THE BEST HAIR STRAIGHTENERS FOR CURLY HAIR
Embracing your curls, coils and kinks is all well and good but sometimes you might want to mix up your hair styling and transform your tresses into something sleeker and straighter.
We know that every wave and curl have their own unique needs, which is why there isn’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to the best hair straighteners for curly hair. Depending on your hair type and texture, you might want to prioritise tools that specialise in taming flyaways, adding shine, boosting volume or simply speeding up your curly hair care routine.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up our pick of the best hair straighteners for curly hair, with tools to suit whatever your curly hair type, concern and goal. So, get ready to learn how to achieve flyaway-free, smooth styles without damaging your lengthy locks.
In This Article
How To Choose The Best Hair Straighteners For Curly Hair - Best Hair Straightener For Thick Frizzy Hair
- Best Straightener For Thick Wavy Hair
- Best Straightener For Thick Curly Hair
- Best Hair Straighteners For Culy Hair FAQs
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST HAIR STRAIGHTENERS FOR CURLY HAIR
Straightening iron or straightening brush
When looking for the best hair straighteners for curly hair, one of the first decisions is whether to choose a straightening iron or a straightening brush. This depends on what you want from your styling tool. If you want speedy styling and a poker-straight finish, then a straightening iron is the best tool for the job. For added volume and a more natural finish, a straightening brush works wonders!
Temperature
When selecting the best hair straightener for curly hair, check the temperature settings to ensure they have a hot enough range for straightening your curls. Generally speaking, if you have fine wavy or curly hair that’s relatively easy to style, you’ll want a maximum temperature of at least 190°C, while if your hair is thicker and/or coiler, you might want the temperature settings to go up to 230°C.
That said, all ghd stylers only heat up to 185°C, which they’ve found to be the optimum temperature for achieving long-lasting, professional looking results without heat damage – for all hair types.
Size of plates
If you have thick curly hair, wide plate straighteners are generally the better option when looking for the best hair straighteners for curly hair. They can handle larger sections of hair at one time and they eliminate the need to straighten the same section over and over again – which means less damage and less time spent on styling. If your curly hair is on the finer and more tameable side, then slim plate straighteners will do just fine.
BUT BEFORE YOU STYLE, YOU NEED TO PREP
Hair prep is the first and most important step in your hair styling routine to ensure your locks aren’t damaged and look softer, smoother and sleeker. That’s where a heat protectant spray, mist or cream comes in. Whether you use a heat protection product on wet or damp hair depends on your hair goal and tool, but we have our ultimate guide to heat protection (and how best to use them) here.
BEST HAIR STRAIGHTENER FOR THICK FRIZZY HAIR
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RRP: £116.00Current price: £92.80
Reduce your styling time (and your flyaways)with amika’s Double Agent 2-in-1 Straightening Blow Dry Bush. Ergonomically created for comfort, this multitasking tool boasts 3 adjustable air/thermal brush settings and far-infrared heat to ensure moisture is locked into your strands while simultaneously reducing thermal damage. Crafted with a negative ion generator, it reaches a maximum temperature of 185°C and features flexible outer teeth to provide the perfect grip to take your hair from just washed to perfectly coiffed in minutes.
BEST STRAIGHTENER FOR THICK WAVY HAIR
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RRP: £369.99Current price: £319.99
Offering professional grade, ultra-fast styling, Shark Beauty FlexFusion Straight 5-in-1 Air and Ceramic Styling, Drying and Straightening System is one of the best hair straightening for thick, wavy hair. Fusing heated ceramic with powerful airflow technology, this multi-use must-have styles everything from wet to dry tresses, curls, diffuses locks, blow dries lengths and straightens all in one. Offering innovative temperature control settings including the Scalp Shield Mode, this powerful hair enhancer quickly transforms your thick and curly hair into salon worthy swishes.
BEST STRAIGHTENER FOR THICK CURLY HAIR
Tame your mane and create a super sleek sign off with ghd’s Chronos Max Wide Plate Hair Straightener. Featuring plates that are 85% larger than the standard ghd model, this innovative hot tool has built-in HD Motion Responsive technology that adjusts heat in real time (up to 250x a second) meaning you avoid extreme heat while tailoring to your styling motions. What’s more, with a slim, close-edge design, this hair straightener allows you to get as close to your hair root as possible for a seamless root-to-tip finish ideal for long and dense strands.
BEST HAIR STRAIGHTENERS FOR CULY HAIR FAQs
What is better for curly hair, titanium or ceramic?
When it comes to curly hair, both titanium and ceramic flat irons have their strengths, but which is better depends on your specific hair needs. Ceramic offers a smoother working surface and is generally better for fine curly hair, while titanium can usually hold higher temperatures, heats up quicker and glides more smoothly, making it better for thick curls and super-coily hair, afro textured hair.
What is the safest hair straightening treatment for curly hair?
When it comes to the safest hair straightening treatments for curly hair, your options will depend largely on the current health of your hair. The safest — though most temporary method— is using one of the best hair straighteners for curly hair we’ve already discussed. For longer-lasting results, a silk press is a great option. This involves a deep conditioning treatment, followed by blow-drying and then using a hair straightener to lock in the sleek finish.
You might also consider treatments like keratin or hair botox, which help smooth flyaways and slightly loosen the curl pattern, making your hair more manageable. If you're looking for a permanent solution, a chemical relaxer may be an option. This treatment works by breaking down the natural bonds in your hair to permanently straighten the strands — though it’s important to weigh the potential damage and maintenance involved.
What is the healthiest hair straightener?
The healthiest hair straighteners are all about gentle heat, smooth plates and smart tech that won’t fry your strands. Look for tools with ceramic plates, adjustable temps and bonus points for ionic or steam features. And don’t forget your hair prep also has an important role in hair health so always use a heat protectant before you use any heat on your hair.
And there you have it – a list of the best hair straighteners for curly hair to ensure you can effortlessly create sleek and smooth styles... without compromising on the health and feel of your hair.
Rina is Cult Beauty’s Midweight SEO Copywriter and has always had a passion for beauty and skin care (rich moisturisers are her obsession). What started as a love for The Body Shop and their famed Born Lippy lip balms (in ‘Watermelon’ of course!), she is now more interested in finding products with proven effectiveness instead of broken promises. A loud and proud VIEVE fan, Rina owns nearly every item of the range and recommends the brand to anyone who will listen... When she’s not intently reading ingredient lists, you can find her either immersed in multiple true crime podcasts or a fantasy romance novel, with an *extra* hot cappuccino in hand.
