There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to finding the best curling iron. Like a good straightener, the size and shape make a world of difference in achieving the type of curl you’re looking for—and so do factors like your hair type, length, how hot the barrels get, the products you apply (don’t forget that heat protectant!), and even how you hold the tool. To make your journey easier, we asked hair stylists for tips on how to get the perfect curl (or wave, depending on your preference) and to share the ones the pros use every day. We also tapped our team of Glamour editors, contributors, and network of testers to find out what they love. After evaluating close to two dozen of the most highly-rated curling options for attributes like ease of use and heat settings, we narrowed the list down to the curling wands below.
The best curling irons, at a glance
- Best Overall: T3 Aire 360 Ceramic Air Styler Blowout Kit, $300
- Best Value: Conair Double Ceramic 1-Inch Curling Iron, $19
- Best for Thick Hair: GHD Classic Wave Oval Curling Wand, $209
- Best for Fine Hair: The Beachwaver Co. S1 Dual Voltage, $149
- Best for Long Hair: Bio Ionic Long Barrel Curling Iron, $150
- Best for Short Hair: Mermade PRO Hair Waver, $79
- Best for Beach Waves: amika high tide deep waver, $120
- Most Popular: Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System, $287
- Best for Beginners: BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Spring Curling Iron, $60
- Easiest to Use: Hot Tools Pro Artist 24K Gold Long Curling Iron, $48
- Least Hair Damaging: Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Long, $599
Your hair curling questions, answered
How to use a curling iron
Like flatirons, a curling iron is a relatively basic heat-styling tool, but a few tips can help ensure best results. First, your hair should be dry before curling, celebrity hairstylist Joseph Maine tells Glamour. He also suggests using a heat protectant both while the hair is wet and once it’s dry.
Techniques and barrel sizes differ depending on the look you’re after—again, smaller barrels mean tighter curls. “To style while using any size curling iron, place the hair in the middle of the clamp and curl away from your face to achieve a standard formal curl,” says Maxine Salon stylist Raven Hurtado. For triple-barrel options, you simply clamp down in the same way, but you don’t have to rotate the wand—more like a crimper. For automatic options, it’s even easier: Clamp down on the hair and press a button to send hair whirring through, revealing the perfect curl.
What to look for in a curling iron
Material: The most common curling irons have ceramic barrels that tend to spread heat evenly to ensure smooth, shiny results. They’re a great pick for people with finer hair, Maine says. Those tend to be less damaging on hair, while the adjustable temperature allows you to tailor the heat to your hair type’s needs for long-lasting curls. Professional stylists, however, tend to gravitate toward titanium irons, especially for thicker hair, since the material is more durable and able to style curls at higher temps for longer. Tourmaline ceramic is another material that’s a solid pick for people with frizzy or damaged hair; it emits negative ions that react with the positive ones in your hair to minimize dullness and frizz.
Heat: Thin or fine hair requires less heat than thick hair, Maine says. The ideal temperature for thin hair is no more than 300°F, while thicker or coarser, curly hair textures can handle high heat, from 350°F to 450°F.
Size: “For those with long hair, find a long barrel length,” Maine recommends. Barrel width also makes a difference, says Hurtado.
Attachments: Slimmer attachments (0.5- to 0.75-inch) mean tighter curls, while thicker ones (1.5- to 2-inch) lead to looser curls or waves. These days you’re not limited to one choice, though. There are plenty of curling tools with interchangeable barrels, so you can wear your curls in various sizes and hairstyles (think bouncy curls, tight ringlets, beachy waves).
Are ceramic irons or titanium options better?
The most common curling irons have ceramic barrels that tend to spread heat evenly to ensure smooth, shiny results. They’re a great pick for people with finer hair, Maine says. Those tend to be less damaging on hair, while the adjustable temperature allows you to tailor the heat to your hair type’s needs for long-lasting curls. Professional stylists, however, tend to gravitate toward titanium irons, especially for thicker hair, since the material is more durable and able to style curls at higher temps for longer. Tourmaline ceramic is another material that’s a solid pick for people with frizzy or damaged hair; it emits negative ions that react with the positive ones in your hair to minimize dullness and frizz.
Best Overall: T3 Aire 360 Ceramic Air Styler Blowout Kit
Original video by Glamour senior commerce editor Jenifer Calle using the T3 Aire 360 styling tool
If you love the Dyson Airwrap but cringe at the price tag, T3 is the answer. Although it’s about half the price of the Dyson, we found that the Aire 360 works just as well—if not better. When you turn it on, the air-powered tool picks the hair up and wraps it around the wand to create blowout-style curls without the heat damage. In evaluations, curls were sleek and shiny, which the brand says is thanks to the CeraGloss ceramic surface of the curling wands.
Testers told Glamour that using this hair tool felt like a luxury experience from start to finish. “Everything from the unboxing to the end style is supers sophisticated,” says Glamour contributor Brigitt Earley. It comes in this beautiful hexagonal box that opens to reveal a pouch rather than a bulky, hard-to-store box that other similar tools come in. The curling wand itself is lightweight and easy to use too. “It was super intuitive—you simply use the wand head with the proper arrow, so you can curl both sides away from your face without struggle,” says Earley. “I couldn’t believe that I was able to get such a sleek style on my very long hair in less than 15 minutes.” Glamour’s commerce editor Jenifer Calle is also a fan and says she likes to use it when she has to rush out the door. “I have thick, coarse hair, so curling it takes forever, which is why this tool is perfect for quick and easy styling. And the curls last, too. The next day I wake up with wavy strands.”
- What we love: Less heat damage; lightweight and easy to use; comes in an easy-to-store thermal pouch; works quickly
- What could improve: Our testers fingers kept accidentally changing the heat setting
- Barrel size: 1.35 inches
- Material: Ceramic
- Heat settings: 3
- Hair types: All hair types
- Best for styling: Smooth waves with limited heat
Original photo courtesy of Jenifer Calle
Least Hair Damaging: Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Long
Original video by Glamour beauty editor Danielle Sinay using the Dysone Airwrap
Like the Supersonic—Dyson’s best-selling hair dryer—the Dyson Airwrap is expensive. But if you’re looking to invest in something that won’t cause hair damage and truly lives up to the hype, it’s a worthy pick, and also one of the best for curly hair. The first of its kind tool dries and styles simultaneously without burning your hair to a crisp. To curl, you simply attach one of two included curling wands and dangle your hair over it. The Airwrap sucks it all up, expertly wrapping your hair around the wand—no need to move your hand. If you want a smoother, sleeker style, opt for the smoothing dryer of one of the three other included brush attachments.
Yes, it has an eye-popping price tag, but our editors have been big fans of the product since its launch in 2018, and say it’s worth the splurge. “Not to be dramatic, but my life changed when I tried the first-generation Dyson Airwrap,” says Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour’s senior beauty editor. “At the time I had just gotten curtain bangs, and the interchangeable attachments made it so easy to switch according to my styling needs, delivering salon-level smoothness and blowouts in less than half the time.” In her Airwrap review, Glamour commerce writer Malia Griggs, who has coarse, wavy hair, notes that while there’s a steep learning curve, she appreciated how effective it was at taming frizz, while Glamour contirbutor Andrea Navarro adds that it cut down time on drying her thick 3C curls by 30 minutes.
One thing to consider? While it does work on all hair types, if you have short to medium-length hair, you won’t likely see those same salon-quality results. It’s better on longer, and especially thicker hair. “I have fine, shoulder length, naturally curly, thin hair, and it was hard to get a good curl from the Airwrap since the wand is so long,” says Glamour’s commerce director Brie Schwartz.
- What we love: Six attachments, two-year warranty; dries and styles at the same time
- What could improve: Expensive, works best on long hair
- Barrel size: 1.2 inches; 1.6 inches
- Material: Ceramic, steel
- Heat settings: 3
- Hair types: All hair types
- Best for styling: Voluminous, smooth curls with limited heat
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