HOT TOOLS Professional Black Gold Micro-Shine Flat Iron, 1 1/4 Inches

Product Information

I wish the only factor to take into account when buying a new hair straightener was the price, but that's really only a fraction of the decision. Of course, the price tag might help you narrow down the selection, but you still gotta decide between all the devices within your budget. So while shopping, remember to: Consider your hair type and condition. GHD Unplugged Styler: This cordless iron offers no-nonsense smoothing and straightening at a safer-for-hair temperature of 365 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s extremely lightweight, feels luxe and comes with a heat resistant storage case. My gripe with this straightener, though, is that it only provides up to 20 minutes of styling time and can’t be used while charging (unlike the Lunata model). Our testers found the CHI Lava 4D Hairstyling Iron to be the least damaging of all the flat irons we tested. The iron’s lava mineral plates are made of silicon, iron, magnesium, sodium, titanium, and more to ensure a sleek finish in a shorter amount of time and with less heat, preventing even more damage. When rating irons, I considered four principal criteria. Two criteria—material and plate size—were noted in detail but not considered in the ultimate rating. That’s because material, whether ceramic, tourmaline titanium or some other metal, is something that is often selected based on hair type and needs (more on this in our “How To Choose A Hair Straightener” section below). Similarly, the best plate size for each individual is usually determined by hair length. Plate material: Titanium | Plate size: 0.75 inch wide, 3 inches long | Temperature: 380 degrees Fahrenheit | Weight: 7.6 ounces | Cord length: 5 feet, 11 inches | Warranty: 2 years

Another key factor to consider is plate width. “A 1-inch plate is traditional and works best on all hair types,” says Henry. “It’s excellent for short hair or for use around the hairline or bang area. Larger plates are best for long hair and can save time, as they cover more of the section at once.” Temperature Settings Plate material: Ceramic | Plate size: 1 inch x 3.5 inches | Temperature: 392 degrees Fahrenheit | Weight: 14.7 ounces | Cord length: 10 feet 11 inches | Warranty: 2 years Harry Josh Cordless Ceramic Styling Iron: This straightener was a standout due to the smooth glide of its nano silver tourmaline floating plates, three heat settings and the fact that it gets 40 minutes of full power from a single charge. It straightened well, but only after two to three passes per section. It took 70 seconds to reach its middle heat setting—longer than non-cordless models by about 45 seconds—and the exterior placement of the power and heat settings button was just where my hand gripped the barrel, making it very easy to accidentally change the setting. Lightweight compared to other hair straighteners we’ve tested, we found the Hot Tools styler glided through hair relatively smoothly, both while straightening and curling. In addition, its rubberized finish certainly made twisting the straighteners to curl hair more manageable.And those are just the basics. You've also got the choice between auto shut-off features, wide or thin builds, and ceramic or titanium plates (fyi, ceramic = softer heat that’s better for finer, straighter hair; titanium = stronger heat that’s better for curlier, coarser hair). I know it sounds overwhelming, so to make the shopping experience easier for you, I researched, tested, and reviewed the top hair straighteners on the market right now. Here's a sneak peek at some of my favorites: A lot of hot hair tools, including most on our list, claim to release negative ions to protect your hair. I used to chalk this up to marketing-speak, but hairstylists I spoke with say ions are helpful. Conair Infiniti Pro Titanium Flatiron: I didn’t love the hissing sound this ceramic iron made while on, and it left my hair with a significant amount of frizz after several passes. Bio Ionic One Pass Styling Iron: This ceramic iron was a close runner-up, but I preferred the wider plate on the overall winner for everyday use. This model has an extremely smooth glide and the silicone “speed strips” helped guide my hair into the tool and straighten it after just one pass, which saved time. Another plus was the temperature memory so I didn’t have to recall the last heat setting I’d used.

Plate material: Ceramic | Plate size: 1.5 inches x 4 inches | Temperature: 250-410 degrees Fahrenheit | Weight: 15.8 ounces | Cord length: 8 feet, 11 inches | Warranty: 1 year After using the GHD Platinum Plus Styler consistently for over a year, I still appreciate the same features I raved about from day 1. The fast, even heat-up time still takes just 20 seconds, which is critical when I’m trying to go for a sleek, pulled-together look while running late. The flexible, coated ceramic plates never snag and always leave my hair looking shiny. I found this compact model to be lightweight, comfortable to hold and easy to maneuver. Its combination of floating plates and rounded barrel helped serve two purposes: avoiding dreaded crimp marks when trying to style hair close to the root and doubling an adept straightener and curling iron alternative. It’s great for touching up second-day hair, especially face-framing pieces or flyways at the roots. It also comes with a heat-resistant travel pouch, and has a 360-degree swivel cord, universal voltage and auto shut-off after 30 minutes. The 1-inch plates on this iron make it versatile enough to work well for short or medium-length hair, or on bangs or fine baby hair around the face. “A 1-inch plate allows for a grip tight to the root regardless of hair length,” says Nicole Henry, senior colorist at Warren Tricomi Salon. However, the Chi may be slightly more time-consuming to use on longer hair between the single set temperature and the face that the plates cover less surface area.

These gold-colored Titanium plates are quick to heat up and make for a lighter hair-styling tool. ithout drying it out

T3 Smooth ID: Along with a new name, the Smooth ID is a consistently top-rated smart iron, and I love that it has heat personalization and a lower temperature “Refresh” feature for day-after hair. However, the buttons are fussy to press, and I used multiple passes to get my hair smooth. Using a hair straightener can be a time-consuming extra step in your journey toward polished hair. The process requires patience, precision and even some additional upper arm and shoulder strength. You want the payoff—ideally silky, smooth, shiny hair that looks really, really good—to match the effort you’re putting in. The last thing you need is for frizz to start creeping in ten minutes after you walk out the door. There are several factors, like materials and plate width, to consider in a flat iron. We consulted professional hairstylists who have extensive experience with these hot tools. Here’s what to keep in mind when choosing the best one. Material Heat-wise, this Revlon offers the most temperature settings of any straighteners I’ve tried. There are 10 to choose from, ranging from 285 degrees Fahrenheit (140 Celsius) up to 455 degrees Fahrenheit (235 Celsius), which makes this a great choice for every hair type. I expected the copper ceramic plates to pull on the hair, due to the fact there are four of them and they’re so far apart, but they glide over it easily. The plates are also smaller than I had imagined—each one is 1/2 an inch whereas standard plates measure 1 inch—but they still cover similar widths of hair as standard straighteners. The biggest downside to the design is that it’s much harder to use these straighteners for curls. Not impossible, but difficult. — Victoria Woollaston-Webber

To put it plainly, we found this flat iron a luxury to use. Admittedly, it is a bit bulkier than standard flat irons, but it’s because this one features two iron plates on both sides. Despite the size, it’s not heavy by any means and is actually very easy to hoist above your head for minutes at a time. As for functionality, once you turn it on, you’re able to understand what every single button does (for example, plus and minus buttons indicate higher and lower temperatures), which isn’t usually the case with hot tools. The manual explains that the temperature of the iron will display in the form of lights—so one to three lights indicate that the iron is 250-350°F, while four and five lights depict 440°F and 450°F, respectively. What’s more, the cord is long enough to comfortably style hair while being plugged into an outlet, and the vibrating technology creates the perfect tension to straighten or curl hair like a pro. Just take note that if you pass the straightener through your hair too fast, it might snag,; so take your time. Abra McField, founder of Abra Kadabra Hair and Healing, says hair is usually positively charged due to its water content, and the negative ions these flat irons generate can help dissipate that water. “You get controlled application of the heat you are applying, and you are able to use only as much heat as you need to smooth and straighten your hair, which can prevent damage.” Never straighten your hair while it’s wet because that’s when your hair is at its most fragile state,” says Bryant. And before styling, always, always apply a heat protectant first. If you can look past its slightly odd shape, the Revlon Double Straight’s four-plate design makes a lot of sense. As you pass the Double Straight over your hair, the first two plates straighten, while the second two ‘reinforce’ the style. This effectively allows you to make two passes in one, which reduces both the time it takes to complete the style and the risk of heat damage. I found this to be largely true, although to get the full effect you need to pass it over your hair slightly slower than you would do normally, which cuts into the time-saving benefits a little. This mini is the straightener you want to stash in your bag for long weekends, trips abroad or just to use at the gym. It heats up in just over 60 seconds to a single heat setting of 380 degrees, which is hot enough to shape hair into super straight strands or perfectly imperfect flatiron waves.London-based hairstylist Hollie Rose Clarke says ions in hair tools keep the cuticle layer of your hair smooth, so you'll get a shinier, frizz-free result. “Think of a strand of your hair as being the size of my arm, covered in fish scales (the cuticles)," she says. "When the hair is damaged, they open slightly, resulting in dry, frizzy, and weak hair. When the hair is healthy they are closed, resulting in your hair feeling smoother and stronger.” This gadget worked like a pro; it has a super smooth glide with zero snag, and the slightly longer plate allowed me to include a bit more hair in the iron per pass without compromising the effectiveness, which ultimately saved me time. The floating plates are more versatile than the standard, static plates on many other irons—they compress just the right amount of hair to create smooth and straight styles or a subtle curve at my ends. This model’s beveled edges also allowed me to masterfully create waves or curls.