We Tested Over 90 Flat Irons to Find the Ones Worth Your Money

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A good straightening iron is essential for giving hair that silky smooth, glass-like shine — but you'll need to opt for one that fits your budget and hair type without totally frying your hair in the process.

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab, we test and evaluate all types of hair tools, including straightening brushes, mini flat irons, straightening irons for natural hair and hair-smoothing hair dryer brushes, to find the ones that will give you the most gorgeous hair at the right price and performance. Over the years, we've tested more than 90 flat irons — and in our most recent Beauty Lab test, we tallied 2,013 heat data points and 960 survey responses. Based on our extensive testing, these are the top flat irons at all price points and for every hair type that make easy work of straightening your hair.

Our very highest performers? CHI's Lava Ceramic Hairstyling Iron and ghd's Platinum+ Professional Performance Styler earned tippity-top scores for performance, ease of use and styling — but we were also wowed by budget-friendly picks from Remington, tried-and-true irons by BaByLiss and new, innovative favorites from T3 and Dyson.

Below, you can read more about how we evaluate hair straighteners, tips for finding the best hair straightener for you, plus the best heat settings for your hair type, features to keep in mind (and claims to watch out for) and insight from top stylists on whether titanium or ceramic hair straighteners are better. Don't forget to douse hair with heat protectant before getting started!

Lava Ceramic Hairstyling Iron

This speed-heating, power-smoothing CHI earned a rare perfect score with GH’s expert evaluators and was by far our top-tested flat iron. In tests, it warmed up to 96% of max temp in 60 seconds, although our pros wish there was an audible tone to indicate when it reaches temperature.

Still, it ranked best in almost all categories, including fully straightening hair and keeping it sleek and frizz-free all day. It also got perfect marks from testers for gliding smoothly through hair and being easy to use, with all commenting on the "noticeable shine" in just one pass. "I really like how fast I was able to style my hair," said one tester, with another saying, "I would buy this product in a heartbeat."

Straight to It Flat Iron

This $30 stunner wowed us in Lab tests. Testers loved its size, rated it highly for being comfortable to hold and praised its controls too: "Good temperature setting options, lightweight, easy to hold and use." It has a super long cord, which is rare to find in this price bracket — the longer the cord, the easier it can be to style hair.

It's a great value, but keep in mind that it took longer to heat up than other models we tested (more than two minutes), so be sure to power it up well before you start styling. Once it heats up, though, you'll love styling with it: "I was amazed at how easy it was to achieve a more sleek, put-together look," said one tester.

Ceramic Flat Iron

With wider-than-average plates at 1 3/8 inches, we love this flat iron for making quick work of smoothing out longer hair. Testers called it "the perfect size," saying the width of the plates made it easy "to do a lot of styles." It was also rated highly for not pulling or snagging on hair and got a perfect score among testers for being easy to open and close, although some wished the plates closed more tightly.

One tester said, "my hair is very fine and dry, but I was really impressed with how smooth and shiny this flat iron made my hair." This pick is well-priced at under $100, but our Lab tests showed that the iron only heats up to 410ºF while on the 450ºF setting, so keep in mind that you may need to tinker with the temperature settings as you style to find the right level for your hair.

Perfectly Polished Titanium Flat Iron

This titanium straightener has the widest temperature range of the flat irons we tested, with settings spanning from 200ºF to 450ºF, which makes it a Swiss Army knife of stylers: it suits a wide range of styling needs and hair types.

Testers loved how comfortable it was to use, praising its soft-touch surface and comfortable grip. "The finger grip on the top is excellent and I liked how fast the flat iron straightened my hair."

It's pricey, but one tester said they were "extremely satisfied with the way my hair looked afterwards," with another marveling at how "smooth" hair felt. It also got a perfect score among testers for not burning their face, scalp or neck, even for those who said that's been "an issue I've had with other flat irons," making it a solid choice for those who aren't confident using a heat tool quite yet.

Glider Ceramic Flat Iron

According to Amazon reviewers, this is the best flat iron money can buy (and for under $50!), racking up over 59,000 five-star reviews on Amazon (it's worth checking out the thousands of before and after photos, too). Reviewers say it can press hair silky smooth in one pass, cut down on styling time and is snag-free, but in our Beauty Lab tests, it scored low for ease of use and satisfaction with testers citing the heat dial as "difficult to adjust," plus it took the longest of all irons to heat up — we also found hair didn't remain straight.

SinglePass StyleMax Professional Flat Iron

The iron eliminates the guesswork by selecting a temperature based on your hair type, with options for fine, medium and coarse. It also has a "curl mode" which lowers the temperature for creating curls. "Far too many times, people use a hotter setting than they actually need," our Lab pros say, but with nine temperature settings, this iron has the perfect fit for everyone, meaning you won't scorch even super fine hair.

It nabbed perfect scores among testers for consumer satisfaction and for straightening hair completely without burning or visibly damaging hair, with a tester saying, "I love, love, love that my hair stayed straight and did not frizz." Testers with fine hair also appreciated that it lives up to its name: "It heats up quickly, straightens in one go, and for the most part lasts all day."

Mane Addicts stylist Sabrina Porsche says, "I love T3 because if I am doing a silk press, I know I am getting super straight and shiny results." The iron remembers your settings but also offers manual setup, although testers found the buttons tricky to use and wished it had a temperature display.

Studio Design Series Root Reacher

This uniquely-designed flat iron features unique teardrop-shaped plates that are designed to make it easier to straighten close to the root, perfect for pressing cowlicks and baby hairs on curly or frizzy hair nice and flat. Our pros appreciate the nice, long cord, and testers like that "it heats up quickly," and reaches "a high temp that is required for my coarse, wavy hair type." We also like the broad range of temperatures, from 260ºF-450ºF.

Its design is innovative, which can sometimes have a tricky learning curve, but testers rated the manual as most easy to understand. The plates are nice and wide, at 1.5 inches, which can make styling long hair a lot faster (although those with shorter hair may find the extra-wide plates unwieldy).

Salon Straightener Copper Smooth Flat Iron

Revlon’s super long, 1-inch-wide tool gave lasting straightness to even the longest, thickest hair. It had the widest temp range (180°F to 455°F) in our tests and at 4.9 inches, the longest plate length we tested ("but not too long," said testers) which aided in "making the process quicker," a pro noted, although it does have a shorter-than-average cord.

It took around a minute to reach 94% of its claimed temperature, but our pros were disappointed that there was no audible tone to indicate when it reaches temperature. It earned the top score for maintaining hair straightness in our technical test, though the lowest score for keeping hair straight, shiny and frizz-free all day long, according to consumer testers, so make sure you use an anti-frizz serum.

Pro 1" Pearl Ceramic Flat Iron

This lightweight and bargain-priced Remington delivers smooth strands that stay in place. The tool was the lightest-weight of the winners in our most recent test (0.77 pounds!) and tied for best at maintaining sleekness. "One pass for effective straightening that lasted," an evaluator said, with another adding hair "felt soft and looked straight with this iron," perfect for even tough-to-manage frizzy hair.

In Lab tests, it heated up to 93% of its claimed temperature in 60 seconds, which is speedy but not as fast as the 15 seconds claimed. Keep in mind it does have a narrow temperature range of 300-450°F, so it might not be suitable for thinner or fragile hair types, and the cord is shorter than average which can make styling cumbersome.

Platinum+ Professional Performance Styler

This top-performing iron was a standout in Lab tests: It maintained a consistent, steady temperature of 365º to protect hair from excessive heat damage and its technology ensures even heat across the entire plate, which means easier styling and more consistent results.

It got a perfect score among testers for being comfortable to hold, but the lack of adjustable temperature may be a turn-off for some (all of our testers noted they wished they could adjust the temperature), plus it lacks a temperature display. In a Lab test, we found that the flat iron heats up fast, reaching 99% of its claimed temperature in just 30 seconds.

Testers loved how it made their hair feel: "smooth, shiny, and healthy without flyaways or frizz, just a perfectly straight look," although in our Lab tests, it had below average score for maintaining straightness when exposed to humidity for 24 hours. Still, it's a favorite of GH editors and several celebrity stylists we interviewed for this article. Porsche says, "I recommend ghd irons for anyone who has natural hair and wants to use the best iron that won't damage your hair with heat."

Nano Ultra-Thin Straightening Iron

This iron is our Beauty Lab standard: We use it for various evaluations such as anti-frizz studies. It glides through hair without tugging and is easy to use according to consumer testers, though it does take a bit longer to heat up than other irons. Plus, with over 14,000 5-star reviews on Amazon, it's safe to say people are obsessed with this flat iron from BaBylissPRO.

Because the titanium iron is so thin and the plates go all the way to the edge of the clamp, it's able to nab frizz right at the root of the hair, making this iron perfect for stubborn frizz or super-curly and natural hair. One Amazon reviewer who says she has "very, very curly hair," claims that this flat iron cuts her styling time in half and gets rid of frizz in one pass. Since there's no auto shut-off with this iron, you'll have to remember to unplug it after use for peace of mind.

Corrale Hair Straightener

Perfect for travel (or inconveniently placed outlets in the bathroom), this Dyson flat iron can be used cord-free: The brand claims one 70-minute charge grants 30 minutes of cordless styling. Unlike traditional flat irons that have a solid surface, the Dyson's plates are flexible so hair doesn't get squished flat which "left [hair] a bit voluminous like a blowout" and a style that testers said "retained volume," yet "stayed straight and kept its body." It's heavy and bulky, but experts found that “it didn’t seem to matter during use.”

From the operational standpoint, the Dyson excelled: It heated up to 95% of its claimed temperature in 60 seconds and maintained a steady plate temperature for 15 minutes, while the outside surface temperature stays cool to the touch. However, in Lab tests, hair struggled to maintain straightness after 24-hour humidity exposure, and our experts found it pulled and snagged hair more than other irons during styling.

Hair Straightener

While we haven't Lab-tested this pick, it's a favorite of GH Beauty Assistant Catharine Malzahn, who loves just how easy it is to bring when traveling. "I bring it on every trip with me because it’s lightweight and has universal voltage," she says. "It heats up quickly and has a super straightforward design, not to mention how cute it is in pink! It straightens my thick, wavy hair quickly and easily."

Malzahn notes that it glides pretty smoothly, but not exceptionally so, so watch out for potential snags or minor pulls when using. We love that the temperature goes all the way down to 265ºF, making it suitable for more fragile hair types.

Digital Ceramic Hairstyling Iron

This pick by CHI got high marks across the board in Beauty Lab evaluations, including perfect scores for heating up quickly and creating the desired look. Evaluators found it straightforward and intuitive to use, saying it had “easy-to-use buttons,” “nice cord length, “a noise when it reached the temperature” and especially loved the “simple digital read that reminds you of what hair type is recommended for the temperature you set.”

It’s the shortest-length iron we tested, so while it’s nice and compact, it may not be ideal for super long or thick hair which can benefit from longer or wider plates. It also had a below average score for maintaining straightness after 24 hours exposure to humidity, so if frizz is a primary issue for you, you may want to look elsewhere.

Polished Perfection Straightening Brush 2.0

This clever hair straightening brush requires absolutely no styling skills to transform your hair into smoother strands, plus it won't sacrifice volume at the root or give hair that crunchy, too-straight look. Don't expect it to get your hair as pin-straight as it might with a traditional straightening iron, though. However, we still recommend using it whenever hair is misbehaving but doesn't need to be stick-straight. We haven't tested it in the Lab, but one of our curly-haired editors said it slashed her straightening time in half.

Lava 4D Hairstyling Iron

This innovative iron has four plates: Two flat ones inside and two curved ones outside for versatile styling options. In preliminary Beauty Lab evaluations, Lab evaluators found that the outside plates made adding a slight shape and volume easier. “I’m not skilled in curling my hair with a traditional flat iron, but I could produce lovely soft waves with this one,” said one. “What I like the most is that it glides smoothly over hair, almost seamlessly.” This iron is perfect for when you don’t want your hair to be pin-straight, but if you do prefer a sleeker-pressed style, you might want to opt for a more traditional design.

How we test flat irons

In our penultimate test of flat irons at the Good Housekeeping Institute, we rounded up more than 50 products from over 20 manufacturers to find the best flat irons — and in our most recent test, we added 40 more.

Our product analysts start by assessing each iron's weight and size, ease of use and ability to impart shine and smooth hair. We also run tests to evaluate durability, safety and efficacy.

For example, in the Lab, we take temperature readings of each iron's plate surface at its hottest setting, to measure how quickly it heats up and maintains its temperature. We also measure the outer surfaces of each iron to ensure that it doesn't get too hot to the touch. We log the temperature at three spots on every iron every ten seconds for ten minutes, resulting in 183 temperature measurements for each iron.

On top of all that, we survey our proprietary consumer panel to get in-depth feedback from a wide range of people. In our latest test, we tallied up 2,013 heat data points and 960 consumer survey questions to find the best of the best.

What type of hair straightener do professionals use?

Some flat irons claim to prevent damage, and others claim to be made with the best material for a healthy shine, but as a shopper, it can be confusing to tell which is best.

When it comes to material, professionals tend to favor titanium flat irons. "Titanium is preferred among stylists because [it tends] to get hot really quickly," says Eugene Toye, stylist at celebrity-favorite hair salon Rita Hazan. According to Porsche, titanium has even heat distribution, which makes for smooth, silky hair. "Titanium is ideal as a flat iron plate," agrees Kevin Hughes, celebrity stylist and artistic director for Moroccanoil. "It heats up quickly and is a very even heat, which translates to better results and less time go over the same strands of hair."

Another great pick: ceramic or tourmaline. "These plates are safe for thin/fine hair and don't get extremely hot," says Porsche. "Most ceramic flat irons provide faster results in less time, meaning less heat on your hair." That said, our Beauty Lab pros have found great flat irons come in all sorts of materials, from ceramic to titanium and beyond, so don't get too caught up in material claims and focus on other important aspects like adjustable heat settings, cord length and budget.

What to consider when shopping for the best hair straightener

Beyond material, "some of the aspects that make a great flat iron include the heating element... a good visual digital thermometer, the quality of the plates and the length of the cord," says Toye. "The best flat irons are ones that sit comfortably in your hands, have an even heat distribution and selection of temperatures so that you don't damage your hair," adds Porsche.

Here's what else to keep in mind:

✔️ Heat settings: A flat iron with multiple heat settings allows for more customization and flexibility when styling since you’re able to select a temperature that works for your hair type/needs. Our expert testers preferred having an option of a temperature range for their flat irons, and Hughes agrees: “It is a must for all hair types. Most irons go up to 430-450ºF,” but that doesn't mean you should crank up the heat all the way!

We recommend always starting off at a lower temperature and increase the temperature as needed since temperatures above 450ºF can cause decomposition of hair's protein content, causing irreparable damage.Although there is no scientific guidance on the best temperature ranges to use for different textures, our pros averaged all the temperature suggestions from manufacturers for fine, medium and thick, coarse hair:

• Fine hair types should stick to 240-330°F

• Medium to normal hair types can style at 330-370°F

• Thick, coarse hair can handle temps starting at 390°F and go up from there.

✔️ Plate width and length: "1-inch plates are ideal," says Hughes, since these narrower plates can make it easier to do detailed styling (like curling, bending or waving) and they’re also better for getting closer to the root of the hair. One exception: If hair is super long and you're just looking to press hair straight, a 1.5-inch or 2-inch width can make faster work of the task.

✔️ Cord length: If you’re planning on styling hair in a bathroom or close to an outlet, cord length might not be an issue, but if you don’t have an outlet by your mirror, you may want to opt for a longer (or “professional”) length. Cord length in our study varied from 5.6 to 10.8 feet, with an average of 8.1 feet — the longer the cord, the more convenience and range you’ll have. “Also, if the cord swivels, that is a great feature so you can move easier,” says Hughes.

✔️ Auto shut-off: “People are busy and we can all forget to turn off an iron when we are running late, so auto shut-off ensures you some peace of mind,” says Hughes. In our tests, auto shut-off varied from five minutes to two hours, which is handy when you can't quite remember if you turned the tool off — but we still recommend powering off and unplugging the tool after use to ensure it is completely off.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Chiara Butler, a reviews analyst in the GH Institute Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab, led our latest round of flat iron testing and produced a highly detailed technical report on the findings.

For this story, she worked closely with Deputy Editor Jessica Teich, who parsed through data from flat iron tests and write this roundup, including picks chosen from Lab tests plus editor testimonials, vetted reviews and her own first-hand experience in the field.

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