The Best Flat Irons for Smooth, Shiny Hair, According to Hairstylists

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Modern flat irons are so much better than the ones we used during the early aughts that fried our hair. Whether your go-to hair straightener finally died on you (or if it’s just not doing the job anymore), it’s time to treat yourself to a new beauty gift to ensure your tresses are sleek, straight, and shiny starting this holiday party season and beyond. To help you achieve your best hair, we consulted experts on everything — seriously, everything — you need to know about flat irons.

The Best Flat Irons

• Best Overall: T3 Lucea 1-Inch Professional Straightening & Styling Flat Iron

• Best for Dry Hair: NuMe Megastar Hair Straightener

• Best for Textured Hair: BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Digital Straightening Iron

• Best Titanium-Ceramic Hybrid: Hot Tools Black Gold 1-Inch Micro Shine Salon Flat Iron

• Best Wide Plates for Long Hair: Conair Infiniti Pro Rainbow Titanium Flat Iron

What to Consider

Titanium vs. Ceramic Flat Irons

If you’re familiar with hair straighteners, then you know that the most conventional ones use heated “plates” to straighten your strands. These plates are usually made out of titanium or ceramic, and each material has a different effect on your hair.

Titanium

• What are they? Titanium flat irons heat up fast and evenly throughout the iron for smooth results. However, if not used properly, they can cause serious hair damage, cautions Cheryl Bergamy, a celebrity hairstylist and founder of Contents Haircare.

• How do they work? “Titanium heats the surface of the hair shaft. That’s why it’s so important to maintain moisture retention while using heat styling tools for your hair, especially textured hair,” says Bergamy, who is based in New York.

Ceramic

• What are they? In our guide to flat irons for natural hair, experts explained that ceramic flat irons are ideal for fine and thin hair. Because they heat up fast and evenly, they’re gentler on the hair, so if you’re shopping for a beginner then gift them a ceramic flat iron on this list.

• How do they work? “Ceramic flat irons transmit heat through infrared technology, straightening the hair from the inside out which is generally more gentle, especially for finer textures,” she adds.

TLDR

Pick the flat iron that’s best for your hair density and styling needs. Although Bergamy loves both titanium and ceramic plates, if she had to choose, she’d pick the latter due to its gentler impact on strands.

Temperature

Since a flat iron is a hot tool, you’ll want to make sure whichever one you purchase can crank up to the necessary temperature range to ensure you only run the iron. “Just because your iron can go up to 450 Fahrenheit doesn’t mean you should keep it there,” says hairstylist Jessica Shakir. “If you have fine hair, you should keep the heat under 200 degrees; thicker hair can stand more heat [up to 450 degrees]."

For your healthiest tresses, Shakir advises using the lowest temperature range possible to prevent potential heat damage. She adds, "To ensure your desired style will stay put for hours, opt for setting your strands with creaseless duckbill clips rather than going over a strand more than once with your hot tool. When using heat, less can be more!”

Speaking of heat damage, now is not the time to skimp on using a heat protectant, such as a hair serum or heat-protection spray. They will guard your hair against scorching hot temperatures and many have added benefits, including imparting a glossy finish, minimizing frizz, and smelling like freshly shampooed hair.

Bergamy, who specializes in natural hair, advises those with textured hair to lock in hydration with a leave-in conditioning cream, (her go-to product is Contents Style & Go Leave-in Conditioner). “Depending on how coarse or tight the curl pattern is, I may have my client sit with a plastic cap for a few minutes just to help infuse the moisture into the hair,” she says. This method can make the hair softer and easy to blow out, without the risk of pulling or breakage before going in with a flat iron.

How We Chose

In addition to including flat irons in my current rotation, I included hairstylist-approved picks. Additionally, after carefully researching dozens of other flat irons, I also found several that are aligned with the above criteria our experts shared. For example, many of these flat irons include multiple temperature settings so they can accommodate all hair types. So keep scrolling for my beauty editor-approved picks that all boast glowing reviews on Amazon, Sephora, Ulta and more of your favorite retailers.

Lucea 1-Inch Professional Straightening & Styling Flat Iron

Because of my job, I own many flat irons and the T3 is my best overall recommendation. It's lightweight and easy to maneuver, enabling me to straighten and wave my hair with minimal effort.

Both Anthony Joseph, Master Stylist at Rob Peetoom Salon Williamsburg, and Carletta O'Neal, hair stylist and owner of Capelli Salon, are also obsessed with the T3 Lucea for its nine heat settings, which allow the user to customize it depending on how they want to style their hair.

It also has a microchip embedded to make sure the iron stays the same temperature throughout the styling session, so you don’t have to worry about overheating your hair, and the ceramic plates are gentler on strands. too.

"It keeps temperature even and it's just right for all hair types," O'Neal says. "It's quick and easy, which means less damage on hair!"

More: Hairstylists and Editors Can't Stop Gushing Over These Curling Irons

Megastar Hair Straightener

Celebrity hairstylist Michelle Cleveland says this flat iron is the absolute best for its 1-inch pure tourmaline ceramic floating plates, which use far-infrared heat strips along with an Ion Booster on the base to lock in moisture, making it great for drier strands.

Cleveland also notes that you can create both silky-smooth strands and different types of curls with this slender flat iron.

“It’s reasonably priced and can do the work of two or three different style curling irons/wands, and as a freelance hairstylist who needs to pack her bag each day for work, this is a huge plus,” Cleveland says.

Original Styler

This is one of the most notable hair straighteners under the ghd roster for its ease and simplicity that allows you to create straight tresses, curls, waves, and just about any other hairstyle you could think of. It has a single heat setting that works on all hair types without frying your precious hair, and it heats up in as little as 30 seconds. The plates use ceramic heat technology at 365 degrees Fahrenheit for smooth, glossy, and no-frizz styling.

“It’s a great consumer-friendly flat iron that gives beautiful and silky straight hair, and it can be used for beach waves,” says Senada K. Ceka, luxury wedding hairstylist.

Classic 1-Inch Inch Styler

This is one of the most notable hair straighteners under the ghd roster for its ease and simplicity that allows you to create straight tresses, curls, waves, and just about any other hairstyle you could think of. It has a single heat setting that works on all hair types without frying your precious hair, and it heats up in as little as 30 seconds. The plates use ceramic heat technology at 365 degrees Fahrenheit for smooth, glossy, and no-frizz styling.

“It’s a great consumer-friendly flat iron that gives beautiful and silky straight hair, and it can be used for beach waves,” says Senada K. Ceka, luxury wedding hairstylist.

1-Inch Flat Iron

Katie Becker, Beauty & Health Director of our sister publication ELLE, says when it comes to budget-friendly hair tools, you can never go wrong with Remington.

This under-$20 styler, in particular, is our favorite for its anti-static technology that smoothens strands in a single pass to create a smooth and static-free finish, its floating ceramic 1-inch plates are 30% longer for quicker styling and less damage, and also make curling and creating waves much easier. Plus, the titanium protection coating on the plates allows fast heat up so you can create any style in no time.

Nano Titanium Digital Straightening Iron

My hairstylist exclusively uses Babyliss flat irons in her salon because they get hot AF and are one of the best flat irons for natural hair. Whenever she uses this on my hair, it's smooth, silky, and shiny like a mirror.

Both Ceka and Molly Leahy, Living Proof Salon Stylist, agree that this titanium flat iron needs to be on your radar. Leahy says this flat iron is thin enough to get your hair smooth even at the root or around smaller areas like your hairline and ears. It also has a wider variety of heat settings than other straighteners so you can customize the heat to what is good for your hair. Plus, it heats up fast.

“This is a great heavy-duty flat iron for that extra thick, dense, and textured hair that needs a lot of control,” says Ceka.

Black Gold 1-Inch Micro Shine Salon Flat Iron

Celebrity hairstylist Sally Hershberger has been using this straightener for years and considers it her go-to for styling.

She notes that it heats up super quickly, and the heat is evenly distributed across the plates, creating a seamlessly glossy finish on every strand that passes through. The plates are also made out of both titanium and ceramic, giving you the best of both worlds.

Plus, it is one of the few options on this list that includes a protective glove for safer heat styling. Say goodbye to potential burns and general discomfort from high temperatures.

Infiniti Pro Rainbow Titanium Flat Iron

Katie Becker, the former beauty and health editor of our sister publication Elle, is a fan of Conair for their high-performance tools at low prices, and the Infiniti Pro is exactly what she’s talking about.

These rainbow-hued plates are more than just gorgeous: They’re wide 1 3/4-inch titanium plates that claim to give you 89% straighter results with less frizz, and the plates reach up to a high 455 degrees to straighten even the curliest of hair types.

Find this flat iron enticing but have shorter hair or just want tighter curls? It's also available in a 1-inch model if that earned thousands of reviews across Amazon and Ulta.

Corrale Hair Straightener

Jen Atkin, one of the most popular celebrity hairstylists of the moment, says she can’t get enough of Dyson’s latest hair tool, the Corrale hair straightener. And TBH, I'm equally obsessed with mine.

This award-winning flat iron is unique for its wireless styling and lightweight body that’s easy on the wrists. Its manganese copper alloy plates gather hair, delivering a great result with half the damage of fixed-plate straighteners.

“I love using my Dyson Corrale straightener to create an ‘S Wave’ by feeding the hair into the iron and forming the wave pattern while opening and closing the plates,” says Atkin.

Creative Energy Smoother

Jacob Khan, celebrity hairstylist, says this flat iron is perfect because it has great control and glides perfectly through the hair without snagging, making it great for both straight and curly/wavy looks.

This flat iron reaches up to 450 degrees to straighten just about any hair type with ease, and features floating ceramic plates. Hydroionic Crystal technology is also featured to hydrate and condition the hair while you straighten, minimizing damage and leaving your hair perfectly styled every time.

Creative Energy Smoother

Jacob Khan, celebrity hairstylist, says this flat iron is perfect because it has great control and glides perfectly through the hair without snagging, making it great for both straight and curly/wavy looks.

This straightener reaches up to 450 degrees to straighten just about any hair type with ease, and features floating ceramic plates. Hydroionic Crystal technology is also featured to hydrate and condition the hair while you straighten, minimizing damage and leaving your hair perfectly styled every time.

Gold Professional Performance 1-Inch Styler

Paul Labrecque, celebrity hairstylist and Artistic Director of Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa, says that all of ghd’s straighteners are worth every penny, but this one in particular is his favorite for its rounded, tapered tip to get every strand.

This straightener also has two heat sensors (one across each plate) to control the optimum styling temperature of 365 degrees Fahrenheit constantly and evenly from root to tip.

Bonus: It only takes 25 seconds to heat up!

Titanium Flat Iron

Out of all of her essential flat irons, Seka says this one is her absolute favorite. This 1.25-inch pick has floating titanium plates that straighten your strands with ease, a digital temperature read that goes up to 450 degrees, and a heat-resistant cord that won't get tangled up while you're trying to style your hair.

“It’s amazing for the stylist on the go,” says Seka.

Excel Infrared Flat Iron

Gina Rivera, Founder of Phenix Salon Suites by Gina, and Colours by Gina, decided to take flat irons into her own hands and created her own, and we’re seriously impressed.

This particular flat iron is constructed of tourmaline heating plates that can instantly heat up to 450 degrees. The exclusive Infrared Smart Technology that the iron is created with infuses each strand with micro-moisture particles to prevent the damaging effects that most high-heat tools inflict.

“Infrared is used for so many therapy-related things these days and this goes for hair care as well,” says Rivera. “It’s like a spa treatment for your hair because it heats the hair from the inside out, locking the moisture in.”

This straightener is also a one-pass styling tool so heat exposure is limited which contributes to having more healthy, beautiful locks. You can use this heated hair tool to create smooth, loose waves or straight styles.

Platinum+ Professional Performance 1-Inch Styler

Ona Diaz-Santin, hairstylist, Creative Director, and owner of New York City’s popular 5 Salon & Spa, says that this straightener from ghd is the absolute best for creating any style you please.

It features a predictive technology that allows for even heat distribution across the entirety of the ceramic plates for even, silky results in a single pass. The heat is monitored 250 times per second, so it’s constantly at the optimum 365-degree styling temperature for even healthier hair.

This high-tech tool also recognizes the thickness of your hair and the speed at which you are styling and adjusts accordingly, so you’ll get the smoothest locks no matter how wavy, curly, or coily your hair is.

You Might Also Like

• The Paris Hilton Housewares Collection Brings ‘That’s Hot’ Energy to Your Kitchen

• 16 Best Noise-Canceling Headphones Perfect for Rocking Out in Quiet Bliss

• Beyoncé Uses This $26 Amazon Product for Her Glossy Blonde Hair