When it comes to styling your hair, just as it’s important to invest in a good flat iron or hair dryer, you shouldn’t disregard quality when buying a curling iron or wand, thinking that they’re all the same. Although it may be tempting to pick one up at a convenience store, many of the cheaper models can cause significant damage to your hair. Lower quality curling irons may also begin to deteriorate, causing snagging or burning of your hair as well. A quality curling iron or wand will allow you to have more control over styling your hair as well as provide temperature controls to ensure that you are able to achieve the style and texture you desire without damaging your hair.
With so many different makes and models of hair curlers on the market today, we know just how difficult it can be selecting just one out of the bunch. So in order to help you choose one that’s right for you and your budget, we thoroughly researched and compared 50 different curling irons to create this buyer’s guide. Below are our top five picks.
Best Overall: NuMe Octowand Curling Iron
The NuMe Octowand is, in our opinion, quite easily the best curling iron on the market today. This exquisitely made hair curler comes with 8 different interchangeable barrels that will allow you to curl and style your hair in a huge number of different ways. You can select the 19mm barrel for tight ringlets or the 25mm barrel to create glamour curls, while the 32mm size will give you a more traditional beach wave curl. The pearl barrel, on the other hand, is perfect for bouncy waves.
The NuMe Octowand can heat up to 450 degrees in mere seconds, and features dual voltage as well as infrared heat, which allows the heat to go straight into the shaft of the hair, reducing the time it takes to style as well as the heat exposure to your hair. In addition, the unit’s ergonomic design makes it easy to create ringlets, curls or waves without putting undue strain on your arms.
Other great features of the NuMe Octowand include its clipless design which prevents creases from forming in your hair while styling, as well as its 100{88454e838380835437410b8dd4980e42836d50c1d7c06d32c28ecbc57e5157a9} tourmaline barrels, which emit negatively charged ions that help your hair retain its moisture and prevent frizzing.
Whether you have damaged, fine, medium, coarse or dyed hair, if you want the best hair curler that money can buy, then this is it.
Parwin Pro Beauty 7-in-1 Curling Iron & Wand Set
The Parwin Pro Beauty 7-in-1 is another high-quality, versatile hair curler that comes with four different barrels and three curling iron attachments. The wand attachments can be used to create more natural-looking waves, while the curling iron attachments create more bouncy and polished curls.
Like the Octowand curling wand set, the Parwin Pro Beauty 7-in-1 employs negative ion technology and tourmaline ceramic barrels to help protect your hair from heat damage while giving you the power to create salon-like looks every day.
The Parwin Pro Beauty 7-in-1, like the Octowand, can also reach a peak temperature of 450 degrees in a matter of seconds. The unit also features a digital display, temperature control, and LCD light to let you know when the styling tool is ready. Although the set comes with gloves, it does not have a cool tip, so you’ll burnt fingers.
You’ll also like the fact that this set comes with a travel case that’s designed to keep the bases and attachments securely in place. Other nice features include its rotating swivel cord, which prevents tangles and twists while you’re styling, and the 110V to 240V dual setting, allowing you to salon-style your hair anywhere in the world.
Best Value: BaBylissPRO BABNT100S Nano Titanium Curling Iron
The BaBylissPRO BABNT100S is a very popular model that’s recognized as being one of, if not the most, reliable curling irons on the market today.
With 50 different heat levels to choose from, you’ll be able to customize the look and style of your hair in a number of different ways. For delicate or fine hair, you can use the lower heat settings (250 to 300 degrees), or a higher setting (300 to 375 degrees) for normal hair. Thick and coarse hair can benefit from the highest temperature settings, which is between 375 to 410 degrees.
In addition, the BaBylissPRO BABNT100S has a Turbo Heat button that you can press to bring the iron up to its peak temperature of 450 degrees almost instantly. This unit is also unique in that it has a nano-titanium ceramic barrel, which maximizes the amount of far infrared heat generated.
4 Hot Tools HT1110 Curling Iron
The Hot Tools HT1110 has a high-performance, heavy-duty heating element that uses Pulse Technology to rapidly heat its 24k gold plated barrel. Suitable for fine, medium or coarse hair of all ethnicities, this curling iron features 10 different heat settings, an ergonomically designed rubber handle and an 8 foot long swivel cord.
Another thing you’ll like about this iron is that, while accidental burns can result in models like the Parwin Pro Beauty 7-in-1, which does not have insulated tips, this is not a problem with the Hot Tools HT1110, since it has an extra long cool tip.
You can use the Hot Tools HT1110 in two effective ways. Place the center of a lock of hair in between the barrel and the clip and wrap the remainder of your hair around the wand and close the clip. Or you can place the end of your section of hair between the clip and barrel and roll up the wand toward your head.
5 Best Budget Model: Anjou AJ-HC006 Hair Curler
If you’re just looking for a cheap but reliable curling iron that doesn’t have all the costly “bells and whistles” attached to it, then we recommend you go with the Anjou AJ-HC006.
Like most quality hair curlers, this model also has a tourmaline ceramic coating that releases negative ions to protect your hair, eliminate pulling and reduce frizz. It can also heat up to its maximum temperature fairly quickly in about 60 seconds, and has multiple heat settings that will allow you to adjust the device to any temperature between 200 to 410 degrees, depending on the thickness of your hair (the thicker your hair, the higher the temperature needed)
In addition, the unit has a thermally insulated (cool) tip and comes with a heat resistant glove, which you can wear if you really want to be on the safe side. This iron also has a power cord that can rotate 360 degrees and is about 40{88454e838380835437410b8dd4980e42836d50c1d7c06d32c28ecbc57e5157a9} longer than what you’d find on most other models.
Buying Guide: How To Choose The Best Curling Iron
Barrel Size
One way you can control the size of your curls and the look you want to create with your hairstyle is by varying the barrel size of your iron. That’s why several products offer interchangeable barrels so you can swap out thinner barrels for thicker ones when you’re trying to create a different kind of curl. Professionals use thinner barrels to achieve tight, small ringlets and thicker ones to create loose, bouncy curls.
Heat Options
Another way to control the style is by selecting specific heat settings. The lower the heat setting, the more relaxed the curl. In addition, you may need to adjust your heat setting depending on the type of hair you have. Thicker, coarse hair requires a higher heat setting to result in long-lasting curls. A lower temperature will work for finer hair and cause less heat damage. Many styling sets allow you to adjust the temperature so you can experiment and find the best heat level for your hair and style.
Materials
Most professional stylists use ceramic and tourmaline irons to ensure healthy hair in the long run. This material helps distribute the heat more evenly through your hair. The negative ions released by tourmaline help protect against damage, hold moisture in your hair and prevent frizzing. Some curling irons are made of gold or titanium, which conduct heat well, but may result in frizzing or damage. These irons may be fine to use if you style your hair very rarely.
Differences Between Curling Wands and Irons
Many product descriptions often use the terms curling wands and curling irons interchangeably. However, there are subtle differences between the two. They each have advantages and disadvantages. Stylists use one over the other for particular reasons that you may want to understand.
The Curling Iron
The curling iron usually has one average-sized barrel with a clip to hold your hair. Some irons may have a single heat setting instead of variable, and they are more likely to come with a heat insulated tip to add control without accidental burning.
If you’re looking for a smooth, shiny, formal look, a curling iron may be the better tool than a wand, which doesn’t give you that shine.
To curl your hair with an iron, you’ll place your hair in between the barrel and the clip, slide it down to the end of your strand, roll it up, and hold for at least 10 seconds. You can also slide the iron to the middle of the strand, twist the remaining hair around the barrel, and clamp the end.
One minor disadvantage is that the clamp can leave a small, unnatural flattened mark on your hair. The very tips of your hair may also remain straight because they are not curled around the iron as evenly as with a wand.
The Curling Wand
The curling wand is basically a barrel without a clip used for styling your hair. Most wands heat extremely quickly to high temperatures. They are usually sold with a special heat-resistant safety glove to prevent burning since many do not have a cool tip. The high heat creates durable curls that can last all day.
Tapered from one end to the base, the curling wand allows you to casually control the size of your curls by positioning your hair along the wand. The absence of the clip means no noticeable creases in your hair, resulting in a more natural look.
Styling with a wand is easy and fast because the unit heats up so quickly. It creates casual, bouncy curls. The typical way you use a wand is to hold the wand in one hand and use a gloved hand to wrap your hair from root to tip around the wand. Since the heat is so high, you only need to hold your hair against the wand for about five seconds to achieve a curl. Then, gently remove the wand from the curl.
Whether you choose a curling iron, a curling wand, or both or select a styling tool that has one barrel or interchangeable ones will depend on your personal styling goals. If you are looking for a new curly look every day, you may want to invest in a high quality, interchangeable set with variable temperatures to give you the most control and variety. If you are looking for a styling tool to be used only occasionally for special events, a less expensive, simple model make work just fine.
Regardless of your choice, you’ll want to select a styling set that is designed to protect the long term health of your hair.
Comparison Chart
Our Top Pick
$$$$$
450 degrees
Yes (8 Barrels Included)
Yes
Yes
3.3 lbs
Best Value
$$
450 degrees
No
Yes
No
0.8 lb
Best Budget Model
$
410 degrees
No
Yes
Yes
0.9 lb
Top Rated
$$$
450 degrees
Yes (7 Barrels Included)
Yes
Yes
3.1 lbs
Very Good
$
428 degrees
No
No (24k Gold Plated)
No
1.5 lbs
Very Good
$$$$
450 degrees
No
Yes
No
1 lb
Good
$$
400 degrees
No
Yes
No
1.6 lbs
Good
$
410 degrees
No
Yes
No
1 lb
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