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Hair curler FAQs
What type of hair curler is best for the style I want?
Most hair curlers can provide a range of styles depending on how you use them. However, as a general rule these are the tools that celebrity stylist Melissa Timperley recommends using to achieve the style you want:
How do I choose the right barrel size?
Barrel size is just as important as curler design when it comes to achieving the right look. Thankfully, it's simple to understand. Timperley says, 'The larger the barrel, the looser the wave.' Below is a more specific list of styles and the barrel size you need to achieve them.
How can I curl my hair without causing too much heat damage?
Heat damage is inevitable when styling your hair with a heated curler, but there are steps you can take to prevent heat damage. Timperley recommends always starting with heat protectant. 'Always use a heat protectant when the hair is wet before drying and add another one like an aerosol spray when the hair is dry for double protection. Unite 7 Seconds Glossing Spray is my favourite for dry hair,' she says.
Her other tips include using a low temperature for your hair type, not holding curls on the heat for longer than 10 seconds and letting the curls cool before brushing.
What's the difference between ceramic, titanium and tourmaline curling barrels?
Ceramic curling barrels are great for most hair types, since they heat evenly and help to reduce frizz. That's why most of the curlers on this round-up use ceramic barrels.
Titanium curling barrels are better for thick or coarse hair. They 'heat quickly and stay hot. The plates also stay super smooth so it doesn't snag the hair,' says Timperley.
Tourmaline, on the other hand, is best for frizzy or dry hair. 'Tourmaline helps add shine and reduce static due to working with negative ions,' she says. This works in a similar way to the 'ionic' technology you might find in a hair dryer, where negative ions help provide a smoother, frizz-free finish.
How do I use a curling wand safely? Do I need a glove or mat?
Curling irons heat up to very high temperatures, so accidentally burning your skin on a curler can be extremely painful. Likewise, your hair curler can singe and melt the furniture it rests on, so it's always a good idea to use a heat-proof glove and mat.
Timperley says: 'When working with hot tongs it's advised to use a glove especially if you're a newbie to styling your hair. Heat-resistant gloves help you build confidence without burning your fingers.'
Her other tips include using curlers on clean, dry and protected hair, curling away from the face at the front, letting the curler cool down before packing it away and never leaving the curler on unattended.