Tag: stylehair

The Best Curling Irons for People Who Can’t Curl Their Hair

Leave a comment

Few things are more infuriating than reading advice on how to curl your hair when the very first step is “Find the best curling iron for you.” Well, no duh. Having the right-size (and -shape) barrel makes a world of difference in the kind of curl you’re looking for—as does how hot the iron gets, when you put on hairspray, and how you hold the iron. But let’s forget all that for a second and assume you (a) probably aren’t coming here for pageant curls and (b) just want something easy to enhance whatever texture you’ve got—or boost what you don’t. We polled our staff to see who’s struggled to find an iron that’s both simple to use and will make a curl stay put, and sent them home with dozens to test. Here are the best curling irons and wands they now swear, plus two beauty award winners recommended by celebrity hairstylists.

All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

2/11

Best Drugstore Curling Iron: Kristin Ess Soft Wave Pivoting Wand

This brand makes salon-quality tools that won’t break the bank and are easy to find. I can create beautiful waves and also bend the barrel to help direct curls the way I want them to set, without hurting my arms and shoulder. It’s life-changing when you’re trying to curl the back of your own head! —Lacy Redway, celebrity hairstylist

$60
Target

Buy Now

best hair dryers
3/11

The Best Wet-to-Dry Hair Styler: Dyson Airwrap

It’s one of the few truly expensive tools I’ll admit is worth every penny. Thanks to its powerful motor, my straight, fine hair dries perfectly in pretty much 10 minutes flat. It comes with multiple brush attachments, but the curling wands are the standout feature. The trick is to get your hair about 80 percent dry with the brush attachment (or the dryer if your hair is already fairly straight) before moving on to the curler attachments. It sucks your hair up using hot air—not traditional heat—and basically curls it for you. If you’re the person who spends forever drying and curling your hair every morning—well, welcome to your future. —Lindsay Schallon, senior beauty editor

$549.99
Ulta

Buy Now

  • 4/11

    The Best Curling Iron for Long, Thick Hair: GHD Curve 1″ Classic Curl Iron

    I typically curl my hair with a straightener. My last attempt at using a curling iron (years ago) ended in burning out a huge chunk of hair and a lot of tears. But this was a 10-out-of-10 experience for me. It’s straightforward to use, and it’s got even heat and a cool and touchable tip. On day one I attempted a “normal” curling iron experience using the spring lever. My hair was shiny, and the curls were perfect; a girl stopped me on the subway to gush and ask if I was genetically blessed. On day two I used the iron as a wand without the clamp to even greater results: There was a wonderful unfinished quality about the curls, and my hair was so voluminous. As great as that intense heat is though, it’s tough on your hair. Invest in a heat protectant. —Meg Adams, engineering manager

    $199
    Ulta

    Buy Now

 

  • best curling iron for beachy waves

  • 5/11

    The Best Curling Iron for Long, Loose Waves: Hot Tools 24K Gold Salon Curling Iron

    I gave up on trying to use a curling iron with a clip years ago, because they always left dents in my hair, which is naturally thin, flat, and straight—but long. This, however, totally restored my faith. The surface of the wand made my hair really soft and shiny without frying it. And it wasn’t too heavy for a 1¼-inch barrel. Because of the size, the curls are very loose and won’t hold for a big event. But for work it’s perfect. You’re just left with the nicest, softest waves all day. —Alyssa Fiorentino, contributor

    $59.99
    Amazon

    Buy Now

  • 6/11

    The Best Low-Heat Curling Iron: Chi Volcanic Lava Ceramic Pro Spin ‘N Curl

    This thing looks intimidating as hell, but it’s surprisingly easy to use. All you do is section your hair into one-inch pieces (smaller sections is key), feed it into the chamber, press a button, and—boom—curls. It’s a little heavy and clunky-looking, but the design is great if you’re someone who always burns yourself, since the outside chamber stays cool. The lasting results were what really sold me, though. I purposefully tested the iron right before bed to see how the curls would match up against a night of sleep. The next morning I woke up to see that my hair still had modern, thick waves. —Halie LeSavage, fashion features assistant

    $130
    Ulta

    Buy Now

 

  • st Curling Iron Under $50: Kiss Professional Instawave Automatic Curling Iron

    While I feel fairly comfortable with a regular curling iron, using an automatic one is not something I’ve done before, so it really was like learning a new skill. I was expecting my hair to get caught in the spinner or tangled at least once, but that didn’t happen. It took a few tries to get the hang of it, but if you put your hair anywhere near the iron, it’ll pick it up once it starts spinning. It heated up very quickly, and I didn’t have to work very hard to get good curls. Really, it’s pretty mindless, and fast—I did my whole head in 10 minutes!—which is great for hectic mornings. —Maggie Burch, contributor

    $49.99
    Amazon

    Buy Now

  • best curling iron for thick hair

 

  • 8/11

    The Best Curling Iron for Thick Hair: Express Gold Curl Marcel 1¼” Curling Iron

    My hair is really thick and has a lot of volume, but because it’s also so straight, I have a hard time finding irons that’ll hold a curl—except for this. It was the quickest, easiest experience I’ve had in doing my full head of hair. It’s such a breeze to use. The iron has a second flexible handle, which made it easier to style one-handed. And no sizzling or excess steam came off my hair. I was able to give myself the exact look that I would have gotten if I paid a professional stylist: loose, natural-looking curls. —Smriti Sinha, contributor

    $65
    Ulta

    Buy Now

  • 9/11

    The Best Curling Iron for Polished Beach Waves: The Beachwaver Co. Beachwaver S1 Curling Iron

    The Beachwaver is the only curling iron I can manage to use thanks to its self-rotating wand. It’s tricky to figure out at first: The clamp is tiny, so it doesn’t leave dents, and it takes some practice to learn which way to clamp. But the tool has arrows that make it easier to figure out which direction to curl, and once you get over the learning curve, it’s a game changer. It has cut down the time and effort I spend on my hair and has yet to surprise me with any burns. To keep it all from looking too uniform, I like to randomize wave directions and leave out a couple inches or so at the ends so it’s not too perfect. No wonder the Victoria’s Secret girls love it. —Jennifer Mulrow, contributor

    $130
    Amazon

    Buy Now

  • best curling wand for beach waves

  • 10/11

    The Best Luxury Curling Wand: T3 Whirl Trio Interchangeable Styling Wand

    My style is really laid-back, so I’ve struggled to find a wand that doesn’t curl hair in a way that looks too precious. Hi, finally found it. I love that this curling wand has interchangeable barrels, so I can easily go back through and add some variance in size to my waves, which make them look more lived-in. The tapered end is also perfect for leaving your ends a bit straighter or less styled for that realistic, effortless flippy-wave look. —Erin Reimel, contributor

    $300
    Nordstrom

    Buy Now

  • best curling bar

11/11

The Best Curling Wand for Even Curls: Hot Tools Curl Bar

I’ve got coarse, frizzy curls, so what I need from an iron is definition. Most aren’t powerful enough, so I usually just get a weird bump in my hair. This thing looks strange, but it actually produced a curl in my hair—more than one, in fact, it made many curls! It’s also more intuitive than it seems since you don’t have to guess which direction you should be curling your hair—you just hold the iron so the bar is straight and wrap your hair around it. Using it was a little awkward at first, but it got easier. —Sara Gaynes Levy, contributor

$99
Amazon

Buy Now

Source: