The best straighteners for curly hair to create a lasting smooth and glossy finish every time
Our beauty experts review the best straighteners for curly hair to create a sleek finish on various curly textures
Put simply, the best straighteners for curly hair are those that offer a fuss-free user experience and leave strands looking sleek and glossy without having to run the tool over curls dozens of times. If you need a new pair that fits that description, you're in the right place, as our experienced beauty team has tested dozens of pairs of irons – meaning they know which tools work best on curly hair specifically. Here, they've shared detailed reviews of the top-performing straighteners that are best for the job.
Curly hair is a diverse spectrum of patterns, thicknesses and porosity levels; as with any head of hair, no two sets of curls, coils and waves are the same. And while it's important to use the best hair straighteners with heat protection – even sparingly if you want to preserve your curl pattern – there are a few other things to consider to ensure you're using a suitable tool curly hair.
For one thing, curly hair types are naturally drier than straighter hair, due to more bends in the strands making it more difficult for natural oils to make their way to the ends – plus, our hair can become drier with age and change in texture, making it even more so. Some straighteners may also not seal the hair cuticle properly, meaning frizz develops soon after styling. Fortunately, we tested lots of tools on a variety of curl types, from type 4 through to type 2, to ensure this guide only includes those that are kind to curly hair and style it well – with lasting results. Here are our beauty experts' picks of the best.
Today's best straighteners for curly hair deals
These deals were last checked on 13/04/26 and we will continue to do so to ensure that all of the products below are still in stock, still discounted and, most importantly, are the very best deals around at the moment.
The best straighteners for curly hair, reviewed by our beauty team
The quick list
RRP: £299
The most recent addition to the best ghd straighteners line-up, we deem the Chronos Max the overall best for straightening curly hair. An excellent all-rounder, it's sleek, easy to use and, thanks to ultra-gloss plates, even tight curls are left sleek, straight and shiny.
RRP: £399.99
With flexing plates that help prevent damage to shiny and long-lasting results, the Dyson straightener is expensive, but worth every penny. Plus, it also has cordless functionality, meaning you can smooth out any stray curls and waves or frizz while on the go.
RRP: £80
Falling under the £100 mark, this is a more affordable pair of straighteners but it can still style curly hair super sleek and straight. It has nine heat settings and ceramic conditioning plates, leaving your hair ultra-straight and shiny.
RRP: £229
The Cloud Nine Wide Iron is one of the best straighteners for thick hair; the wide, mineral-infused plates can style and straighten large sections of hair in one go. And if you're someone for whom hair health is the number one priority, you'll be happy to know this styler's temperature can go as low as 100°C.
RRP: £219.99
If there's one thing to know about straightening curly hair, it's that it's very time-consuming, from sectioning out the hair to what feels like endless passes to straighten out every curl and wave. But the T3 SinglePass does exactly what it claims: straightens your hair within one pass with its wide ceramic plates and consistent heat.
RRP: £305
Don't let the steam element of this tool put you off. The dry steam actually helps retain moisture while styling your curly hair. This wide-plated styler is designed with three combs that work with any hair type, giving you a smooth, glossy finish.
The best straightener for curly hair overall
The Chronos Max is one of the newest additions to ghd's portfolio, marrying the larger size of the ghd Max Styler with the technology of the ghd Chronos Straightener. This means you get wider than standard plates capable of styling more hair at once, as well as “HD motion-responsive™ technology” – even faster and more responsive tech that adapts to styling speed, and hair's thickness and section size, to ensure even heat distribution. And we did indeed find its styling experience to be smooth in almost every way.
The Chronos Max also has an even sleeker design than its predecessors and improves on ghd’s automatic shut-off time, from 30 minutes down to just 10 minutes of inactivity. As for the results? Our contributing beauty editor Lucy Abbersteen says the Chronos Max leaves her hair the "swishiest" it can be after straightening: "It's almost unheard of for straighteners to leave my hair with any fluid movement, but I did notice it was surprisingly swishy and sleek after using these, so I was impressed on that front."
If, however, you want to spend less than the Chronos Max’s near-£300 price tag, the ghd Platinum+ was previously our go-to for curly hair and is still a worthy buy. It still has advanced technology that adapts to your styling and got nice, sleek results in our testers' curly hair – though the ghd Max Styler's size makes it the best straightener for thick hair that's also curly.
Read our full ghd Chronos Max review for a more detailed guide
The best luxury straightener for curly hair
While hair tools have come a long way in the last decade or so, frizz can still creep in within hours of styling curly hair. But unlike other straighteners on the market, the Dyson Corrale has flexing plates that gather around the hair as it styles. This puts less pressure on the hair shaft for less resulting damage – evidenced by the finish of some of our testers' hair, which we found felt shinier and straighter compared with other hot tools. One small quibble we have is that the styler feels as though it's snagging when it glides across the hair (it isn't, this is the "corrale" effect gathering your strands together), but you can easily tolerate it for the results and soon get used to it.
We did notice that these straighteners feel particularly heavy compared to competitors, which is partly down to the battery that gives the Corrale its cordless functionality – great for on-the-go touch-ups if you can tolerate the extra weight in your bag. But with its long-lasting results (especially if you prep with something like the brand's Dyson Chitosan pre-style cream), you may find that you can make it to your next hair wash without needing to reach for the irons at all. The slightly wider-than-standard plates for a non-curl-specific device means this styler can capture larger sections at once, meaning reduced styling time even for very thick and/or coarse hair.
See our full Dyson Corrale Hair Straightener review for a more in-depth guide
The best budget straightener for curly hair
The Remington Shine Therapy Advanced Ceramic Hair Straighteners - S8500
Unlike some others tools here, we can say from our firsthand testing experience of these straighteners that Remington proves you don't have to spend hundreds to get yourself a good pair. The Shine Therapy styler boasts a wide temperature range (far more than most competitors) with nine settings, something that allowed us to really tailor the styling experience to our hair types.
Obviously, for curly hair, the higher the heat setting, the quicker the styling process can turn it super straight and sleek – but with the downside of more damage being inflicted on strands. The "Shine Therapy" feature is designed to counter this through the plates being infused with Moroccan argan oil, rich in nourishing vitamin E to help keep hair moisturised with each pass.
All that said, we did feel this tool's bargain price was reflected somewhat in the performance. When trying to add a uniform wave or loose curl into our smoothed-out hair, the tool was slightly difficult to manoeuvre and left some unwanted kinks behind and, as smoothly as it glides when straightening, at times it felt like it snagged more on shorter and finer hairline strands than competitor tools. But for its price, we definitely think it does a decent enough job.
The best wide straightener for curly hair
After testing and reviewing many straighteners over the years, we can wholeheartedly say you can rely on this pair from Cloud Nine. When you have hair tha'ts both curly and thick or long (or all three), straightening it is usually a lengthy, arm-ache-inducing process. But not with The Wide Iron. Aside from its fairly chunky design, the heat-up time is a speedy 20 seconds, while the wide plates can carry large sections of hair for faster styling. Case in point: we straightened our entire head of very thick hair in just three sections, which is pretty rare.
Because curly hair's structure makes it more prone to damage than straight hair, it’s important that any hair tool is been designed with this in mind. This styler’s heat settings have a low of 100°C, reaching as high as 200°C, making it very versatile – we like to use a higher heat on freshly-washed hair, then a lower one to refresh it on subsequent days. These straightener’s plates are both ceramic and mineral-infused, meaning heat is distributed evenly with no strand-singeing hotspots and they glide across hair easily without snagging or catching. With continued use, you’ll probably notice that hair looks and feels healthier compared to consistent use of other straighteners.
Read the full guide to the levelled-up version in our Cloud Nine The Wide Iron Pri review
The best speedy straightener for curly hair
The T3 SinglePass X Wide Flat Iron
A product promising to reduce styling time always intrigues us. That was very much the case with this T3 straightener, which has been designed for a quick styling experience for those with curly, thick and long hair.
When we put it to the test, we found its ultra-wide plates worked extremely well on thick sections of hair, straightening smoothly with each pass. We put this down to the brand’s signature SinglePass technology, which means hair is left straight and sleek in as little as one pass. The internal microchip also regulates the temperature to ensure consistently even heat across the plates, making for even styling and fewer damaging hotspots. Tourmaline-infused ceramic plates also left our tester's 3c curls with an unusually glossy finish once smoothed, where her hair sometimes looks a little frazzled after styling.
That said, if you want a multitasking hair tool, this styler is probably not the one to go for. Its straight edges mean you can't easily create different styles, while the plate width also makes it difficult to catch shorter baby hairs. That said, it's great for anyone with curly hair who only wants to straighten their hair – and fast.
The best steam straightener for curly hair
The L'Oréal Professionnel Steampod 4.0 All-In-One Professional Styler
This innovative styler from L’Oréal Professionnel has had a few makeovers over the years, with the Steampod 4.0 is its best iteration yet. By combining steam with the heated plates, it's designed to help your hair retain moisture that would normally be lost during the styling process. It’s especially great for curly hair as it helps to reduce the possibility and appearance of damage and split ends.
So what’s new compared to its predecessor, the L'Oréal Professionnel Steampod 3.0? Firstly, the plates are wider, meaning we could straighten larger sections of hair at a time. There are also now three different combs (previous versions had just one), meaning you can now attached one that's tailored to your hair type. For curly hair, we’d recommend the one with the teeth set widest apart to help prevent snagging. It may feel counterintuitive to curl or wave your hair when it's already curly, but if you do want to create a different type of curl, the new addition of heated, curved outer plates also make that easier to do.
As for our results with the Steampod? Smooth, but not ultra straight; one pass got a finish that was more comparable to the results of one of the best hair straightener brushes. If you want a poker straight hairstyle, we’d recommend slowly passing this tool through each section of hair twice. Unfortunately, we do have to note that we found the 4.0 has some of the same cons as previous versions. It can only be filled with demineralised water, which is more hassle than regular straighteners; it’s quite cumbersome; and it makes a noise like a steam train while styling. Is it worth it for the reduction in damage, though? We think it still has its merits, yes – overall it’s a good choice for hair that's curly, thick, coarse or all of the above.
The best versatile straightener for curly hair
The BaByliss Brilliance Rose Gold Straight and Curl Straightener
If you like to alternate between curling and straightening, this could well be the flexible tool for you. BaByliss' Straight and Curl tool is a versatile styler, packing in the ability to both straighten curly hair and act as a curler, too – meaning you can also create bouncy curls or Hollywood waves once you've smoothed out your hair.
To use this tool as a straightener, you simply select your preferred heat setting from the five options, then glide the tool down the length of your hair as normal. Thanks to the combination of even heat distribution, titanium ceramic plates and ionic technology, our hair was left frizz-free after styling – and we were particularly impressed by the smooth and shiny finish of the results, too.
We also found it very easy to use this styler to wave and curl, thanks to the rounded edges and cool tip, which gave us a bit of extra control. We twisted the iron as we moved it down our hair for a bouncier curl look. A bit of a downside: while the five temperature settings offered versatility, we did notice that curled styles dropped out fairly quickly when using a lower heat, so it's best to use a hotter temperature when styling thicker and curlier hair.
The best long straightener for curly hair
The Revamp Progloss Ultra X Shine Wide Ceramic Hair Straightener
A slightly lesser-known hair tool brand name, but one that you absolutely should not overlook. Revamp’s extra wide, extra-long ceramic straighteners make for the perfect tool for curly and long hairstyles, cutting our tester's styling time almost in half without compromising on the results. Think smooth and sleek hair that stays straight for hours.
Catering to a variety of different hair types, this tool gives you a generous range of temperatures to choose from, ranging from 80ºC through to 235ºC. Meanwhile the floating plates allow for snag-free styling – something that can be a big ask for larger plates, but we found Revamp delivered. What’s more, these plates are infused with the brand’s Progloss super smooth oils (a blend that includes keratin, argan and coconut oil) to bolster shine and help to smooth out hair.
While testing, we did find that these straighteners aren't the best tool for curling hair, but it can create looser wavy hairstyles when it's rotated to help add some movement into your style. Also, as the design is specifically targeted toward longer hair, a tool with smaller plates, such as the BaByliss option above, may be easier to manoeuvre on shorter hair. But overall, we like it – and as a bonus, you also get a heat-resistant mat to protect surfaces alongside the tool itself.
The best straightener for curly hair prone to damage
The KEEO Genius Smart Glide-Straightener
A couple of things can cause damage when straightening your hair. The first is the most obvious one, heat. But the second is the tension that you create as you clamp and pull the straighteners over your hair. This is where KEEO focused a lot of its attention when creating its Smart Glide Straightener, giving it a “precision air gap” between the plates so they don't clamp as tightly onto hair. This is achieved through innovatively-shaped plates, which are wavy with grooves that almost slot into one another when pushed together.
We found that this design makes for a silky gliding experience and our hair was left smooth, but not flat. The only downside we found here was that, if you try to curl or wave your hair with the KEEO, the motion of pressing the straighteners can create an unwanted crimped look halfway down your strands.
This tool will best suit curly hair that's fine or prone to breakage as it’s very gentle on strands. That it doesn’t rob hair of all volume will likely appeal to these hair types, too, as the shift from curly to poker-straight hair can be quite drastic, particularly on sparser heads of hair. The narrower plates meant we also found we needed to move the styler more slowly across the hair to achieve the sleekest results, which made the process more time-consuming. However, it's very easy to set up – plug in, press the button, wait 30 seconds and you’re good to go – with no time wasted reading detailed instructions.
How we tested the best straighteners for curly hair
A selection of the best straighteners for curly hair that we tested for this feature
So, how did we choose this final list? Firstly, to ensure you would well-informed on each pair of straighteners that made it into this guide before potentially parting with any hard-earned cash, we rigorously tested each contender more than once.
Our testers factored in the must-have features and characteristics that are best for curly hair specifically – including ceramic or tourmaline plates, generous plate size and temperature range. Each tool has been trialled by women with curl types ranging from type 2 to type 4 to ensure that they work well on a range of curly hair, too. To make this list, they had to excel in the following areas.
- How well they styled: Each pair of the best straighteners for curly hair featured here made this list because they left our hair smooth, silky and most importantly, straight.
- How hair looked & felt after use: Heat styling always inflicts a degree of damage, but we want to see a brand has tried to minimise this. Certain technologies and innovative features, such as floating plates, adjustable heat settings and smart sensors, all earned points.
- Ease of use: It might be one of the best straighteners for curly hair, but if using it requires reading an inch-thick instruction manual and a degree in physics to understand the contents, it doesn't feel worth it. They should be simple and intuitive to use, plus lightweight enough that you don’t feel achy and sweaty post-styling.
- Design: A sleek or chic design is also a plus; if you’re splashing out on a tool you want it to perform well and look great, too.
- Price: Most things have become more expensive over the past few years and beauty products are no exception. But if a tool is especially pricey, we need the extra investment to be justified.
How to choose the best straighteners for curly hair
As well as ensuring that a styler is a good match for curly hair specifically based on our testing insights, hair experts note that there are a few other considerations worth bearing in mind before you purchase a new pair of straighteners.
- Temperature range: “When looking for a straightener for curly hair, it’s best to check temperature settings and whether it can style all hair types,” explains celebrity hairstylist and Dyson ambassador Larry King. Between 180ºC and 210°C is the recommended temperature for thicker, coarser and curly hair.
- Plate size: For thick or curly hairstyles, wider plates will usually do the job better as they can straighten a larger section of hair at once, which cuts down the overall styling time.
- Plate materials: Ceramic plates are great for more even heat distribution and seamless styling, while tourmaline is great for damaged or coloured hair, as it helps to reduce frizz and seal the hair cuticle to retain moisture.
FAQs on the best straighteners for curly hair
What straighteners are best for frizzy hair?
As for what the industry's leading hair professionals think, unsurprisingly, ghd gets global hairstylist, founder of ARKIVE Headcare and (at the time of writing) ghd Global Ambassador Adam Reed's vote. “The best straighteners for frizzy hair are the ghd Platinum+,” he says.
“I think the Dyson Corrale (as well as the Dyson Airwrap) are amazing at maintaining your hair’s condition and smoothing frizz,” adds Sam Burnett. “I also think the ghd Duet wet-to-dry Styler is great.”
Is it OK to straighten naturally curly hair?
There is no reason not straighten naturally curly hair, but it does come with a few caveats. “It’s only OK if you care for your hair correctly,” says Burnett. “I would always suggest using a light amount of heat by blow-drying your hair first, then straightening on a low setting.”
Your straighteners should also work hard to style without excessive damage. “I would advise finding a straightener [with] incredible plates with a smooth glide and controllable heat settings, so you don’t completely kill your hair,” says celebrity session stylist and BaByliss Ambassador Syd Hayes.
Carefully chosen products like your best shampoo and conditioner for dry hair and the best hair styling products for curly hair will help to restore any moisture lost through the process. A final thing to consider is that the more you straighten your hair, the more you’ll distort your natural curl pattern. Any level of heat styling is a stress on hair, which can impact the definition and bounce of coils and curls. So, if you’re really trying to protect them, you may find a break every now and then to be beneficial.
Is it better to straighten curly hair wet or dry?
You should never straighten your hair when it’s wet. The only exception is if a styler is specifically designed to be used on wet hair (like the ghd Duet Style or Dyson Airstrait). “Never, ever 'dry' your hair with a straightener,” Reed stresses. “Always dry it first.” Doing so risks damaging your tool (not ideal when the best hair straighteners are a big investment), and compromises your hair health.
This is because the water in your hair supercharges the damaging effects of the heat emitted by hot tools. “Straighteners apply heat directly to the hair at a high temperature,” Burnett explains. “When your hair is wet and at its most fragile, it can quickly be heated to scorching temperatures. This results in burnt or even broken hair.” While drying your hair straightening, you can stretch it out with a brush to partially smooth it, meaning less work with your straighteners afterwards.
How to protect curly hair when straightening
Aside from the actual temperature of your tool, hair products with built-in heat protection are your strongest line of defence when straightening. “One of the best haircare tips, very often ignored, is using a heat protective spray before any heated tools,” says hairstylist Charlotte Mensah, ghd ambassador. “Do this and your hair will really thank you for it.” Bottom line: heat protection is an absolute must before heat styling any head of hair, curly-textured or not.
Mensah also stresses the importance of caring for your curls between any styling. Seeing split ends? They need to be cut to stop them from splitting up the entire length of strands. “Trim your hair every six to eight weeks to maintain your style and keep your ends healthy,” she adds. Keeping on top of trims also ensures the edges look sharp and in good condition after straightening, too.
Even your bedding plays a role. Due to friction, “The rougher texture of cotton and linen pillowcases can cause unnecessary hair damage,” Mensah notes. “Sleeping on cotton pillowcases can also draw moisture out of the hair, which contributes to breakage. Wrap your hair in a silk scarf or sleep on one of the best silk pillowcases to ensure healthier hair.”
Our expert panel
Jess Beech is an experienced fashion and beauty editor with more than 10 years of experience in the publishing industry. She has written for woman&home, GoodtoKnow, Now, Woman, Woman’s Weekly, Woman’s Own and Chat, and was formerly deputy fashion & beauty editor at Future plc. With thick and curly hair, she was the main tester for this guide.
Lucy Abbersteen is a freelance beauty editor and one of woman&home's contributing beauty editor. With close to a decade of experience in the industry – and with hair as one of her specialisms – she's tested a lot of hair tools on her curly hair during her career, and knows what makes an excellent pair of straighteners to use on curls.
Syd Hayes is a renowned hair stylist and the owner of the Q Cut salon in Kew Gardens, London. He is also an ambassador for BaByliss and has worked on countless photo shoots and fashion week shows during his career.
Larry King is a celebrity hairdresser and the founder of Larry King Salons and haircare brands. He is also an ambassador for Dyson, whose Corrale Straighteners feature in our guide here.
Adam Reed is a leading hairdresser and the founder of the ARKIVE Headcare brand and salon. At the time of writing, he was also an ambassador for ghd, whose straighteners feature in this guide.
Charlotte Mensah is an award-winning hairstylist, founder of the Hair Lounge salon and her eponymous haircare brand and the author of Good Hair: The Essential Guide to Afro, Textured and Curly Hair. When this article was first published, she was also an ambassador for ghd, makers of some of the best straighteners for curly hair.
Sam Burnett is a hairdresser and the founder of the Hare & Bone salon, as well as an ambassador for KAO brands including KMS.