The 7 best curling wands for fine hair in 2024, tested by two beauty editors

When it comes to curling tools, there’s no one-size-fits-all - especially if you have fine hair. The right styler, in this case, will add body and bounce that doesn't drop out without frying fragile strands.

Fine hair can be a blessing but also a curse. Its malleable structure means that it can often be fragile and prone to damage when using heat-styling tools. It is therefore important to invest in the best curling wands that have been made specifically with fine hair in mind - complete with features like ceramic barrels (which help to distribute heat evenly) and adjustable temperatures, to lessen the heat intensity. The size and shape of the barrels are also worth considering, as thin barrels are great for creating tight, ringlet curls, while large barrels can create bouncy, beachy waves.

Whatever your curl preference may be, as two fine-haired beauty editors we have tested seven of the best-selling tools - from cult-favourite brands like Dyson and ghd - to bring you the best curling irons for fine hair, all of which can create different curly hairstyles and be used alongside your best hair dryer for fine hair...

Curling wand deals

Save £30

Cloud Nine The Curling Wand : was £140 now £110 at Argos

Our beauty editors' favourite curling wand of the bunch currently has a very tempting discount, plus it comes with a beautifully detailed pouch that makes it perfect for gifting.

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Save 22%

ghd Curve Creative Curl Wand: was £159 now £123.50 at ghd

Our testers loved the versatility of this high-tech tool from the ever-brilliant ghd. The tapered barrel can create cool flicks and bends as well as larger and smaller curls and waves.

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The quick list

The best curling wand for fine hair overall

While curling wands with clamps are great for holding the hair in place, our preference is a tool without a clamp. Why, you may ask? Clamp-free tools are easier to wrap your hair around and you can avoid unwanted kinks from the clamp. This is especially important for fine hair, which can show up any little dents far more easily. Coming in on top, this tool from Cloud Nine, gets our vote, thanks to its four-inch clampless barrel that's ideal for curling fine, long hair. It was also the smallest and lightest tool we tried, making it easy to store and transport when needed.

There are three heat settings in total: low, medium and high, ranging from 125 to 175°C. For fine hair, opt for the low or medium setting; however, low was hot enough to create tousled beach hair waves in both of our testers' fine hair. When it came to using the tool, it took a little practice to lock down the best technique when using this wand. It comes with a heat-resistant case, which makes it perfect for travel, as well as a handy heatproof glove – make sure you wear this while styling as there’s no cool tip on this curling wand.

With the glove on, we recommend holding the wand at an angle, facing downwards, before wrapping a section of hair around it. Then, hold for a few seconds before releasing. Alternate the direction of curling with each section of hair to increase the body in fine strands. We noticed that our hair looked shinier after using the tool, all due to the mineral-infused coating that helps lock in moisture. A big tick!

Easiest curling wand for fine hair

It's understandable to be frightened of a tool that sucks your hair in and applies heat - that's human nature. What if it gets stuck? What if it gets burnt? The good news is I have used this device on and off for over a year and no such catastrophe has occurred. It has safety features aplenty and, once you get the (very easy) knack, it is the fastest way to create a head of bouncy, shiny waves I've ever tried.

The tool has been designed to automatically pull sections of hair into a large circular chamber (which does make it fairly bulky) Once the hair is sucked in, it's wrapped around a heated element, cooled and released as a curl. A loud beep lets you know when to release and at any hint of tangling, it refuses to take the section and spits it back out. It also beeps frantically if you drift away mid-curl and leave your hair in for too long which is brilliant for avoiding heat damage. This makes it especially perfect for fine hair that's prone to frazzling, and, as you can only put in relatively narrow sections of hair at a time this also lends itself to fine-medium hair types over thick ones.

As I noted in my detailed Babyliss Wave Secret Air Review this isn't just great for fine-haired types, it's perfect for anyone who struggles to curl their hair with regular tools - especially those with dexterity or mobility issues. All the guesswork is taken out, which will be sweet relief to many. The downside of that is that you don't get control. This makes uniform, bouncy, glossy waves and nothing else - but I'd guess that's what most people want anyway.

Best curling wand for fine hair for 'undone' styles

Some of the best hair straighteners in the business are at the hands of ghd, but the brand also makes top-tier curling devices. Take the Curve Creative Wand, for instance, this award-winning, best-selling tool creates effortless beachy waves and big, bouncy curls on all hair types and lengths. However, its tapered barrel sets it apart from the other curling wands tested in this guide.

Its wider base is perfect for creating looser 'cool-girl' waves and undone styles that aren't too perfect looking - which is what our tester, Fiona McKim went for above. The narrow end is best for tighter curls, so if you're looking to curl short hairstyles, we recommend using the narrower end. This easy-to-use wand works like any other – simply wrap a section of hair around the barrel, and hold for a few seconds, before letting go to reveal your style. As with the best ghd straighteners, there’s only one heat setting of 185°C to choose from here (the brand’s identified optimum temperature for styling hair). This is very well suited to fine hair types particularly, as you don't need higher temperatures to make a style stick.

It takes a few seconds for the styler to reach this heat and it will alert you when it's ready for use. While this temperature is high for fine hair, it is monitored by technology that recognises how thick your hair is and adapts the temperature accordingly. Clever! One thing we did notice was that this tool can take longer than some others to cool down after use, so ensure you store it safely on a heatproof surface, and away from little fingers if you have children in your house.

Best versatile curling wand for fine hair

Yes, it’s expensive, but the Dyson Airwrap Complete Styler is a multi-tasking mane-changer that, in our opinion, is worth every single penny. No matter the hair type, including fine and fragile, this techy tool arrives with six attachments that can curl, wave, smooth and dry hair - all without using extreme heat (up to 150°C) to minimise damage.

At first, we must admit, the tool looks a little intimidating, but if you follow woman&home's step-by-step guide on how to use the Dyson Airwrap you’ll quickly get the hang of it. Essentially, to sum it up, the Airwrap attracts hair and wraps it around the barrel using powerful airflow and heat (otherwise known as the brand’s Coanda effect). Depending on the attachment you use, you can create anything from tight curls to beachy waves or simply a bit of easy-going wavy texture, as in the picture above. We love using the 30mm Airwrap Barrel, specifically on fine locks, which offers a voluminous and curly salon-worthy blow-dry. While it is expensive, this high-tech tool can replace most others – including your best hair dryer.

What impressed us most with the Airwrap is how the hair feels and looks after styling – shinier and softer than any other tool. However, it is worth noting that due to a lack of direct heat, we did find that styles created with the Airwrap did drop out more quickly than with other tools. However, Dyson has created a styling range that addresses this issue, Dyson Chitosan, which works a treat. So it's worth getting a prep product involved to enjoy the versatile benefits of this curler.

Best waver for fine hair

After watching countless video tutorials online showcasing Amika’s High Tide Waver, we were extremely eager to give it a whirl and can confirm that it did not disappoint. Creating beautiful, beachy waves, this three-barrel tool is so easy to use and can quickly wave an entire head of fine hair in less than 20 minutes (yes, we timed it). Starting at the roots, hold the tool horizontally, clamping onto a large section of hair, before moving it slowly down the length of the hair until you reach the ends.

The results are soft waves that add body and thickness to fine hair. The uniform finish here might be a good or a bad thing depending on what you want - if you appreciate ease and like a cool-girl 'bend' over glamorous curl then this will suit, but if you want bouncy, traditional curls this won't create that look. Both our testers have naturally straight, fine hair, and were blown away by the finish. To add a more tousled texture, we recommend spritzing a texture spray or your similar best hair styling products through the mid-lengths to ends before working it in with your fingertips.

The waver’s design also uses far-infrared technology to help lock in moisture, as well as negative ions to seal the hair cuticle - a double tick from us! If you adore wavy hairstyles and those deep S-bends, this is the styler for you. It's probably the only tool that's even easier to use than the Babyliss Wave Secret Air. Expect long-lasting, smooth waves that cheat thicker-looking hair.

Best cordless curling wand for fine hair

If convenience is your priority, this cordless curling wand from BaByliss gets top marks. A little like driving an electric car after years of using gears, this sleek, wireless design makes hair styling so seamless. The medium-sized barrel is ideal for those with fine hair and can be used to create both loose, relaxed waves or tighter curls - if you’re after the latter, make sure to style smaller sections of hair at a time. With three heat settings to choose from, the cordless wand offers 40 minutes of wireless styling at maximum heat – which we found was more than enough for fine, long hair.

When it came to battery life, we got two full styling sessions out of this tool before having to recharge it – but do note that it takes three hours for a complete charge. Whether you’re an avid jet setter or if your best lighting and mirror happens to be in the bathroom, this travel-friendly tool is a great option. Whilst the ceramic-coated wand left the hair feeling smooth, we also appreciated the clamp, which gives more control. The only downside of this top tool is the weight; it’s heavier than most curling wands we tried and may give you armache after a while.

Best affordable curling wand for fine hair

Compared to its competitors that have a tripled price tag, this curling wand makes a stand for affordable hair tools. Its very long (18.5cm) and large, ceramic-coated barrel makes this tool a great pick for creating curly hairstyles for long hair. Again, this styler is clampless (our tester, Emma's personal preference) and there’s a choice of heat settings that vary from 80-220°C. Start low and, if needed, gradually turn up the heat – but don’t exceed 180°C on fine hair. Once hot, make sure to pop on the heat protective glove, that's included, and wrap sections of hair around the barrel.

If you like to create glamorous Hollywood waves, this will be your go-to tool as the thick wand is the perfect size and shape to create uniform, bouncy waves. Our top tip? Curl hair towards your face for that Hollywood look, before gently brushing the curls outwards after.

While we found this tool easy to use, it’s worth noting that the extra-long (and wide) barrel may not be suitable for those with short hairstyles. Also, if you like to experiment with different curly styles, this tool is probably not for you as we found that the shape and size limited it to creating Hollywood waves and loose curls.

Emma Stoddart

Emma Stoddart is a freelance beauty journalist who has worked for some of the UK’s top titles including Net-A-Porter, Stylist and Grazia. Her experience spans online and print, as well as producing editorial shoots with some of the industry’s biggest artists. With a fine hair type that's been colour-treated for years, Emma is a master of testing tools that promise to curl and enhance her hair without damage.

Fiona McKim

As woman&home's Beauty Channel Editor, Fiona has spent over a decade trying the latest and greatest beauty products. With a head of naturally fine, long hair she's always up for testing hair tools, searching for the holy grail devices that offer volume, texture and bounce that lasts without frazzling her delicate strands.

How we tested the best curling wands for fine hair

To whittle down an edit of the best curling wands for fine hair, our tester tried several top-rated tools, whilst learning how to curl hair using various barrel sizes and shapes. With a range of tools at different price points, each styler was rated on ease of use, design, number of settings and results. Each curling wand was tried on separate days, styling hair in the morning to see how well the curls lasted over the day. Those that ranked highly and delivered long-lasting results are featured in our edit below.

FAQs

If you're still stuck on which curling wand to go for, we've quizzed the experts on the key features (from temperature to barrel size) to consider when investing in a new styling tool...

How to choose the best curling wand for fine hair

There are several factors to consider when choosing the best curling wand for fine hair, as celebrity hairdresser and expert, Paul Percival, outlines below:

• Temperature settings: Opt for a tool with a range of adjustable temperature settings, as fine hair is more susceptible to heat damage. "Always try to curl fine hair with the lowest temperature setting," says Paul Percival, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Percy & Reed. "If you don't feel that it's curling enough or holding long enough then go up a setting."
• Barrel size: When it comes to choosing the barrel size, consider what type of curl you're after. "If you want to have super curly hair, obviously you need a really small wand or tong," says Percival. "If, on the other hand, you want a loose curl then go for a bigger barrel. I personally would go for a mid-size if you're not sure."
• Material: Most curling wands are made with ceramic barrels that spread heat evenly and are good for fine hair. Whilst, titanium wands are better for thicker hair, tourmaline is a good option for damaged or frizz-prone hair as it emits negative ions that can help eliminate frizz.