Shop the best flat irons and hair straighteners that will smooth your tresses with ease.
A good flat iron is one of those styling tools that can turn a “meh” hair day into a great one. Even second-day hair (or third...or fourth?) can get an instant refresh with a few passes of a straightner and some dry shampoo.
The best flat iron is speedy, sleek-looking and won’t totally damage or destroy your tresses. Each of the following on this list -- choose from ceramic, tourmaline and ionic technology -- is a favorite among stylish celebs and pro stylists (as well as us mere mortals). And each will deliver serious shine and style to your frizzy, wavy, curly hair and natural hair.
Just a few swipes with one of these hair tools will have you looking and feeling like you just emerged from the salon when you haven't even left the house.
So bypass the keratin treatment, turn up the heat and shop the best flat irons on the market, below. (And not to nag, but don't forget the heat protectant.)
ET Style's Picks for the Best Flat Irons:
Harry Josh Ceramic Flat Styling Iron (1.25 Inch)
The Ceramic Flat Styling Iron from Harry Josh (Gisele Bundchen's hair stylist) straightens and smooths hair, leaving it super-shiny and silky. At 1.25 inches the ceramic plates are a bit wider than most flat irons but the plates are also curved with a nice grip, so you can pull hair through without it slipping or holding it too tightly to create that weird flat iron kink.
Chi Original Ceramic Hairstyling Flat Iron Hair Straightener
A true classic, this versatile straightener from Chi gives you straight and sleek strands with minimal damage, thanks to its ceramic plates. It also helps tame frizzy hair and static to keep hair looking silky and smooth. No wonder it's considered the best flat iron by many beauty lovers.
Drybar The Tress Press 1" Straightening Iron
Long hair and even super-thick hair are no match for this sunny yellow straightener from blowout salon Drybar. It also zaps frizz and its temperature control function protects your hair from heat damage. Plus, the rounded edges mean you can also use it to create waves and curls -- no curling iron required, if you’ve got the hair styling tool skills!
XL Hair Straightening Brush, Heated Styling Brush
For those who aren’t keen on running hot plates directly over their hair, this heated styling brush (a relative of the buzzy Revlon One-Step) is a great alternative. This heat styling tool features ceramic coated bristles that glide seamlessly through the hair, straightening your strands as you brush. With extra-long bristles and a special ion generator that delivers a constant stream of frizz-reducing negative ions, it allows you to straighten out kinks and curls with less damage. And good news, especially for ladies with short hair: Its extra-long bristles can get right to the root of your hair -- something that can be tricky with conventional irons.
FHI Heat Platform Tourmaline Ceramic Pro Styler
Attention folks! This is the flat iron that Beyonce uses! Beyonce told Instyle about her love for this flat iron “I’m crazy about it! I can’t live without my flat iron! It takes me about an hour to do my hair, and the only time I don’t is when I’m on vacation.” This FHI Heat Platform Tourmaline Ceramic Pro Styler is a compact flat iron whose rounded edges allows you to easily add waves or curls flawlessly.
Dyson Corrale Hair Straightener
Dyson's Corrale Hair Straightener, which uses innovative flexing plates that allow for lower heat and thus less heat damage. Over on the brand's Instagram Story highlights, founder James Dyson explains that the flat iron's plates corral the hair into an oval section (that's where it got its name!), holding it together and easing tension. And according to celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin, you can use it with the cord or go cord-free when you're on the move. We also love that it has an idle mode; after not being used for five minutes, it automatically shuts off.
Babyliss Nano Titanium Ultra-Thin Straightening Iron
The Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium Ultra-Thin Straightening Iron is a mouthful -- maybe because it can do so many things. With 50 heat settings, it's suitable for all hair types from thick hair to fine hair, and its 5-inch plates allow for faster straightening. Plus, it's slim and lightweight enough to travel with easily. Needless to say, this tool is a solid beauty investment.
Remington Pearl Pro Ceramic Flat Iron, 1-inch
This Remington ceramic flat iron is proof that you don't need to spend a ton to look like you just walked out of a blow-dry bar. The ceramic plates on this flat iron hair straightener are infused with crushed pearls, which will give you that "Did she just get a blowout?" look.
Conair Infiniti Pro Rainbow Titanium Flat Iron
Conair's Infiniti Pro Rainbow Titanium 1'' Flat Iron goes after stubborn curly hair to gives you straighter results thanks to the rainbow titanium plates which offer superior heat conductivity and the True Ceramic heater heats up in 15 seconds and maintains heat level and has a heat for every hair type.
T3 SinglePass Luxe Straightening & Styling Iron
This best-selling straightening iron leaves your hair so shiny that friends might start seeing their reflection in your strands. The 1-inch ceramic plates maintain an even temperature and seal your hair cuticle for extra smoothness -- and as the name suggests, you only need to use it once on each section of hair. If you are planning to straighten your hair on the go, let us introduce you to the SinglePass travel straightener, an absolutely adorable mini flat iron.
GHD Platinum+ Professional Performance 1" Styler
Hot tip: GHD stands for “good hair day,” and let’s just say that this professional flat iron straightener lives up to its name. It spreads heat evenly over the plates at an optimal temperature -- 365°F, if you're curious -- to prevent breakage, protect color and deliver a super-straight look in seconds.
Amika Illuminati Styler
This bright pink, patterned straightener is more than just a pretty hair tool to show off on your vanity. Each nano-diamond-infused ceramic tourmaline plate -- along with silver and other mineral powders -- create a type of heat called far-infrared. This method is unique because it prevents damaged hair by actually locking in moisture to keep each hair strand soft and supple. FYI, Amika recommends using these heat guidelines for its adjustable heat setting, according to your hair type: Fine, thin hair should stay below 360°F; normal, medium and wavy hair can go between 360°F and 380°F; and thick, coarse and curly hair can crank it up between 380°F and 450°F.
Neuro Smooth 1.25" Flat Iron
The Paul Mitchell Neuro Smooth 1.25" Flat Iron is a professional-grade styling tool which features adjustable temperature control, IsoTherm titanium plates and a microchip to allow for lightning-fast heat recovery.
Mixed Chicks 1" Flat Iron
If you have coarse hair, the Mixed Chicks 1" Flat Iron is a professional grade flat iron with three layers of ceramic flat iron plates, a FTFC heater and a variable temperature up to 450 degrees.
Bio Ionic 10X Styling Iron
The sleek design of this Bio Ionic flat iron makes it 100 percent OK to leave out on your vanity. It has plates made with a special heat technology that straightens your hair without damaging it, and the vibrating plates get hair straighter faster, so you can be out the door (well, the bathroom door, at least) in less than 10 minutes.
Dyson Airwrap Complete Styler
Want to make a gal really happy? Gift her the beauty community-beloved Dyson Airwrap Complete Styler. The advanced hair tool comes with eight detachable brushes, barrels and dryer -- with intelligent heat control technology -- for all her hairstyling needs. Unlike a typical flat iron, you can use it on wet hair without any danger of sizzle or hair damage. Still unsure? Read up on what you need to know about the buzzy beauty buy.
The Beachwaver Co. Coast Pro Ceramic Styling Iron
This multipurpose tool has funky-looking attachments that allow you to use it as a straightening iron or to achieve a voluminous blowout sans hair dryer. Simply place the tool at the root of your hair then lift the root up and roll your wrist down in a C shape. When the hair is wrapped around the iron, glide it through the hair and you’ll have a salon-worthy blowout with a bit of bounce.
BaByliss Cordless Straightener
Presenting the world's first ever cordless hair straightener. The BaByliss flat iron straightener takes three hours to charge for 30-minutes of use at maximum temperature.
Kristin Ess 3-in-One Flat Iron
This good-looking straightener from Lauren Conrad’s hair guru has four heat options and uses ionic technology to get straight hair while leaving strands super soft and shiny. It even shuts off automatically, so you won’t have a panic attack when you're at the grocery store and suddenly ask yourself, “Did I turn off my hair straightener this morning?” Styling crisis averted.
L'Oréal Professionnel Steampod Flat Iron & Styler
This steam flat iron can make your hair straight or give beachy waves and gives you 24-hour frizz control. It also has three heat settings: 350 degrees F, 390 degrees F & 410 degrees F, which are temperature-checked up to twice a second for a steady temperature.
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