Emma Stoddart
Great hair curling tools can take the shape of tapered wands, jumbo-sized barrels, or anything in between. The best curlers for short hair, specifically, will marry advanced hair tech with an ability to make styling shorter lengths a faff-free process. It sounds like a tough ask, we know – but fortunately we've tested dozens of models to pinpoint the six best curlers that truly style shorter lengths well.
A styling staple, the best curling tools can do it all, creating loose beachy waves as well as tight ringlets – without inflicting excessive heat damage upon our hair, thanks to the latest tech advancements. But curlers for short hairstyles need to work that bit harder, gripping on and gliding through shorter sections of hair to create curls that not only look good, but will stay put, too.
To separate the best from the rest, we put a selection of curlers through their paces, assessing their performance, usability, design and results' staying power. Ghd’s Curve Creative Curl Wand came out top with its tapered design that creates a whole variety of curly hairstyles – but here are all six of our testers' detailed reviews of the best tools for short hair.
Best curlers for short hair deals
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The best curlers for short hair, reviewed by our beauty team
Reviewed by: Rebecca Fearn, Aleesha Badkar, Emma Stoddart
As we expect from the best ghd straighteners, the ghd Creative Curl Wand gets top marks for design and versatility. The sleek tapered barrel can create near-countless styles on short hair – from loose wavy hairstyles to bouncy curls. “Tapered wands will give you different curl size options in one product,” confirms Jason Collier, A-list hairstylist and Bblonde brand educator. To create tight curls, wrap short hair around the end of the barrel, while for a beachy, undone style, I found that the base of the barrel works best.
Styles aside, the high-tech tool also boasts something called ceramic tri-zone technology which ensures that the hair is exposed to the optimum styling temperature (185°C) at all times. Oh, and reaching said optimum temperature takes just 25 seconds. In fact, from start to finish, the entire process took me no longer than 10 minutes. A big tick!
I also loved that the protective cool tip gave me more control when curling – extremely useful when styling short hair. And while there’s no variable temperature control, I found that these curlers quickly deliver impressive curls on shorter styles that lasted throughout the day.
Read the full ghd Creative Curl Wand review here
Reviewed by: Rebecca Fearn, Aleesha Badkar
As a curling tong novice, I found this Cloud Nine tool easy to use from the get go. It's a straight wand, rather than a more complicated tong with a lever or clip, which I much preferred; the method of simply wrapping hair around the barrel is much easier to get to grips with.
I also love how light it is, as it made the user experience smooth and comfortable while styling my hair. I did have to hold it on my hair longer than with other tools (around 10 seconds on a medium heat setting), but not massively so. The pivoting wire was also slightly annoying as the bottom of the handle kept spinning around – but these very small factors are by no means deal breakers.
The tool created pretty, medium-sized, loose curls that were ideal for me, as I prefer a beachy wave. I added a little texture spray for a slightly looser style, but I loved the overall effect created by this tool.
Read our full Cloud Nine The Curling Wand review here
Reviewed by: Rebecca Fearn
If you want something cheap and cheerful that still gets the job done well enough, this is your pick. While there are no high-tech features (there's just one switch that turns the curler on and allows you to choose one of three heat settings), this tool gave me gorgeous, defined curls on the very first go and was easy to use – even for a beginner like me.
While the tool utilises "Advanced Heat Tech" to maintains optimum temperature during use, I couldn’t seem to find any other key features that helped to maintain the health of hair (such as a coated barrel, for example). But I was able to style sections effectively in about 10 seconds, so I didn't have to use direct heat on my hair for too long.
Creating smooth, glossy and defined "mid-sized" curls that brushed nicely into loose waves alongside a little product, this tool is surprisingly versatile – I think the results are great for its very humble price.
Reviewed by: Rebecca Fearn, Emma Stoddart
Frequently on the move? This travel-friendly and cordless curler is a great pick for frequent flyers, as it takes up less suitcase space and offers 40 minutes of wireless use at maximum temperature. To recharge, simply plug it in for three hours, then you're good to go.
If your hair is around shoulder-length, the 25mm barrel design is perfect for creating loose curls. If, however, you have a shorter bob hairstyle or crop, I recommend choosing a smaller tool that’s between 19–24mm, otherwise you’ll struggle to wrap the length of your hair around the barrel to create curls.
Super easy to use, I found that the curlers heat up quickly and I like the fact you can choose from three temperatures to suit your hair type. As well as the curlers, you get a mat, case and heat protective glove included. The only negative I can think of is that this tool is slightly heavier than others I've tried which might result in a little arm ache.
Read our full BaByliss 9000 Cordless Curling Tong
Reviewed by: Rebecca Fearn, Aleesha Badkar
Not only am I smitten with the design of this very stylish wand from Hershesons, I was also pretty impressed with its results, too. Styling at 150°C and holding hair around the tool for 10 seconds, I didn’t see much of a difference, but with hair held it a little tighter to the wand, it's a dream. Nailing your technique does take a little time, so it's probably not the best option for beginners, but once I'd mastered it I was left with gorgeous loose, tousled, beachy waves that I just loved.
I’d recommend using it on clean hair with minimal product, as this is when I saw the most effective results, but a little texture spray can go a long way in finishing the beachy look. However, if you're looking for something that'll create slightly tighter curls, this might not be the one for you.
Read our full Hershesons The Wand review here
Reviewed by: Emma Stoddart
If highly defined, tight curls is the look you want to create, turn to most recent addition to ghd's Curve collection. With a super slim 14mm barrel, this magic wand creates bouncy spiral curls on all hair types and lengths – including shorter styles.
I found it extremely easy to use; you simply wrap a small section of hair around the barrel and hold it in place for a few seconds (note that the barrel features a cool tip) before releasing. Following Collier’s advice, we found that alternating directions led to a more natural-looking, tousled end result.
As with other ghd tools, this curling wand reaches a safe-to-hair (yet effective) temperature of 185°C that’s consistent across the entire wand thanks to the brand’s single-zone technology. What this means is that you get perfectly even curls. Additional features include a built-in safety stand, automatic sleep mode (after 60 minutes with no use) and a long swivel cord. Because I curled in small sections, styling took a little longer with this tool – but the results last for hours.
How we tested the best curlers for short hair
To be able to write a truly comprehensive guide to top tools, we tested dozens of tools across various price points. Our experts tested each contender several times to comprehensively assess all of its features and each tester used the tools across different points of their hair wash cycle. During the testing process, we took the below factors into account as part of our overall assessments.
- Design, size and weight
- Number and range of heat settings
- Tech features
- Cord length
- Ease of use
- Curl types created
- How long curls lasted
- Extras, e.g. case
- Price
How to choose the best curlers for short hair
- Barrel size: “The first thing to consider when choosing the best curlers for short hair is the barrel size. Too big and you won’t be able to wrap your hair around it," says Jason Collier, A-list hairstylist and Bblonde brand educator. "But if you go straight for the smallest size, you’ll be limited to creating tight curls.” He recommends a barrel size of between 19mm–24mm.
- Wand or tong? Curlers tend to fall into one of two categories: a wand, or a tong or iron with a clip. This choice is key to mastering curling your hair: “If your hair has enough length to be wrapped around a wand, this is a good tool for natural-looking, undone curls," Collier explains. "But for very short hair, this is more difficult, so a tong with a clasp is better for control.”
- Adjustable temperature: Styling your hair on a lower heat setting, as best as you possibly can, is beneficial to your overall hair health. “One of the main challenges of curling short hair is the fact that heat damage is harder to hide,” says Collier. He recommends a heat protection spray as well as tool with multiple heat settings, meaning it cater to different hair types and textures.
How to use the best curlers for short hair
Keen to master how to curl hair with the best curlers for short hair? Follow Collier’s step-by-step process below. Of course, if your hair has any level of curl to it naturally, you'll need to have first smoothed it out beforehand – either just by blow drying or with the best hair straighteners – before you add in your loose curls.
First and foremost, though? “Hair is best curled when it hasn’t just been washed, so try using curlers the day after wash day – this will help the curls to hold better.”
- “It’s essential to prep the hair with a heat protectant, as heat damage is more apparent on short hair vs long hair.”
- “Take a hot barrel curler and wrap 1–1.5-inch strands of your hair around it, letting the hair loose after a few seconds.”
- “Keep curling in sections, working from the top down. Don’t stress if they’re slightly uneven; the more dishevelled they are, the more modern it will look. For natural-looking waves, leave out the very ends of your hair.”
- “Next, apply your favourite texture spray for extra hold and to add definition. I recommend the Jerome Russell Bstyled Wave & Salt Spray.”
- “Flip your head forward, shake your curls, and run your fingers through them to loosen up the curl pattern.”
- “Work a pea-sized amount of hair oil or serum through curled hair to diminish frizz and add an injection of moisture.”
Our expert panel
Rebecca (best known as Becky) has over a decade worth of experience in the industry and has worked for major brands including Glamour UK, Eliza, Bustle and Space NK, where she stayed on top of every new beauty release and tested and compared everything there was to test. Having had a bob as her signature hairstyle for years, Becky has reviewed numerous hair tools for woman&home, from curling tongs to hair dryers and straighteners.
Aleesha is Beauty eComm Editor at woman&home, where she shares her expertise in everything from the best beauty techniques and hair tools to the latest product launches. Though her hair is very long nowadays she used to have shorter hair and some of the curlers here got her through her "lob" phase. This and her years of experience reviewing hair tools means she knows what makes a good one.
Emma has worked in the beauty industry for eight years for some of the UK’s top women’s titles, including Net-A-Porter, Stylist and Grazia. During that time she has tested hundreds of beauty products and tools, and kept up-to-date with all the latest innovations in beauty tech. She has contributed to woman&home since 2020 and has reviewed dozens of beauty tech tools for the brand.
Jason is an award-winning hairstylist who has worked with extensive celebrity clientele throughout his years in the industry. He has advised woman&home on how best to curl short hair, what to look for when choosing a curler for short hair and his favourite tools to use on his clients.