Hair

13 best hair straighteners 2025, reviewed by experts & editors

Smooth and sleek hair? Easy.
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Ali Pantony

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Featured in this article

Best overall

Dyson Corrale Straightener
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Best cordless

ghd Unplugged Cordless Styler
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Best shine-boosting

BaByliss Hydro Fusion Anti Frizz Hair Straightener
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How to choose the best hair straighteners for your hair type

  • If you've got fine hair: go for hair stylers with ceramic plates as they'll be more gentle.
  • If you've got frizzy hair: ionic technology is key for you, as it'll protect your hair against humidity throughout the day.
  • If you've got afro hair: ceramic-coated plates are the ones for you. Steam hair straighteners will also do a good job of styling your hair quickly but without too much damage.
  • If you've got thick hair: wide plates like those on the ghd Max Styler will save you time.

What should I keep in mind?

The platesCeramic plates take a longer time to heat up, but they distribute said heat more evenly and are gentler than metal plates, so they're good for fine hair. Metal plates like titanium plates get hot very quickly and tend to be more expensive, but they can cause more heat damage. Ceramic-coated plates are made from a metal base topped with ceramic coating, which means you get the best of both worlds.
Temperature settingsConsider hair straighteners with variable temperature settings so you get the optimum experience for your hair type and desired look.
Iconic technologyHair straighteners with ionic technology reduce frizz, snags and fly-aways because they neutralise the positive charge that'd usually cause hairs to repel each other.
Additional accessoriesIf you're planning on taking your hair straighteners away, consider accessories like heat-proof mats, silicone plate guards and travel pouches, that'll make styling on the go much easier.

After more hair content? Head this way for the best hair dryers, in this direction for travel hair dryers, and over here for curling wands. We've also got the lowdown on the best hot rollers, best hot brushes, as well as the best hair curlers and tongs and the best shampoos and conditioners.


What kind of styles are hair straighteners best suited for?

“Hair straighteners are great for creating a boho, effortlessly undone texture to the hair. You can also use them to get a poker straight look, but once you become more confident using them, start to create waves and bends in the hair for a beachy look that you can’t really recreate with curlers or hot brushes, as it needs to be a more flat," says celebrity hair stylist and Dyson global ambassador Larry King.

Larry also shares that these clever tools “are brilliant to add detail and definition, whereas curlers or hot brushes tend to give you a lot of volume.” According to Larry, using a quality hair straightener will help create a look that looks “more natural and polished."

"You can also add definition around the hairline with straighteners and add shaping around the face - I like to try bending little areas, as if the hair has been put behind the ears,” he adds.


How to use a hair straightener correctly, according to a celebrity hair stylist

According to Larry, “when using straighteners, you need to make sure you’re holding your hair in position and gliding it through in one pass.” Larry also recommends using tools like the Dyson Corrale if your goal is to “reduce flyaways.”

“The plates also help gather the hair, which gives you a lot more control and means that the hair doesn’t tend to spread.”

Elsewhere, Larry recommends considering the Dyson Airstrait for when you're in a rush and want to cut down your hair drying routine as this clever tool acts as both hair straightener and a hair dryer. It will help "create a naturally straight style from wet to dry in one go, simplifying your routine from start to finish with no heat damage,” Larry adds.