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Straighteners are here to stay – but thankfully, heat styling has come a long way since GHD’s first ceramic straighteners ushered in an era of poker-straight hair in 2001. Today’s models feature adjustable heat settings and protective technology for hairstyling with minimal damage.
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 17 hair straighteners to the test – from budget tools to premium models – and here’s what I found.
At a glance
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Best hair straighteners overall:
GHD Chronos Max
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Best budget hair straighteners:
Remington Shine Therapy S8500
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Best cordless hair straighteners:
Dyson Corrale
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Best hair straighteners for long or thick hair:
GHD Max
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Best premium hair straighteners:
Cloud Nine New Original
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Best for curly hair:
Bellissima Italia Absolute 4XL
Why you should trust me
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.
How I tested
I tested 17 straighteners on clean, dry hair that started 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, then wore the style for a typical working day to test how well it 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 held through the day. Here are the nine 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.
The best hair straighteners in 2026
Best hair straighteners overall:
GHD Chronos Max
What we love
Unsurpassed single-pass straightening with a glossy finish
What we don’t love
The most expensive straightener in our list
GHD is the brand synonymous with hair straightening – and with good reason. In the 25 years since the first GHD ceramic straighteners hit the scene, countless dupes have appeared – but few have managed to top the originals. The Chronos Max is the latest in the GHD lineup.
Why we love it
Chronos is the Greek god of time – and GHD’s latest straighteners promise to save you plenty with faster, healthier, fuss-free styling. The Chronos Max is engineered to heat up fast and stay at the right temperature, using a new HD motion response smart heat control that continually monitors the temperature of the tool in use. It also features ultra-glossy plates to reduce snagging and give hair a noticeably smooth and glassy finish; the styling plates are 43mm across, with thinner edges than previous GHD wide plates for reaching closer to the roots with fewer kinks. The edges are curved, so it’s easy to style waves and ringlets as well as straight tresses.
The Chronos Max heats up to 185C in 35 seconds with a friendly chime to let you know when it’s done; the smart heat control means it will neither overheat nor cool down as you style, so you won’t have to pass the straighteners over the hair more than once. In my tests, straightening with the Chronos Max was effortless, leaving my hair shiny and healthy-looking. I found I was able to style my full head in under 10 minutes, about half the time it takes me with the other straighteners in our list.
It’s a shame that … at more than £200, the Chronos Max is GHD’s most expensive straightening iron, more than the brand’s Platinum Plus or standard Max models. As with other GHDs, the Chronos Max offers only one temperature setting.
Heat settings: one (185C)
Cord length: 2.7m swivel cord
Automatic shut-off time: 10 minutes
Weight: 489g
GHD
Chronos Max
from £239
What we love
Unsurpassed single-pass straightening with a glossy finish
What we don’t love
The most expensive straightener in our list
Best budget hair straighteners:
Remington Shine Therapy S8500
Remington
Shine Therapy S8500
from £26.98
What we love
Slim and lightweight straighteners at a good price
What we don’t love
Slightly slower to heat than other straighteners
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 it
Remington’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 cord
Automatic shut-off time: one hour
Weight: 368g
Remington
Shine Therapy S8500
from £26.98
What we love
Slim and lightweight straighteners at a good price
What we don’t love
Slightly slower to heat than other straighteners
Best cordless hair straighteners:
Dyson Corrale
What we love
Really efficient and effective cordless straighteners
What we don’t love
Only charges from the dock or special cable
It was initially a shock when Dyson – the company best known for vacuum cleaners and hand dryers – moved into the beauty market in 2016, but its hair drying and styling tools have been runaway successes. The Corrale – Dyson’s cordless straightener – is no exception.
Why we love it
It 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 3.8m
Automatic shut-off time: 10 minutes
Weight: 561g
Dyson
Corrale
from £399.99
What we love
Really efficient and effective cordless straighteners
What we don’t love
Only charges from the dock or special cable
Best hair straighteners for long or thick hair:
GHD Max
What we love
Fast styling, especially on long and thick hair
What we don’t love
Thicker plates less good at reaching roots on shorter hair
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 it
GHD’s Max straighteners are designed with 42mm styling plates – almost twice the width of standard plates, meaning you can style much larger sections of hair. That’s 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. If you’re styling a lot of shorter sections, you might find the thinner plates on the GHD Chronos Max (above) easier and more precise.
Heat settings: one (185C)
Cord length: 2.7m swivel cord
Automatic shut-off time: 30 minutes
Weight: 830g
GHD
Max
from £209
What we love
Fast styling, especially on long and thick hair
What we don’t love
Thicker plates less good at reaching roots on shorter hair
Best premium hair straighteners:
Cloud Nine New Original
Cloud Nine
New Original
from £186
What we love
Easy-to-use irons leave hair soft and shiny
What we don’t love
Expensive for an entry-level model
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 in 2024 with an updated model.
Why we love it
Cloud 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. 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: 3m swivel cord
Automatic shut-off time: 30 minutes
Weight: 440g
Cloud Nine
New Original
from £186
What we love
Easy-to-use irons leave hair soft and shiny
What we don’t love
Expensive for an entry-level model
Best for curly hair:
Bellissima Italia Absolute 4XL
Bellissima Italia
Absolute 4XL
from £129.99
What we love
Fast and gentle styling – ideal for curly hair
What we don’t love
Tricky to get close to roots
These wide-plate straighteners from Italian brand Bellissima combine efficient heat styling with protection from damage and frizz for silky-smooth tresses every time – even on curly, coily or coarser hair.
Why we love it
Curly and coily hair comes with challenges for styling: tight ringlets need heat to press them into a smoother, straighter shape. At the same time, curly hair needs extra care to protect it from damage and dehydration. Enter the Belissima Absolute 4XL: this supercharged straightener uses infrared heat to style hair faster so there’s less damage from contact with direct heat, and ionic technology to seal in moisture for glossy, hydrated locks.
XL refers to the extra-wide straightening head, which is made up of two pairs of 45mm ceramic plates. When you turn on the straighteners, the plates emit a warm red glow – this infrared heat penetrates the hair shaft and heats gently from the inside for faster results, styling quickly and with less exposure to heat. The plates are also coated with ceramic and keratin to give hair a smooth and shiny finish.
The 4XL got my hair done in a little under 15 minutes, definitely faster than usual. It didn’t leave my hair quite as fantastically shiny as the Chronos Max, but it came a close second. The wide plates would make this an especially good tool for anyone with very long or thick hair, and the results on my curly hair were excellent.
It’s a shame that … it was tricky to get the wide styling plates close to the roots, so there were a couple of bumps around my parting that I needed to go back and smooth out.
Heat settings: four (170-230C)
Cord length: 2.5m
Automatic shut-off time: 60 minutes
Weight: 670g
Bellissima Italia
Absolute 4XL
from £129.99
What we love
Fast and gentle styling – ideal for curly hair
What we don’t love
Tricky to get close to roots
The best of the rest
Revamp Liberate Compact
Revamp
Liberate Compact
from £59.99
What we love
Lovely compact model for travel or after work
What we don’t love
Small plates aren’t a replacement for everyday
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
Revamp
Liberate Compact
from £59.99
What we love
Lovely compact model for travel or after work
What we don’t love
Small plates aren’t a replacement for everyday
Revamp Enigma Ion Radiance straighteners
Revamp
Enigma Ion Radiance straighteners
from £59.99
What we love
Moisturising plates give a definite glossy finish
What we don’t love
Neither the most premium nor the cheapest option
Best for: taming frizzy hair
If your hair gets frizzy and dull because of dryness, you may be concerned that heat styling will cause further dehydration. These wide-plate straighteners from Revamp use ionic technology to smooth the cuticle and preserve moisture in the hair. Plus (as with the Liberate above), the ceramic floating plates are infused with moisturising keratin, argan and coconut oils for a smooth glide with every pass.
The straighteners heat up in less than 30 seconds to your chosen temperature setting from 130C to 235C, with a cute little heart-shaped button to select the optimum-care setting of 185C. My hair felt soft and healthy after styling; the chic matt black finish also makes these among the most stylish straighteners in our test.
It didn’t make the final cut because … the Remington Shine Therapy pips it on price and the Chronos Max gives an even glossier finish – but there’s a lot to like about the Enigma, especially if you have dry or frizzy hair.
Heat settings: six (130- 235C and optimum care setting of 185C); cord length: 3m; automatic shut-off time: 30 minutes; weight: 300g
Revamp
Enigma Ion Radiance straighteners
from £59.99
What we love
Moisturising plates give a definite glossy finish
What we don’t love
Neither the most premium nor the cheapest option
GHD Mini
What we love
Perfect for shorter hair (or short sections)
What we don’t love
Too small for hair longer than shoulder-length
Best for: precision styling and quick fixes
Rocking a pixie cut or French bob? The GHD Mini’s 15mm 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
GHD
Mini
from £169
What we love
Perfect for shorter hair (or short sections)
What we don’t love
Too small for hair longer than shoulder-length
What you need to know
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.
Titanium vs ceramic plates
The big innovation of the past 25 years has been the use of non-metallic coatings on styling tools, which turned straightening irons from basic hot chunks of metal into sleek gadgets that protect your hair from dehydration and heat damage.
The most typical coating for styling plates is ceramic, though you may also see sericite or the gemstone tourmaline. These materials typically heat more gently and evenly, reducing the risk of hot spots that can scorch the hair. Nonmetallic coatings also reduce friction between the styling plates and the hair, which in turn reduces damage from pulling and snagging and gives straightened hair a glossy, healthy-looking finish.
Less common but also excellent for straightening is titanium, a highly conductive metal that heats up quickly for rapid styling to reduce hair’s contact with heat, limiting damage. Titanium-coated plates are, therefore, especially good for fast results on thicker or coily hair. However, this type of coating has fallen out of favour somewhat and doesn’t feature on a model in our current list – though Revlon and Babyliss feature them in their ranges.
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 from getting damaged
Make 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 heat protector 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.
What to do with your old hair straighteners
If you want to upgrade, check if your favourite brand offers a trade-in programme, where you can exchange an old tool for a discount on a new model.
One person’s trade-in can be another person’s treasure: if you’re shopping for new straighteners, manufacturer programmes such as Dyson Refurbished and third-party sites such as Back Market are more sustainable ways to find guaranteed electrical beauty products at a lower price. On the high street, Cex accepts some straightener brands in exchange for cash or store credit, while Currys recycles electrical products from any retailer.
Finally, if you’re not able to use any of the above options, Recycle Your Electricals will help you recycle any straighteners that can’t go elsewhere.
For more, read the best hair masks and the best hair dryers
Lise Smith is a 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
This article was originally published on 18 March 2025. Reviews published in the Filter may be periodically updated to reflect new products and at the editor’s discretion. The date of an article’s most recent update can be found in the timestamp at the top of the page. This article was amended on 22 April 2026; three new hair straighteners were added after testing, more information was added to the buying guide, and prices were updated throughout.
English (US)